If you've ever traveled to Tulsa over the years, chances are you have driven by the famous Golden Driller Statue in front of the Tulsa Expo Center in Oklahoma. It's a 75-foot tall oil worker made from a steel frame weighing over 43,000 pounds. It has been standing tall over Tulsa since 1966, but its history dates back to Texas in the early 1950s.
The original Golden Driller was built in 1952-1953 by a Texas oilfield supply company for a trade show they were attending in Tulsa. They built a second and then a third, which took a permanent home at the Tulsa Fairgrounds when they returned in 1966.
Tulsa adopted the third and final statue and declared it Oklahoma's official state monument. It was reconstructed and repaired to look like the one you see today.
The statue still stands 76 feet tall and is the sixth tallest statue in the country. He's so large his arm rests on a real oil derrick to help support it.
It is still the largest free-standing statue in the U.S. today. You will often see him sporting special shirts, shoes, or accessories. It's fun to see his look change from time to time.
Back in 2020 when Tulsa was trying to get Tesla to set up headquarters in the city, the belt buckle that sports "Tulsa" was temporarily replaced with "Tesla," but unfortunately that didn't win over Elon Musk enough to pick Tulsa over Austin.
Most of the time, you can get up close to the statue and take pictures. Every once in a while, it will be blocked off for repairs or nearby renovations.
Some fun facts about the statue: 1.) It is built to withstand up to 200 mile-per-hour tornadoes. 2.) The derrick is from an oil field in Seminole. 3.) In 2011 it was coated with a new layer of mustard paint that should last 100 years.
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Did you know the history behind The Golden Driller statue in Oklahoma? He's a great addition to our wonderful state and serves as a reminder of our oil industry roots in Oklahoma. Looking to visit some iconic places in Oklahoma? If so, check out these fun ones!
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