👐 Tulsa’s Towering Bronze Landmark
One of the more unique stops I built into one of my Mystery GPS Tours. Zach had no idea what was coming.
These tours are one of my favorite things to put together. I build the route from scratch, pin by pin. No labels. No hints. Zach drives while I navigate and just trusts that I haven’t accidentally routed us into a lake.
He’s usually expecting something practical — grocery run, hardware store, maybe a thrift shop. I always sneak a few surprises in there.
The World’s Largest Praying Hands made it onto my list because it said “World’s Largest” — and honestly, that’s all it takes with us. If there’s a biggest, smallest, tallest, weirdest anything within driving distance, it’s getting a pin.
By the time we pulled into Oral Roberts University, I’d completely forgotten which pin this was. We were just following the blue line across campus like usual.
And then we saw them.
Two massive bronze hands rising straight out of the lawn.
Sixty feet tall.
Not subtle.
Not trying to be.
📏 The Stats
The sculpture stands 60 feet tall and weighs over 30 tons, cast entirely in bronze.
It holds the official title of the world’s largest praying hands — and it’s one of the largest bronze sculptures ever made.
It sits right at the front of campus, surrounded by landscaped gardens.
You don’t accidentally stumble onto something this size.
You arrive… and it’s just already there.
🧤 Who Made Them and Why
Oklahoma artist Leonard McMurray designed the hands in 1980.
One hand is modeled after Oral Roberts, the other after his son Richard Roberts.
They were originally installed at the City of Faith medical center — part of Roberts’ vision for a massive medical complex — and later relocated to the university campus in 1991.
The towers behind them now have corporate tenants.
The hands stayed.
🟫 What They Actually Look Like Up Close
Decades of weather have done their thing — streaking, oxidizing, building up that deep uneven patina. Up close, the bronze almost looks like heavy fabric that’s been folded and refolded a thousand times.
They look older than they are.
From the road, they’re impressive.
Standing underneath them is different.
That’s when the scale actually hits.
Like — oh… okay… yeah, that’s huge.
📖 The Verse
Luke 2:52 is carved into the base:
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
It’s part of the installation.
I noticed it, photographed it… and we moved on.
🗺️ How to Visit
Located at 7777 South Lewis Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Free to visit. Easy to find. Easy to park.
Walk the full loop around them — the scale shifts depending on where you stand.
If you’re building a GPS tour or just passing through Tulsa, this one’s worth the stop.
It’s not subtle.
And it’s definitely not forgettable.