10 Strangest Landmarks in Oklahoma

When you think of Oklahoma, you probably picture cowboy hats, tornadoes, cornfields, and oil. There is so much more to this state than that, though. The Sooner State has its roots deep in Native American history and strives to protect 38 federally recognized tribes.

Oklahoma is also home to 400 miles of Route 66, which includes several iconic, albeit strange, old and new landmarks. This part of the US highway system is not the only place to find unusual landmarks.

There is something for everyone looking for a strange landmark in Oklahoma. If you are out and about in the state or planning to visit, discover some of the weirdest landmarks you may come across.

Catoosa’s Blue Whale

If the stretch of Route 66 through Oklahoma is on your bucket list, Catoosa’s Blue Whale is a must-visit.

The gigantic Blue Whale sculpture is part of the old animal-themed tourist attraction built by Hugh Davis in the 1970s. While the overall attraction has long since been left to crumble, the ever-smiling blue whale with its cute little cap has been restored to its former glory.

The happy whale also hearkens back to the heydays of Route 66, the days when cars filled with families would travel up and down the 2,400-mile road looking for roadside oddities and making memories.

It took Davis two years to complete the 20-foot tall and 80-foot long whale. The sculpture was still unpainted in 1972 when people began sliding off its fins and jumping off its tail into the surrounding pond.

Even though swimming is no longer available, Old Blue is still fun to look at while fishing. Visitors can also still climb into the whale’s head, which is a secret compartment reachable via a ladder.

World’s Largest Peanut

While Old Blue’s claim to fame is its blueness and size, this next attraction only claims to be the largest of its kind. Sitting on top of a pedestal in Durant, Oklahoma, the World’s Largest Peanut is actually nowhere near being that big.

However, despite its average size, this Oklahoma attraction is incredibly popular. People come from far and wide to take selfies with the peanut statue. In 2010, it was even stolen more than once.

The statue had a time capsule buried in the ground in front of it in 1973, and the peanut itself was dedicated in 1974. In 2023, to much fanfare, the capsule was unearthed. Inside lay several centennial memorabilia, including newspapers, letters, and photos. The items are on display at the City Hall and will be moved to the Three Valleys Museum.

Circus Cemetery

Not all Oklahoma attractions are as wholesome as the peanut statue and time capsules. Some are downright creepy.

Hugo, Oklahoma, is known for being the go-to destination for winter traveling circuses. So, it is no wonder that the local Mount Olivet Cemetery includes The Showmen’s Rest, a section of the cemetery that features sculpted elephant tusks and graves with personality.

There are dancing elephants and circus tents depicted on gravestones. Some of the graves are even shaped like a circus tent.

One of the gravestones pays tribute to Big John, who had more friends than Santa Claus. Others feature circus wagon wheels, photos of those interred in the ground, and animal depictions, including horses and hippos.

For those who want to avoid the circus cemetery, the nearby Endangered Ark Foundation is a good option. Here, visitors can take a tour that brings them up close to Asian elephants.

The Blanchard Cemetery

The Circus Cemetery is not the only creepy landmark in the Sooner State. The Blanchard Cemetery is Oklahoma’s own ghostly attraction, with ghost hunters driving hundreds of miles to ‘raise the dead,’ so to speak.

Those brave enough to walk through this cemetery may see a dark figure in a trench coat waving at them. If they keep walking, they may spot a little girl flitting between the gravestones.

Visitors who want to experience a bit of the spookiness themselves may hear a small child crying or see a blue light hovering over the graves in Section 2.

The cemetery was completed in 1917 and is considered one of Oklahoma’s creepiest attractions.

Overholser Mansion

Overholser Mansion, north of Oklahoma City, is just a few years older than the Blanchard Cemetery but may be equally haunted. Anna Ione Overholser once ruled the mansion and Oklahoma society, and rumor is that she has a hard time letting go of her life.

Visitors touring the 1903 mansion in modern times have reported seeing a small woman in a white gown gliding through the elaborate halls. The gown is similar to the one Anna wore to a fancy 1900 reception.

Sometimes, the alarm goes off in the mansion in the middle of the night, (the building doubles as a museum these days. When security officers respond, they find nothing out of order. Staff have heard their names called through room walls, only to find those rooms empty.

The fact that Anna and her husband Henry had a son who only lived for six months and died in the house may have something to do with the spookiness. Henry also died in the house, as did Anna.

Frog Rock

Oklahoma is not all about happy whales and sad ghosts. The state is also home to the much-celebrated Frog Rock. The rock is exactly what the name says: a big rock painted to look like a frog with googly eyes.

And big means really big. The frog is over six feet tall and not all that easy to get to. If you want to take a selfie with this famous amphibian, you will have to trek over a bridge and navigate your way through backwoods.

Juanita Coulson painted the rock in 1975 after thinking that it looked a lot like a frog. What started as a joke led to thousands of tourists turning up to get photos with the friendly frog.

Cimmy the Dinosaur

If you are going to take the time to see Frog Rock, make some time in your schedule to visit Cimmy the Dinosaur. Cimmy guards the entrance to the Cimarron Heritage Center in Boise City, and in plain language, is a huge metal dinosaur.

Cimmy is modeled after an Apatosaurus and is 35 feet tall and 65 feet long. He was created to depict a real-life dinosaur fossil discovered in Cimarron County in the 1930s, which weighs 18,000 pounds.

Cimmy gets dressed up in sparkly Christmas lights during the festive season, creating a fun sight for families.

The Center of the Universe

If you are looking for something a little more mysterious than roadside animal sculptures and rocks, the Center of the Universe should be on your attractions-to-visit-in-Oklahoma list.

You may be disappointed at first, considering that the attraction is just a small concrete circle in downtown Tulsa. But, try to sneeze or yell into the void. The sound will echo back to you much louder, startling you. This makes the little rock circle a veritable echo chamber, echoing sounds only you can hear.

The Center of the Universe even has its very own mysterious legend attached to it. It is said you can let a foghorn go off in the middle of the circle, and no one outside of it would hear it, not even if they stand right outside the perimeter of the stone circle.

To add to the mystery, experts are not sure why the sound distortion happens the way it does.

Lake Hefner Lighthouse

Oklahoma is landlocked (not located along the ocean), yet it has a famous lighthouse. It stands guard over Lake Hefner, but what kind of lake boat would need a lighthouse to guide it?

When the lighthouse was first built, most people saw it as a gimmick. Seeing as how it was built next to a large reservoir in 1999, it is easy to see why. However, it is no longer a so-called faux lighthouse since a real light was installed.

Even though the government did not build the lighthouse, it now has a red light that shines through the darkness each night. It is also a private aide to boat navigation.

This gorgeous lighthouse makes for an incredible selfie opportunity as you make your way to all the destinations on your Oklahoma bucket list.

Gravity Hill

Gravity Hill is the best way to conclude your trip to various Oklahoma attractions.

Near Springer, you will find a hill that people also call Magnetic Hill. When you stop here and turn off your engine, it will seem like your car is rolling uphill.

All you need to do is drive to the rural road leading to the hill and stop at the bottom of the incline. Put your car in neutral and wait to feel the magnetic pull trying to force your car upward.

There are rumors of a giant underground magnet, which does not make sense because even plastic objects seem to move uphill. Others have taken the dark conspiracy route and believe aliens and ghosts are at work at Gravity Hill.

Whatever is causing this phenomenon, likely an optical illusion, it is an incredibly fun attraction.

Oklahoma is a state that both surprises and delights everyone who travels there. Whether you want to take funny photos with strange roadside attractions or learn more about the state's history, there is something for everyone here. Every site holds the history of those who came long before, whether hundreds of years ago or more recently. So, if you let curiosity guide you, you may find that the memories of your visit to this gorgeous state will stay with you long after you have left.