Bartlesville
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Bartlesville

Bartlesville

Northeast Oklahoma oil city where Phillips Petroleum wealth left Frank Lloyd Wright's only completed skyscraper

Bartlesville in northeast Oklahoma is a small city with a disproportionate cultural legacy. Oil wealth from Phillips Petroleum — founded here in 1917 — funded two of the state's most remarkable attractions: Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright's only completed skyscraper, and Woolaroc, Frank Phillips's wildlife ranch and western art museum 14 miles southwest, which holds one of the finest collections of Native American art and Western Americana in the country.

The Nellie Johnstone No. 1, a replica derrick on the Caney River, marks the site of Oklahoma's first commercial oil well (1897), the discovery that triggered the boom that made all of this possible. In June, the OK Mozart International Festival draws classical musicians and audiences from across the country.

A day trip to nearby Dewey includes the Tom Mix Museum covering the silent film cowboy star, and Prairie Song, a recreated 1800s pioneer village. Bartlesville is 47 miles north of Tulsa; a car is essential.

Guide

Getting There

By road: Bartlesville is 47 miles north of Tulsa on US-75. From Tulsa International Airport, the drive takes about 45 minutes. Tulsa is the nearest major airport with good connections.

By air: Bartlesville Municipal Airport (BVO) handles private and charter aircraft but has no scheduled commercial service.

A car is essential for getting around — Bartlesville is a compact city but Woolaroc is 14 miles out, and there is no public transport worth using.

Guide

Things to Do

Bartlesville punches well above its weight for a small Oklahoma city of 36,000. It has the only completed Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper (Price Tower), a major western art museum on a working wildlife ranch (Woolaroc), and two first-rate festivals in June. The oil wealth from Phillips Petroleum created an unusually rich cultural infrastructure for a town this size.