The Outsiders House Museum(91)
TULSA
True cult classic films are pretty rare. Ones filmed in Oklahoma are practically nonexistant, except for one, The Outsiders. The Outsiders House Museum captures the essence of the filim shot in Tulsa in the months leading up to its 1983 release. The story about greasers and socs (soshes), having fun, growing up, and facing heartache was written by S.E. Hinton when she was a teenager in 1967. Quite a feat in and of itself, but to get it adapted into a movie was an epic win. Fun Fact: the author was told she should just use her initials S.E. instead of Susan Eloise because publishers at the time didn't think women could write successful books. Dumb right? Sad history, but she showed them! If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, you should check them both out. Side note: my wife read and reread that book so many times she could quote most of it from memory. Crazy! But that's one of the reasons I love her. Anyway, Francis Ford Coppola directed these young guys in what would become a lasting spot in cinematic history. This house helped created the whole feel of the movie. Lucky for us, the house survived years of neglect with an amazing restoration spearheaded by Danny Boy O'Connor who rose to fame in the hip hop group House of Pain, one of my absolute favorites. I'll spare everyone quoting some fine malt lyrics in my article, but I will tell you while I was in the gift shop, I bought Outsider merch for my wife and House of Pain merch for me. My new belt buckle shines bright! HA!
Back to the Museum. The house was falling in on itself and was scheduled to be torn down. Danny heard about it in 2016 and bought the house with plans to preserve it. The task ahead of him was monumental because of the state of disrepair, but he did it. The house was stripped down to studs and rebuilt as close as possible to what the film showed. When similar wallpaper couldn't be found, Danny hired an artist to recreate it in paint. I looked at everything up close and it was all phenominal work. All through the house there are recreations of how the house appeared in the film. At first glance, you might think that the filmmakers just left everything and went back to California. However, after the crew had finished filming, they sold all the furniture and all the set pieces. The Museum crew located similar pieces and have set up the house with remarkable accuracy. One cool thing that didn't get sold was the entire cast's wardrobe. Actual clothes that were worn in the film are displayed all throughout the house. So great!
All of the staff at the museum were incredible, both kind and knowledgable. You'll have a good time looking around. In addition to the staff and all the great memorabilia on display, there is a cool guy hanging out selling behind the scenes photographs from The Outsiders film shoot. Joe Cervantes lived in the neighborhood when filming started and he was used as an extra in the movie. When I got home, I watched the movie again and I spotted him. So great! Joe has all of his photos for sale and he talked to us about some of them and his experience on set. They're amazing photos for fans of the movie.
This museum is tucked in a small Tulsa neighborhood so please be respectful of the residents that live there when you go visit. There's parking on some of the streets but there are a few No Parking signs too so keep an eye out for them. Just be the cool people I know you are. Go check out The Outsiders House Museum and Stay Gold.
731 N. St. Louis Ave, Tulsa, OK
918-527-8344/For Tour Info
Entry Fee: $10
Hours: Fri, Sat, & Sun - 11:00-4:00
Jonathan Elmore ©2026
