Secret Oklahoma: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

From twisters to chicken-fried steak, Oklahoma is swirling in stereotypes, which explains why it’s also a state filled with undiscovered lore and overlooked stories. Yes, tornadoes occur here (as evidenced by the biweekly tornado siren tests on Saturdays), and you can certainly find plenty of chicken-fried steak (it’s the centerpiece of the official state meal, after all) but there is so much more to Oklahoma than “flyover country” presumptions.

Secrets are everywhere in this Southern Great Plains state, sometimes hiding in plain sight—from restaurant menus to striking headstones—and sometimes buried in alabaster caverns or sand dunes. They’re in the lost lore of infamous outlaws and overlooked architects, Indigenous artifacts, and crumbling castles. Some are easier to spot, like blue whales and space cowboys nestled alongside iconic Route 66, or the tallgrass soaring over the plains, while others are still shrouded in mystery, like ghostly mounds and ghost towns.

Secret Oklahoma uncovers it all, from Oklahoma City to Viking runes, and from bison-trod mountains to alligator swamps, debunking some stereotypes while confirming others. Here, in one of the most misunderstood states in the nation, a new discovery awaits around every corner. Join author Matt Kirouac on a detour, off the beaten Route 66 path, and discover a side of the Sooner State you never knew existed.