The Gathering Place holds a special place in my heart. It set the stage for a memory making day in a huge way. It surprised me, and that may be why I was so impressed. This is Tulsa? This amazing park is in “I’ve never heard much about Tulsa!” Yup, I said those words to my husband when he approached me about a quick trip there. And now, we will likely return.
So What is The Gathering Place?
The super simple answer? It is a park.
But oh, it is so much more! Let me share. But first, an apology. My husband and I were so challenged to keep pace with our excited boys, my pictures are iffy.
Days of Fun
There is so much to do here. We visited a full day and didn’t even come close to trying everything out. So pack a bag with all the snacks and make a day of it. The “Attractions” page for The Gathering Place quickly illustrates this point for me. Attractions are organized by themed areas, even within these, zones of the park (if you will) there are multiple facets to explore in each attraction. So, listing the attractions below is really just a starting point.
- Chapman Adventure Playground
- Spiral Connector
- Land of the River Giants
- Skywalk Forest
- Fairyland Forest
- Volcanoville
- Ramble Sensory Garden
- The Reading Tree
- Cottonwood Lawn
- Charlie’s Water Mountain
- Picnic Grove
Homeschool Goldmine
Now, The Gathering Place, is obviously a tremendous resource for the whole community of Tulsa. That being said, if your family that homeschools, like we do, then this spot is worth it’s weight in gold!!! Oklahoma, as a whole is a very convenient state to homeschool in; which in turn, translates into a large homeschool community. This was only a short visit to Tulsa for us but the abundance of resources did have me wondering about a move! My soul has a little bit of rolling stone to it. If you are considering homeschooling, you may check the state requirements for where you live, with the HSLDA.
A homeschool family could literally, plan daily events at The Gathering Place.
Considerations Before Heading Out
ONEOK Boathouse
First things, first. You will need your sneakers. There will be no holding your children back and you will want to be fast to keep eyes on them. Depending on the age of your children, you may actually need another adult to keep track of multiple kids. I was grateful to have my husband on this adventure.
Parking while congested, was available and quickly accessible to some attraction area, depending on where you find one.
We visited on a sunny day in May and while I was grateful my boys had their sunhats on, there is really great tree coverage for sun protection, as well.
If you stay all day and don’t pack a lunch there are decent food options. We grabbed a quick lunch from The Patio that was tasty, as we stayed longer than originally planned.
Restrooms were kept nice and clean. Always a relief for a Mom with her kids.
The Gathering Place was developed to meet ADA requirements. Sensory bags are available to borrow for anyone with sensory sensitivity.
There were many attractions we missed due to a lack of time. We were able to take a nice walk over to the ONEOK Boathouse. At the time of our visit, we were able to enjoy Joel Sartore’s Photoark display. I believe this is a traveling exhibit.
The Gathering Place’s website doesn’t offer much on the Boathouse. I found TripAdvisor to have more useful information and pictures. There is a lovely view from the top and plenty of seating for lounging and catching that Oklahoma breeze. That breeze is no joke by the way, but it takes the bite off of the heat. The lowest level of the boathouse is where the kayak rentals launch. It should be noted, the kayaks are seasonal as are a few of the other water based attractions.
Where Does This Park End?
The park itself seems to have an imaginary boundary. Because…it…doesn’t…stop.
Tulsa has successfully built up a whole series of parks, trails and playgrounds that stretch through the city along the edge of the Arkansas River. Where The Gathering Place ends River Parks begins and the fun doesn’t stop.
Have fun adventuring with your family!
