Norman, OK Summary

photo by gusto

Norman, the home of the University of Oklahoma, was founded in 1890. The third-largest city in the state, it has some fine museums, numerous private art galleries, and is close to an excellent state park. Norman has over 80,000 people and is located by I-35, south of Oklahoma City, in central Oklahoma.

Norman was created by the 1889 land run. It is the birthplace of artist David Salle, who came to prominence in the 1980s, and of engineer Karl Jansky who, in 1931, became the first person to detect radio waves emanating from outside the solar system, precipitating the development of radio astronomy.

Norman has a historic district, which includes the Santa Fe Depot and the Sooner Theater. The Cleveland County Historical Museum, built in 1900, is located in a Queen Anne style house. The rooms are furnished to represent an upper-middle-class family residence in Territorial Oklahoma. The museum display focuses on the history of the county from the 1889 land run to statehood in 1907.

In Monnet Hall, at the University of Oklahoma, visit the Western History Collection, which is one of the country’s largest assemblages of material documenting the socioeconomic development of the western frontier. There are 65,000 books, along with manuscripts, periodicals, microfilm, oral histories, photographs, and maps, among other artifacts. Also on campus is the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, which crams 6 million items into 195,000 square feet.

Among the natural and cultural exhibits are the world’s largest Apatosaurus, rare Native American artifacts, and a Discovery Room for children.

Will Rogers World Airport, in Oklahoma City, is located 19 miles north of Norman. Buses also service the area.