This Tulsa gem started as an oil tycoon’s 1920s mansion but flipped the script to become Oklahoma’s coolest art museum.

Philbrook’s real showstopper? Twenty-five acres of gardens that mix Italian Renaissance vibes with Oklahoma flair.

Think formal pools and fountains next to native plants, plus a seriously gorgeous creek running through it all.

Bonus: the whole place looks like it was plucked straight from a European postcard, right in the heart of Tulsa.

Oil tycoon Waite Phillips and his wife Genevieve built Villa Philbrook in 1927, inspired by their fascination with 16th-century Roman architecture.

They lived in this 72-room Italian Renaissance-style mansion for just eleven years before donating it to Tulsa as an art center in 1938.

The stucco exterior with its ground white marble is accented by Minnesota-quarried Kasota limestone on the corners, doors, and windows.

When you walk through Philbrook’s gardens, you’re experiencing the collaborative genius of S. Herbert Hare and Edward Buehler Delk.

The strictly geometric layout includes a balustrade walk, gated garden, grotto, and mirror pond that flow harmoniously toward the villa.

As you enter, you’ll need to choose between two grand staircases to reach the lower terraces, an immediate introduction to the garden’s dramatic flair.

Wide green walkways bordered by symmetrical trees and shaded benches invite you to stroll past fountains, zoysia grass terraces, and vine-covered niches.

In 2002, landscape architecture firm Howell & Vancuren created renovation plans with approval from Elliot Phillips (son of Waite and Genevieve).

Completed in 2004, they added sensory gardens, meditative niches, a sculpture walk, and complementary wrought iron accents.

Thanks to these changes, the gardens became fully ADA compliant with accessible pathways throughout most areas and downloadable maps marking routes.

Designed by Edward B. Delk in 1927, this graceful structure creates a peaceful focal point beyond the balustrade walk, grotto, and mirror pond.

It’s positioned perfectly at the end of the central garden axis. Local Tulsans often call this area “the best spot for ‘me time'” in the city.

The tempietto has become such an iconic symbol that the museum shop sells meticulously mouth-blown, hand-painted ornaments created exclusively in Poland.

Don’t be surprised if you spot a cat prowling the gardens. These cats live in climate-controlled accommodations with heat in winter and AC in summer.

Cleome, the senior garden cat who was abandoned at Philbrook as a kitten, has become a skilled hunter beneath her sweet appearance.

Over the years, various cats have called the gardens home, including the outgoing Acer and his regal sister Perilla who has a particular fondness for Cleopatra.

In 2021, Philbrook made history by becoming the first museum in the continental United States to officially accession living cats into its permanent collection.

Art doesn’t stay inside the museum walls, it flows outdoors through the Westby Sculpture Walk featuring three-dimensional works by artists.

Barry Flanagan’s bronze “Thinker on a Rock” holds a notable place in the southern garden section. There’s even a designated selfie platform.

You can experience these sculptures through guided tours led by trained volunteer docents on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, or explore at your own pace.

You’ll find Oklahoma’s natural flora playing a starring role in the gardens extending to the summerhouse on the property’s south side.

Every spring, more than 100,000 flowering bulbs burst into bloom, with tulips described by many visitors as “especially gorgeous” during peak season.

There’s even a productive garden that yields hundreds of pounds of herbs and vegetables annually for the museum’s restaurant dishes.

You can take a piece of the garden home with a bulb or potted plant (perfect for green thumbs) from the Philbrook Shop at the estate.

Among the Italian-inspired gardens sits something completely unexpected:

“SLUMGULLION (The Venerate Outpost)”, a full-scale log cabin built from the skeleton of a late-1800s pioneer home, by award-winning artist Karl Unnasch.

This colorful stained glass installation creates a gathering space that’s both natural and enchanting, with details that seem to change with each visit.

The installation is temporarily closed from May 2024 through Summer 2025 for the time being. Take a video tour if you can’t visit.

The 25-acre property moves from formal to informal landscapes. It literally looks like a villa in Italy (as most people have commented).

From the rear balcony of the villa, look down on a precise geometric garden parterre of low clipped boxwoods divided by descending water.

The rear of the house features a loggia with five arches and Corinthian columns, overlooking a Renaissance-style terrace and garden.

Want more deets? Pick up “Philbrook Museum of Art: A Guide to the Villa and Its Gardens” by James J. Yoch in the museum shop.

Since the early 1970s, Philbrook Films on the Lawn has brought Tulsans together to enjoy cinema in a spectacular setting.

Today, the museum presents films year-round on the fourth Friday of each month and you can bring a picnic or purchase food from trucks.

The lawn’s front half is for blanket seating only, the back half for chairs and there’s special reserved spots in the middle for better viewing.

Popular screenings sell out quickly, with 250 pre-sale tickets and an additional 1,000+ made available online at 9am on event days, weather permitting.

You’ll discover thoughtful design elements that reward exploration.

The south garden offers a sensory garden with sitting spaces framed in wrought-iron arches, providing intimate areas for reflection.

Try finding four-leafed clovers (which staff confirm exist on the grounds), practicing yoga on the lawn, or discovering what’s growing in the “Secret Garden.”

Sharp-eyed visitors might spot a flower inlaid into the stonework path. Free Wi-Fi extends to select garden areas, and picnicking is encouraged.

Dog lovers should plan visits during special PhilBark Dog Days when well-behaved, leashed canines can join their owners in exploring the historic grounds.

Philbrook’s one of Tulsa’s most coveted wedding venues. The Villa Great Hall & Terrace offers peak elegance with signature arches and limestone staircases.

The South Formal Garden serves as the largest outdoor event space, featuring six arched niches with benches and power access.

For grand entrances, the original 1927 double front doors open to a sweeping circle drive and lawn capable of hosting hundreds under tenting.

Indoor receptions shine in the rotunda with its terrazzo floors, ornate columns, and atrium creates a majestically lit setting for dancing and dining.

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