Things to See and Do Near a Stuckey’s: Marietta, OK

The town of Marietta, Oklahoma, has become quite well known as a romantic getaway between Oklahoma City and Dallas. And once you find out how this  town got it’s name, you’ll understand why it’s a perfect place for a lover’s retreat.

Ain’t Love (County) the Sweetest Thing

Soon after the first pioneers arrived here along the Red River in Love County back in the late 18^th century, they found that its fertile soil was great for growing cotton and raising cattle. One of the biggest cattle ranchers at the time was a man by the name of William Washington. Bill, as he was known to his friends, had a brother named Jeriamah Washington, or Jerry, as he was known to his friends (and probably Bill).

Jerry and his wife lived about a mile north of the small town that rose up near Bill’s ranch and on December 20, 1887, Jerry found himself elected the town’s first postmaster. Because the town didn’t have an official name yet, Jerry named the town after his wife – Marietta Love Washington.

Isn’t that just about the sweetest thing you ever heard?

Speaking of sweet, did you know that Marietta also hosts one of the few remaining original Stuckey’s stores in the country? From its familiar sloped roof to its wide variety of pecan treats and kitschy souvenirs, you’ll get those nostalgic road trip feels like you’ve stepped back in time.  So, go ahead. Take your time and browse for awhile.

Once you’ve bought a few Stuckey’s Pecan Log Rolls for old time’s sake and picked up some souvenirs for the folks back home, be sure to check out some of these things to see and do near the Stuckey’s in Marietta.

Mini-Unisphere / Thackerville, OK

If you grew up back East (and more specifically in Queens, New York) and you’re feeling a little homesick rambling around out here in the West, then stop in Thackerville, Oklahoma, and spend some time with a replica of your hometown icon.

That’s right! Welcoming  you to the Winstar World Casino and Resort right off of I-35 in Thackerville is the legendary symbol of Queens and the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair – the Unisphere. Though the real Unisphere in Flushing Meadows stands at 120’, Winstar’s  version is less than half that at 50’.

Other than the size, however, the Oklahoma version is nearly identical to the original including 3D terrain features and the three orbital rings that represent the orbits of Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, American Astronaut John Glenn and Telstar, first telecommunications satellite. Definitely worth a side trip for a selfie.

Ein bisschen Deutschland in Amerika / Muenster, TX

If, on the other hand, you’re from Germany, roadtripping around the West, and feeling a little homesick, then head southwest from Stuckey’s in Marietta to the town of Muenster, Texas.

Carl and Emil Flusche, two German Catholics, founded the city of Westphalia in 1889. However, when they were told that there was already a Westphalia, Texas, the quickly change the name to Muenster after the capital of Westphalia and urged other German Catholics to join them. By 1890, 38 people were living in Muenster, most of whom spoke only German.

Today, the city has a population of around 1,731, 90% of whom are German. And though there language faded away at the end of World War I, the people have held on to their culture and traditions. Here you will find buildings designed like those you might find back in Bavaria and other parts of the Old Country. They have names like Bäckerei (a bakery) and Schilling haus (a bed and breakfast). In April, they have Germanfest, an annual festival that features German food, German music and dance, and of course, good German beer.

Glenn Goode’s Big People / Gainesville, TX

You know we never miss a chance to tell you about any Muffler Men that might be hanging out near a Stuckey’s.

Today, however,  we bring you not just one, but two Muffler Men (one with and one sans cowboy hat), two Big Johns and a Uniroyal Gal hanging out about 26 miles south of the Marietta Stuckey’s just outside of Gainesville on Farm-to-Market Road 371.

Glenn Goode started collecting his Big People in 1971. As the owner of a sandblasting business, he would also repair and repaint the roadside giants, eventually even making a few of his own.

Goode would unfortunately pass away in 2015, but his legacy lives on today as his quintet remains the largest collection of roadside giants in the world. (Farnham Fantasy Farm in Unger, West Virginia comes in a respectable second with four roadside giants.)

Stop by for a selfie with each one or all of them together. They don’t seem to mind and will still be smiling either way.

Greater Southwest Historical Museum / Ardmore, OK

We would almost pity poor Ardmore, Oklahoma, if one didn’t have so much respect for its tenacity.  The town started out in 1887 with a plowed ditch as its main street. Then, just as it started to prosper as a trading post, fire destroyed most of the town in 1895. Still, the people of Ardmore pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and started over again.

Ardmore began to prosper once again and would become the largest inland cotton port in the early 1900s. When oil was discovered in the nearby Healdton Oil Field in 1913, Ardmore became the largest oil producer in Oklahoma.  However, just two years later, it would seem that Ardmore’s bad luck would return once again when a railroad car containing casing gas exploded. Forty-five people were killed and the most of the downtown that was rebuilt after the 1895 was destroyed once again.

However, despite a 1966 plane crash just outside of town that killed 83 people – the worst in Oklahoma history – and a tornado that ripped through the West Ardmore Uniroyal Goodrich plant  which, fortunately didn’t harm anyone, the city continues to prosper today.

You can find out all about the history of Ardmore and the rest of south-central Oklahoma at the Greater Southwest Historical Museum located in the old Ardmore National Guard Armory on Sunset Drive in Ardmore. The museum features the history and culture starting from the Native Americans to present day. Artifacts include period furniture, fashions and equipment collected from stores, offices, barns and homes that highlight the history and culture of the area starting from Native Americans to modern day Oklahoma. The museum is open from 10 AM to 4 PM and admission is free. For more information, call 580-226-3857 or visit their website here.

Online or On the Road, Make a Stuckey’s Stop Today!

Of course, there’s plenty more to see and do throughout Oklahoma. Wherever you go in the Sooner State, be sure to take some Stuckey’s road trip snacks along for the ride.

Right now, however, Stuckey’s is still moving to their new distribution center and will not be shipping any new orders out until Monday, February 27, 2023. In the meantime, you can still stop by your nearest Stuckey’s for our delicious pecan treats like our iconic Pecan Log Rolls and our classic Pecan Pralines along with our Stuckey’s branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, caps, and coffee mugs. To find your nearest Stuckey’s location, visit our website here.

And don’t forget to check back with us on February 27 when you can once again have Stuckey’s candies, wearables and other merch sent directly to your door – only from stuckeys.com.

Stuckey’s – Were Making Road Trips Fun Again!