Center of the Universe

The Center of the Universe occupies a pedestrian bridge over railroad tracks in downtown Tulsa, featuring an 8-foot (2.4-meter) circular platform that creates an unusual acoustic effect when visitors speak or shout from within its boundaries.

Installed in 1991 as part of Tulsa's urban development efforts, the site was designed with surrounding planters that form a parabolic reflector, though the acoustic phenomenon has diminished over the years as nearby structures and urban changes have altered the original sound dynamics.

The site hosts the annual Center of the Universe Festival each July, a two-day music and street art event in the Brady Arts District that celebrates local culture and has appeared in regional literature and travel guides as a symbol of Tulsa's quirky heritage.

Located at 1 South Boston Avenue at the intersection with Archer Street, the site is freely accessible during daylight hours and best experienced by standing in the circle and speaking loudly to test the distorted echo effect created by the surrounding architecture.

Above the acoustic circle stands the Artificial Cloud sculpture by Apache artist Bob Haozous, constructed from corroding steel with cut-out figures and airplane shapes that serve as commentary on environmental degradation and the historical treatment of Indigenous peoples in North America.