Center of the Universe (Tulsa, May: airplanes, train, title)

[Bill236c]

Perhaps one of the most unique places in downtown Tulsa that always draws in a crowd of both locals and visitors is a spot known as "The Center of the Universe." Surrounded by mystery and legend, The Center of the Universe is an interesting phenomenon; when visitors stand in the middle of the spot and speak they hear themselves as if there were a very powerful echo, but everyone else hears them as if nothing is different.

[Howest2008]

I gave you a quick reputation point on that post...I was wondering when somebody was going
to bring that very interesting fact up.........

[Jammie]

That is interesting and I've never heard of it. Where is it located? Is there any info on the internet about it that explains the mystery of it?

[Bill236c]

The Center of the Universe is in downtown Tulsa on the Boston Ave pedestrian overpass between 1st and Archer. Coming from either side of this railroad overpass, you can follow a brick path that leads straight to a brick circle that is located directly over the tracks. When standing on this spot you can make any sound that you like and it will echo in your ears. What is so amazing is that no one outside the circle can hear an echo, no one outside the circle sounds like they are echoing to you in the circle, and there are no surfaces near enough to the circle to produce an echo. Fun stuff. Its free and you can go there any time of day.

This part of downtown is always fairly empty of people, especially at night, and is a good place for urban exploration. At the bottom of the steps, next to the train tracks, is a sewer grate which, as legend has it, leads eventually to Tulsa's defunct system of underground tunnels, which supposedly stretch throughout downtown.

Just south of the Center of the Universe, at the highest point on the pedestrian bridge, is a seventy-two foot tall sculptural work of art entitled Artificial Cloud.

The 1990 sculpture was created by native American artist Robert Haozous and located in Tulsa for the 1991 Mayfest Festival of the Arts ...depicting a statement about technology - Rustic metals and large lugs on the first pedestal represent chains of submission on Indians after their first contact with westerners. A second pedestal has a two-dimensional narrative showing human figures without hands, in an over-populated environment and a sky filled with a mass of airplanes. The cloud stands at the top, symbolizing a threatened hope.

Because the structure was welded together with mild steel, it is meant to corrode depending on the level of pollutants in the environment.

[sgrizzle]

You can see the sculpture here:
Google Maps

There is still a small section of tunnels still functional, although most don't know it.
http://www.tulsadowntown.org/userFiles/tunnels.pdf (broken link)

[DogLover99]

Been there and it's odd! Really, strange!

If you're ever downtown, definitly go visit!

[Choctaw2]

Is there any information available about when this Center of the Universe was constructed? I know someone who is doing research for a book, but there doesn't seem to be any information about dates when, who etc is responsible for this very interesting place.