Tulsa

Dan Fellner Special for The Arizona Republic | USA TODAY NETWORK

It may not get top-billing with the likes of Nashville, Austin and New Orleans, but this city at the base of the Ozark Mountains in northeast Oklahoma is quietly climbing the charts as a leading travel destination for music lovers. ● Tulsa boasts world-class attractions like museums devoted to the music of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, one of the most renowned recording studios in the country and venues for hundreds of bands that keep alive the distinctive “Tulsa Sound” – a blend of blues, rockabilly, country and rock ’n’ roll that was born there in the 1950s.

Tulsa’s history is marred by the horrific 1921 Race Massacre during which much of the affluent Greenwood District – known as “Black Wall Street” – was burned down. Decades later, the oil bust of the 1980s decimated the local economy. But thanks in part to Guthrie, Dylan, Russell and so many other music legends, the city is now enjoying a remarkable transformation. “I think Tulsa is really having a moment,” says Steven Jenkins, director of the Dylan Center. “We hear from visitors every day that, ‘Frankly, Tulsa really wasn’t on my radar.’ But they love Woody and they love Bob and come to see their stuff. There’s quite a bit here and it seems to exceed expectations for folks.”

Formerly known as “the oil capital of the world,” Tulsa is now carving out a niche as an arts and cultural hub in Middle America.

During a recent visit, I visited several of Tulsa’s leading music attractions and learned firsthand why music-related tourism is generating hundreds of millions of dollars for the local economy.

Here’s a closer look at four must-see music-related attractions in Tulsa.

The Woody Guthrie Center

Located in a red-brick building in the city’s Arts District, the Woody Guthrie Center highlights the life and extensive body of work of the Oklahoma-born folk musician.

The museum opened in 2013 when Guthrie’s archives were acquired by the Tulsa-based George Kaiser Family Foundation. The centerpiece of the Guthrie Center is an exhibit devoted to Guthrie’s most enduring song – “This Land is Your Land”– a folk anthem he wrote in1940 as a populist response to “God Bless America.” The exhibit features Guthrie’s handwritten lyrics to the song. “Woody Guthrie is timeless,” said Cady Shaw, the museum’s director. “He was very impacted by the stories of everyday people and wrote about it, drew about it, talked about it and sang about it. He lifted up topics that weren’t getting enough attention.”

Cost to visit:

● Adults: $12 + tax ● Adults Dual Tickets: $22 + tax ● Seniors (55+), Veterans and Students (18+ with ID): $10 + tax

● Youth (17 and under) & K-12 Teachers: FREE

Details: 102 E. Reconciliation Way, Tulsa. 918-574-2710, woodyguthriecenter. org.

The Bob Dylan Center

Why did the iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan agree to have his extensive collection of artifacts publicly displayed in Tulsa, a city to which he seemingly had little connection? The answer – as depicted in the 2024 movie “A Complete Unknown” – relates to Dylan’s deep admiration for Guthrie, whom he considered his musical mentor.

In 2016, Dylan visited the Guthrie Center and was so impressed with the way his idol’s items were showcased, he agreed to sell his own collection to the Kaiser Foundation. Today, some100,000 artifacts related to Dylan’s life – photos, recordings, films, manuscripts and Dylan’s own paintings – are on display in a two-story museum next to the Guthrie Center. It’s one of the largest archives anywhere devoted to a single artist.

I especially enjoyed seeing the leather jacket Dylan wore when he famously “went electric” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and the tambourine that inspired him to write one of his most memorable songs – “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

Cost to visit:

● Adults: $15 + tax ● Adults Dual Tickets: $22 + tax ● Seniors (55+), veterans and students (18+ with ID): $12 + tax

● Youth (17 and under) and K-12 teachers: Free

Details: 116 E. Reconciliation Way, Tulsa. 918-392-3353, bobdylancenter.com.

The Church Studio

Two miles east of the Guthrie and Dylan centers, the Church Studio is one of the most celebrated recording studios in the country. Originally erected as an Episcopal Church in 1915, the church was bought in 1972 by Oklahoma-born, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell, who converted it into a recording studio and home offices of Shelter Records. Over the years, performers like Dylan, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton have recorded at the Church Studio. The building, designated a National Historic Landmark, is still used as a recording studio and a venue for lunchtime concerts.

“Like the original church, it’s a people’s place,” said Teresa Knox, owner and CEO. “We’re able to have serious recording going on while the public enjoys our programming, the museum and the artifacts. It just captures a little bit of the magical music history that Tulsa had in the 1970s with Leon Russell.”

Cost to visit:

● Members + 1: FREE ● General Admission: $15 ● Seniors 65+: $12 ● Veterans: $12 ● Students: $12 ● Private Tour: $25 Details: 304 S. Trenton Ave, Tulsa. 918-894-2965, thechurchstudio.com.

Cain’s Ballroom

Perhaps no venue is more storied than Cain’s Ballroom, which first opened in 1924 and was listed in the National Register of Historical Places in 2003. Referred to as “the Carnegie Hall of Western Swing,” the venue has hosted such diverse performers as Hank Williams, Snoop Dog, U2 and the Sex Pistols. I got a kick out of seeing a section of drywall that Sid Vicious punched a hole through after a concert in 1978. It’s been preserved and is on display in the green room. Cain’s is primarily a standing-room-only venue. Capacity is about 1,500.

Cost to visit: Varies by performance. Details: 423 N. Main St., Tulsa. 918584-2306, cainsballroom.com.

Woody Guthrie is depicted in a mural on the exterior the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. JULIANA KEEPING/THE OKLAHOMAN; GETTY IMAGES

From popular museums celebrating Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie to a rocking live music scene, this city is a must-visit cultural hub