NORMAN WAS RECENTLY NAMED NO. 6 OF AMERICA’S BEST PLACES TO LIVE AMONG CITIES WITH A POPULATION OF 50,000300,000.
Norman is an ever-changing city of nearly 100,000 residents. Located in the heart of the state, it has grown to become the third largest city in Oklahoma. Despite its continuous growth, it has maintained the spirit and serenity of a small close-knit community. Since the Oklahoma landrush of 1889, Norman has grown into a popular and smart city. The spirit of Norman and its citizens is unwavering and uncompromising. While other towns were clamoring to become the state capital, Norman residents desired to have the first state university. When the first OU president got off the train and saw a prairie, he saw opportunity.
As home to the state’s premier educational institution, Norman boasts an excellent quality of life and is a city that thrives on and celebrates the diversity of its community. Legendary University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer called Norman “a university town with a championship spirit.” Norman continually exhibits its love for sports by hosting numerous local and national athletic events. In the last five years alone, Norman has served as host of the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship, an NCAA men’s golf regional, NCAA softball regionals, NCAA men’s and women’s gymnastics regionals, NCAA women’s tennis regionals, NCAA track and field regional and the NCAA women’s basketball regionals. In addition, the Big 12 Conference Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Track and Field, Wrestling, Women’s Golf, and Women’s Gymnastics Championships were held in Norman. Cultural activities are unlimited in Norman, making it the ideal backdrop for the University of Oklahoma. As home to people of all ethnic and educational backgrounds, the city has something to offer everyone. Norman is home to a variety of enriching events and attractions, including the Sooner Theater, which hosts a series of entertaining theatrical performances produced by locally-based talent and touring companies.
The Medieval Fair has become a springtime tradition in Norman as people from around the country converge on the city for one weekend each April to partake in a fascinating look back in time. Each year, an area park is transformed into a festival of sights, sounds and tastes straight from the Middle Ages. Knights joust, jesters entertain and story tellers spin tales of a magical time in history. The $44 million Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, a state-of-the-art facility designed to display a collection of historical and natural science items that trace the southwest’s development since prehistoric times, opened in May 2000. History buffs will also enjoy the Cleveland Country Historical House which holds exhibits relating to the development of this area of the state. For art enthusiasts, the Fred Jones Jr. Memorial Art Center houses permanent collections, nationally and world-renowned traveling exhibits as well as a yearly student art show. The museum has recently added the Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionist paintings -- the single most important gift of art ever given to a U.S. public university. Maintaining a progressive approach to the future while remembering its history, Norman continues to be a well-balanced community, proud to be the home of the University of Oklahoma.