Discovering A Treasure Trove of Music History at Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Center

If it wasn’t for the two-story tall mural, visitors to Tulsa, Oklahoma might not realize that the red brick building tucked away in the city’s Arts District is an archive telling the story of a singer/songwriter that shaped American culture and inspired generations of other musicians and songwriters.

Opened in 2013, The Woody Guthrie Center is a treasure trove of music history, with over 10,000 items currently in the collection and more being acquired, according to the center. One of the first opportunities for visitors to learn more about Guthrie and his impact on American culture comes in the form of a theatre at the entrance of the center. A 15-minute film gives a brief history of the musician and his influence through interviews with artists including Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen and others.

From there, visitors step into the main room of the center, which contains various sections detailing Guthrie’s life. His childhood in Okemah, Oklahoma where he experienced the Dust Bowl is discussed through a portion of a Ken Burns documentary, as well as a virtual reality display that allows a view of what it was like to live through that period of American History.

Another feature is a video wall documenting Guthrie’s travels throughout the United States, beginning in Okemah and continuing through Pampa, Texas, Los Angeles and ending up in New York, and what he accomplished along the way. Technology is also employed in the form of a music bar where visitors may listen to a selection of songs and electronic journals that offer an in-depth analysis of his socially conscious lyrics and the events that helped inspire them.

A bulk of the collection focuses on what Guthrie was most well-known for: His music. On display are Guthrie’s fiddle, guitars, banjo and mandolin, as well as his lyrics, including the handwritten lyrics to “This Land is Your Land.” Another wall of the center includes instruments and memorabilia from musicians that were encouraged by Guthrie’s work, like Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, The Clash’s Joe Strummer, John Mellencamp and the Dropkick Murphys.

One talent that some visitors may not be aware of is Guthrie’s artwork. The center is lined with over hundreds of reproductions of his drawings that were produced during a period from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s, including caricatures, illustrations of his classic lyrics and sketches promoting social justice.

The center also has a small gallery that hosts exhibits tied to Guthrie or causes that he supported and artists that he inspired. Past exhibition topics include Folk the Vote (when music and politics intersect), Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey and Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom (inspiring social consciousness through music).

The Woody Guthrie Center is located at 102 E Reconciliation Way, Tulsa, OK 74103. Hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Wednesday – Sunday. For more information, visit https://woodyguthriecenter.org/