Tulsa Restores Woodward Park's Northwest Corner

A year-long, $6.9 million renovation brought back ponds, waterfalls and terraced gardens in the park's northwest corner.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Home Renovation

Photograph of a restored stone-edged pond with a small waterfall, terraced garden beds, and an arched footbridge in a shaded city park. — The City of Tulsa completed a year-long, $6.9 million renovation restoring ponds, waterfalls and terraced gardens in the northwest corner of Woodward Park. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The City of Tulsa completed a year-long renovation of the northwest corner of Woodward Park, restoring ponds, small waterfalls, terraced garden beds and new walkways. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the park's arched bridge.

Why it matters

The project addresses an aging park whose underground drainage system dates to the 1920s, with major stormwater repairs carried out beneath the grounds. Residents who use the park for everyday recreation gain restored water features and more resilient plantings.

The $6.9 million project was approved by voters in 2014 and took a year to complete. The underground drainage system it repaired dates to the 1920s.

The players

City of Tulsa

The municipal government of Tulsa, Oklahoma, which owns and manages Woodward Park and oversaw the renovation.

The details

Workers cleared sediment from the ponds, rebuilt the hillside and installed new plantings, including more resilient terraced beds designed to stop erosion. Crews also repaired a major stormwater line and rebuilt the pumping system, restoring water flow over the waterfalls for the first time in decades.

2014: Voters approved the $6.9 million project.
1920s: The underground drainage system was built.
November 7, 2026: The renovation was completed and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held.

Season Trajectory

Voters approved the project in 2014, and the completed work now delivers the restored ponds, waterfalls and terraced beds that approval promised. The renovation also shows Tulsa following through on a bond-funded park plan a decade after it was approved.

Visitors to Woodward Park's northwest corner can now walk the restored walkways and see the reopened waterfalls and terraced beds. The new plantings are expected to fill in and become more lush in the spring as they grow in over the coming years.

The takeaway

Long-running infrastructure hidden beneath parks can be as important as the visible landscaping, and repairing it is what makes restored features last. Residents planning visits can expect the best views to develop as the new plantings mature.