Tulsa Art Deco Tour
2 hours · 1 mile · $45 adult · $20 youth (age 13-17)
From cow town to oil capital, we rewind time to explain early Tulsa history and how it impacted architecture — from Neo-Gothic to Art Deco to Modernism — and why Tulsa is home to so many Deco treasures.
Expert guides lead you straight to the good stuff. We share the fascinating stories behind these facades and have insider access to view ornate lobbies closed to the public.
On this walking tour you’ll discover:
✔ Beautiful facades from before and during Art Deco’s heyday
✔ 4 magnificent Art Deco lobbies
✔ Exclusive access to Tulsa’s most dazzling Deco lobby (closed to public)
✔ Hidden meaning behind motifs
✔ How to identify different styles of Deco
✔ Rise & demise of Art Deco architecture
✔ Stories of Tulsa tycoons who built the skyline
This 2-hour tour is geared for adults, but kids under 13 can come along for free.
If you’re looking for an exclusive experience, ask about a Deco Deluxe driving tour.
Where can Art Deco architecture be seen in Tulsa?
Art Deco is concentrated in Tulsa’s downtown Deco District. Here you can see buildings like the Tulsa Club, Philcade, Pythian, Southwestern Bell, ARCO, PSO and ONG. We’ll explain these acronyms on our tour! Just south of the Deco District rises the stunning Boston Avenue United Methodist Church from 1929. Although it’s beyond the range of our walking tour, we point it out when crossing Boston Ave. Get a closer look at this church, Tulsa Union Depot, Fire Alarm Building and Warehouse Market on our Deco Deluxe driving tour. The old train depot is next to the Center of the Universe.
Why is there so much Art Deco in Tulsa?
Tulsa probably has more Art Deco buildings than any U.S. city of its size! The reason is that downtown was booming with office construction during Oklahoma’s oil boom and, after 1925, financiers wanted to build in the modern Zig-Zag style, later called Art Deco. This included headquarters for typically conservative utilities (electric, gas, telecom) that embraced the new style of the Roaring 20s.
Fittingly, Tulsa’s best Art Deco tour starts in a Deco building!
Enjoy our fun, fact-packed architecture tour on Saturday mornings or request a private tour.
