The Golden Driller is a 75ft, 43500lb statue of an oil worker, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is the fifth-tallest statue in the United States.
It was originally built in 1952 by the Mid-Continent Supply Company of Fort Worth for the International Petroleum Exposition. Six years later, it was temporarily erected again for the 1959 show. Due to the positive attention it attracted, the company donated the statue to the Tulsa County Fairgrounds Trust Authority which had it anatomically redesigned and permanently installed in front of the Tulsa Expo Center for the 1966 International Petroleum Exposition. The statue's right hand rests on an oil derrick which had been moved from a depleted oil field in Seminole, Oklahoma.
An inscription at the base of the statue reads: "The Golden Driller, a symbol of the International Petroleum Exposition. Dedicated to the men of the petroleum industry who by their vision and daring have created from God's abundance a better life for mankind."
In 1979, the Golden Driller was adopted by the Oklahoma Legislature as the state monument.
As part of an online promotional contest sponsored by Kimberly-Clark in October 2006, the Golden Driller was named the grand prize as a top ten "quirkiest destination" in the United States, winning its nominator a $90,000 international vacation for two. Quickly create a custom-made itinerary for Tulsa using our trip planner.
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The Golden Driller reviews
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This is one of those fun and quick roadside stops for 10 minutes, snap some pics and learn a few tidbits about Tulsa's oil history. Worth the stop, It's at Expo Square where the Tulsa State Fair and..... more
This is one of those fun and quick roadside stops for 10 minutes, snap some pics and learn a few tidbits about Tulsa's oil history. Worth the stop, It's at Expo Square where the Tulsa State Fair and..... more »
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This iconic Rt 66ish stop has to be one of the better stops. It is in Tulsa at the Expo Center. We were the only ones here when we visited, but it is one of those things that you get your photos...
This iconic Rt 66ish stop has to be one of the better stops. It is in Tulsa at the Expo Center. We were the only ones here when we visited, but it is one of those things that you get your photos... more »
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There is nothing in Tulsa quite as iconic as the Golden Driller Statue. I've lived in Tulsa most of my life and I always enjoy driving by and seeing it. The Golden Driller is a 75-foot tall, 43,500-pound statue of an oil worker and pays tribute to the roots and beginnings of Tulsa's history. We've had friends and family from all over the world visit us and make sure they get to see this big guy in person. A must see for sure!
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Went to the Wanamaker gun show there. It is the biggest gun show on earth. In fact in the solar system. If you've ever been to the largest gun show on Jupiter, this one is over twice that size. And let's not even talk about the "big" gun show in Uranus. Seriously, it was like 5,7 miles of 99,5% gun show and the dealers were willing to deal.
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