Bartlesville Oklahoma, located 45 minutes outside of Tulsa, is a city that thinks big. Home to a skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, this small town that oil built is big on things to do. History, attractions, outdoor wonders, and a full list of events in Bartlesville ensure that visitors will have a fun visit no matter what they choose to explore.

Undoubtedly the tallest on the list of Bartlesville attractions, the Price Tower Arts Center is the only cantilevered skyscraper that Frank Lloyd Wright created. Standing proud in the heart of downtown Bartlesville Oklahoma, the National Historic Landmark features a museum, hotel, historical tours, and restaurant, all fulfilling Wright's vision of a multiuse building. The Inn at Price Tower, the most unique of all the Bartlesville hotels, features glass-wrapped lofts on the upper floors of the tower.

Other Bartlesville attractions are also noted for their distinctive architecture. Two historic railroad depots are worth a look. The Dewey Hotel, opened in 1900, is now a museum of the Victorian era, and the Frank Phillips Home was built a few years later. Now watched over by the Oklahoma Historical Society, this neo-classical home of an oil baron is open for tours. The grand estate sets the stage for several of events in Bartlesville, including Second Sunday educational programs and several Christmas celebrations. Visitors also can explore the Phillips Petroleum Company Museum to learn how a small company started in Bartlesville Oklahoma became a global provider of energy. The Bartlesville Area History Museum also traces the development of this interesting town.

Oklahoma Map

Another amazing home, La Quinta Foster Mansion, was built by H.V. Foster, called the wealthiest man west of the Mississippi. This ornate home, one of the Bartlesville attractions from the oil era, is filled with priceless treasures. Now a centerpiece of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, the home is open for tours and special events.

Tom Mix, one of the earliest movie cowboys, also was local deputy sheriff. There’s now a museum filled with costumes, photographs, and other movie memorabilia in nearby Dewey, the town he lived in as a boy.

Of course, museums and historic homes are just a small picture of things to do in Bartlesville. Travelers also can spend time outdoors at places including the Woolaroc Ranch, Museum and Wildlife Preserve, Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, and the Safari Zoological Park, just over the border in Caney, Kansas.

Visitors also can get out and enjoy the outdoors with many chances for golfing, hiking, exploring parks, and spending time on the lakes. Copan Lake is noted for its camping, swimming, and fishing opportunities, and Sooner Park offers 53 acres primed for recreation. The park is the setting for one of the annual events in Bartlesville—Sunfest. June is a big month for events in Bartlesville. The OK MOZART International Festival fills the month of June with musical performances, including 10 major concerts and more than 75 daytime performances, smaller concerts, workshops, and other cultural events.

At the end of the summer, visitors can celebrate Bartlesville’s Native American heritage with the Indian Summer Festival. Visitors also can explore the Prairie Song pioneer village and the Native American Heritage Center at the Woolorac Ranch for more places to connect with the region’s Native Americans. The city is also home to the Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino. With 24-hour gaming, fine dining, and a full schedule of events, visitors are sure to find fun. The Osage Nation Gaming Enterprise Board also operates casinos in Tulsa, Ponca City, and other locations throughout Oklahoma.