Norman: College-Town Energy and Atmosphere

Norman ranks 4th on the list of the best day trips from Oklahoma. Norman is the county seat of Cleveland County in central Oklahoma, United States. The city is located immediately southeast of Oklahoma City on the South Canadian River. When Oklahoma was opened to white settlement in April 1889, it began as a tent city named after Aubrey Norman, a Santa Fe Railway surveyor. The development of the city was ensured when the University of Oklahoma was founded there in 1890 on land donated by its citizens.

Norman, Oklahoma's third-largest city, hums with the intellectual curiosity and youthful energy that only college towns can generate. The town draws crowds for Sooner football and basketball games, but the campus itself, museums, a diverse dining scene, and an ongoing schedule of festivals and events entice visitors all year. The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, the country's largest university-based facility of its kind, is a must-see. Later, gawk at Impressionist paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, and Renoir at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, which is also on the OU campus. After dark, Campus Corner comes alive with live music and dancing for a fun night out.

• Getting there: It’s only a 30-minute journey from downtown OKC to Norman; to get there, follow I-35 and US-77.
• Travel tip: About 10 miles east of campus, the hike-worthy Lake Thunderbird is the largest urban park in Oklahoma.

Google rating: 4.5/5.0

Address: 424 W. Main St. Norman, OK 73069 405-366-8095

Phone: 405-366-5396

Website: https://www.normanok.gov/