The Church Studio

I have been to the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio B in Nashville, the Rock & Roll Music Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in Kentucky, and the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa but the guided tour in Church Studio beats them all. Hands down to Richard, our knowledgeable, kind and funny guide. Great DJ, too! If you like music and you are in Tulsa, pay a visit to this legendary place and book the tour. Simply unforgettable.

My wife and I stopped here on our cross-country trip, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our journey. Our guide, Michael, was incredible — not only extremely knowledgeable, but actually part of music history himself. He’s friends with many well-known musicians and even toured with Eric Clapton, which added so much depth to the stories he shared. The Church Studio has an amazing history connected to legends like Leon Russell, JJ Cale, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Tom Petty, and so many others. The tour covers four levels, including an impressive sound studio, recording booth, green room, gift shop, and a full bar where we enjoyed great drinks afterward. Michael was friendly, engaging, and a pleasure to talk with. If you're a music fan of any kind, this place is an absolute must-visit. Highly recommended!

Every time I step into The Church Studio here in Tulsa, it hits me all over again just how special that place is. I’ve been there several times, and the atmosphere is absolutely awesome—you can feel the creativity in the walls. The history is incredible, and it never gets old walking through a space that helped shape so much great music. I was raised in Tulsa, and as I grew up, music became a huge part of my life. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to become a part of the Tulsa music scene, and places like The Church Studio are a big reason why this city means so much to me. I never had the opportunity to meet Leon Russell, but I was fortunate enough to have known Steve Ripley, which makes my connection to that legacy feel even more personal. Tulsa’s music history isn’t just something you read about—it’s something you can still experience, especially at The Church Studio. If you’ve never been, I strongly encourage you to take the time to visit and take a tour. Whether you’re a music fan, a history lover, or a working musician, it’s absolutely worth it. And if you’re an artist or producer considering recording at The Church Studio and need a professional session drummer for your project, I’d love to be part of it. Feel free to reach out to me — Kevin Alexander — and let’s make something great together. They've got my info at the studio . Tulsa has something special in music. The Church Studio is proof of that.

Interesting church turned recording studio established by Leon Russell, also partly a museum. They record here and teach sounds engineering. Definitely worth a stop and a tour. Also the bar has the best Margarita around and they have a membership to enjoy live music and support what they are doing.

We had a surprisingly wonderful time at this nice museum/studio. Didn’t know a whole lot about Leon Russell when we went, but our guide, Kevin, was fantastic. Fortunately we weren’t there while the studio was in use as we were able to check out studios, the green room, and the bell tower. What a wonderful piece of not only Tulsa history, but of music and rock ‘n roll history! The ownership has done an amazing job both restoring this historic venue and bringing it into the modern age with some tasteful upgrades. Overall, we greatly enjoyed our visit and would recommend this as a stop for any music lover!

I took my out-of-town guest to The Church this last weekend. As a native Oklahoman, I embarrassingly knew very little of the musical influence LR had and still does I'm sure. But my friend loves music, and I thought she would enjoy it. By accident or design, we ended up with basically a private tour with Austin. It was his second day, and he was amazing. His passion for music and subject was inspiring. If you are like me and know very little about music, you will walk away inspired. And you will realize you know more about LR than you thought you did bc of his influence on so many musicians. Austin mentioned an audio book about LR, I know more about books than music, so I will be downloading it to learn even more about LR. There are so many things that stood out, but the bell tower was my favorite part. Just the history that happened in that room was not lost on me. I am so thankful for the vision Teresa Knox had for preserving this history right in my own backyard. I highly recommend visiting The Church next time you are in Tulsa or if you are a local driving by. And ask for Austin.

I got to visit The Church Studio and learned a lot about Leon Russell's legacy. The museum is definitely worth another visit.

The venue and performance were remarkable. The best part was the extra effort beforehand: Two people from the studio took time to come to one of our rehearsals. They soon discovered the planned space for our show was much too small. They acted quickly and within 24 hours we were moved to the Live Room. EVERYTHING was amazing! Everyone from The Church Studio was friendly and accommodating. The crowd response and intimacy of the room were amazing! This was a performance experience that will resonate with us for the rest of our lives.

My first time ever recording here was my first time ever being at The Church Studio. I always heard about this place with its musical history along with the updated renovations to the whole place. For an example on behalf of their musical history: The mic that we used to record with was the same mic David Bowie used. We were booked for a 2-day session & I enjoyed every second of it. There was a whole setup with snacks, water, tea & coffee. The engineers were open-minded & really good collaborators, they gave great feedback + input. Everyone on staff were nice & friendly. There's an outdoor concert series they have with shows happening 3 days a week. A lot of programming that's under their Institute that you can enroll in.

What a wonderful experience! Make sure to take advantage of a docent tour. Well worth it. We had Clyde who was so informative. Such an amazing historic experience about the life and music of Leon Russel.

Steve was an excellent tour guide. He was knowledgeable about all things Leon Russell and the Tulsa music scene. The Church Studio has amazing art and artifacts from great musicians. A must do while in Tulsa.

This is a very historical site and it's so neat that I was able to walk around inside of it. I would've rated this a 5/5 but I was not a fan of the guided tours. I want to explore by myself.. self-guided. BUT, the guided tours helped me gain extra knowledge that I wouldn't have received. With the guided tour, I got bored fast but our guy did a great job. Beautiful place.

What a great place. We got there a little after they opened at 10:00, $15 regular admission and $12 for seniors. Gary Thayer was our "decent docent" and he was amazing. The money that was poured into this amazing historical registered museum/recording studio is mind blowing. Gary was an opened book and told stories just as if he was there with Leon. There is not much parking on the street, but there is a finger arrow on one of the side buildings that point the way to additional parking. Gift shop was extremely small but they had a lot of shirts. It is about 4 stories tall and able to climb stairs is a must.

Well Leon, first. Theresa has done an outstanding, first class redo on the Church Studio and the grounds surrounding it! You must see. Volunteers are the best. From tour to drinks to merchandise, they are the best. Our guide was Gary Thayer!! The very best with stories, pointing out facts, connections who played with and were part of Leon's music. Gary is a very, very excellent 'decent docent' for sauce. So much more, Gary!! Thanks to all for an amazing afternoon

This historical landmark will be the new gem in Tulsa's tourist stops. We went during opening week when the entry fee was a $5 donation. (Note that I would gladly pay more to tour this place again and will do so. May even consider a membership.) The new addition (where you enter) merges well with the old architecture and allows for the exhibiting of all the artifacts that the owner has accumulated over the years about the Tulsa Sound (and about the church history...as a church before it was a studio). You can just hear and see and imagine all the history of this place. Don't miss going into the belfry (meditation chamber) for the peaceful atmosphere and to see a chair originally owned by Russell (from his Maple Ridge mansion). Also don't miss poking your head into the truly vintage bathroom to scope out the wallpaper and the famous bidet. I believe the studio will be a staple to the emerging neighborhood. There's a separate merch store and a record shop adjacent. Don't miss going across the street to Mangos.

a delightful tour especially when my boyhood friend, David Teegarden, led the tour. At 16 he moved to California and lived at Leon Russell's home/reco studio.

We sort of stumbled on this museum/recording studio when we were in Tulsa. What an honor to be in Leon Russell's POB for several years. I heard him live once at The Tin Angel in Philadelphia. Our spirited docent, Willis Allen, led us on a two hour tour of this historic site that includes a lovely new addition too. The displays were top notch and we loved the juke box. This has to be one of the coolest spots in Tulsa. Admission is $15 for adults. I don't think kids would have much interest in this museum. Leave the rugrats at home for a day.

I had guest from Canada and took them to Church Studio. They are a family of musicians and really enjoyed going there. Yes, I would recommend it.