The Outsiders House Museum facts for kids
The Outsiders House Museum
May 31, 2017 |
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| Established | 2017 (House built circa 1920) |
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| Location | 731 Curtis Brothers Lane Tulsa, Oklahoma 74106 USA |
| Founder | Danny O'Connor |
The The Outsiders House Museum is a special place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It's all about the famous 1983 movie The Outsiders and the book it was based on. The book was written by S. E. Hinton in 1967.
This museum helps keep alive the house that was used as the main movie set. It was the home of the Curtis Brothers, who are the main characters in the story. A hip-hop artist named Danny Boy O'Connor created the museum. He is a huge fan of The Outsiders.
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The Outsiders House Museum
What is The Outsiders House Museum?
The Outsiders House Museum is a unique museum. It celebrates the classic story of The Outsiders. This story is about growing up and facing challenges. The museum is located in the actual house where parts of the movie were filmed.
It's a place where fans can step into the world of the movie. You can see how the characters lived. The museum also has many items from the film and the book.
How the Museum Started
The house itself was built around 1920. For many years, it was just a regular home. But in 1982, director Francis Ford Coppola chose it for his movie. The film became very popular. It also featured many young actors who later became big stars.
In 2009, Danny Boy O'Connor, a musician, visited Tulsa. He was a big fan of The Outsiders. He decided to look for places where the movie was filmed. That's when he found the old house. He kept visiting it over the years. In 2016, he bought the house.
After a lot of hard work, the house was restored. It was made to look just like it did in the movie. The museum officially opened its doors on August 9, 2019.
The House's Story
Before the Museum: A Home and a Movie Set
The house is in North Tulsa's Crutchfield neighborhood. It was built around 1920. For most of its life, it was a private home. But in 1982, it became famous. It was chosen as the home for the Curtis Brothers in The Outsiders movie.
The movie was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It was based on S. E. Hinton's book. Many young actors who later became very famous starred in the film. These included C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Diane Lane. The movie still has many fans today. After filming, the house went back to being a private home.
Rediscovering the House
In 2009, Danny Boy O'Connor was on tour. He had a few days off in Tulsa. He remembered that Tulsa was where The Outsiders was filmed. He asked a taxi driver to show him the movie locations. That's how he found the house again.
He took a picture and shared it online. Many people saw it. This led O'Connor to start a project called "The Delta Bravo Urban Exploration Team." This team visits and documents famous places from movies, TV, music, and history. The Outsiders House was their first project. O'Connor continued to visit the house whenever he was in Tulsa.
Saving and Restoring the House
On March 9, 2016, O'Connor bought the house. He said it was in bad shape when he first saw it. With help from friends and volunteers, renovations began. The goal was to make the house look exactly like it did in the movie.
Local businesses and people helped a lot. They fixed the foundation and cleaned up the yard. The team worked hard to restore details. They even remade the front door and fixed parts of the fence. A fundraising campaign helped get more money. Famous people like Jack White and Billy Idol donated. Movie screenings were also held to raise funds. Actor C. Thomas Howell attended some of these events.
In August 2016, the street signs on the corner were changed. They became "The Outsiders Way" and "The Curtis Brothers Lane." In 2018, S. E. Hinton and C. Thomas Howell visited the house. They put their handprints in wet cement. They also received a special key to the city of Tulsa, along with O'Connor.
Opening Day and Beyond
The museum officially opened on August 9, 2019, with a special ceremony. That same year, a plaque was put up. It marked a scene from another movie, Rumble Fish, also directed by Coppola and based on a Hinton novel.
Since the restoration, other stars from The Outsiders have visited. These include Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, and Matt Dillon. In September 2022, a group helped restore the old DX gas station. This station was also seen in the movie. People are working to bring more The Outsiders history to the area.
In October 2022, the museum published a book. It was called The Outsiders ‘Rare and Unseen’. It had 148 photos by David Burnett, who was the set photographer. O'Connor said these photos showed the actors in a more natural way. By the end of 2022, about 20,000 people had visited the museum.
On April 14, 2023, the museum celebrated the movie's 40th anniversary. A plaque was placed at the Admiral Twin Drive-In. A scene from the movie was filmed there. Also in 2023, the museum was featured in a special Tulsa edition of the Monopoly board game.
In May 2024, another book was published. It was called The Outsiders on Set. This book had 254 pages of photos by Nancy Moran. She was a photographer who visited the movie set. O'Connor found out about her photos and she let him use them. On December 14, 2024, the Tulsa Christmas Parade celebrated the museum. Its theme was "Stay Gold, Merry, and Bright," and O'Connor was the Grand Marshal.
What You Can See Inside
The Outsiders House Museum was made by fans, for fans. You can explore the whole house. This includes the front porch, living room, dining room, bathroom, and kitchen. They all look just like they did in the movie.
The museum has a large collection of items. There are over 500 different editions of The Outsiders book. You can also see Francis Ford Coppola's director chair. There are clothes worn by the actors. Even a 1949 Plymouth Super Deluxe car is part of the collection.
