Tulsa visitor guide
Golden Driller Tulsa: History, Location & Visitor Tips
The Golden Driller is Tulsa’s larger-than-life tribute to the oil industry, standing outside the exposition building at Expo Square. It’s a good stop for a landmark photo and a little local history, whether or not you’re attending an event on the grounds.
Use Expo Square’s address, 4145 E 21st Street, and look for the statue in front of the exposition building. The current Golden Driller has stood there since 1966 and measures 76 feet tall. Check grounds access and event traffic before making a special trip.
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The statue depicts an oil worker with one hand resting on an oil derrick. Its scale is the point: stand back far enough to take in the figure and the structure together, then walk closer to look at the base and dedication.
This outdoor landmark stands in front of a working event facility. Plan for a photo stop, then check the Expo Square calendar if you want to attend an exhibition or another public event.
From oil exposition to Tulsa landmark
Early Golden Driller displays appeared at the 1953 and 1959 International Petroleum Expositions. The permanent version familiar to visitors today was added at Expo Square in 1966.
Expo Square’s own history connects the 1966 installation with the International Petroleum Exposition and the exposition building. The operator records its height as 76 feet and weight as 43,500 pounds. Oklahoma adopted the Golden Driller as its state monument in 1979.
The landmark’s connection to oil workers gives the stop more meaning than its size alone. Tulsa’s petroleum industry shaped the city, and the dedication at the base recognizes the people who worked in it.
Find it at Expo Square
The visitor address is 4145 E 21st Street, Tulsa, OK 74114. Expo Square places its main entrance one block west of 21st Street and Yale Avenue. Use the visitor address rather than the separate delivery address on East 15th Street.
Open the official grounds map before arrival if you are also attending an event. The fairgrounds contain several buildings, so reaching Expo Square is not always the same as reaching your event’s entrance.
Taking a good Golden Driller photo
Daylight is a practical choice for seeing the whole figure and the dedication. Step back in an authorized visitor area to fit the statue and derrick into the frame, then take a closer view if you want the details.
A person in the foreground can show the scale, but keep your group clear of vehicle routes and building entrances. Don’t stand in a road or a restricted event area just to get an unobstructed angle.
The appearance and surroundings can change for events. Treat archival photos as a record of an earlier visit, and work with the space available when you arrive.
Parking and access before you go
Expo Square is an active fairgrounds and event complex. Check the grounds map and follow current parking directions on arrival. An event may affect which entrances or spaces are available, so don’t build the visit around an assumed parking spot beside the statue.
For an accessible route or a close passenger drop-off, contact Expo Square at (918) 744-1113 and describe the visit you’re planning. Ask about the outdoor approach to the statue as well as any building you intend to enter.
If you are attending a fair, exhibition or another ticketed event, check that event’s admission and parking terms separately. Seeing the landmark is not a substitute for an event ticket.
What else to do around Expo Square
Start with Expo Square’s official calendar to see which public exhibitions or other activities coincide with your visit. Buildings can be used for different events, so an exterior landmark stop does not mean you can walk into any hall.
Our Expo Center and SageNet Center venue pages retain the event labels used by the local catalog for the exposition building. Use the venue named on your actual event listing when planning admission, then add the Golden Driller as an outdoor stop.
Find the Golden Driller
Use the marked visitor destination and follow any posted access restrictions.
Map unavailable? Open directions or use the address links above.
Before you head out
Questions, answered
How tall is the Golden Driller?
Expo Square records a height of 76 feet and a weight of 43,500 pounds. Details ↗
Has this statue been here since 1953?
The landmark’s early exposition history starts in 1953. The permanent version at Expo Square dates to 1966. Details ↗
Which address should I use?
Use the visitor address, 4145 E 21st Street. Expo Square’s delivery address on East 15th Street is separate. Details ↗