Philbrook Museum

Before we even moved here to Oklahoma......I knew I wanted to visit the Philbrook Museum (this is a picture inside the museum looking out to part of the garden). It's pictures are displayed in every magazine and brochure about Oklahoma and is definitely considered one of Tulsa city's most precious "jewels."

It did not disappoint. In fact the museum is amazing and gorgeous. Long and fascinating story made short: In 1925 a ridiculously rich husband and wife bought a huge chunk of land in Tulsa and decided to build an Italian Villa. In 2 years they had a breath-taking 72 room mansion for their small family of 4. This eccentric, and interesting family threw wonderful parties and eventually moved out of the house after 11 years and donated the house to the city of Tulsa.

Voila! Today the kitchen, bedrooms, and other rooms in the house now make up the various galleries in the museum. Additions to the house were made to accommodate tourists and coats, but on the whole the museum today exists and is maintained as it once was in the roaring 20's.

This is known as the Great Hall. It is striking and beautiful and I love that it reminds me just a tiny bit.....of the King's Palace in Versailles. We're told that the two young children who lived at the house used to ride their bikes up and down this hall.