We found out we were moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma just before Christmas. For our gift, my daughter did some online investigating and made us ‘gift cards’ for a fun place to see. We visited The Cave House and it was well advertised.
The Cave House
History
The Cave House Tulsa was originally built in the 1920’s as the Cave Garden Restaurant. During the say, the restaurant served food on picnic tables in the front. In the evening, it converted to a speakeasy. Visitors to the speakeasy entered it through a door in the fireplace in the living room, which lead to tunnels and rooms under the hill. The tunnel has since been concreted in due to instability of the hill.
                     Photo provided by The Cave House website.
The current owner, Linda Collier, used to be mesmerized by The Cave House when she was a girl. The park across the street from The Cave House used to have ball fields and a swimming pool where she spent a lot of time. She actually thought a witch lived in the house. When the house went up for sale 22 years ago, she went to see it and fell in love. Over the years, she and her friends have worked on the house and used it for get togethers and parties. So many people knocked on the door for tours, that she started charging for them and scheduling them.
Living Room
When we entered the front room, this key tree drew my attention right away. I don’t want to give the tour away, but I will say that the keys on the tree are special in that they are brought by guests and are special to each provider for some reason.
Before your tour actually starts, Linda will delight you with stories about the history of the Cave House and the previous occupants. It’s all very interesting and adds quite a bit to the tour.
During Prohibition, the Cave House served as a speakeasy and a distribution hub for alcohol. The alcohol was transported in televisions like the one below. So clever.
Guests of the Cave House bring Linda bones on occasion. She also collects them on her own. It’s a little odd, but she has some fun art she has made with them, like the two below.
Kitchen
Linda collects things in thrift shops from the era of the house and brings them in to display throughout the house. There’s no running water in the house now, but a lot of food was made here long ago, the speciality being fried chicken.
Bedroom
This tree limb bed drew the attention of my daughter right away. I think she will be making one of these for her cabin in the Alaskan wilderness. She’s pretty excited about it.
Slide Room
There is a garden room next to the bedroom where Linda added a slide for her daughter to play on long ago. The room is actually where one of the prior occupants died. We all took a turn down the slide, although I had on a skirt and ended up on my fanny on the floor.
The Cave House Gifts
Over the years, Linda sometimes receives gifts from people she meets through The Cave House. One of the people ended up becoming her friend and brought her this mastodon tooth. That tooth is so big too. It was neat to be able to hold it.
Photo Ops
At the end of our almost two hours at the Cave House, Linda took our photos in a few places around the front room and in front of the house. It’s nice to have some momentos.
The tour was well worth our time and the cost of $10 per person and we are all really glad we went. Tours are offered on Saturday afternoons at 1:00 and 3:00, by appointment. You can call 918-378-1952 to make an appointment.
While you’re in Tulsa, be sure to visit the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa too.
They Cave House seems like a really interesting slice of Tusla history and undeniably quirky. I think the first television broadcast in Oklahoma was 1939 and prohibition ended in 1933, but you should never let facts get in the way of a good story. Besides, alcohol could just have easily been carried in an old fashion radio too. Then again, many counties in Oklahoma remain dry today so the TV might have been a work around for local liquor laws.
It’s so cool that the owner got to buy her childhood dream and live out a modern day fairy tale.
It was a lot of fun to see. Linda, the owner is a great storyteller. That’s was probably my favorite part.
I love the tree bed! I can see your daughter building that out of willows in Alaska! Great addition to your cabin!
Isn’t it fun?! I wonder if she will actually follow through or find something else she wants to do.
What a quirky place! I’d love to live there (I’m also the right height for it!). Some of the items in Linda’s collection are so interesting, but I think my favourite thing in the house has got to be the bed. I love the idea and it makes the room cosier.
It is a quirky place. Lots of fun to visit. My daughter took lots of photos of that bed. I believe we will see a recreation.
Strange little place. Has a creepy look or feel to it. Looks like it belongs as a find in the Atlas Obscura website! I think the Mastodon tooth is already worth the price of entry. I would definitely check this place out if I’m ever that way.
I hope you will be able to visit it. So fun. That tooth was so huge!
The cave house looks like an interesting and intriguing site to visit! What a unique find! I’ll have to take a look some day!
Yes! I hope you will visit. You will have so much fun!
I love that you’ve managed to get hold of an old picture of the Cave House, always looks so mysterious in black and white. That would be amazing to actually hold a mastodon tooth! Like a virtual museum.
I couldn’t believe how huge that tooth was! It took up my whole hand. I loved seeing the old photos of the Cave House. Just a neat place all around.
What a fascinating story and house! So glad you got to explore the eclectic inside! The TV story doesn’t hold its liquor though, as tvs weren’t available to the masses until after the prohibition ended, and certainly weren’t plastic. But alcohol was hidden in very interesting places during this time! If I’m ever in Tulsa I will check the Cave House out – wish the tunnels were still open!
I wonder if maybe they used radios and someone got it mixed up. It was an interesting place for sure.
What a trippy place! I’m so glad your daughter bought you tickets. Love reading about the history and those clever TVs. The slide is a cool touch too. Nice that the current owner is sharing this unique place with the world.
It is so cool that she watched this house as a child and now owns it. It was a pleasure to visit.
What a crazy place! Very interesting – and a bit creepy 😉 Especially the phone made of bones is….impressive. Not sure if I would answer it 😀
Haha! I don’t think it works, but I would probably run if it rang. It was very interesting.
That is pretty damn epic, I’ve got to say. It’s one of those places that I just had no idea existed until now, so thanks a ton for bringing this to my attention. That slide is next level!
I didn’t know about it until my daughter told me. I’m so glad she did too. Such an interesting place.
Ok, it might be weird, but I really like those bone statues/art. Especially the telephone. Hahhaaah. Oh and the booze being transported in TVs, who would have ever thought of that? Man, people were sneaky! Awesome blog!
Thank you. People are sneaky. Whatever it takes I guess. I thought the bone art was very creative.
I have never been there but thanks for sharing and I plan to go visit the Cave House.
It was a really fun visit!