Center of the Universe

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Hidden On: 17 Oct 2002
Waypoint (Landmark): N0191B
Open Cache:  Non-commercial use only
Cache type:  Virtual
Cache size:   Virtual

Difficulty:  (easy)
Terrain:  (easy)

Misc:

Comments:
You can drive almost up to this cache site. Parking is easier if you go on a weekend or during the evening. Don't worry about being conspicuous- locals are used to people visiting this spot.

This is a virtual cache. There is no container. The only log is here, on this web site. There is a reward at the end when you successfully complete this hunt.

Kid Friendly Lunchtime Cache Handicap Access Dogs Allowed Less than 500 ft. from car to cache

Generated by The Selector

Former Governor George Nigh used to say that the geographic center of the United States was "somewhere up in Kansas, but the real center of our country is here in Oklahoma." Hoyt Axton once said that Oklahoma is the Cultural Center of the Universe. Tulsans can point to the exact Center of the Universe.

Bring a poem, or a speech, or the Declaration of Independence, or something to read out loud. The Center of the Universe is a very fun bit of acoustic architecture. Like the Echo Wall at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing or the focal points of the entry arch in Cincinnati's art deco train station, the Center of the Universe will bounce the speaker's voice back to produce weird auditory effects. These reverberations are heard only by the speaker and any other person(s) standing in the center space.

To claim this cache, please e-mail us the number of bricks on the innermost ring, surrounding the 30-inch Center of the Universe. You may go ahead and log your cache after you have e-mailed us (waiting is no fun), but we will delete any log that has not sent confirmation data. We will answer each e-mail, whether you log right away or wait for our okay. We don't check e-mail every day, so don't worry if you don't hear back from us immediately.

Nearby is one of Tulsa's most unusual pieces of public art. "Artificial Cloud" is a sculpture by artist Bob Haozous. It was created in 1991, although local newspaper accounts (Luann Ruark's Tulsa World article "Universal Mystery" on 16 Feb. 1997) say it was installed in 1992.

To complete this cache, look at the little figures cut into the sides of Artificial Cloud. Notice that some of the human figures are missing parts of their arms and some are complete. First go to the side that faces southeast, and write down or remember how many complete human figures decorate the top edge of the image. Then, go over to the other side, and write down or remember how many complete human figures there are across the bottom of the side facing northwest, toward the Center of the Universe. These two numbers, in this order, serve as a 2-digit password that will enable you to unlock a beautiful certificate of accomplishment created especially for this cache, located at the “Images” section below. You can print it out in full color, put it in an expensive frame, and hang it on your wall!

Click To Rate This Cache

My kids and enjoyed this one, they yelled "hello" until distant people started wondering who we were yelling hello to!
[Modified 2008-04-14 12:21:51]

Found on 12/06/04. Another of my all time favorite caches. I visit the place frequently out of sheer amazement. I visited it as recently as last week.