What are Norman's attractions?

[raw98682]

Planning to visit Norman, what are the things to do in Norman?

[dismayed]

Here are some suggestions of places to visit.

The Fred Jones Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. Easy to find, right off of Boyd St. The museum recently had the single largest art donation given to it of any university in the country. I visited recently and was amazed to see Monet's, Van Goghs', etc.:

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

The Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. It's a dinosaur museum. Really cool stuff. On the south end of the OU campus:

SNOMNH Front Page - Welcome

Campus Corner. Also off of Boyd St. During the day you can do some window shopping at clothing, art, and souvenir shops. At night the place is the heart of the college bar scene in town:

Campus Corner

Little River Zoo. Norman has its own zoo; it is out east of the city:

OK PetGazette - Little River Zoo

Lake Thunderbird. If you visit during the summer there is a huge lake east of the city if you are into that sort of thing:

Lake Thunderbird State Park - Oklahoma Parks, Resorts & Golf

See An OU Game. If you're in town during football season, really you should check it out... it's like a carnival atmosphere:

SoonerSports.com - Official Site of the Oklahoma Sooners

If you're in town the first week of May I'd suggest going to May Fair. It's held in a nice park every year... it's basically an arts festival with all forms of art, music, and food:

Assistance League of Norman

Too bad you weren't hear last week, you could have gone to Medieval Fair:

Medieval Fair - Annual Event in Norman, Oklahoma

If you're here the weekend of April 26th you can go to the Norman Music Festival in Campus Corner:

MySpace.com - Norman Music Festival !! April 26 !! FREE - NORMAN, Oklahoma - Other / Other / Other - www.myspace.com/normanmusicfestival

If you like modern art try the Mainsite Contemporary Art Museum:

Welcome to MAINSITE Contemporary Art

While you are over at the art museum check out Main Street. It kind of has the appearance of one of those old wild west Main Streets in its layout. You can walk up and down and visit shops including restaurants, and chocolate factory, a 'modern food store,' a tattoo parlor, and a few other eclectic places:

Our History

You could visit the oldest house in Cleveland County:

The Moore-Lindsay House Historical Museum

If theater is your thing there's the Sooner Theater:

Sooner Theatre - Norman, OK

Firehouse Art (Visual Arts Museum):

Norman Firehouse Art Center

If you are here next weekend and feel like attending a parade you can go to the 89er Days Parade, which celibates the Land Run of 1889 and the founding of the city. It is followed by a bluegrass concert and a carnival and the county fairgrounds:

2008 Norman 89er Day

If you are here in June every weekend is "Jazz in June." You can go to a different concert every weekend:

Jazz in June 25th Annual Music Festival

If you are looking for unique restaurants in Norman I'd probably suggest Coach's (it's been around a long time... on Norman and has good BBQ and home made beer), Victoria's in Campus Corner (Italian but no red meat... interesting!), the Service Station (hamburger place in an old converted gas station... the burgers have names like "the cadillac..." it's one of those hole in the wall Norman musts), Misal or Himalayas are both great East Indian restaurants, and New York Pizza and Pasta in Campus Corner has some great NY style pizza. If it is warm outside I'd recommend having a drink on the patio of The Mont, it's one of those things everyone here has to do at least once.

Hope that helps! If there is something specific you are looking for let me know.

[BG918]

^ Great list. However the Norman Music Festival is downtown on Main, not Campus Corner. It should be a good time, and hopefully gains enough notoriety that it eventually becomes a mini-SXSW type of festival for local and national indie/rock bands. There is a good local scene that could use the added exposure, and they are expecting big crowds.

The Fred Jones Jr. Art Museum is amazing, one of the best university art museums in the country. It's also conveniently located on campus by Campus Corner (Boyd and Elm), so you can have lunch on the Corner and then check out the museum and also the OU campus. The Noble Natural History Museum is a little further south by the Law School off Chautauqua and is also outstanding, both are must-see attractions in Norman.

Personally my favorite lunch spot on the Corner is Cafe Plaid next to Harold's near Boyd and University. Also good for lunch or dinner is Turqoise Cafe on Asp, La Luna on Buchanan, Hideaway Pizza on Buchanan, Seven47 on Asp, Othello's Italian on Buchanan, Pepe Delgado's on Asp. There are also a few good ethnic restaurants at the east end of Campus Corner along and just north of Boyd like Pad Thai at DeBarr, Greek House at Jenkins, Pho Sooner at Jenkins, and Monique's (caribbean) just east of Boyd and Jenkins. Downtown Norman is revitalizing but doesn't have a lot to offer now unless you like furniture and antique shops. There are few good places to eat though like Blu at Crawford and Comanche, Sweet Basil at Main and Webster (Asp), Coach's Brewery at Main and James Garner (Jenkins), and my favorite place in Norman: Benvenuti's across from Coach's. There are also some eclectic stores down there including a nice cheese shop, a huge record store, a vintage clothing store, and others. Downtown is half a mile north of Campus Corner if you follow University, Asp, or Jenkins northward you will run into it.

And I second having a drink or lunch/dinner on the patio of the Mont if it's nice out, that place has been around for decades. It's just east of Campus Corner at Boyd and Classen by the tracks. Another great patio spot is The Library on Boyd just west of Elm. They are especially popular during Happy Hour from 3-6 when they have all of the Coach's microbrews for $2 a pint. Plus they have awesome pizza, trust me! If you want to check out the college bar scene it is centered around Campus Corner, mostly Asp with Louie's/Louie's Too, Logan's, O'Connell's (soon), and Seven47 popular places and then you also have Brother's, Joe's, and Othello's on Buchanan, and The Deli for live music on White.

If you're wanting to walk around the OU campus (I'd recommend it with everything blooming) I'd park in Campus Corner or in one of the neighborhoods west or north of campus on the street. It's a pretty big campus but I'd make sure and see both the North and South Ovals, Bizzell Library (go inside and see the Great Reading Room), the Union (one of the biggest in the country), Memorial Stadium (go inside the Switzer Center if you can), and the Fred Jones Art Museum. For a nice view go inside Dale Hall Tower (if it's open) at Lindsey and Elm and take the elevator to the top floor. The top floor of the stadium parking garage also has nice views of campus and Norman. The Weather Center at Hwy 9 and Jenkins is an amazing building and has an observation deck, but I'm not sure if it's open to the public.

[brenna]

there is nothing to do in norman.

[BG918]

there is nothing to do in norman.

Not true, but if there isn't something you want to do in Norman you can drive 20 min. to OKC and chances are they have it. Norman is far enough from OKC to be its own city but close enough to easily get most places especially downtown.

[venture]

Wow glad breanna chimed in with their extremely helpful, topical, and informative post.

The Weather Center is closed to the public since it is a government building. You'll have to know someone ahead of time to get in there.

I would also add Riverwind, Thunderbird, and Goldsby casinos if you are into that kind of thing.

But yeah...plenty of parks to take a walk through, and festivals are always going on.

BG hit it on the nose. Norman has just about anything a city of over 100k people would need, but if not...just a quick hope up I-35 will get you the rest. Now if it is on the NW side of OKC...bleh, enjoy the hour or so drive.

[kevinpate]

> bleh, enjoy the hour or so drive

I guess that depends how far NW. At off-peak traffic times, I can leave Norman and be in the NW 63rd/May area or further in about 30-35 minutes, depending on whether I grabbed a drink before I left the house or popped a 7-11 in route.

Made that run many times to count over the the last 12 years. I think the only times I ever topped 35 minutes were due to fog or blockaded by some pileup and had to side street my way around it.

[venture]

It also depends where you live in Norman as well. If you are on the East side, its going to take longer. If you are right there by I-35, obviously it won't take much time at all.

Plus I was thinking more along the lines of up on Memorial, not NW 63rd.

[Superhyper]

Any active norman campus OU student can get you into the academic portions of the building generally, but all the fun stuff you need to schedule a tour to see (which I highly recommend if you're even remotely interested in meterology).

Wow glad breanna chimed in with their extremely helpful, topical, and informative post.

The Weather Center is closed to the public since it is a government building. You'll have to know someone ahead of time to get in there.

I would also add Riverwind, Thunderbird, and Goldsby casinos if you are into that kind of thing.

But yeah...plenty of parks to take a walk through, and festivals are always going on.

BG hit it on the nose. Norman has just about anything a city of over 100k people would need, but if not...just a quick hope up I-35 will get you the rest. Now if it is on the NW side of OKC...bleh, enjoy the hour or so drive.

[dismayed]

Yeah I missed a few big ones, I'm glad you guys chimed in as well. RiverWind Casino is a lot of fun, it surprisingly does have that Vegas kind of feel to it.

I agree with the list of bars and restaurants up there. I especially like Sweet Bazil (Thai), Seven47, and La Luna.

Dude, Caribbean, I had no idea. I'll have to check it out. The other one I haven't found yet is Pho Sooner. Where on Jenkins is that?

Also I should mention that there is a bubble tea/boba tea place at 12th and Alameda that is really good.

[ouguy23]

Pho Sooner is on the corner of boyd and jenkins.

[brenna]

Wow glad breanna chimed in with their extremely helpful, topical, and informative post.

you are sure welcome! just being honest, sorry if that's too blunt for you. i would hardly call the 10 or so, if that, norman festivals something that is constantly going on though. and you can get into the weather center if you are a student, and since there are, oh what...20,000 of us roaming around norman, im sure you can arrange for one to let you in. other than visiting the campus, norman doesn't offer very much. if you want a lot of "stuff" to do, then I would definitely head to OKC instead.

[traxx]

you are sure welcome! just being honest, sorry if that's too blunt for you. i would hardly call the 10 or so, if that, norman festivals something that is constantly going on though. and you can get into the weather center if you are a student, and since there are, oh what...20,000 of us roaming around norman, im sure you can arrange for one to let you in. other than visiting the campus, norman doesn't offer very much. if you want a lot of "stuff" to do, then I would definitely head to OKC instead.

Don't get out much, do ya?

[timothy.a.owen]

I just wonder what OKC has that Norman doesn't...

Zoo?
Bars?
Bowling?
Parks?
Festivals?
Museums?

Anyone see where I'm going with this?

[ouguy23]

I just wonder what OKC has that Norman doesn't...

Zoo?
Bars?
Bowling?
Parks?
Festivals?
Museums?

Anyone see where I'm going with this?

I see where you are going and I concur. There's a lot to do in Norman, you just have to look for it. (I will admit the summer is a little boring around here)

[BG918]

I see where you are going and I concur. There's a lot to do in Norman, you just have to look for it. (I will admit the summer is a little boring around here)

The summers are definitely way different in Norman without a lot of the college students. I'm usually not around on weekends anyway, I'm at the lake. Once OU builds the aquatic complex at the Huffman Center that will be quite the attraction in the summer, if you're an OU student.

[brenna]

Don't get out much, do ya?

uhh, I just think Norman has 1, maybe 2 full days of things to do; restaurants and "festivals" aside. And for someone who has been in Norman for 4 years, those 2 days have grown a little stale. I'm talking about all the wonderful things you can do here, not the city itself.

It has nothing to do with getting out or not, but I 'preciate you calling me out, train traxx. Hopefully I can return the favor at some point, just let me know.

[Jeopardude]

uhh, I just think Norman has 1, maybe 2 full days of things to do; restaurants and "festivals" aside. And for someone who has been in Norman for 4 years, those 2 days have grown a little stale. I'm talking about all the wonderful things you can do here, not the city itself.

It has nothing to do with getting out or not, but I 'preciate you calling me out, train traxx. Hopefully I can return the favor at some point, just let me know.

and museums and sports and parks and clubs and theater and everything else aside...

[MikeLucky]

you are sure welcome! just being honest, sorry if that's too blunt for you. i would hardly call the 10 or so, if that, norman festivals something that is constantly going on though. and you can get into the weather center if you are a student, and since there are, oh what...20,000 of us roaming around norman, im sure you can arrange for one to let you in. other than visiting the campus, norman doesn't offer very much. if you want a lot of "stuff" to do, then I would definitely head to OKC instead.

Maybe you need a new tour guide. I live in Norman and can't seem to find enough time to do the chores around my house with all the entertainment I have in my life..... I do travel to the city every once in a while but the majority of my playin' is done in Norman.... and no, I'm not a student....

But maybe our respective definitions of "entertainment" differ.....

[brenna]

LOL, like all those jello fights you were talking about earlier? maybe i need to get me one of 'dem tour guides you are talking about & find all this underground excitement A-SAP.

[MikeLucky]

LOL, like all those jello fights you were talking about earlier? maybe i need to get me one of 'dem tour guides you are talking about & find all this underground excitement A-SAP.

It's just a mere glimpse into the life.... just a glimpse.....