Bob Dylan Center

Remember the famous line from Jaws? "You're gonna need a bigger boat" -- if you're planning a visit to the Dylan Center, you're gonna need another day. Not a place to breeze through, even for a casual fan. Two places to linger: 1) the Elvis Costello jukebox/playlist, 2) the mixing room just to the left of the jukebox.

An incredibly thoughtful, insightful, and inspiring space. Many windows into a legend's creative process along with interesting memorabilia and historical information. Does a great job of integrating both the person and the music of Bob Dylan while illustrating his massive cultural impact and creative legacy.

Even without a ton of background knowledge on Bob Dylan, we really enjoyed the visit. The interactive audio is really great, listening to his songs, interviews, and anecdotes while looking at the exhibits. You can spend a couple of hours here.

Unlike the less comprehensive Guthrie Center, the Bob Dylan Center is a wonderful museum to America’s greatest songwriter. There is so much here. You will need hours and hours to do it justice but also can learn so much in a little time. Also please hookup with Sam, a great manager who cares so much and is so helpful, friendly and loved this material! That’s Sam, pictured.

Hands down, this is one of The Best museums I have ever been too! It was great to learn so much more about Bob Dylan. Definitely go to this Center!

Do yourself a favor and visit this museum. I grew up in Tulsa and was able to come here with family while visiting for the holidays. I'm so proud that this unbelievable collection lives in my hometown and that it is being displayed so wonderfully. It's clear that a lot of thought went into every aspect of the museum. From artifact selection and label design to use of space and visitor flow, as well as the creation of an imaginative, immersive environment. I work in the museum AV field and I genuinely loved what they did with their AV tech. Cool projection layouts that still felt appropriate for the subject and time period. I'm not always a fan of the way some museums incorporate headphones or personal listening devices, but here they are employed perfectly, both in concept and execution. The interview clips and especially the music, delivered in that format, elevate the experience in a big way. If you're a big Dylan fan like me, you'll relish every second here, but you don't have to be a fan to appreciate this museum.

Amazing place. If you're a fan of Bob Dylan, you will have no problem spending all day here. Your ticket is good for the day. You can go have some lunch and then come back inside. Wonderful stories about the legend of this man.

I am so impressed with this collection. For me, it was an immersion experience, especially the film at the entrance. Only disappointment was the lack of photos and memories of Bob's time with the Band. Otherwise, it's a terrific experience. The docents were very helpful and informative.

Never met a Museum we didn't love and the BDC stands tall. Amazing both this and the Woody Guthrie Center are side by side in Tulsa. Great two-fer. I love the iPod type tech to help with your self guided tour. If you're in the area, and a Dylan fan, stop by. Well worth the diversion.

Great exhibit! I would highly recommend going to check out this gem in Tulsa!! Can easily be explored in an hour or 2.

Every time I have been to the Bob Dylan Center I leave wondering why I don't listen to Bob Dylan 24/7 or play the guitar. It's such an inspiring museum and they keep adding more so there are always reasons to go back. When you come into the museum you are given an iPod to listen to Bob Dylan's music while reading about and looking at pictures and memorabilia. The second floor shows more of his art but still has lots to read and listen to. Definitely give yourself time to spend time on both floors.

What an amazing place! My parents wanted to come here and I tagged along with them and had no regrets. This place allowed me to learn more about Bob Dylan in new and creative ways. I enjoyed the interactions throughout the building. The iPod with headphones was a neat feature that allowed for you to tap an icon to hear sound. I liked the typewriter (never used one before), the board with markers, and the amazing staff. (And bob Dylan of course) Had a great conversion with Tana. Their staff made this more enjoyable. It's a very beautiful museum that allows you to learn so much about this historical figure. There's also merch available as well!

Great tribute to bob Dylan. The free audio guide enhances the experience. They had special exhibit on Jesse Davis which was a good insight into one of the greatest guitarist of his times

This spot is incredible, and in my mind, it's must-visit if you're in Tulsa. First off, I was unfamiliar with your game, Tulsa! The cool arts district around here, and a Woody Guthrie + Bob Dylan Center side by side? Impressive. I was there on a beautiful day and was just blown away by all the memorabilia, the timelines, and not to sound all Taylor Swift on y'all, but the eras of Bob Dylan and his incredible run of success. I've been a huge Dylan fan since my early high school days, and he still cycles into my rotation at some point each year, typically in the spring for whatever reason. He's a lyricist of the highest regard, and he has some savant level understanding of music, particularly folk. What's cool is that there's so many connections to other genres and musicians here as well, so really you've got a lot to take in. Additionally, the staff here is very friendly and helpful. I think it's cool that Tulsa has this gem, now go see it!

Well, I really can't travel well cause I've had the first bio-weapon that came out in the 70's. I reckon I have been ill since 1985. Loved looking at your writing "Bear Mountain picnic " gave me a real belly laugh. I used to live all around NYC and upstate and then back to California, bi-coastal. Have a great tour. If you're ever in Marin County, look me up! Be nice to rap. That's in case you ever need a quiet friend. Loved you since your song " blowing in the wind" I was very, very young when that came out and lived in NY as a workin kid. Then back to Marin etc. My favorite author is "John Steinbeck" You remind me of a singing Author like him. His library is at "San Jose university "I would love to check that out with you! Take care on your tour. I know a lot of your past people like Varda, who was my neighbor. Have a Gas on your tour:-)

I was never a Bob Dylan fan, but after touring this center, I have a new appreciation for both the man and his music. The center is very high tech. You are given a headset for an audio tour. You hear a lot of Dylan music as well as Dylan history. Two things I didn't realize are that he was influenced by Woody Guthrie and that he became a Christian when someone threw a pocket cross on stage and he picked it up and took it to his hotel room. This museum is worth a visit and is a good place to take out of town guests.

This is definitely worth a stop if you're in the Tulsa area and a fan of Bob Dylan. It was cool to read all of the different exhibits to learn about his formative years prior to being a musician and how he evolved as a person and musician throughout his lifetime. It's interactive and if you're interested in Bob Dylan, it's enough to keep you entertained and immersed for 1-1.5 hours. It's not a huge museum by any means, but there is a lot of informative to digest and signs to listen to. I don't think you'd have much fun here if you are a kid or if you don't like Bob Dylan music a lot as in more than just his radio hits or more than you can count on two hands.

As you enter the Bob Dylan Center, do not miss the metal work sculpture. It was specifically done for the space by the man himself. (Look at the bottom for the buffalo to see his signature.) I would not have known this until the friendly security guard told me I had already failed my visit. :) I went back to start over and to appreciate this art piece. I loved the self-guided tour. It was wonderful to listen to selections from Dylan's repertoire as you walked the museum. DO NOT MISS THE upstairs. That might be the best part with the photos of other icons by Jerry Schatzberg and "The Gift." The latter is compendium of talent, art and creativeness that drove Dylan. How lucky are Tulsans to have this museum just steps away from the Woody Guthrie Center? Amazingly fortunate. I did not have enough time. I would recommend two hours if you want to hit every listening point and view all the videos. I am putting the word out to all my music loving friends to visit as soon as they are able.

Great museum examining the impact of one of pop music's most influential figures. There are tons of artifacts and multimedia displays. You could easily spend several hours here.

There is only one musician or musician songwriter with a Nobel prize in literature and The Bob Dylan Center/Museum gives all who visit a profound understanding why Bob Dylan received this exalted award.

Love it! This the history of Bob Dylan. Tons of photos, tons of albums. Several interactive parts where pair up the headphones and a sort of phone looking device. You can hear friends of Bob talking about their daily lives with him! I will be back again as exhibits change! Staff very knowledgeable .

Geez where do I start - two hours you can cover a lot, but you're probably going to need three. The staff are super nice and understand that someone would fly down from Alaska for a weekend to go to the Bob Dylan Museum :) If you park on the street it is only two hour parking, go to one of the lots (Cameron and Main) and all day is $5 When you enter you will see a giant gate Bob welded with many implements from Oklahoma and Bob signed on lower right with a bison. Get you headset from the gift store and you're off. The first room you enter has a well done history and is on a loop so just stay until it comes back around. I tried not to sing but it's hard. Next is the chronological history of what Bob was up to, use your scanner and headphone and follow along the wall (Again if you're singing or talking your probably loud with your headset on). I would do that the entire wall first (skip the jukebox unless you have time). Then in the middle of the room is the history of the creation of maybe ten different songs. Use your scanner, you'll be a while. I only had time to play around with the jukebox for a couple of songs and went back into the fake recording studio and listened to one song. I probably would have gone through all the songs if I had more time in the recording studio. Then I went upstairs, the artifact area is super cool, but it gets a little clunky with other people using the same screens on the wall. There was also a room with a couple of live videos which I had to skip but from what I saw would be worth another 30 minutes of viewing. Went down the "I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours" stairs and signed the wall and headed to the Woody Guthrie Museum. Good Vegan breakfast and coffee at Chimera...didn't expect that. Check out Black Wall Street too.

As a life long Bob Dylan fan, it was like going to Mecca. Everything I wanted and more!

My only complaint would be that they are closed Monday and Tuesday. We were just in town a few days. We arrived Sunday night and stopped by the museum shortly before closely. They were wonderful in helping us get some of the experience of the museum in a short time. The staff was amazing. There is great information inside. This is a must-see!

I'm a huge Dylan and Woody fan and cannot say enough good things about both museums. My wife and I were going to St Louis from Tampa to visit our daughter and did a side trip to Tulsa to visit both centers. If you're into both artists you will need at least 2.5-3 hours for Bob and 1.5-2 for Woody and we did both in one day (with lunch in between). Loved the guided tour headset you can wave at different stops at your own pace to hear details. Wonderful layout etc. Staff could not have been nicer. Shout out to James who spent time with us explaining the history etc and that only 1% of Dylan archives are on display. Don't miss the opportunity to visit both.

"Take me back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime" - and yeah, put a Dylan museum in the town & I'll be guilty of that crime too. It makes sense that the magnate that acquired the Guthrie archives should likewise acquire the Dylan archives - between the two of them you've got most of the 20th Century adequately covered on the songwriting front. I skipped the Guthrie this time around as I'd been on a previous trip to the city, but had I not been I'd certainly have taken advantage of the discount to visit both museums - you could easily make a good half-day of it. As it was, it took me around 90 minutes on a quiet opening-hour Sunday morning to go through the Dylan - had I immersed myself in every video and every song sample I could've probably doubled that time, but I visually took everything in and watched the opening video and that worked for me. I'm a Dylan fan, not a Dylan obsessive - I have all the albums you're "supposed" to have and have played them a billion times, but I'm going to roll my eyes when I overhear some eager guy act as The Human Museum & mansplain "Zimmy"'s personal impact to his female companion (oh, but I know that lonely teenage bedroom knowledge display must have turned her on). The center's got something for both of us. Essentially you have two floors, two rooms per floor. Ground floor after the admission/gift shop takes you into a multi-screen video that runs about 10-15 minutes and gives you a biography of sorts interspersed with words from the Bard himself - it probably helps if you have a general knowledge of his musical history as there's no straight narration, but as it speaks more to his inspirations than necessarily spell out "And then he released this album" I'd guess layfolk could pick it up. From there you then move into the main room, a large rectangle of a room where that more typical biography runs in linear order across all four walls. A great innovation of the museum is their headset - unlike the typical museum piece which I hate, where you punch a number in and stand/stare at a fixed point in the room, you can just trigger it with an RF scanner attached to the headset and enjoy whatever you're listening to as you continue to stroll around. Considering much of the choices are live/alternate versions of well-known songs as opposed to opining experts (though you have some of those too should you choose - I didn't), it helps enhance the experience as you're here for music after all. The displays are mostly pictoral on the walls, not necessarily artifacts though there certainly are some, and I'd imagine this will be a more or less permanent display as the museum ages. Off the walls, you have a series of songs highlighted - off the top of my head I remember "Chimes Of Freedom", "Like A Rolling Stone", "Jokerman", and "Not Dark Yet" - a healthy mix of obvious and lesser-known songs - and there are more artifacts displayed as you dig quite a bit deeper with these songs. The main things I remember are a display of cheap pocket-sized notebooks used to write the lyrics that made up "Blood On The Tracks", and photos from Dylan's first appearance on Letterman in 1984 complete with a photo of him with Larry "Bud" Melman. (Oh, to be a fly on that wall - incidentally I didn't know of that one-off performance with LA punks the Plugz as his backing band, which is well worth checking out. I later learned this is considered by no small number to be his best television performance.) Upstairs is generally dominated by two exhibits (and another small room of live performances selected over the decades) - one focuses on temporary exhibits and the other on his actual archives as acquired by the museum. At the time of my visit, the temporary spotlighted the photographer of "Blonde On Blonde"'s album cover, apparently a NYC guy of renown who shot lots of immortal stars during that same fabled era - plus he did the Mothers Of Invention's classic "We're Only In It For The Money" cover. As for the Archives, it's represented on a wall, each display numbered with the computer monitor representing what you're looking at when each number is keyed. (I'm supposing this suggests it will be routinely swapped out.) This was truly fascinating - more casual attendees may walk it with a mere glance, but I ate this stuff up - bootleg albums acquired over the years, a letter sent by the mother of a disabled fan who adored him and saw him in Memphis in 1966 before passing away, tour jackets, etc. My favorite displays were both card related - a stack of Hallmarks sent by fans wishing him well after his infamous motorcycle accident, and Christmas greetings from each of the Beatles after his 1969 performance at the Isle Of Wight - in fact George's continued correspondence over the years is quite touching in its own way. Yelp is telling me my "review is looking pretty epic", and isn't that appropriate, so maybe I'll just stop by now - lest you start rolling your eyes at me.

The Dylan Center is just OK. It's worth seeing if you are a Dylan fanatic but don't go out of your way if you're not. It's 2 big rooms, one at ground level and one upstairs. It's well done; the audio systems are good. But it's just not that interesting. One exhibit in a frame shows the contents of his wallet in 1966. Oh boy! There are lots of handwritten lyrics; just not exciting. I saw it in about 30 minutes, as I obviously didn't dwell on anything. It's not expensive. Parking is on the street. This was a major pain in the ass, as you have to deal with an online company. It took me about 20 minutes to get that set up.

What a great place right across from Guthrie Green and next door to the Woody Guthrie Center. We made an online reservation for 1:30 on a Friday. Easily found parking and walked in right on time. Immediately greeted and checked in. Each visitor gets a hand held device which provides auditory information on specific exhibits. Several background video exhibits as well as items (tambourine) germane to Bob's songs. Exhibits are grouped according to his musical progression. It's well laid out with plenty of room and comfortable places to sit scattered about. There's a beautiful exhibit based on photograher Jerry Schatzberg. We spent a solid 2 hours and could easily have spent another hour or so. Merchandise, books, records and apparel are available for purchase. Remember to remove your earpieces when it the exhibit hall where they're really not needed. Some attendees forget to do this and when they try to talk to each other, they're almost shouting. It's kinda funny, but also obnoxious if they're not reminded. This is a wonderful addition to Tulsa's art scene and we look forward to returning again and again.

Much more to see here than you would think. You definitely want to set aside at least 2 hours to fully enjoy all of it. They did a very good job giving you backstories and inside information that you probably aren't aware of unless your a Dylanologist.

Great experience! But disappointed that the no music from Blonde on Blonde was represented anywhere in the exhibits. Or did I miss it? Fortunately, there were songs from the album that preceded it, Highway 61 Revisited, but then the next few years of Dylan's life/work seem conspicuously missing, perhaps sanitized?