Oklahoma
Best of Oklahoma: From Tulsa to Tahlequah
Program No. 23215RJ
At art, history and cultural museums, explore the diverse heritage of Tulsa, from its beginnings as an Indian Territory, to the prosperity that followed its 1901 oil boom — and beyond.
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At a Glance
When oil was discovered in Tulsa in 1901, the little frontier town exploded with prosperity. In the oil boom years that followed, the city’s downtown developed with Art Deco architecture, and the Greenwood neighborhood became the wealthiest African American community in Oklahoma, bustling with the sounds of jazz, blues and — later — the Tulsa Massacre. Travel to the “Oil Capital of the World” to study the city’s diverse history, art and culture at museums across the city and the surrounding area, including Greenwood Rising, the Philbrook Museum, Cherokee Nation, and more.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to five miles daily at a brisk pace, sometimes on unpaved terrain and standing for up to an hour at museums.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Learn about the Trail of Tears at the John Ross Museum, and explore Tahlequah, the capital city of the Cherokee Nation.
- Visit the Woody Guthrie Center and Bob Dylan Museum to learn about the lives and legacies of these famous men.
- Discover fascinating art and architecture throughout the city and at museums like the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Tari Intardonato
Tari Intardonato was a teacher for many years before taking her skills to the road. She enjoys leading field trips with Road Scholar, during which she shares her knowledge and love of presidential libraries, history, textiles, and little out-of-the-way gems. Tari is an avid reader and loves sewing, watching British TV shows, and spending time with her family.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Tari Intardonato
View biography
Tari Intardonato was a teacher for many years before taking her skills to the road. She enjoys leading field trips with Road Scholar, during which she shares her knowledge and love of presidential libraries, history, textiles, and little out-of-the-way gems. Tari is an avid reader and loves sewing, watching British TV shows, and spending time with her family.
Vanessa Adams-Harris
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Vanessa Adams-Harris is Muscogee (Creek) American Indian with African American/European ancestry. She serves as director of outreach and alliances for the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation and is vice chair of the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission, president of the North Tulsa Historical Society, vice president of TKWolf, Inc, and is assistant to the minister of Church of the Restoration Unitarian Universalist. She edited and directed the documentary, “Unheard Voices-Stalking in Indian Country” and “Unheard, Unseen,” an interview with Dr. Reid Melloy.
Kelly Gibson
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Kelly Gibson is the owner of Tours of Tulsa. Kelly is a life-long resident of Tulsa, and is married with two children. In 2006, she worked as a travel leader for Bandana Tours of Tulsa. In 2013, she acquired the company and formed Tours of Tulsa. Tours of Tulsa works to make the history of Tulsa come alive and lead visitors through some of the city’s most historic and storied destinations, meet its fascinating people, and learn more about this incredible city.

Michael Teague
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Mike Teague leads the government relations team for ONEOK, an oil and gas midstream company based in Tulsa, OK where he is responsible for engaging federal, tribal, state, and local officials in support of current and future ONEOK endeavors. Prior to joining ONEOK, Teague served as Oklahoma’s first secretary of both energy and environment for five years where he oversaw 35 state agencies, boards and commissions. He used his nearly three-decade-long active-duty Army career to guide him on international and domestic energy and environment matters.
Suggested Reading List
(9 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Best of Oklahoma: From Tulsa to Tahlequah
Program Number: 23215
Tulsa: Where the Streets Were Paved With Gold (Images of America)
Bound for Glory
A partially fictionalized autobiography of folk singer and songwriter Woody Guthrie.
Hidden History of Tulsa
Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District (Images of America)
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Requiem for the Massacre: A Black History on the Conflict, Hope and Fallout of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Requiem for the Massacre is a cultural excavation of Tulsa one hundred years after one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Young provides a firsthand account of the centennial events commemorating Tulsa's darkest day as the city attempts to reckon with its self-image, commercialization of its atrocity, and the aftermath of the massacre that shows how things have changed and how they have stayed woefully the same
Mankiller: A Chief and Her People
An autobiography by Wilma Mankiller, the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Outsiders
The Outsiders is a dramatic and enduring work of fiction that laid the groundwork for the YA genre. S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was first published.
Cherokee Nation: A History of Survival, Self Determination and Identity