The Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum sits on the banks of the Arkansas River, in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma. Never heard of Bixby? It is a southern suburb of Tulsa and quite a nice little town. If you are someone who loves a good, quiet park, this one is for you.
Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum
The Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum is a lovely wooded area and covers 32.5 acres. It has beautiful trees and well kept trails. The park is a named after author Washington Irving (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle). He camped in the area in 1832, while on an expedition that included central Oklahoma.
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Getting There
The park is located at 13700 S Memorial Drive Bixby, Oklahoma. You can park on the north side of the river and walk right in. Another option is to park on the south side of the river and walk across the original Bixby Bridge. The bridge spans the Arkansas River and was built in 1911. The bridge is closed to vehicle traffic, so it’s safe to walk or ride a bike across.
September 11, 2001 Memorial
The Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum also has a memorial dedicated to the victims of September 11, 2001 memorial. That was a tragic day for the whole world. The steel beam is from the World Trade Center and the signs around the beam detail when specific events happened, such as the first plane crashing into the first tower, etc.
Laci Dawn Griffin Hill Butterfly Garden
The area below is a butterfly garden dedicated to Laci Dawn Griffin Hill, who was abducted and murdered in 1999. The butterflies are not caged, so you may not see them. It was a great place to take a break out of the sun for all of us. I’m sitting with our sweet dog, Redd.
OKC Alfred P. Murrah Building Memorial
Within the park, there is a memorial dedicated to the children who died in the Oklahoma City Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. It’s quite a lovely memorial, but so sad as well.
Part of the memorial holds the names of each of the children who were murdered in the bombing.
Walking Trails
Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum has some really nice walking trails. Since we rescued this cute little guy below, we always have our eyes open for great places to walk him. Just an FYI, that is not a muzzle, it’s a gentle leader because he pulls me so bad.
He really, really loved rolling in the flowers!
As I said, the park is nicely wooded, with lots of trees like this one below. They are really nice for hot, sunny days.
Washington Irving Home
In the park is an amphitheater stage for concerts and festivals. The backdrop is a replica facade of Washington Irving’s home Sunnyside, in Tarrytown, New York.
On the stage sits a statue of Washington Irving, with a plaque describing the reason for his tour through Oklahoma and his famous works.
Family Fun
My daughter and I enjoyed our visit to Washington Irving park. Redd was worn out when we got him home. That’s a good thing. There are picnic tables and restrooms in the park, so bring a picnic and frisbee and have some family fun. It sounds like a great way to spend a day for sure. If you’re in the Tulsa area, be sure to stop by and enjoy your day.
