Gathering Place (established September 8, 2018) is a 66.5-acre park along the Arkansas River in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Created by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Gathering Place is a natural space with programming designed to provide inclusive and engaging experiences for all of Tulsa, OK, community to come together to explore, learn, and play. Designed by world-renowned landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh, this 70-acre hybrid park offers free experiences for all ages and abilities. At $465 million, Gathering Place is the largest private gift to a community park in U.S. history.
Attractions
Gathering Place offers a wide variety of attractions for guests to explore free of charge, including 5-acre Chapman Adventure Playground, Williams Lodge, ONEOK Boathouse, QuikTrip Great Lawn, Energy Transfer Sports Courts, a BMX pump track and skate park, Peggy’s Pond, as well as numerous gardens, pathways, and trails. There are plenty of activities for kids and adults alike.
Discovery Lab
Groundbreaking on the anchor project for phase two, Discovery Lab, occurred in February 2020. The $47 million, 50,000 square-foot Discovery Lab main building was designed to be a hands-on museum that would stimulate young children’s interests in science and technology topics. The new museum replaces a much smaller facility that opened in the Owen Park Recreation Center in May 2013. The Owen Park Discovery Lab closed in 2021. In addition to interactive exhibits, it would contain classrooms, a café, a grand plaza, and a 300-seat amphitheater. A special parking lot was constructed just south of the building for visitor convenience. It opened on January 24, 2022. Bed Bug Exterminator Tulsa
“The Gateway” Project
City officials announced that they would begin construction of a new pedestrian bridge across the Arkansas River as soon as possible after the Phase I opening. Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates won a design contest to implement the project, which will be known as “The Gateway.” Tulsa River Parks Authority said that the project had been estimated to be completed three years after construction began and cost the city $24.4 million.
The project will replace the 1904 Midland Valley Railroad bridge, which was acquired by the city seventy years later and turned into a pedestrian bridge. That bridge was inspected and designated as “structurally deficient.” Demolition started in June 2021 and was expected to take five to seven weeks to complete, given that the bridge had been taken down column by column and section by section. In related work, the city is spending approximately $50 million to overhaul the adjacent Zink Dam in a renovation expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.
Check out other attractions like Gilcrease Museum