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Golden Driller, Tulsa, OK

Photo: Timdayf5, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingQuirky FunFree

Golden Driller

4145 E 21st St · Tulsa, OK

Why you should go…

The Golden Driller is a 76-foot, 43,500-pound statue of an oil worker standing in front of the Tulsa Expo Center, his right hand resting on a real oil derrick moved from a depleted field in Seminole, Oklahoma. First built for the International Petroleum Exposition, the permanent version went up in 1966, and the legislature made it Oklahoma's state monument in 1979. You can walk up to it outdoors and read the inscription at its base.

  • #roadside attraction
  • #giant statue
  • #route 66
  • #photo stop

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Golden Driller, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Philbrook Museum of Art

    Under $25

    Art museum and 23-acre English gardens set in a 1920s villa built for oil magnate Waite Phillips.

    2.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Gathering Place

    Free

    Play, paddle and picnic in a 66.5-acre riverfront park with a huge adventure playground, gardens, sports courts and a skate park.

    3.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Greenwood Rising

    Under $25

    Walk through galleries telling the story of Tulsa's Greenwood District, known as Black Wall Street, and the 1921 massacre.

    3.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Jenks

    Free

    The chamber office for Jenks, Oklahoma, a Tulsa-area river town known for antique shopping and its riverfront district.

    9.7 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Green Country

    Free

    Northeast Oklahoma's official tourism region, covering 18 counties of lakes, Route 66 towns and outdoor recreation.

    10 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Quirky Fun

    Blue Whale of Catoosa

    Free

    Walk inside an 80-foot smiling concrete whale on a pond beside Route 66, then picnic and browse the new visitor center.

    12 mi awayMore like this