CHEAP THINGS TO DO IN TULSA

If you missed our post today on Instagram, we are moving from our beloved Tulsa to Arizona next week. Ah Tulsa! You hold a special place in my heart. Tulsa has been called the “biggest small town” and it really is true. It has an extremely friendly small town feel, but many of the pros of living in a big city. With the opening of the attraction the Gathering Place, and Amazon moving a new distribution center here, I expect Tulsa to grow like crazy over the coming years. We have loved living here the past three years and are going to miss it. Since Tulsa is where we started our journey paying off debt, I really came to know all of the cheap things to do in Tulsa. And I literally cried making this list because I’m going to miss it so much.

CHEAP THINGS TO DO IN TULSA 

Gathering Place.

The Gathering Place is by far my favorite among the list of cheap things to do in Tulsa. It’s completely free and it contains literally days of fun things to do. It is right by my house which means we’ve been there several times a week since it opened last September, and I STILL discover new things when I go there. Recently awarded best new attraction Best New Attraction by USA Today, there are playgrounds for literally all ages, a GIANT well decocrated lodge where you can cozy up to a fireplace and read a book, a boat house that has art displays and all kinds of activities, a small lake that you can canoe, stand up paddle board, etc. Every kind of swing you could imagine, climbing areas, skate parks, bmx parks, basket ball courts, open grassy fields where you can run and play. Not to mention the amazing free events they host (ex: on one of the opening days last year, they got Roots to come put on a show!). Several times per week they host story time for kids. And there’s even dog parties for your pooch every Wednesday night! EVERYTHING about the Gathering Place is extra. Definitely a diamond in the rough and a must-see on your cheap things to do in Tulsa list.

Riverside biking trail.

After you’ve made your way through the Gathering Place, be sure to hop on the Riverside Trail, which connects over 40 miles of smooth paved biking and jogging paths through the Tulsa area. On most of the trail, there are designated biking and pedestrian lanes which makes the trail beginner and advanced biking/running/walking friendly. Living near the Riverside trail is what made living in Tulsa so fun for us! We’ve spent hundreds of hours biking, long boarding, scooting, roller-blading, and running together. You can rent a free bike at many locations along the trail (101st and Riverside on just off of the pedestrian bridge, 41st St. and Riverside Plaza Park). You can also pay a couple of dollars to rent lime scooters which are located everywhere along the path. Or just bring your running shoes!

Center of the Universe.

The Center of the Universe is one of the less well known cheap things to do in Tulsa among people who don’t live here. It’s located in the center of a pedestrian bridge at 1 S. and Boston Ave in downtown Tulsa. You walk into the center of it the circle in the middle of the bridge and you can hear your voice echoing like crazy– and no one can explain why! People on the outside of the circle can’t hear the echoing. It is wild.

Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness. 

Turkey Mountain is one of the best cheap things to do in Tulsa because even though you are still in the city, you really feel like you aren’t while you’re there. It has miles and miles of great mountain biking and hiking trails that overlook downtown Tulsa and the Arkansas river. It is especially beautiful in the spring and fall, when all of the leaves on the trees are changing. It’s located just off Highway 75 and 61st street in Tulsa.

Golden Driller. 

Be sure to check out the giant Tulsa Driller on your stop of all the cheap things to do in Tulsa. The golden driller is a Tulsa monument that is sure to please the ones your with. It is what it sounds like– a 75 foot 43,500 pound statue of an oil worker and is the 6th largest statute in the U.S. The golden driller is the state of Oklahoma’s monument, so it’s worth going to take an Instagram photo with him. He’s located just outside the Tulsa Expo Center at 4145 E. 21st St. in Tulsa.

Drillers $2 Tuesdays. 

Speaking of Drillers, the next thing up on the list of cheap things to do in Tulsa is catching a Driller’s baseball game. The Drillers are Tulsa’a minor league team and not only are they pretty good, but their stadium is brand new and located just outside downtown Tulsa. It’s worth going to a game just for the view and the nice facilities! The stadium boasts a nice park and splash pads for kids, and on Tuesdays, it’s only $2 to watch a game where you can spread out blankets and chairs on their lawn while you watch.

ORU Hands. 

Another statue to check out while you’re in Tulsa is a statue of Oral Robert’s praying hands. This is the world’s largest statue of praying hands so definitely one to check off the ole bucket list 😉 The hands are 60 feet tall and weigh 30 tons!

Riverwalk.

Just a few minutes south of Tulsa is a cute suburb called Jenks. You can walk across an old pedestrian bridge across the Arkansas river and then walk along the trail to lots of cute places to dine and shop. In the summer. there are frequently bands playing outside.

Redbud Valley Nature Preserve.

Red Bud Valley Nature Preserve feels like a little slice of the Ozarks and it’s just outside of Tulsa. You’ll hike through rock formations, breathtaking meadows, and tall trees. (No pets allowed though). It’s located at 161st E Ave in Tulsa.

Pickle Ball at Chandler Park. 

Ever played pickle ball? It’s basically giant ping pong and you can play for free (including equipment!) at Chandler park on Mondays from 11:00-2:00 and Thursdays from 5:00-8:00pm.

Woodward Park.

Woodward Park definitely makes the cut for cheap things to do in Tulsa. It’s located just minutes from downtown Tulsa at 21st and Peoria and is drop dead gorgeous. It boasts a beautiful rose garden, an arboretum, and my very favorite, a teaching garden that has this pretty winding path you can walk through. There are coi fish that my son loves to feed. It’s upper and lower rock gardens are also enchanting. It’s the kind of place you go when you want to clear your head. And it’s completely free.

$1 Frozen Yogurt at Braums.

Definitely my favorite cheap stop in the summer is grabbing $1.00 frozen yogurt in a waffle cone from Braums. The portion is giant. It’s delicious. And it’s oh-so-cheap. There’s a Braums at just about every corner.

Rock climb near Chandler park. 

Chandler Park is located just outside of downtown Tulsa. It’s a charming park and I was pleased to learn you can rock climb at Chandler Park!

Beach volleyball.

Want to pretend you’re at the beach for a hot minute? Head to 71st and Riverside to recently redone sand volleyball courts. They’re just off the Riverside trail and have pretty views of the Arkansas River and Turkey Mountain.

That’s it for my favorite cheap things to do in Tulsa! Tulsa is definitely a budget friendly place to live or visit and we are going to miss it like crazy.

For the comments: What did I miss? What are your favorite cheap things to do in Tulsa?

Get inside tips and tricks: If you enjoyed this frugal living post, make sure you stay in touch by subscribing to our newsletter by clicking here. You’ll also get a copy of our FREE Debt Payoff Starter Kit.