The Wall Flowers Exhibit at Philbrook: Why Kids Love it Also!

As a big fan of P.S. Gordon’s art, I bought tickets to the members’ preview night at Philbrook, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend. A few weeks later, my daughter asked if I wanted to attend the Wall Flowers exhibit with her and my grandkids, and I readily agreed. Secretly, I thought a five-year-old and an eight-year-old wouldn’t enjoy it, but I rarely turn down an opportunity to spend time with my grandkids.

I expected a rushed trip through the exhibit, with the kids begging to go out to the gardens or downstairs to the play area. They go to Philbrook frequently and are familiar with all the favorite kid spots. I was wrong. They were both happy to see the art and excitedly recognized a few of the pieces that I have prints of at my house.

Art Scavenger Hunt

It began on a positive note, as the kids were given a bag of objects at the entrance to the exhibit. In the bag, there were small versions of a watering can, dice, the statue of Liberty, a pug, and a flower. The children were supposed to find each object in one of the paintings, a version of a scavenger hunt. My grandkids were all into this challenge and set out examining each painting to find the objects. They were excited to find them all within a short time frame. What a clever way to get kids to study each painting! Because of the matching game, I also looked at the details a little more closely.

They loved the scavenger hunt activity!

Creating a personal “still life”

The next interactive event involved creating a display of the objects that describe you. There were several shelves filled to the limit with a wide variety of objects. My eight-year-old grandson was less interested in this activity, but his five-year-old sister loved it! She and I carefully studied all the objects, and each of us created a display that we felt accurately represented us.

Sylvia just turned five, so she needed some help writing her descriptions, but she quickly came up with the words to dictate to me. She picked a ballet shoe because she used to take ballet and still loves it. She chose a butterfly because they’re beautiful, and this one is orange, which also represents OSU. She chose the shell because it reminds her of the beach and her trip to Hawaii. She was happy with her display and then helped me put mine together with a book, a fish, a sunflower, and an OSU mug.

Sylvia loved creating her display!

Additional activities

We spent quite a bit of time in the Wall Flowers exhibit, but of course, we couldn’t leave without visiting the beautiful gardens. There were fun activities set up for kids, plus the koi pond, which is always a favorite. Back inside, we had lunch at the current pop-up café, Wildflower Café, and then went downstairs to the kids’ play area (officially called the Guest Lounge). There were plenty of things to do there – toys, art activities, a dress-up box, a reading area, and other kids to play with. My grandson was the oldest and one of the few boys, but he had a great time dressing up as a magician and entertaining the younger kids. It provided a nice break for my daughter and me to sit, rest, and talk while keeping an eye on the kids.

Entertaining the younger kids

You can’t go wrong with an outing to Philbrook, and visiting the Wall Flowers exhibit is a special treat. Although there is an extra cost for the exhibit, it’s worth it to see the works of one of Tulsa’s best-known and talented artists. Wall Flowers will be on exhibit until January 3, 2026.

PhilBOO

A fun family event coming up is PhilBOO, three days of activities celebrating Halloween. The event runs from Friday, October 24, through Sunday, October 26. There will be arts and crafts, pumpkin decorating, a scavenger hunt, a bounce house, games, and much more. All the cool cats, Demon Hunters, ghosts, and goblins will be there!

Philbrook Hours and Admission Costs

Wednesday: 9  a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday: 9  a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday: 9  a.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday: 9  a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday: 9  a.m.-5 p.m.
*Closed Mondays & Tuesdays

Philbrook is located at 2727 S. Rockford Road
Tulsa, OK 74114

$18 Adults
$8 Youth (Ages 3-17)
FREE Youth (2 & Under)

Special Exhibitions are an additional cost

Memberships available

Philbrook participates in Museums For All. Museums are for everyone, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Through our participation in Museums for All, Philbrook offers $1 general admission tickets to individuals enrolled in SNAP, TANF, WIC, or SoonerCare, and their families (up to 4 adults and unlimited youth ages 3-17). Youth 2 & under always receive free general admission. Simply show your verification at the front desk for discounted general admission tickets. To reserve advance tickets, contact us at 918-748-5300.