Gathering Place Park Celebrates 5 Years In Tulsa

One of Tulsa’s biggest attractions is celebrating a milestone this weekend. For five years, the Gathering Place has welcomed more than 11 million visitors from all over the world.

As the summer continues to wind down, the crowds at the park along 31st Street and Riverside Drive are still busy. The weekend has been packed with visitors, including Cheree Coughenhour and her family.

“We’re all new to the area, but some friends back in Texas had told us about the Gathering Place,” Coughenhour said. “It sounded really cool, so here we are.”

She said her kids haven’t seen their cousins in awhile, and the Gathering Place is the best spot to meet up.

“It’s awesome, I’d love to bring the rest of my family here,” Coughenhour said.

That kind of review is exactly what organizers hoped for when creating the idea for the park years ago.

“We see people from around the world come and visit,” Andrea Leitch said. “We are most proud of our locals who come use it. We see people who come every week, every month, all the time. 

Leitch said the last few days have been filled with celebrations for the five-year milestone. This includes a birthday party, events for pets and their owners, and a storytelling summit.

“We are where we are because of the community,” Leitch said. “It was built with community support and it’s just such an honor for our staff to see guests coming in every day.”