The Outsiders House Museum is a museum in
Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, about
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
's
coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can ...
movie,''
The Outsiders'' (1983), and the
1967 novel by the same name it adapts by
S. E. Hinton
Susan Eloise Hinton (born July 22, 1948) is an American writer best known for her young-adult novels (YA) set in Oklahoma, especially '' The Outsiders'' (1967), which she wrote during high school. Hinton is credited with introducing the YA genr ...
. It aims to preserve the house which served as the primary
film set
A set is artificially constructed scenery used in theatre, film and TV. In the latter two cases there are many reasons to build or use a set instead of travelling to a real location, such as budget, time, the need to control the environment, or t ...
for the Curtis Brothers (the story's lead characters). The museum was created by hip-hop artist
Danny Boy O'Connor, who is a long-time fan of ''The Outsiders.''
The house, which is estimated to have been built in 1920, served as a private residence prior to becoming a museum, except when Coppola used it for the screen adaptation of Hinton's novel, circa 1982. The film has maintained a following, and is also notable due to its young cast, who all had subsequently major acting careers.
In 2009, while on tour, O'Connor had a three-day layover in Tulsa and decided to explore the locations of the film, where he rediscovered the house. Afterwards, he would continue to visit the location on a regular basis, and bought the house in 2016. After extensive renovations to restore and maintain its authenticity from the film, it opened to the public on August 9, 2019.
History
1920 to 2008: private residence and set for ''The Outsiders'' film
Located in North Tulsa's Crutchfield neighborhood at 731 North St. Louis Ave on the corner it shares with East Independence Street, surveying of the area date back to 1919, and is estimated to have been built in 1920 due to a newspaper clipping discovered in the walls during its 2016 renovations.
The house served as a private residence except for the time it became a set for the Curtis Brothers' home during the filming of the movie ''
The Outsiders'' (1983) circa 1982.
The film was directed by
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
and based on
the 1967 novel of the same name by
S. E. Hinton
Susan Eloise Hinton (born July 22, 1948) is an American writer best known for her young-adult novels (YA) set in Oklahoma, especially '' The Outsiders'' (1967), which she wrote during high school. Hinton is credited with introducing the YA genr ...
. The film is notable for casting young actors before their rise to fame, which includes
C. Thomas Howell
Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor. He has starred in the films '' Soul Man'', '' The Hitcher'', '' Grandview U.S.A.'', ''Red Dawn'', ''Secret Admirer'' and '' The Outsiders''. He has also appeared in '' Gett ...
,
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in three ''Karate Kid'' films and in ''Cobra Kai'', a sequel television series. He also played Johnny Cade in '' The Outsiders' ...
,
Matt Dillon
Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including an Oscar and Grammy nomination.
Dillon made his feature film debut in '' Over the Edge'' (1979) and established himself as a te ...
,
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...
,
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 with ABC's short-lived sitcom ''A New Kind of Family'' (1979–1980). Following numerous television roles in ...
,
Emilio Estevez
Emilio Estevez (; born May 12, 1962) is an American actor and filmmaker.
He is the son of actor Martin Sheen and the older brother of Charlie Sheen. Emilio Estevez started his career as an actor and is known for being a member of the acting Bra ...
,
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
, and
Diane Lane
Diane Colleen Lane (born January 22, 1965) is an American actress. Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at age 14 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film ''A Little Romance''.
The two films that could have catapulted her to star ...
. Furthermore, since its release it retains a fanbase.
After the filming the house returned to its original purpose.
2009 to 2015: re-discovery
In 2009, hip hop artist
Danny Boy O'Connor was touring and had a three days layover in Tulsa. O'Connor, a lifelong fan of ''The Outsiders'', suddenly remembered that he was in the town where the film was shot and asked a
cab driver
"Cab Driver" is a song written by Carson Parks and performed by The Mills Brothers featuring Sy Oliver, Sy Oliver and His Orchestra. It reached #3 on the Adult Contemporary (chart), Easy Listening chart, #21 on the ''Cashbox (magazine), Cashbo ...
to take him on a tour of the locations and rediscovered the house.
He took a picture, posted it on MySpace, and the photo went viral. This led O'Connor to found ''The Delta Bravo Urban Exploration Team,'' a project that leads a team to visit documents notable pop culture landmarks from film, television, music, and true crime. The house is noted to be their first location.
Afterward O'Connor would continue to visit the location while stopping in Tulsa.
2016 to present day: purchase, restoration, opening and aftermath
On March 9, 2016,
O'Connor bought the house, for $15,000. O'Connor said he bought it sight unseen and when he first went inside that it was in a dire condition. With the help of his friends Zachary Matthew and Donnie Rich, the renovations started shortly after with the goal to make it as authentic as it was in the film. Also, the Oklahoma Film and Music Office and the City Council lent their support. Local business and individuals volunteered to help including leveling the foundation, mowing the lawn,
to getting rid of all the trash.
Part of the
restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
efforts, the renovation team worked to make sure that the house looked as it did in the film, such as remaking the front door,
retaining
fence
A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.
...
damage, and missing wood panels in windows. A
GoFundMe
GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the b ...
was set up for additional funds, notable donors include
Jack White
John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...
who donated $30,000 and
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and musician. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer o ...
. Also to raise funds, screenings of the film were organized that actor
C. Thomas Howell
Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor. He has starred in the films '' Soul Man'', '' The Hitcher'', '' Grandview U.S.A.'', ''Red Dawn'', ''Secret Admirer'' and '' The Outsiders''. He has also appeared in '' Gett ...
attended. On August 5, the street signs on the corner were changed to "The Outsiders Way" and "The Curtis Brothers Lane".
In 2018, an event at the house was organized where Hinton and Howell imprinted their hands in wet cement. Furthermore, with O'Connor all three were presented with a key to the city of Tulsa.
On August 9, 2019, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the museum.
Aside from Howell, between its restoration and opening, other stars of the films visited this includes
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 with ABC's short-lived sitcom ''A New Kind of Family'' (1979–1980). Following numerous television roles in ...
,
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in three ''Karate Kid'' films and in ''Cobra Kai'', a sequel television series. He also played Johnny Cade in '' The Outsiders' ...
, and
Matt Dillon
Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including an Oscar and Grammy nomination.
Dillon made his feature film debut in '' Over the Edge'' (1979) and established himself as a te ...
.
In September 2022, in
Sperry, Oklahoma
Sperry is a town in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,205 in the 2010 U. S. census, compared to 1,351 in 2000. It is primarily a bedroom community, since approximately 85 percent of the employed residents commute to work ...
, the group Upward Sperry completed the restoration of the now un-operational DX gas station seen in the film. The group's president Gary Coulson said, “It’s really growing. I almost hate to say, but it’s almost like a cult following. They stream through here - what that does is get people here.” With O'Connor they are planning to revitalize ''The Outsiders'' nostalgia in Sperry.
In October 2022, O'Connor with The Outsiders House Museum published the book ''The Outsiders ‘Rare and Unseen’'', which contains 148 photos by
David Burnett who was the set's photographer. O'Connor said: “We originally got the first lot of photos and then
urnettsaid there may be more,” said O’Connor. “They found the rougher photos, and for me, that’s where the rubber meets the road because they’re unpolished, their guard’s down, they’re not posing".
Design
The Outsiders House Museum is designed to be a museum that's created by the fans and for the fans. It spans the entire house and features the
front porch
A porch (from Old French ''porche'', from Latin ''porticus'' "colonnade", from ''porta'' "passage") is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance of a building. A porch is placed in front of the facade of a building it commands, and form ...
,
living room
In Western architecture, a living room, also called a lounge room (Australian English), lounge (British English), sitting room (British English), or drawing room, is a room for relaxing and socializing in a residential house or apartment. Su ...
,
dining room
A dining room is a room (architecture), room for eating, consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level. Historically ...
, bathroom, and kitchen as they appeared in the film.
The collection includes over 500 editions of the book in various languages,
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
's director chair, clothes worn by actors, a 1949
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
Super Deluxe, etc.
References
External links
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*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Outsiders House, The
Houses in Oklahoma
Museums in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mass media museums in the United States
Museums established in 2017
Historic house museums in Oklahoma
Houses completed in 1920
Francis Ford Coppola