8 Quirky And Unusual Things No One Tells You About Living In Oklahoma

Posted by Jackson May 3, 2025
8 Quirky And Unusual Things No One Tells You About Living In Oklahoma

Here are 8 quirky and unusual things about living in Oklahoma that most people don’t tell you:

  1. Oklahoma is the birthplace of many firsts – including the world’s first parking meter, first shopping cart, first drive-thru, and the first state to sell Girl Scout Cookies. These surprising inventions and milestones give Oklahoma a unique historical flavor.
  2. The “NASA Space Capsule” in Talala is actually a cement mixer that fell off a truck and hardened on the roadside, now a quirky roadside attraction mistaken for a space capsule. This kind of local oddity adds to the state’s charm.
  3. You can witness mysterious “spook lights” near Quapaw at night – unexplained glowing orbs that have puzzled residents and visitors alike. It’s a paranormal curiosity unique to Oklahoma.
  4. Oklahoma was the last state to legalize tattoos, only allowing them legally after 2006. Before that, residents had to go underground or out of state for tattoos, which is an unusual fact for a modern state.
  5. The state capital moved from Guthrie to Oklahoma City in a dramatic fashion, involving the theft of the state seal and a public declaration of the new capital. This unusual political history is little known but fascinating.
  6. Oklahoma has the only city ever accidentally bombed by the U.S. military during World War II – Boise City. This rare and strange event is a surprising piece of wartime history.
  7. The state’s landscape can feel like driving off the edge of the planet due to vast flat lands, especially in the middle and western parts of Oklahoma, with mountain ranges that are old and much shorter than the Rockies, often not visible from afar. This gives a unique sense of space and isolation.
  8. Mosquitoes are so prevalent they are jokingly called Oklahoma’s state bird. The summer months can be swarmed with mosquitoes despite using bug spray, making outdoor living a challenge at times.

These quirks, from historical firsts and odd roadside attractions to unusual laws and natural phenomena, make living in Oklahoma a distinctive experience that few outsiders realize

Sources:

  1. https://www.movoto.com/guide/ok/oklahoma-facts/
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEEqMmqfp_A
  3. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/states/article/oklahoma
  4. https://thefactfile.org/oklahoma-facts/
  5. https://ampedhomeservices.com/oklahoma-ok-fun-facts/
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c33b-8gCO78