Tulsa Day Trip to Bartlesville OK (For Free or Cheap)

Looking for a quick day trip from Tulsa? Head on over to Bartlesville, a short 45 minute drive from Tulsa. Here are our suggestions on things to do in Bartlesville as part of your day trip to Bartlesville from Tulsa OK. 

While a lot of these attractions are free, the Woolaroc entrance fee is less than $10 per person. The other cost you should consider for your day trip is gas expenses and food. Overall, you can have a day trip to Bartlesville for less than $100 for two people, which includes entrance fees to Woolaroc, gas, and food. 

This post is a part of our Tulsa, OK series. Here are a few related posts:

• Is Tulsa Worth Visiting? (Cost Breakdown)
• Three Day Itinerary in Tulsa OK
• Tulsa Day Trip to Bartlesville OK  
• Nola’s Creole & Cocktails – Creole Food in Tulsa (Review)  
• Woolaroc Nature Preserve and Museum

Woolaroc Museum and Nature Preserve Bartlesville OK – bisons in Tulsa

Woolaroc is located outside the main city of Bartlesville. It is so remote, there are no nearby food options unless you drive outside the preserve and the city of Bartlesville or a roadside diner. However, once you drive outside the Preserve, you may have to pay another fee to get back in. 

Woolaroc is one of those places where nature and collecting meet. The museum has an interesting number of items on display, and the animals in the preserve and petting area are a plus. It is a great place for adults and children alike. There are hiking trails, playgrounds, chill spots where you can sit and relax. Expect to spend up to 4 hours (half a day) exploring everything Woolaroc has to offer.  

Read more about our Woolaroc Preserve post here. 

After Woolaroc, you can continue onto the city of Bartlesville, which is a 20 minute car ride away and has plenty of free sights and activities to do in the area.  

Free Things to do in Downtown Bartlesville OK 

Looking for free things to do on your day trip to Bartlesville? There are plenty to do in the area and they won’t cost you a pretty penny to experience. Here are our picks based on our personal experience. 

Phillips 66 Museum 

The Phillip’s 66 museum is located in downtown Bartlesville and is completely free of charge. There is free street parking located in front of the museum as well. 

Inside the museum, you will see a history of the company, how it was founded, and some of the memorabilia they had. There’s even old trucks they used for deliveries, which was our favorite exhibit. The entire museum covers two floors, so you can expect to spend less than an hour (depending on your pace and interest in the exhibits) to cover the entire museum. 

AT & SF No. 940 Train and Old Bartlesville Union Train Station 

A short walk from the Phillip’s 66 Museum is the old Bartlesville Union Train Station. Parked in front of it is a historic train called the AT and SF No. 940 Train, an old steam locomotive that served for over 50 years, way back when train travel and deliveries were at its heyday. 

This train is there to be viewed by everyone and there is a comprehensive website that provides a lot of information about the history of the train and what restoration projects were in the works to save the train. We did not get a chance to go inside the train, but had photos from outside, although I do believe that you can go inside some of the cars and see what’s inside. 

There are plenty of parking areas in front of the train station or you can also park downtown and walk to the union station, which is a quick 5 minute walk from most establishments. The downtown area is just around 2 streets, and has mom and pop shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, there are no souvenir stores that cater to the Bartlesville market, but the downtown area is a great place to find someplace to eat after Woolaroc. 

Nellie Johnstone No. 1

Located inside Johnstone Park, a short 5 minute drive from downtown Bartlesville and the union train station is the Nellie Johnstone Well. This was the site of the well that marked the beginning of the Oklahoma oil boom. What you see now is a non-working pump (a replica rig), so no nodding donkey pumps. The oil boom started in April 1897 – from leasing a few parcels of land to Native Americans, and invited tons of prospectors to the state. 

It is a quick visit to see the well, and if you have more time and the weather is more pleasant, you can opt to walk around Johnstone park. 

Frank Phillips Home

Close to downtown and also available for the public to visit is the Frank Phillips home.  It is described as a mansion, but a modest mansion in today’s standards. Entry is available only through guided tours, which are available on the hour from 10am to 4pm. Tour prices range from $7.50 for the regular guided tour, while a special directors tour that happens on certain days lasts for 1 ½ hours and costs $15 per person.

The mansion has been preserved, with furniture that’s reminiscent of the time. The house and the belongings were donated to the state in 1973, which is what we enjoy and see right now. 

While we personally didn’t get to visit the site from lack of time, the site made our shortlist for us to consider visiting when we were planning our trip. In the end, the free museum at Phillips 66 prevailed over the house (where you pay for entrance). After all, free is free! 

Price Tower: the only Frank Lloyd Wright Building made

Historic Price Tower is the only building that Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed. A National Historic Landmark, the building was originally built as headquarters for Price’s Bartlesville company. The building looks different from every angle, and is touted as a “tree that escaped the crowded forest”. This type of design was based on a tree. The design was common in New York City area, so by putting this skyscraper in Bartlesville instead of a bigger city, had made it stand out. 

Inside the tower, there is a small art gallery which you can purchase and bring home some items. There is a small library where you can read books. There’s also a small exhibition space showing how the tower was built. To see historic floors, you do have to pay to join a guided docent-led tour. Tour times are 11am (1 1/2 hours long) and 2pm (1 hour), with the longer tour covering more information.

Advance reservations are highly encouraged since the tour only allows a maximum of 4 people at a time. Tour times are only twice a day. By the time we got to Price Tower, there were no more tours for the day, so we missed out.  

Children under 6 years old are not allowed on any of the historic tours of Price Tower. This is not great news for families who travel with children. However, one can potentially do a swap. One parent can take the tour and meet the family after to share photos, stories and videos.

Stay the Night at the Inn at Price Tower 

For those with the budget to spend, the top of Price Tower is available as a hotel room. Aptly called the Inn at Price Tower, it is located on the top floors of the building and available to book online. Rooms range from $145 to $300 a night, with queen, king, and even suite configurations for the room. 

While we were visiting the tower, we were lucky enough to meet another couple who were staying the night. They were Frank Lloyd Wright fans and were excited to stay in the tower. There’s parking available in front of the hotel (free of charge), and the art deco design of the rooms make it appealing. The king room has a sofa, as well as a nice working area. Not sure what type of room they managed to book, but there’s a smaller room with a queen bed up to a suite. 

Are you planning a day trip from Tulsa To Bartlesville, OK? 

Did we miss out on anything fun in our list? Please feel free to provide more ideas in the comments below. Bartlesville is a quick drive from Tulsa, and is a great day trip. We didn’t run out of things to do, in fact – we wished we had more time to explore every single thing in the area!