Tulsa Theater
A historic theater and convention hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known for concerts, theatrical productions, and its long civic and cultural history.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Tulsa Theater is a historic theater and public assembly venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The building opened in 1914 as Convention Hall after the City of Tulsa approved a $125,000 bond issue for its construction. Designed by the Kansas City architectural firm Rose and Peterson, it was conceived as a municipal auditorium and convention facility serving a rapidly expanding city. At its opening, promoters described it as the largest hall between Kansas City and Houston, and its scale enabled Tulsa to host touring theatrical, musical, and operatic productions that otherwise might not have visited the region. The venue became particularly associated with touring opera during its early decades. Performances presented there included productions involving Mary Garden, the Chicago Grand Opera Company, Tamaki Miura, Feodor Chaliapin, and Rosa Raisa. The hall was also used for a 1920 appearance by Enrico Caruso, around which a local ghost story later developed. Beyond entertainment, the building functioned as a civic gathering place and a major public assembly hall. The theater's history is also inseparable from the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. During the violence and its aftermath, the building was used as a detention center for Black men rounded up by the National Guard. This episode gives the site a significant and painful place in Tulsa's racial history, in addition to its architectural and entertainment importance. A major interior transformation took place in 1930 under architect Bruce Goff. The renovation replaced the building's earlier barn-like character with an Art Deco-inspired interior featuring decorative wall panels, gilded grilles, colorful acoustic ceiling tiles, draperies, revised seating, and large pendant light fixtures. Further additions in 1952 created upper and lower lobbies at the front and rear of the building. At that time the venue was renamed Tulsa Municipal Theater, and the building acquired a more formal Western Classic Revival exterior treatment associated with the expansion. The facility ceased to be Tulsa's principal municipal auditorium after the Tulsa Performing Arts Center opened in 1977. The City of Tulsa sold the building by sealed bid to local entrepreneur Peter Mayo in 1978. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and later recognized as a contributing property in the Brady Historic District in 2010. The venue continued operating under the Brady Theater name for decades, hosting concerts and theatrical events while retaining local nicknames such as The Old Lady on Brady and The Miracle on Brady Street. The building was renamed Tulsa Theater in 2019, reflecting concerns about the association of its former namesake, W. Tate Brady, with the Ku Klux Klan. The new name began appearing on the venue's social-media channels in January 2020. Plans connected with the rebranding included reusing a stainless-steel Tulsa sign that had been stored for approximately four decades and originally stood on the building from 1952 to 1979. Today, Tulsa Theater remains an active historic entertainment venue at 105 West Reconciliation Way, presenting concerts, theatrical productions, and other public events in a building whose use has evolved from municipal convention hall to contemporary performance space.
History
Tulsa Theater began as Convention Hall, a municipal auditorium and convention facility built by the City of Tulsa between 1912 and 1914. Construction followed approval of a $125,000 bond issue, and the design was prepared by Rose and Peterson of Kansas City, Kansas. The building opened in 1914 and was promoted as a major regional hall, capable of accommodating large public gatherings and touring productions. From its opening until 1952, it was generally known as Convention Hall. Its early programming included touring opera and other large-scale theatrical events. The venue hosted productions connected with performers such as Mary Garden, Tamaki Miura, Feodor Chaliapin, and Rosa Raisa. An appearance by Enrico Caruso in 1920 later became the basis of a local haunting legend, although the ghost story is part of local folklore rather than an established historical fact. The site also played a disturbing role during the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. Because of its size and location near the Greenwood district, the building was used as a detention facility for Black men detained by the National Guard. This history is an essential part of the building's identity and connects its entertainment history to Tulsa's broader history of racial violence, segregation, and reconciliation. In 1930, architect Bruce Goff directed a major interior remodeling. The work transformed the large, utilitarian auditorium into an Art Deco-influenced showplace, with redesigned seating and draperies, decorative plaster wall panels, gold-colored dividers and grilles, painted acoustic ceiling tiles, and prominent green-and-white pendant fixtures. In 1952, the building received additions at the front and rear, including upper and lower lobbies. It was then renamed Tulsa Municipal Theater. The building was replaced as Tulsa's municipal auditorium in 1977 when the Tulsa Performing Arts Center opened nearby. In 1978, the City of Tulsa sold the property by sealed bid to entrepreneur Peter Mayo, who has owned it since. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 1979, and became a contributing building in the Brady Historic District in 2010. For much of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the venue operated as Brady Theater. It continued to host concerts, theatrical productions, and other events despite the opening of newer performance facilities. Local names including The Old Lady on Brady and The Miracle on Brady Street reflected its longevity and survival through changing uses and ownership. The venue adopted the name Tulsa Theater in 2019. The change addressed the historical controversy surrounding W. Tate Brady, after whom Brady Theater had been named and whose affiliations included the Ku Klux Klan. The venue began using the new branding publicly in January 2020. A planned visual element of the transition was the reuse of a stainless-steel sign spelling Tulsa in script, which had previously been displayed from 1952 to 1979 and had remained in storage for decades. Tulsa Theater continues to operate as a live entertainment venue in the historic building.
- 2020
New branding introduced publicly
[1]The business began using the Tulsa Theater name on social media and discussed reusing its historic Tulsa sign.
- 2019
Renamed Tulsa Theater
[1]The venue changed its name from Brady Theater to Tulsa Theater because of concerns about W. Tate Brady's Ku Klux Klan affiliation.
- 2010
Brady Historic District recognition
[1]The building was recognized as a contributing property within the Brady Historic District.
- 1979
National Register listing
[1]The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 29.
- 1978
Private sale
[1]The City of Tulsa sold the building by sealed bid to entrepreneur Peter Mayo.
- 1977
Replaced as municipal auditorium
[1]The Tulsa Performing Arts Center opened and took over the city's newer municipal performing-arts role.
- 1952
Lobby additions and renaming
[1]Front and rear additions were constructed, upper and lower lobbies were added, and the venue became Tulsa Municipal Theater.
- 1930
Bruce Goff remodeling
[1]Architect Bruce Goff led an extensive interior renovation that introduced an Art Deco-inspired design.
- 1921
Used during the Tulsa race massacre
[1]The building was used to detain Black men rounded up by the National Guard during the Tulsa race massacre.
- 1914
Convention Hall opens
[1]The new public assembly facility opened as Convention Hall, serving civic events and touring entertainment.
Products and positioning
A historic Tulsa entertainment and event venue combining live performances with civic, architectural, and cultural heritage.
Music venue programming
Live concerts
Tulsa Theater operates primarily as a live music venue, presenting touring and local concert performances in its historic auditorium. Its large original hall and stage allow the building to support amplified music events while preserving the atmosphere of an older civic theater.
Performing arts
Theatrical productions
The venue hosts theatrical and stage productions, continuing a programming tradition that began with its use as a municipal auditorium and touring-performance hall. The space has historically accommodated large productions and remains available for contemporary theatrical events.
Events and venue rental · 1914
Convention and public assembly events
Before becoming primarily identified with concerts, the building served as Tulsa's Convention Hall and municipal assembly facility. Its scale and civic design continue to support public gatherings and event uses in addition to entertainment programming.
Controversies
2019
Renaming over W. Tate Brady's racial affiliations
The venue abandoned the Brady Theater name after renewed attention to W. Tate Brady's affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, choosing Tulsa Theater as a less contentious identity.
1921
Use as a detention center during the Tulsa race massacre
During the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, the building was used to detain Black men rounded up by the National Guard. The episode remains a significant and controversial part of the venue's history.
Brand decisions
2019
Change the venue name to Tulsa TheaterStrategyBackground
The former Brady Theater name was associated with W. Tate Brady, whose affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan became a significant reputational concern.
Action taken
The venue adopted Tulsa Theater as its new operating name.
Aftermath
The new identity emphasized the venue's connection to Tulsa while distancing it from the controversial namesake. Public use of the new branding became visible in January 2020.
1978
Purchase by Peter MayoM&ABackground
After the Tulsa Performing Arts Center replaced the building as the city's municipal auditorium, the city sold the historic facility.
Action taken
The City of Tulsa sold the building by sealed bid to local entrepreneur Peter Mayo.
Aftermath
The building continued as a privately owned entertainment venue rather than a city-operated municipal auditorium.
Recent events
- 2020
Venue begins using Tulsa Theater branding[1]
Other
The business began using Tulsa Theater on its social-media channels in January 2020, while considering the reuse of a historic illuminated Tulsa sign from an earlier naming period.
- 2019
Tulsa Theater adopts its current name[1]
Other
The venue formerly known as Brady Theater was renamed Tulsa Theater because of concerns surrounding W. Tate Brady's documented association with the Ku Klux Klan.
- 1979
Tulsa Theater is recognized as a historic property[1]
Other
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its civic and architectural significance.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/tulsa-theater · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled