Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Urban exploration in Oklahoma
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Fiend
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Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Post by Fiend »

Ok, so I found a post on this website that peaked my interest http://smf.rantradio.com/patrolling-wit ... oration/0/ “If you want some seriously deep and crazy UE, try getting into the maintence basement of Rodgers High School. There's links in there to the tunnel system that runs all the way to the river, and rumors say it's part of a bigger network that goes as far north as Pine+Sheridan. I'm too old to pass as a high schooler to sneak down there and pick some locks. One of these days I'm going to try working backwards from the big pipes down on the river. During a dry spell, that is. I wouldn't doubt if the storm drain system vented into those things.”

I have explored most of the tunnels along the Arkansas river in Tulsa, and I haven’t come across any that would lead to that school, although there are one or two that I would suspect could lead there, especially one large one that I havent explored all the way which goes toward the area of that school. The tunnels along the river are all storm sewers to my knowledge and I don’t see why they would lead to a basement at Rogers High school. They are most likely utility tunnels, if they exist. I think it would be pretty freakin cool to be exploring a tunnel and find my way into a basement of a school. Anybody know anything about this tunnel system, or maybe someone who goes to that school?
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RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Post by zombi86 »

Sounds awesome. Once I get some transportation I'm going to try to make it up that way.
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RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

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UPDATE! Now I would love to say I found tunnels like the ones describe in my initial post, but sadly I didn’t. After telling him what I was looking for, the assistant principle was nice enough to give me an all access private tour of Will Rogers High School. This school has so much history that its impossible to cover all of it. At times I thought I was in a museum for Will Rogers rather than a High School. Walking around this school, I found myself in art deco heaven and it felt like I had stepped back into the 40’s. Just incredible architecture. I didn’t take many pictures because they had an event going on and there were people around (I didn’t want to look like some dorky tourist with a camera).

My tour started in the basement, which was quite large with more classrooms and offices. I was taken to some storage rooms just off of the band classroom. There we met up with the band teacher (I assume that’s who he was), and he unlocked a door that lead us into storage rooms. Found many old relics from the schools past. We went into a large empty room, that had ventilation vents at the top of the room that seem to lead to other rooms behind the walls. When we went around the room to investigate, we were stopped by a door way that had been boarded up with very thick plywood that was screwed in place. Neither one of them knew why this was blocked off, and it was intriguing to all of us. Perhaps the room behind this door holds the secret I am looking for. So, I continued on my tour.

I had remembered that the rumors said that the entrance to the tunnels were in the “maintenance basement”. So I asked if there was such a place. Sure enough there was a boiler room. And wow, there were four boilers in the basement. Each one was the size of a SUV. I thought how awesome it would be to fire one of those babies up. I was told they werent used anymore since they have central air, such a shame. Pipes were everywhere and there were many small utility tunnels branching off from the boiler room. All of which were cramped and would have required crawling and crouching. They didn’t seem promising as a way into a tunnel system that lead to the river or other places in town. But I could be wrong, but I didn’t really have the time or the proper equipment to explore them. So I went on in my tour.

I was told that a long time ago, the school was a potential fallout shelter. Which made me wonder if there was a an actual fallout shelter in the school, since the school was built in 1938 and fallout shelters were common in schools that old. I didn’t find a fallout shelter, but I think the entire basement would be used as a fallout shelter. What I did find interesting was that there was a radioactive sign for a fallout shelter posted high up in the main hallway. So, who knows…

Another interesting piece of history, is a true story about a band director that died on stage during a performance in the auditorium. It is said to be haunted by him, and apparently it is a known legend at the school. I of course took a tour of the auditorium, which was beautiful, took some pics of it. Some info on this link under Tulsa http://www.theshadowlands.net/places/oklahoma.htm

I was invited to come back whenever I wanted, so as soon as I can find some better info on this urban legend of tunnels or perhaps find the source of the rumor, I will go back and find out the truth. I could have missed the “entrance” to the tunnels, as I had know idea what it looked like or really where it was.

And here is another link of people finding tunnels under the school http://pccast.blogspot.com/2008/10/salu ... tulsa.html And more history on the school http://www.willrogershighschool.com/alumni/history.php
Last edited by Fiend on Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Post by Fiend »

Hallway in basement leading to storage rooms
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Utility Tunnel
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One of the boilers
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Boiler room
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Another utility tunnel
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Auditorium where the band director died
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More art deco above one of the main entrances
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RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Post by psychosaw13 »

Thats awesome the ast principal let you hang out under the school! Man it would be awesome to find those tunnels... theres gotta be an entrance somewhere.
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RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

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Yeah, he was actually pretty cool. And I got him interested in finding them too. He said that he gives tours of the place about twice a week to people who had gone to the school, but never given a tour like mine haha. I just wish I could find the source of the rumor, so maybe I could get a better idea of what the tunnel entrance would look like. But if those tunnels are there, you can bet I will find them.
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RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Post by xgibson22x »

I have been where these pictures were taken. I used to go to rogers a while back. And actually in the main building that said "Will Rogers" on it, if you walk in and go straight left and towards the end of the hall is an upstairs randomly, it leads to a room where a student hung herself many years ago. You can find it online. Also something happened to someone in the auditorium. Dont remember the correct story on that one.
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Re: RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

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Fiend wrote:I was invited to come back whenever I wanted, so as soon as I can find some better info on this urban legend of tunnels or perhaps find the source of the rumor, I will go back and find out the truth. I could have missed the “entrance” to the tunnels, as I had know idea what it looked like or really where it was.
I have spent countless hours chasing tunnels that may or may not actually exist. Everyone knows about them but no-one actually knows about them.

Image
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Re: RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

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SubLunar wrote:Image
Freak deserves points for this

xgibson22x wrote:hung herself many years ago. You can find it online. Also something happened to someone in the auditorium. Dont remember the correct story on that one.


The band director died, on stage, during a live performance. Very true story.


And speaking of people who know about tunnels. I told a guy I have met a few times about what I heard and he said he used to work at the school. The room he worked in (which is now a storage room in the basement) apparently had a door that lead to some sort of "tunnel system". That room was full of junk when I was in there and I dont remember a door, but it could have been easily covered.

Of course I asked him why he never ventured in it, and he said he was afraid of getting fired or something. Ugh...
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RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Post by xgibson22x »

Yeah i knew it was something like that i just wasnt for sure and wasnt going to post false things. Lol.
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RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

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I'm not sure I can shed too much light on the tunnels, but I can fill you in on the band director that died during concert, as I was one of the performers in the orchestra that night. It was our Spring Concert for the orchestra in 1974 (The Concert Band was to play the following weekend). We were about half-way through playing the song Komm Susser Todd (which is German for "Come Sweet Death", when our director (Carl Barnett) clutched his chest and fell forward on the stage. The Band Parents come forward and ushered the orchestra members down into the bandroom, while they were attempting CPR and waiting for an ambulance. We were told shortly thereafter that he had died of an apparent heart attack. I didn't learn until many years later of the rumors about his ghost. While I do go back every reunion, I have yet to see his ghost, but I hate hearing the story from people that don't even know his name. There was a small scholarship program for a few years after that and I was the 2nd annual recipient of the award. There was also a portrait of him in the lobby to the auditorium but it was gone when I first went back about 10 years after I graduated and haven't been able to find out where it went or why.

I'm not sure I can help you much on the tunnels, but in the basement across from the bandroom was a big storage room (we called it the dungeon) where all the music, big instruments and uniforms were stored and I seem to recall a big wooden door in there that was always locked up. I've never been in the broiler room either.

I just know that it's the most beautiful school inside and out and I'm proud to be an alumni of the Class of '76!
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Re: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Post by ropingk »

Hey Class of 76 Rocks not the same school but same year
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Re: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

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ropingk wrote:Hey Class of 76 Rocks not the same school but same year
It was a very good year!
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Re: RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

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SubLunar wrote:
Fiend wrote:I was invited to come back whenever I wanted, so as soon as I can find some better info on this urban legend of tunnels or perhaps find the source of the rumor, I will go back and find out the truth. I could have missed the “entrance” to the tunnels, as I had know idea what it looked like or really where it was.
I have spent countless hours chasing tunnels that may or may not actually exist. Everyone knows about them but no-one actually knows about them.

Image
How does one go about finding these tunnels? And have you found any secret ones yourself?
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Re: RE: Tunnels under Rogers High School in Tulsa

Post by SubLunar »

Kevmode wrote:
SubLunar wrote:
Fiend wrote:I was invited to come back whenever I wanted, so as soon as I can find some better info on this urban legend of tunnels or perhaps find the source of the rumor, I will go back and find out the truth. I could have missed the “entrance” to the tunnels, as I had know idea what it looked like or really where it was.
I have spent countless hours chasing tunnels that may or may not actually exist. Everyone knows about them but no-one actually knows about them.

Image
How does one go about finding these tunnels? And have you found any secret ones yourself?
Since Fiend doesn't appear to be active anymore and I'm in the quote I'm going to assume you're talking to me and you're referring to tunnels in a general sense.

Finding tunnels involves research, patience and frustration. Also, popping manholes and sometimes wading through shit. But yes, I/we have found secret tunnels.

Speaking of Fiend, what ever happened to him and the abandonedok crew? I just went to their forum and it's nothing but spam. Hundreds of pages of spam.
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