Why Norman

Parks & Recreation Facilities

The Parks & Recreation department features a full schedule of programs. Norman has over 64 parks including a championship golf course, a municipal swimming pool complex with a water slide, hiking trails, disc golf courses, fishing, tennis courts, playgrounds, open and covered picnic areas, and indoor recreation centers. The recreation programs include sports leagues and clinics, dance and exercise classes, and a senior citizens center. The Griffin Park Sports Complex encompasses 16 soccer fields, 14 baseball/softball fields, and four football fields. Norman also features a full-service YMCA with an indoor pool and indoor track.

• Miles of Walking Trails: 14.07
• Miles of Bicycle Routes: 120.37 (30 miles of mountain biking trails)
• Bowling Alleys: 2
• Golf Courses: 6
• Swimming Pools: 4
• Private Health & Fitness Centers: 46
• Public Recreation Centers: 5

Sporting Events

Norman is home to the University of Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners consistently appear among the top-rated teams in the nation in football, baseball, softball, wrestling, basketball, golf, and gymnastics.

Golf

Public 18-Hole Golf Courses:

City of Norman Westwood Golf Course
The 6,200-yard course features wide, tree-lined fairways and gently contoured greens, 20 traps, and several water hazards. Westwood is one of Oklahoma’s premier public courses.

Jimmie Austin University of Oklahoma Golf Course
From the back tees, the course plays nearly 7,500 yards with a slope of 142.

Private 18-Hole Golf Courses:

The Trails
An 18-hole championship golf course with more than 6,600 yards and a slope of 125.

Belmar Golf Club
A championship golf course with more than 6,500 yards.

Nine – Hole Par Three Golf Course:

Cobblestone Creek Golf
This challenging, par-three golf course has water, trees, deep rough, and narrow fairways. There are tees for all skill levels.

Lake Thunderbird State Park

A relaxing destination for any outdoor enthusiast is provided on the 6,000-acre lake with 86 miles of shoreline and the nearly 2,000-acre park. Campers will feel right at home with picnic facilities, grills, showers, restrooms, swimming beaches, concessions, grocery store, tent and camping facilities, horse stables, R.V. hook-ups, and miles of mountain bike and hiking trails.

Churches

There are over 110 churches, representing a variety of different denominations, in the Norman community.

Hotel/Motel

Norman has seven bed-and-breakfasts and 35 hotels and motels offering a wide variety of accommodations.

Arts and History

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
The University of Oklahoma’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is one of the finest university art museums in the United States. Strengths of the over 20,000-object permanent collection are the Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionism, 20th century American painting and sculpture, traditional and contemporary Native American art, art of the Southwest, ceramics, photography, contemporary art, Asian art, and graphics from the 16th century to the present. Temporary exhibitions are mounted throughout the year that explore the art of various periods and cultures.

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
This world-class facility provides an exciting place to discover Oklahoma’s recent past and ancient history. Located on the University of Oklahoma campus, the museum’s collections include Native American artifacts, fossils of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, wildlife dioramas of birds and mammals of North America, artifacts from the Spiro Mounds archaeological site, and Greek and Roman artifacts.

Jacobson House Native American Cultural Center
Come to the Jacobson House to see and touch the traditions of American Indian art, history, and culture.

The Moore-Lindsay Historic House Museum
The museum is one of Cleveland County’s cultural and architectural showplaces. The house is an unaltered example of a Queen Anne style Victorian, characterized by its turret, gables, fluted chimneys, patterned stained glass, and spindle work porch. The interior is furnished with period pieces.

The Crucible Foundry
The Crucible Foundry specializes in bronze sculpture. The Crucible attracts artists from across the country through its growing reputation as one of the nation’s finest artistic foundries. Beside the foundry is the Crucible Gallery and Sculpture Garden.

Entertainment Venues

Rupel J. Jones Theater
A 600-seat theater features productions by the University of Oklahoma School of Drama, School of Dance, Musical Theater Program, and the OU Summer Stage Lab Theater.

Lloyd Noble Center
Some of the hottest stars in country, rock, jazz, and comedy circuits appear in Norman at the Lloyd Noble Center, which also serves as home to the Sooner’s basketball team. The seating capacity is 11,562. 

The Norman Depot
A reminder of the origin of many Oklahoma towns, the Santa Fe Railroad company set out the grounds for the station two years before the great Land Run of 1889. The restored depot serves as a center for community events and as the depot for Heartland Flyer passengers.

Sooner Theater
The newly renovated theater is the year-round host for concerts, movies, theatrical shows, and more.

Shopping and Dining

University Town Center

University Town Center is Oklahoma’s premier destination for shopping, dining, entertainment, and lodging. Located off Interstate 35 in the University North Park district, University Town Center was developed around Legacy Park and the Legacy Park Trail. At the center of the development is the Legacy Park lake and an amphitheater that hosts a concert series and many other events. There is also a more than 280-room Embassy Suites Hotel and a 50,000-square-foot convention center.

Sooner Mall

More than 65 local and national retailers and delicious restaurants are located under one roof. Anchor stores include American Eagle, Dillard’s, Eddie Bauer, Express, Gap, J.C. Penney, Old Navy, and Victoria’s Secret.

Campus Corner

The Historic Campus Corner District was established in 1917 across the street from the Unversity of Oklahoma. Restaurants, clothing stores, and beauty salons are just a few of the merchants located on the corner.

Historic Downtown Norman

The newly revitalized downtown Norman blends art, architecture, entertainment, shopping, and dining. Enjoy charming antiques, fine furniture, art galleries, and a variety of unique restaurants.

Parkway Plaza

Delicious restaurants, national retailers, jewelers, and specialty home stores line this exciting shopping district. You’ll find stores such as Bed, Bath, & Beyond; Barnes and Noble; PetSmart; and Ross to name a few. Save time for dinner at restaurants including Chili’s, On the Border, BJ’s, and Charleston’s.

Firehouse Art Center

The center for visual arts education in Norman provides an interactive experience through classes, exhibits, and events.

Dining Out

Norman has a wide variety of restaurants that will appeal to anyone’s taste. Cuisines represented in the over 260 restaurants and cafeterias include barbecue, Mexican, Oriental, Greek, Indian, Italian, Thai, seafood, and health and natural foods.