The Deco District …a better place to live, work and play
Tulsa’s Deco District is located at the center of downtown Tulsa. It is a collection of local businesses, restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and events that celebrate Tulsa’s art deco history and everything modern downtown Tulsa has to offer.
Visit to see the ornate architectural features that have stood the test of time. Named after the art style that characterizes many of the area’s attractions, the Deco District came to prominence during the 1920s oil boom.
The businesses in the Deco District range from restaurants to entertainment and shopping to staying in the district’s historic hotels. Tulsa’s Deco District is a unique place full of history, charm, local arts and delicious dining.
After touring through some of the prime architecture in the Deco District, be sure to visit the locally owned restaurants, clubs and coffee house. Don’t miss Topeca Coffee Shop, sip on a cup roasted and brewed in house. Another tradition is Billy’s on the Square,and their mouthwatering charburgers.
You can always finish out your Deco District tour with a live performance at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, or organize an afternoon of earth science activities for the kids at Tulsa Geoscience Center.
On the weekends, there is a free Downtown Trolley which connects many of the districts attractions, as well as several other districts, so you become familiar with all that downtown has to offer.
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hile visiting in the spring, be sure to attend the annual Tulsa International Mayfest for a variety of crafts, arts, music and festival food inside the Deco District. Before heading home after a day spent exploring the Deco District, be sure to browse through Made in Oklahoma goods up for grabs at Okie Crowe or retro-inspired gifts at Decopolis.
The Downtown Deco District Association was formed in 2010 by a group of business owners. The goal of the association is to celebrate Tulsa’s historic Deco District while promoting today’s downtown living, shopping, working and entertainment. For info on the history of the district, click www.tulsapreservationcommission.org/artdeco
In 2011 and 2012, the District Association Sponsored Pop-Up Shops over the winter holiday season, as a number of retailers set up temporary operations in otherwise vacant space in some of Tulsa historic Deco District Buildings, once the home of a thriving retail center when Tulsa was the 19th most densely populated city in the U.S..
Special events promote the Deco District as a fun, safe place to be, making it the place to be. The association and its members showcase other events such as Mayfest, SalsaFest, Top of the Town, the Veterans Day Parade, the First Friday Art Crawl, and the Luchadores.