Moon Phase Today Tulsa

Moon Phase Today Tulsa: New Moon

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the moon in Tulsa is a New Moon with 0% illumination. Moon age: 29.0 days.

Illumination
0%
Moon Age
29.0d
Next Full Moon
Oct 25
Distance
--
☽ Moonrise
6:30 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
6:23 PM

moon-phase-today-tulsa-skyline

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in Tulsa, OK

Tulsa is built around a bend in the Arkansas River, and the River Parks system that follows it gives the city an unusually long run of green space to choose from — from a world-class riverfront park downtown to a wooded wilderness area on the west bank. Downtown itself adds a genuinely odd landmark worth a stop on a moon-viewing night out. As always, the moon's exact rise time and direction shift with the date and your observing location, so it's worth checking both against whichever park or riverbank you're planning around. Here are six useful moon-viewing options in the area, each suited to a different kind of visit.

1

Gathering Place

A free, roughly 66-acre riverfront park along the Arkansas River, with the Swing Hill overlook, the ONEOK Boathouse, gardens, and play areas widely regarded as some of the best in the country. Open daily, 7 a.m.–9 p.m.; some individual attractions keep separate, seasonal hours. Address: 2650 S John Williams Way.

2

Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness

More than 750 rugged acres of forested urban wilderness on the west bank of the Arkansas River, with winding trails through hills, woods, ponds, and meadows. Free to visit. Open 5 a.m.–11 p.m., with a trail curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Address: 6850 S Elwood Ave.

3

Roof Sixty-Six

A sixth-floor rooftop cocktail bar downtown, with indoor and outdoor seating, fire pits, and views of the Tulsa skyline. Hours: Mon–Tue 4–10 p.m., Wed–Sat 4 p.m.–midnight, Sun 1–9 p.m.; hours can change for events. Address: 121 S Elgin Ave.

4

Woodward Park

A historic garden park in midtown with the Tulsa Rose Garden, rock gardens, and an arboretum. The park itself is open 5 a.m.–11 p.m., but the Tulsa Garden Center and Teaching Garden inside it keep separate daytime hours (roughly Tue–Sat/Fri, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.) — check both before an evening visit. Address: Peoria Ave & 21st St.

5

Center of the Universe

Currently closed for renovation as part of the Boston Avenue Bridge rehabilitation and plaza redesign project. Historically, this small concrete circle on the pedestrian bridge was known for a genuinely strange acoustic effect — stand in the middle, speak, and your voice echoes back to you alone. City and Downtown Tulsa Partnership plans call for preserving the acoustic effect and the adjacent Artificial Cloud sculpture; check current status before planning a visit. Address: 1 S Boston Ave.

6

LaFortune Park

A 270-acre county park in midtown Tulsa — the only county park inside city limits — with two fishing ponds, a 5K trail, and open sports fields. Free to visit the grounds. The County lists park hours as 5 a.m.–11 p.m., with an enforced curfew. Address: 5801 S Yale Ave.

◉ Best Times for Moon Photography

🌕 Full Moon ±1 day — near the moon's brightest appearance, though not necessarily the most photogenic phase for lunar detail
🌔 Days before full — the moon generally rises later each evening as full approaches, eventually rising around sunset at full moon; the exact timing varies with the date, season, and observing location
🧭 Landmark alignments — the moon's rising azimuth changes with the date and your observing location, so check both rather than assuming a fixed direction

📷 Quick Photography Tips

🎯A sturdy tripod can be useful at the parks and along the river, but check current rules before setting one up at Roof Sixty-Six
📷Shoot RAW and expose for the moon when you want lunar surface detail — the moon can be far brighter than the surrounding night sky and city scene
📏Looney 11 rule — a useful starting point: f/11, ISO 100, 1/100s for a full moon, then adjust from your histogram
🌕Low on the horizon, the moon can look strikingly large — that's the well-known "moon illusion," a perceptual effect rather than an actual change in size. A photo doesn't automatically preserve that apparent size; framing a large moon next to a landmark comes down mostly to your shooting distance and focal length choice
🌪️Check the radar for severe weather, especially in spring — Oklahoma sits at the edge of Tornado Alley, and fast-building thunderstorms with tornado warnings are a real possibility from roughly March through June
🕐 Timezone

Tulsa runs on Central Time — CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) in summer, since Oklahoma observes daylight saving time. PhotoPills or Stellarium will handle the moon's exact rise azimuth for any of these spots automatically.

Enjoy the moon over Tulsa — a rooftop above the Blue Dome District, the Swing Hill overlook at Gathering Place, and a wooded ridge above the Arkansas River at Turkey Mountain, all sharing the same lunar glow.

The moon phase today in Tulsa is shown in detail above — complete with exact illumination percentage, moonrise/set times, and the best local spots to see it. For the moon phase today in any other city worldwide, visit our Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the home page.

◐ What the Experience Actually Feels Like

Gathering Place draws a steady crowd of families and evening walkers right up until closing, with the Swing Hill overlook a popular spot to watch the sky change color over the river. Because it's such a large, multi-zone park, some sections and attractions close earlier than the park gate itself.

The Center of the Universe is normally a strange stop to add to any downtown itinerary: a small brick circle where your own voice echoes back to you, amplified, while someone standing a few feet away hears nothing unusual. It's currently closed for renovation, so check current status before planning to combine it with a visit to Roof Sixty-Six or the rest of the Blue Dome District nearby.

Turkey Mountain is a genuinely different environment from the riverfront parks — a forested hill with real elevation change, trails that range from easy loops to technical singletrack, and a curfew rather than a fixed gate closing, which means the trails are usable right up until 11 p.m.

"Turkey Mountain is a genuinely different environment from the riverfront parks — a forested hill with real elevation change, and a curfew rather than a fixed gate closing, so the trails are usable right up until 11 p.m."

✓ Your Tulsa Moon Chase Checklist

Before You Go

  • Check the moon's rise time and azimuth for your date and observing location — alignment with the river, the skyline, or a specific overlook depends on both
  • Check both the moon's rise time and each site's current hours — Woodward Park's Garden Center and Teaching Garden close in the afternoon even though the park itself stays open until 11 p.m.
  • Verify Site Access: Roof Sixty-Six's hours shift by day of the week, and Sunday hours in particular are worth confirming — check current hours before heading over
  • Use PhotoPills or Stellarium to check whether the moon will align with a specific landmark on your date
  • Check the radar for severe weather, particularly during spring storm season
  • Bring a payment method for drinks at Roof Sixty-Six, since the parks on this list are free; the Center of the Universe is currently closed for renovation, so check its status before planning around it

What to Bring

  • A telephoto lens — 200mm or longer can be useful when you want a relatively large moon beside a distant landmark, depending on your shooting distance
  • Water and sun protection for Turkey Mountain's trails, where portions are exposed
  • A remote shutter release or a 2-second timer to avoid shake on tripod shots, where tripods are permitted
  • If you plan to fish at LaFortune Park's ponds, check current Oklahoma fishing-license requirements before going
  • A backup viewing location in case your first choice is crowded, closed, or hosting an event

On the Night

  • Arrive at least 30–45 minutes early when photographing from a rooftop or during a scheduled event
  • Focus manually on the moon's edge — rooftop lighting and river-district glow can confuse autofocus at dusk
  • Bracket your exposures — one for the bright lunar disc, one for the darker river or park below
  • If the moon looks soft or hazy right at moonrise, consider waiting until it climbs higher above the horizon; the longer path through the atmosphere at low altitude increases scattering and distortion
  • At Gathering Place, Turkey Mountain, Woodward Park, or LaFortune Park, plan around each site's current posted hours rather than assuming late-night access
The moon over Tulsa moves between two very different registers — the lit-up riverfront parks and downtown streets, and the wooded hillside and quiet ponds spread across the city's edges. Use the tools on this page, pick your vantage point, and catch a Tulsa moonrise for yourself.

? Tulsa Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in Tulsa?

The moon phase today in Tulsa is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 25. Moonrise is at 6:30 AM and moonset at 6:23 PM.

Q. Where is the best place to view the moon in Tulsa?

Gathering Place is the standout spot, a free riverfront park along the Arkansas River with the Swing Hill overlook and gardens widely regarded as some of the best in the country. Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness offers more than 750 rugged acres on the west bank, Roof Sixty-Six gives a downtown rooftop view of the Tulsa skyline, and Woodward Park, the Center of the Universe, or LaFortune Park add further garden, downtown-oddity, or county-park alternatives.

Q. Do these viewing spots stay open after dark?

Most do — Gathering Place runs 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., though some individual attractions inside the park keep separate, earlier hours. Turkey Mountain and LaFortune Park are both open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. with an enforced trail curfew overnight, and Woodward Park's grounds run 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. even though the Tulsa Garden Center and Teaching Garden inside it keep separate daytime hours. Roof Sixty-Six's hours vary by day, running latest on Wednesday through Saturday. The Center of the Universe is currently closed for renovation.

Q. Does Tulsa observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Tulsa runs on Central Time — CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) in summer, since Oklahoma observes daylight saving time on the standard U.S. schedule.

Q. What's the best time of year for moon photography in Tulsa?

The moon's rise time and direction shift with the date and your observing location rather than following a fixed seasonal pattern, so alignment with the river or the skyline depends on the exact night. It's worth noting that Gathering Place is a large, multi-zone park, so some sections and attractions close earlier than the park gate itself — worth checking before counting on late access to a specific overlook.

Q. Does this page work for cities besides Tulsa?

This page is set up specifically for Tulsa, Oklahoma. For the moon phase in any other city or location worldwide, use the Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the moonphase.today home page.