6 Playfully Peculiar Towns In Oklahoma

What is the strangest small town you never knew existed in Oklahoma? From wide open plains to red rock hills and salt flats, the landlocked state of Oklahoma shares borders with Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. The history of Oklahoma spans from Native Americans and settler pioneers to the Dust Bowl era, oil booms, and outlaw folklore.

Oklahoma remains alive through its small towns full of quirkiness, where cow chips get thrown, ghosts roam, and toy museums sit next to lavender farms. While these towns may not make headlines, they feature weird landmarks, a strong sense of community, and no shortage of surprises on a road trip. So, grab a bag, fill up your gas tank, and head to these six playfully peculiar small towns you will still be talking about for years to come.

Pauls Valley

Start your journey at the Toy and Action Figure Museum, which features thousands of action figures from every era. It is loud, fun, and proudly weird, not to mention an excellent place for photo opportunities and a trip down memory lane. Four-legged friends also have a place in Pauls Valley, and Paws Valley Dog Park is a great spot to let your pup explore while you relax.

For a more peaceful setting, wander through the rows of lavender in bloom at Lakeview Lavender Farm in May and June. They offer lavender lemonade, cookies, and local vendors of other treats and crafts on the weekends. If you are lucky enough to visit during the Okie Noodling Tournament, get ready for the loudest crowd and some of the best catfish wrestling you will ever experience.

Beaver

This town flings poop for glory. Charming, right? Beaver is home to the World Championship Cow Chip Throw, where contestants toss dried buffalo dung across a field while crowds cheer. It is messy, silly, and entertaining, as well as an homage to the early traditions of frontier pioneers. People train all year for this event, and past winners become local heroes. There are parades, craft booths, and even the crowning of the Cow Chip Queen.

Once you have had your fill of flying cow pies, stroll through the Jones & Plummer Trail Museum, full of frontier artifacts. Then, zoom over to Beaver Dunes Park to ride the sand in off-road vehicles, or head to Beaver River Wildlife Management Area for prairie hikes and peaceful birdwatching.

Waynoka

Waynoka creates a splash with its main draw. Little Sahara State Park is an unreal stretch of dunes and an endless parade of off-roaders who take dune buggies and quads through over 1,600 acres of sand. Either rent your own or watch the excitement from the viewing platform. Each spring, the Sagebrush Music Festival brings the whole town to life with country and Americana acts under the open sky.

Back in town, take a moment to visit the Waynoka Air Rail Museum to learn about the town's history and contribution to air and rail travel. Before leaving, grab schnitzel and a cold beer at Cafe Bahnhof German Restaurant & Biergarten, located in the old depot with outdoor seating.

Arcadia

The most peculiar landmark in Arcadia is a 66-foot-tall soda bottle that stands upright on Route 66. Pops 66 Soda Ranch is directly behind the giant bottle and offers over a hundred specialty soda flavors. It’s also a gas station, diner, and gift shop all in one. When lit up at night with its neon lights, it turns into an even more surreal roadside attraction.

Take the iconic highway for a few miles to the Arcadia Round Barn. Completed in 1898 and restored in 1992 with a perfectly round circumference, it is the only one of its kind. From here, head to what remains of the Old Route 66 Filling Station to discover a tiny relic rumored to have been the scene of a money laundering operation for a brief moment in history. Before you leave town, stop by OK County 66 - John's Place, a unique pit stop with miniature versions of all the major landmarks and attractions along Route 66.

Watonga

October is the time to visit Watonga, when the annual Cheese Festival fills downtown with live music, food vendors, wine and cheese pairings, a parade, and lots of cheesy fun and games. The Great Rat Race is a local favorite, featuring a 5k, 10k, or 1-mile fun run through town. Then there's Roman Nose State Park. Though it may sound like a peculiar name, the park is named in honor of Cheyenne Chief Henry Roman Nose and was one of the original seven state parks created by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1937 as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal. And the list of amenities proves that this park is no joke. Visitors to Roman Nose can enjoy hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, golfing, and even horseback riding. For more history and local culture, stroll over to the T.B. Ferguson Home Museum, a 1901 Queen Anne house with vintage artifacts and historic charm, then visit the Lucky Star Casino to find slots, snacks, and the right amount of chaos to balance out all the cheese and cheek.

Guthrie

Ghosts headline this town. The Guthrie Ghost Walk takes you through dim alleyways and underground passageways and is full of eerie stories, haunted hotels, and lost souls. It is a strange, immersive experience that celebrates Guthrie’s darker past. Just outside of town, Alpacas-N-Moore lets you feed the alpacas and browse handmade alpaca goods in a setting that feels both random and delightful.

Next, visit the Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum, which preserves an apothecary-style pharmacy from the 1890s filled with artifacts and memorabilia, such as a 1923 soda fountain and dozens of medicinal plants used by the settlers and Native Americans. Cap it off with a visit to WanderFolk Distillery to enjoy house-made spirits in a laid-back tasting room. In October, the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival turns Guthrie into a hub of banjos, campers, and local pride.

Weird Looks Good on Oklahoma

These six towns embrace the odd, the weird, and the unapologetic peculiarities of their identities. Whether throwing cow chips, hosting ghost walks, or celebrating pop culture in unusual ways, they offer experiences that are unique, local, and worth your time. What makes them exciting is how personal and rooted in place they feel. These attractions are not tourist traps; they do not chase trends or crowds. Instead, they celebrate small-town energy, eccentric rituals, and real people who keep the stories going. Oklahoma’s wide open spaces leave room for originality, and these towns are not afraid to fill it with something a little offbeat. Take the route less traveled. Stop where it gets weird. Leave with stories and a smile.