| ABOUT | ACADEMICS | CENTERS/PROGRAMS | LIBRARY | CAREERS | EVENTS | PUBLICATIONS | STUDENT SERVICES | TECHNOLOGY |
Oklahoma City University is centrally located within Oklahoma City, the capitol of Oklahoma and the crossroads of America. Oklahoma City occupies 625 square miles of America's heartland. Its metro population numbers over a million - a third of the entire state's population. While Oklahoma City is a large city in population and geographic size, it is an easy and inexpensive place to live. Links for exploring Oklahoma include Oklahoma City and Convention Bureau and the Greater Oklahoma Chamber.
The climate in Oklahoma City is favorable and mild through all four seasons. The average annual temperature is 60° F with an average rainfall of 33.36 inches per year and average snowfall of 9.1 inches per year.
Oklahoma City offers a variety of housing options, all at very reasonable prices. OCU LAW students choose to live throughout the Oklahoma City area. Many enjoy the older homes and convenience of downtown and midtown neighborhoods. Others have chosen apartment complexes near Lake Hefner or newer homes in surrounding cities, known for their excellent schools.
As a service to our students, the Admissions Office has compiled a list of resources to supplement your search for housing. Oklahoma City University School of Law does not guarantee housing through any of these listings. This information is provided for your convenience and does not indicate any endorsement by the university regarding habitability, quality, security, or satisfactory natures of any of these listings.
Additionally, the Admissions Office will compile a list of current and incoming students seeking roommates or renting apartments or homes.
Oklahoma City’s urban park system is one of the most extensive in the country with facilities for nearly every type of recreation. Nearby Lake Hefner offers boating, fishing, playgrounds, picnic area, and walking, cycling and running trails. Many of the neighborhoods near OCU LAW have neighborhood parks. State parks in the surrounding areas offer opportunities for virtually every interest. For a complete list of facilities visit Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation and Oklahoma State Parks.
The Oklahoma City area offers a number of opportunities for recreational sports. Adult soccer and softball leagues are active around the city. Golfers are sure to feel at home at one of Oklahoma City’s six public or numerous private courses. Oklahoma City also offers a number of nice facilities for tennis, racquetball and squash players at all skill levels. In addition to several nice public courts, Kickingbird Tennis Center, an award winning facility is located just north of Oklahoma City in Edmond.
There are also numerous opportunities for recreation right on the OCU campus. The Freede Wellness Center is free for all law students. The Center is home to a weight room, cardio equipment, a jogging track, basketball and volleyball courts. OCU also has an active intramural sports league with cricket, badminton, volleyball, basketball, frisbee golf, flag football, rowing, pool and tennis teams. The law school is even home to a shooting club. If you have an interest, you are sure to find and outlet for it at OCU.
Oklahoma City is a great place for music, theatre & dance. Oklahoma City Center Music Hall is home to Ballet Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra which regularly bring nationally recognized talent and performances to Oklahoma City. The Civic Center is also the temporary home to nationally touring plays and musicals. Nearby, the uniquely designed Stage Center hosts innovative performances and special events throughout the year. Oklahoma’s only professional theater group performs throughout the year, and in the summer the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival performs regularly in outdoor venues.
Oklahoma City University is also home to numerous opportunities for music and theater lovers. OCU is home to the Oklahoma Opera & Music Theater Company. The university also hosts instrumental music, choral and dance performance, many of which are free or low cost for students.
| More on Music |
Oklahoma City enjoys and active local and national music scene. The Ford Center and the Bricktown Coca-Cola Events Center regularly host nationally recognized acts. Local music of all types can be found in Oklahoma City’s different neighborhoods. The University of Central Oklahoma is home the Jazz Lab, which presents live jazz in a casual setting every week.
In the past ten years Oklahoma City has undergone a dramatic revitalization through the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) campaign. This series of investments by Oklahoma City residents and businesses have brought a new AAA baseball stadium, the establishment of Bricktown as a premier historic entertainment district, a new public library, creation of a new riverfront recreation area, investment s in schools, and numerous other improvements.
Companies across the nation recognize Oklahoma City’s improvements and continued status as an easy and affordable place to live. The city’s commitment to quality of life has attracted several companies in the last few years.
Within a few miles of OCU lies one of Oklahoma City’s most historic, and entertaining neighborhoods, Bricktown. Once home to factories, warehouses, and rail yards, Bricktown now boasts more than 25 restaurants, numerous nightclubs, a new movie theater, a AAA baseball facility, specialty shops, and a canal system great for scenic walks or a water taxi ride.
Oklahoma City offers numerous opportunities for art lovers of all kinds. In the center of the downtown revitalization project lies the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The museum is home to an impressive collection of Dale Chihuly’s glass pieces and a fully renovated movie theater where independent and foreign films are screened weekly.
City Arts Center at Fair Park is a local arts center that features a gallery of local works, educational programs and lectures, as well as hands-on classes. At the Omniplex, you will find both the Kirkpatrick Galleries and the Red Earth Gallery. The Kirkpatrick Galleries feature traveling exhibits and in 2004-2005 host “Norman Rockwell’s America.” The Red Earth Gallery is dedicated to preserving native American culture.
About a mile from the OCU campus, you can discover the Paseo Arts District. The Paseo is home to galleries, shops, studios, and eateries, as well as an annual arts festival. You’ll find other galleries and artistic endeavors northeast of OCU on Western Avenue in the Nichols Hills area.
Oklahoma City offers a cultural and educational adventure for almost any interest. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is one of Oklahoma City’s most popular visitor attractions. It is home to a large collection of contemporary Western art, a recreated western town, and an interactive children’s area.
Not far from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, visitors enjoy several museums in one at the Omniplex. The Omniplex is home to galleries, gardens, the OmniDome Theater, a planetarium, and air and space museum. The Oklahoma City Zoo, nominated as a top five zoo nationwide, is located just next door to the Omniplex. Downtown Oklahoma City also offers several museums and attractions. The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Memorial Museum is one of the most popular downtown attractions. The memorial is a tribute to those who were taken and those who survived the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. Myriad Botanical Gardens is another popular downtown attraction. The centerpiece of the gardens is the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory.
Other museums and attractions in the Oklahoma City area include the 45th Infantry Division Museum, the Harn Homestead Museum, Hefner Mansion, International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, ASA National Softball Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Firefighters Museum, State Capitol, State Museum of History, and the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History in nearby Norman. For a more complete list of museums and attractions, click here.
Sports are a big part of local culture in Oklahoma City. The downtown/Bricktown area is home to the Oklahoma Redhawks, an AAA baseball team, the Oklahoma City Blazers, a CHL hockey team, and the Yard Dawgz, an indoor football team. OCU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have had significant success in recent year. Their home games, like many campus sporting events, are free for students. Oklahoma City also occasionally hosts NBA games in the Ford Center.
College football games are the main event throughout the fall. The University of Oklahoma Sooners play in nearby Norman and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys are north of Oklahoma City in Stillwater.
Visitors with a need for speed can find auto racing at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City and Thunder Valley Raceway in nearby Noble. Horse racing can be found at Remington Park throughout the year. In January and September, Oklahoma City nationally noted rodeos that are a favorite among locals and visitors. Oklahoma City is also the world horse show capital hosting horses and their riders and trainers from around the world several times a year.
Oklahoma City is a great place for families. In addition to the low cost of living and numerous other factors that contribute to its livable character, Oklahoma City is home to lots of family-friendly activities. Oklahoma City’s park system is one of the most extensive in the country with facilities for most every interest. Sports leagues for children are well-developed and many of the area museums and school offer enrichment courses for kids in areas like art and music.
In Oklahoma City, families flock to Frontier City, a Six Flags amusement park in north Oklahoma City. In the summer, White Water Bay, a water park, is a popular destination for kids. Local lakes Hefner, Thunderbird, and Overholser are also family favorites in the summer. In December, downtown Oklahoma City become a winter wonderland with an outdoor skating rink, light displays at Myriad Botanical Gardens, and a host of holiday activities.
Oklahoma’s state parks offer all kinds of activities for day trips and many have lodges and cabins for close and inexpensive getaways. Oklahoma is also home to multiple wildlife parks and zoos. The many festivals that take place in spring and summer around the state are also family favorites.
For a list of fifty fun family friendly activities in Oklahoma, click here.
