1. Rumbling At The Thunderdome
At Chesapeake Energy Arena, the crowd is electric when the Thunder hits the court. Since it’s founding in 2008, the team has gone from “worst to first” with superstars like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. The Thunder mascot, “Rumble The Bison,” hypes up the crowd before games by playing a large drum.
2. The Legendary Gary England
An on-air personality for nearly four decades, meteorologist Gary England is beloved by those in the KWTV 9 viewing area. Not only is he a respected weather man, but he is known for his homespun humor, and signature phrase, “It’s Friday night in the big town!”
England even made an appearance on the silver screen in “Twister.” So popular were England’s severe weather alerts, that a drinking game developed.
3. Knowing How To Keep Their Toes Tapping
Many presume that all Oklahoma music is steel guitars and fiddles, but OKC always has, and continues to have a vibrant music scene with scores of venues.
Sure there’s Garth Brooks and Toby Keith, but there’s also the rock of Hinder and The Flaming Lips. Oklahoma City and the surrounding area hosts numerous music festivals every year.
4. Having A Blast At Frontier City
While it’s not as grand as Six Flags over Texas, Frontier City is Oklahoma City’s very own amusement park. It has the requisite rides all within the setting of a fantasy western town. Visitors can also enjoy old-fashioned entertainment, as well as the rootin’-tootin‘ gunfighter stunt show.
5. Brewing Up A Storm
Giving rise to many moonshiners and bootleggers, prohibition practically lasted in Oklahoma from before statehood until 1959. Now lost time is happily, and legally, being made up. Oklahoma City boasts numerous breweries and brewpubs. Beer making has become so popular that there is now an annual craft beer festival.
6. Knowing The Best Way To Keep Cool Is With A Sno-Cone
On a sweltering day there’s no better way to beat the heat than with a sno-cone. Every summer, tiny shacks pop up all over the city serving the sweet, icy treats to those looking for an inexpensive way to cool off. You can go with the standard flavors, like strawberry, tutti-frutti or tiger’s blood, or be adventurous and order dill pickle.
7. Hitting The Bricks To Bricktown
The warehouse area near the central business district once resembled a ghost town. However, OKC passed a tax initiative to revitalize the charming Bricktown area. It is now a hive of activity with bars, restaurants, condominiums and a baseball stadium. Take a water taxi ride through Bricktown in a man-made canal.
8. Jingling All The Way
Possibly more popular than the state song, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t know the BC Clark Jeweler’s jingle. A staple of the holiday season, this insanely catchy ditty has been hitting the airwaves since 1956. Actress Megan Mullally even sang it during an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
9. The Little Cowboy And The Big Steak Sandwich
Instead of “Where’s the beef?” you’ll be asking “Where’s the bun?” when you order a steak sandwich supreme at Del Rancho Drive-In.
The chain’s mascot may be diminutive cowboy, but there is nothing tiny about this chicken-fried steak sandwich. It is not for the faint of heart or for those with heart problems. Skip the french fries and opt for a side of fried okra.
10. Knowing That This Thing Is A Bank, Not A Fleet Of Flying Saucers
Billed as “the bank of the future,” State Capitol Bank (now Arvest), caused quite a stir when it opened in 1964, and has been worthy of a second take ever since. It appears that nearly seventeen UFOs have landed on Lincoln Boulevard. We have no way of knowing, but maybe Wayne Coyne banks here.
11. Getting Service At The Speed Of Sound
Famed for burgers, malts, tater tots, and carhop service, Sonic Drive-In was started in nearby Shawnee in 1959. Now headquartered in Oklahoma City, Sonic has franchises throughout the United States. Always unique and fun, some franchises have roller skating carhops, and there are several “Sonic Beach” locations in Florida.
12. Putting On Their Ten Gallon Hats
Mosey on in to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (formerly the Cowboy Hall of Fame). Aside from being the home of the Rodeo Hall of Fame, the museum features galleries brimming with western art and artifacts. On the beautiful museum grounds, you’ll find the graves of famous rodeo broncos and bulls.
13. Eating Like A Hungry Ranch Hand
Cattlemen’s Cafe is OKC’s oldest continually-operated restaurant. It was opened in 1910, only three years after statehood. The cafe has a colorful history from serving “liquid delights” during Prohibition to changing owners in dice game. Steak is served for three meals here, and you have to try the chicken-fried steak. Don’t forget a slice of pie!
14. Honoring Native Culture At The Red Earth Festival
Celebrate indigenous heritage at the annual Red Earth Festival each June. After all the state’s name is from two Choctaw words: “okla (“red”) and “humma” (“people”).
There is a large pow-wow, an 8K race, as well as native arts and crafts. Be sure to eat an “Indian taco,” which consists of fry bread topped with a delicious mixture of ground beef and beans, lettuce, tomato and onion.
15. Living For The City
Sure there’s Tokyo, London or New York, but there’s only one true city. It’s alright to say “O-K-C,” but folks around here prefer simply to call it “The City.” Note to sportscasters: please stop calling it “OK (“oak”) City.” Locals shake their heads in disapproval every time you do.
16. Knowing Their Capitol Building Is One Of A Kind
Proving how much the petroleum industry means to Oklahoma, the capitol complex is the only one in the United States with active oil rigs. Constructed from 1914-17, the capitol building was built without a rotunda, but could accommodate one. The structure finally received its finishing touches when the dome was completed in 2002.
17. Getting Their Kicks On Route 66
Oklahoma boasts the nation’s longest, drivable stretch of “The Mother Road,” at nearly four hundred miles. Within the Oklahoma City portion there remain landmarks of a bygone automobile era like quaint brick-cottage gas stations, motor courts, and art deco theaters. Put the top down and cruise.
18. Milking It For All It’s Worth
Source Flickr user Aaron Hall
One of the quirkiest landmarks consists of a giant milk bottle perched atop a tiny, triangular building on North Classen Boulevard. The sheet-metal bottle was placed there years ago to draw traffic of off Route 66 and into the “Milk Bottle Grocery.” So renowned is the milk bottle that it now listed on the National Register of Historic places.
19. Taking To The Lake
Although it sits at the edge of the semi-arid Great Plains, folks here take to the water like ducks. OKC has three main lakes, and several smaller ones. Lake activities include boating and fishing, but jogging and bicycling trails also keep people active. Lake Hefner is known for its bird watching and yachting.
20. A Plethora Of Public Art
Several public art installations depict the city’s frontier heritage and the Land Run of 1889. At AT&T Ballpark, there are statues representing baseball greats Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench, and Warren Spahn.
Perhaps the most well-known work of public art is “Galaxy.” It’s hard to miss a 45-foot tall sculpture made of steel tubes painted a vibrant red.
21. Tuning Up For The Banjo Museum
The role of the banjo in the movie “Deliverance” did nothing to help its backwoods reputation. There will be no need to “paddle faster” within the relative safety of the American Banjo Museum. More than three hundred banjos are on display, and some are so beautifully crafted they more resemble works of art than musical instruments.
22. Having A Seriously Haunted Historic Hotel
Saved from the wrecking ball after sitting empty for twenty years, the opulent Skirvin Hotel was once a hangout for oil barons. There are persistent rumors that the hotel is haunted. Both staff and guests have reported wailing babies, strange noises, slamming doors and objects moving on their own.
23. Reaching For The Sky
Oklahoma City’s newest skyscraper, Devon Energy Center, is the state’s tallest building topping out at nearly 850 feet. The tower serves primarily as an office complex, yet on the 50th floor is the restaurant, Vast, which offers great food and even better views.
24. Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle
Before oil, OKC was a cattle town, and that’s no more apparent than in the historic Stockyards City. The main street still reveals a western flavor. There are restaurants and other businesses located here, but numerous western wear shops attract many customers.
It’s not just western lore here, as the busy Oklahoma National Stockyards remains the world’s largest stocker and feeder cattle market.
25. The Concrete Jungle’s Oasis
The Myraid Botanical Garden and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory serve as an oasis amid downtown’s concrete jungle. Encompassing seventeen acres, the botanical garden features terraces and a sunken lake.
The centerpiece is the Crystal Bridge, which houses some 2,000 varieties of tropical plants and contains a 35-foot waterfall.
26. Pho-nomenal Vietnamese Food
At its core, this is a steak-and-potatoes kind of city; however there was a large influx of Vietnamese who brought their food with them. OKC has acquired a taste for pho (pronounced “fuh”), a broth and noodle soup with vegetables, herbs, and meat. There are pho shops throughout the metro area, and competition to be the best is intense.
27. Zipping Along The River
Thanks to a series of dams that created the Oklahoma River in downtown OKC, the city went from mowing this former drainage ditch to rowing it. A U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training center for rowing and canoe/kayak since 2009, the Boathouse District is a hotspot for outdoor recreation, not only on the water, but on an adventure course that includes a zip line across the water and America’s tallest dry slide.
Two annual festivals are held in the summer and fall, as well as several national and international competitions, like the upcoming 2014 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships, September 25-28.
28. Getting Sauce Under Their Fingernails
The debate rages over which places in the United States has the best barbecue, but let’s not discount Oklahoma City’s lip-smacking style.
Around these parts, anything can and will be barbecued. Oklahoma ‘cue is a hybrid of surrounding regions with a predominance of beef brisket, like Texas, and sauces that are more akin to those of Kansas City or Memphis.
29. Going From Bleak To Chic
The Paseo Arts District resembles a Spanish village with stucco buildings sporting tile roofs. It has undergone a renaissance and is now filled with hip galleries, restaurants and boutiques.
The area hosts the annual Paseo Arts Festival each Memorial Day weekend, and events such as the annual Fairy Ball, and the monthly First Friday Gallery Walk.
30. Putting Their Skeletons On Display
Gold star for you if you know what “osteology” is. At the Museum of Osteology, on exhibit are the bones and skeletons of over three hundred animal species from around the globe. Displays range from human skulls to a raccoon skeleton searching a box of Milk Duds.
What do you love about living in OKC? Tell us in the comments below! 
