Examples of Art Deco architecture can be found all around the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the 1920s, Tulsans were enjoying the wealth of big oil and a building boom, and they wanted local architecture to reflect the modern, progressive city they called home. Art Deco was the popular style of that time. It began in Europe in 1925 and was soon spreading throughout the world.
Zigzag or 1920s style, Depression Era or PWA style, and Streamline Art Deco structures are all part of Tulsa’s current landscape.

Thirty-five blocks of the original city centre, largely inhabited by African Americans, were burned during race riots in May and June of 1921; 300 people are believed to have died. In the following decade Tulsa's downtown was rebuilt, and the city is now renowned for its many buildings in the Art Deco style, including the Pythian Building, Union Depot, and the Phillips Oil “Philcade.” The city's cultural institutions include the Gilcrease Museum (1949), the University of Tulsa (1894), and Oral Roberts University(1965).