Built in 1906 for the Gypsy Oil Company, this Tulsa coffee shop reopened after 50 years of abandonment — and still shares the space with Phillip, a Norwegian geologist who died on the stairs.
303 N Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Tulsa, OK 74103
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Coffee shop; pricing per order
Access
Wheelchair OK
Ground-floor coffee shop; historic building with stairs to upper floors
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1906 · Gypsy Oil Company headquarters, 1906 · Brady Arts District historic structure · Pre-statehood Oklahoma oil industry heritage
The building at 303 N Martin Luther King Jr Blvd was constructed in 1906 for the Gypsy Oil Company, one of the early petroleum enterprises operating in the Indian Territory before Oklahoma statehood in 1907. The Gypsy Oil Company was later absorbed into larger oil industry consolidations, and the building was vacated.
For roughly five decades the structure sat empty in what is now Tulsa's Brady Arts District, the neighborhood that takes its name from Tate Brady, a controversial early Tulsa figure. The building survived the period of neglect and was eventually renovated and reopened as the Gypsy Coffee House in 2000, preserving the original company's name.
The coffee house has operated for more than two decades as a neighborhood fixture, with the building's oil-era history displayed alongside its current identity as a community gathering place. The venue has documented its history on its own website and has been featured in local media in connection with both its architectural heritage and its paranormal reputation.
Sources
The ghost associated with the Gypsy Coffee House is identified in local accounts as Phillip, described as a Norwegian geologist who worked for the Gypsy Oil Company when the building was the company's headquarters. According to the legend, Phillip suffered a heart attack while on the building's stairs, fell, and died of a broken neck — leaving him, in local tradition, permanently attached to the site.
Newson6, the Tulsa NBC affiliate, documented the Phillip legend in a segment about the coffee house and its haunted reputation, describing barista reports of products flying off shelves without apparent cause and other unexplained activity in the building. The unexplained movement of objects is the most consistently reported phenomenon.
The Gypsy Coffee House is included on the US Ghost Adventures Tulsa ghost tour as a documented stop, giving it an institutional presence within Tulsa's paranormal tourism landscape. The Phillip legend is embraced by the coffee house itself, with the story treated as part of the venue's character and history.
Notable Entities
Visit the Gypsy Coffee House in the former Gypsy Oil Company headquarters — built in 1906, abandoned for 50 years, and reopened in 2000. The building's history and resident ghost, Phillip, are part of the shop's identity. Baristas are known to share the building's story.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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