The Center Of The Universe! ~ Route 66 Tulsa

The Center Of The Universe actually is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma just off of good old historic Route 66! For those who raised their hands in school, the answer to the number one celestial question of all time is now known. On the flip-side, a student that actually blurts out something about Tulsa being the center of the universe will probably draw a few laughs. However, there is some truth to the Tulsa answer, because a specific anomaly that is associated with the center of the universe does occur at a landmark in this city. When asked “What would standing in the center of the universe sound like?  With everything else being around you, would you hear all or would you only hear silence?” ... People that have been to the Center Of The Universe in Tulsa actually will know the answer to this question!

The Route 66 Tulsa Center Of The Universe does exist and this roadside attraction has been around for several decades. The location is in the old historic downtown district near the Tulsa Union Train Depot. There are no signs or markers designating the Center Of The Universe, but it is fairly easy to find. The exact location is partway up a walkway ramp through a plaza next to the station. In this plaza, a visitor will see a landmark called the Artificial Cloud. The Artificial Cloud is a very tall black steel sculpture of a gushing oil well, which is dedicated to oil workers. This towering landmark is difficult to miss, so by heading towards it while looking at the ground, you will find the Center Of The Universe! The exact spot that marks the Center Of The Universe is  a thick red brick circle that surrounds a cement bullseye, where visitors are expected to stand. 

The Center Of The Universe is one of the most mind boggling acoustic anomalies ever devised by mankind! When standing on the small round concrete marker in the Center Of The Universe, there is nothing but dead silence! When words are spoken in the Center Of The Universe, the sound echoes back to the speaker at a much higher volume, which is an effect that is difficult to explain. Even weirder, when two people stand facing each other at opposite sides of the brick circle that surrounds the Center Of The Universe cement marker, the words will be distorted. It is the strange acoustic anomaly produced at this solitary spot that makes the Center Of The Universe in Tulsa so famous. The acoustic effect truly is something so weird that it simply must be experienced to be believed!

Parking in downtown Tulsa does require some patience, but the Center Of The Universe experience is well worth it. There are some nifty shops, wine bars and cafés in this area, so this is a nice place to take a break from the Route 66 tour. Tulsa is the land of jazz and there is plenty going on in the nightclub scene after the sun goes down. Even so, after experiencing the acoustic anomaly in the Center Of The Universe nothing will ever sound the same thereafter. This is because it is all too easy to become totally preoccupied with trying to figure out how the Center Of The Universe acoustic effect came to be!