1. Whaling is illegal in Oklahoma City.
2. Internet sensation, “Sweet Brown” calls Oklahoma City her home, famous for her saying “ain’t nobody got time for that!”
3. Oklahoma City was named the manliest city in the U.S. by Combos Snack Foods.
4. Oklahoma City is the same distance from New York and Los Angeles.
5. The county’s best Girl Scout cookie seller is from Oklahoma City. Katie Francis broke the national record of sales at 18,100 boxes. Her favorite cookie is the Samoa.
6. Thunder mascot, Rumble’s legendary backstory stems from him being struck by lightning while saving his herd generations ago. This lightning transformed him into the half man/half bison that he is today. In 2009, he was award the NBA mascot of the year.
7. It’s should come as no surprise that it’s illegal to tip a casket over at a funeral in the Big Friendly.
8. Owning a stink bomb in Oklahoma City is against the law.
9. Next time you go shopping, thank Sylvan N. Goldman of Humpty Dumpty and Standard Food Market in OKC for the nation’s first shopping cart, first used in 1937.
10. Rumor has it that the Hilo Club in Oklahoma was once a speakeasy during the prohibition, with tunnels coming from nearby buildings being the only entrance for high-powered patrons.
11. Oklahoma City Museum of Art has the most comprehensive collection of Chihuly glass in the world. These otherworldly creations by David Chihuly are some of the largest, most intricate blown glass sculptures in the world.
12. With over 300 banjos, the collection at the American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City is valued at $3.5 million.
13. Oklahoma City has 7 sister cities all around the world, including cities in Israel, Russia, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, and China.
14. Known for appearances in a long list of television and film productions, Olivia Munn was born in Oklahoma City.
15. According to a “Forbes” 2013 ranking, Oklahoma City is ranked the eighth best place for business and careers in the country.
16. Oklahoma City University students can take a class taught by the leader of the “Children of the Corn,” Fritz Kiersch, the director of the horror flick.
17. Ever get a ticket for an expired parking meter? Oklahoma City was the first place to install these leading to their widespread popularity. You’re welcome?
18. Rick Bayless and Skip Bayless are famous brothers from Oklahoma City. Rick’s a celebrity chef specializing in Mexican food while skip has his own show with ESPN, “First Take.”
19. There’s a swimming pool shaped like the state of Oklahoma at the local Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion.
20. Skirvin hotel in OKC is haunted by the ghost of Effie. After a chain of horrific events, Effie took her own life and the life of her child by jumping off the top floor. Visitors regularly report hearing the cry of a baby and seeing the apparition of a nude woman in the hotels hallways.
21. Rocktown climbing gym is one of the most unique in the nation, with a 90 foot wall inside of a grain elevator.
22. Those pesky bread twist ties? Thank Sara Lee Bakery in Oklahoma City for the widespread use of those.
23. With around 70,000,000 albums sold, Garth Brooks got his musical start in Yukon, Okla. Right down the road from the big friendly.
24. The Flaming Lips are not only from Oklahoma City, their song “Do You Realize?” is the official rock song of Oklahoma. They’ve also got a road named after them in OKC, “Flaming Lips Alley.”
25. Known by some as the “father of the electric guitar,” Charlie Christian is from Oklahoma City and even has a street named after him in Bricktown.
26. Hungry Oklahoma City residents can get fried lamb testicles known as “lamb fries” at Cattleman’s Steakhouse.
27. Even though baseball legend, Mickey Mantle, isn’t from Oklahoma City, there’s a statue of him in Bricktown. Famous for being a switch hitter, the statue of him in his hometown, Commerce, Okla. Shows him batting right, while the one in bricktown is of him batting left.
28. Good eaters should head to the Steak And Catfish Barn where they can compete with the best in an ongoing catfish eating contest. Adam Richman from “Man vs. Food” set the record high at 29.
29. Wild West fans can see John Wayne’s personal firearm collection at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
30. “Even sweeter after dark,” “America’s drive-in” Sonic has it’s company headquarters in Bricktown.
31. In 2008, Oklahoma City was named the most recession proof city in America by “Forbes,” this is coming a long way from the oil crashes of the 1980s, when during this time Oklahoma City had one of the worst job and housing markets in the country.
32. The bulb inside of the Dome Theater at the Science Museum runs at 15,000 watts. That’s the equivalent of 250 of the 60-watt bulbs that can likely be found around your house.
33. The giant toothbrush and toothpaste at 3616 NW 50th street is advertising for a local dentist.
34. The milk bottle on top of milk bottle grocery is actually rented separately from the building underneath it, with the logo and paint on the sheet metal bottle changing throughout the years.
35. 14-time all-star, Johnny Bench first saw the light of day in Oklahoma City. He decided he wanted to be a catcher after his dad told him it was the fastest route to the major leagues.
36. Sounding like something from a horror movie, The Escape OKC is Oklahoma’s first live action escape challenge. Up to 6 people compete to solve a series of fun riddles, puzzles, and challenges to escape one of the facilities rooms.
37. Oklahoma City is home to America’s only skeleton museum, the Museum of Osteology, with over 300 skeletons on display.
38. Oklahoma City has been the home of three different Miss America winners.
39. Oklahoma City got its start during the land run of 1889 when 10,000 arrived there in a single day.
40. Residents of the Big Friendly get great tans, with over 300 days of sunshine a year.
41. There’s actually a working well underneath the capital building in Oklahoma City, the only capital building of its type in the country.
42. Oklahoma City has a ton of road, with over 130 miles of interstate and highways in the metropolitan area alone.
43. The world’s largest mound is on American Indian Boulevard in Oklahoma City. It’s part of a Native American cultural center and museum planned for the near future.
44. Swearing in Oklahoma can result in a $1 for each bad word.
45. The fastest wind speed ever recorded on this planet was in Moore, Okla. At 318 mph during the Oklahoma City f-5 tornado of 1999.
46. The nation’s first tornado warning to sound went off in Oklahoma City in 1948. Despite the huge tornado that hit, there were no deaths.
47. In 1971, Patience Latting was elected as the mayor of Oklahoma, making Oklahoma the first large city (over 350,000 residents) to have a female mayor.
48. Despite being in the heart of tornado alley, the devon tower is 844 feet tall, making it the tallest building in the state.
49. The Oklahoma City radio station, WKY, was the first radio station to transmit a signal west of the Mississippi.
50. Oklahoma City is home to the American Pigeon Museum. Visitors can learn about the important role the bird has played in our country.
51. There are 71 million people within 500 miles of Oklahoma City.
52. The only firefighter museum in the U.S. that is owned and operated by firefighters is the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum, in Oklahoma City. It’s also home to two locally stuffed fire horses, don and sam.
53. Ex-Patriot, current Bronco, and five-time pro-bowler, Wes Welker was born in OKC.
It’s no surprise tons of champions call Oklahoma City their home. Between the historic background and its relevance in America today, Oklahoma City truly is one of a kind.
What’s your favorite fun fact about Oklahoma City? Tell us in the comments below!
