TVLSE, Oklv. – Tulsa City Council passed conceptual plans to remodel Dream Keepers Park during their March 13 meeting. Earlier in the day, the proposal passed the city’s Urban & Economic Development Committee meeting.
The proposed updates include a new children’s play area, a one-mile loop trail, a hardscaped plaza stage, and new signage. Plans also include tribal gardens representing the three tribes that reside within the Tulsa area; Cherokee Nation, Osage Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Updates to the current veterans’ monument include a display of the flags of the 39 tribal nations of Oklahoma. A dedicated parking lot with 200 spaces with room for expansion is also part of the redesign.
The plans reflect two years of collaborative work by the Greater Tulsa Indian Affairs commission and Tulsa Parks. The estimated total budget for the project is $9,328,00. This total reflects one to one matching funds through the National Park Service Outdoor Recreational and the Legacy Partnership Grant that Tulsa Parks is currently seeking. Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Cherokee Nation, and Osage Nation each committed $775,000 for the project. Other tribal partners have committed $250,000.
In 2021 Tulsa’s Veterans Park, now Dream Keepers Park, moved to the former site of Centennial Park. The former site of Tulsa’s Veterans Park was renamed to honor the Native American communities in the area. It has since been the home of Tulsa’s Native American Day celebration. According to the proposal, the plan seeks to create a cultural destination space that reflects the culture and history of Tulsa’s Native American communities. The plans also include an improved connection to Council Oak Park.
Construction is expected to begin January 2026.
