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Welcome to the "Front Door of the University!" The OU Visitor Center is your first stop for campus maps and other visitor information and materials. If you are a prospective student, please visit our  Admissions & Recruitment  website to learn more about applying to OU. 

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Visitor Center

Located in the Oklahoma Memorial Union 900 Asp Avenue Suite 207 Norman, OK 73019

All Campus Visitors

• (405) 325-2151
• (800) 234-6868
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Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Select Saturdays 9 a.m. - noon.

Schedule a Campus Tour

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Visiting OU for a different reason? Schedule Campus Activities

The links below will take you to maps of Norman and Campus:

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Certain spaces and areas are designed for visitors on campus.  These areas have been located for maximum visitor convenience and are clearly identified by signage. Please click on the map at right for specific locations.

Visitor permits are valid for a single visit. Permits are available  online , or from OU Parking Services, 1332 Jenkins Ave., inside the Jenkins Avenue Parking Facility. 

Pay stations also make it easier than ever to park on campus. Pay stations are located in both Asp and Elm garages and in the lot on Boyd Street across from Fred Jones museum.

Please call OU Parking Services at (405) 325-3311 for more information and to request a visitor permit be sent by mail.

Driving Directions

From I-35, take the Main St./Eastbound exit

On Main St., continue approx. 2 miles to University Blvd. Turn RIGHT

Continue on University until you cross Boyd Street and enter brick gates of Parrington Oval. The Visitor Center/Jacobson Hall is all the way around on the other side of the oval (facing Boyd St.)

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To find out about tours of the University of Oklahoma, visit the university's admissions pages.

If you are interested in pursuing a Juris Doctor at the College of Law, you may register for a specialized tour of the law school .

You may also enjoy a video tour of the law school and its facilities .

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Visiting OHIO

Experience ohio for yourself.

It's easy to see the beauty of our campus in photos across our website, but nothing compares to how it feels to breathe in the fresh air of fall and see the colorful leaves tumble across the bricks while crossing College Green, or taking in a spring sunset while enjoying the magic of the Cherry Blossom trees along the Hocking River. What are you waiting for? There are so many experiences waiting for you in Athens — register for the campus visit that works best for you to get started!

OHIO Showcase

Visit Ohio University this summer at OHIO Showcase, a campus visit opportunity for rising high school juniors and seniors and their families. Kick off your college search and learn more about Ohio University and life as a Bobcat.

Learn More and Register for OHIO Showcase

Special visit programs offer unique opportunities to get a sneak peek into life at OHIO. If you're a prospective first-year or transfer student or a high-achieving high school senior, you'll want to check out these options! Can't make it to campus? No problem — join us in a city near you to learn about life as a Bobcat. Check back often, because we add new options regularly!

Daily Campus Visits

Daily campus visits offer the flexibility to explore OHIO on the date that works best for you. Personalize your visit by scheduling a time to meet with a representative from an academic college while you're on campus.

Group Visits

School counselors and community leaders are invited to bring future Bobcats to campus for a group visit! Your students will learn more about OHIO through a group information session with an admissions advisor and a walking tour of our beautiful and historic campus.

OHIO Discovery Day

Join us on campus for OHIO Discovery Day, a special visit event for prospective first-year students and their families. Learn more about the OHIO experience, tour campus, connect with representatives from your academic interest area and more! 

Learn More and Register for OHIO Discovery Day

What to Expect On Your Visit

We can't wait to welcome you to campus! Before you arrive, review info about health and safety, parking, transportation, local accommodations and the daily campus visit agenda to make the most of your visit.

Virtual Options

Unable to visit campus in person? No problem — check out our virtual options to explore OHIO from home!

• Virtual Tour Eager to tour our campus? We've got you covered! With our self-guided virtual tour, you explore campus, athletics facilities, fine arts facilities and various residence halls. Beautiful imagery combined with campus insights provided by narration, you'll feel as though you're walking through campus with one of our amazing tour guides!
• Financial Aid Advisor Virtual Appointments Do you have questions about financial aid or scholarships? Sign up for a 30 minute, 1-on-1 video appointment with a financial aid advisor. You can also contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships at [email protected] or by calling 740.593.4141 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern.
• Admissions Advisor Virtual Appointments Freshman and transfer students can select a preferred day and time for a 1-on-1 video appointment with an Undergraduate Admissions advisor to discuss applying to OHIO, academics, campus life, transferring credit and more.
• OHIO Online Virtual Appointments OHIO Online student can select a preferred day and time for a 1-on-1 video appointment with an OHIO Online enrollment advisor to talk about applying to OHIO, academics, transferring credit and more.

Discover OHIO through The College Tour

Connect with ohio's academic colleges and student services.

OHIO's degree-granting colleges serve as a home for academic departments, schools and centers which deliver diverse programs, degrees and majors. Each college has a unique community and culture that will support your personal, academic and professional goals.

Each college offers different visit options, including facility tours and meetings with faculty, staff and current students. Select your college to learn about visit options and choose a time to speak directly with a college representative. You can also join academic colleges and our financial aid, housing and career development experts for a webinar or chat.

College of Arts & Sciences 

College of Business 

College of Fine Arts 

College of Health Sciences and Professions 

The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education 

Honors Tutorial College 

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Thank you for your interest in the OU Ghost Tour! GHOST TOURS The tours are typically offered once a month March-November, except during the Halloween season, when extra tours are added due to higher demand.  ON-CAMPUS GHOST TOURS   We are now able to offer a few select on-campus ghost tour dates.

• Tuesday, October 24 at 8:00 p.m. CT 
• Wednesday, October 25 at 8:00 p.m. CT
• Thursday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m. CT 
• Tuesday, October 31 at 8:00 p.m. CT
• Wednesday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. CT 
• Thursday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. CT 

VIRTUAL GHOST TOUR

You can  watch our pre-recorded virtual ghost tour  at your convenience. 

If you are interested, you can contact Jeff Provine at  [email protected]  for a virtual Q&A for your group via Zoom. Check back at a later date for additional ghost tour experiences.  ______________________________________________________________________________ DETAILS FOR ON-CAMPUS GHOST TOURS Guests will be escorted to selected points of OU lore, legend, and unexplained events, where they will discover the mysterious side of the University of Oklahoma campus, as researched by author and Freshman Programs Instructor, Jeff Provine. This nighttime walking tour of the main campus will pique curiosity and add intrigue to existing knowledge of Oklahoma’s iconic institution for higher learning. The tour is free, but donations are accepted and support the Boys & Girls Club of Norman.

• Advanced registration is required, and group size limited for enjoyment and safety.
• All Ghost Tours are after dark, which will vary month to month.
• Ghost tours are free to the public. Donations are accepted and are placed into a scholarship fund for current OU students.
• Ghost tours last approximately 75 minutes. 
• Parking is free after 5pm on Fridays. Visitor lots with payment kiosks are available, and can be located here .
• The same campus lighting exists as for any after-dark game, concert or activity. If you feel the need for extra lighting at your feet while walking, feel free to bring a flashlight. 
• Mobility equipment is not provided by OU and is the responsibility of individuals. 
• If tour is cancelled due to inclement weather, you may be contacted about a make-up tour. Otherwise, you may register for another tour. 

For further questions, email  [email protected]. Complete visitor information can be found at  admissions.ou.edu

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Library Tours

Tours of bizzell memorial library.

Generally, OU Libraries do not offer building tours for groups separate from scheduled library instruction sessions. However, tours can be arranged through the  OU Visitor Center  in conjunction with a campus tour.  OU Libraries do offer tours in the following areas:

​Individuals wishing to arrange a school group visit should contact  Karie Antell , Instruction Coordinator, at least two weeks in advance. Classes in grades 10-12 are accepted if they have a substantial library research assignment. We suggest that lower grades use their school or local public library where more age appropriate information is available.

This hour-long walking tour of the art in the Bizzell Memorial Library begins in the 1929 Great Reading Room, includes modern Native American art, noted work by former OU School of Art professors, recently acquired student art and concludes with a tour of the art on display in the fifth floor special collections. Each tour is limited to 20 participants and can be scheduled by contacting the OU Libraries art liaison, Jeffrey M. Wilhite .

The History of Science Collections  is a premier research collection with holdings of nearly 100,000 volumes from every field and subject area of science, technology and medicine. The Western History Collections  houses an extensive collection on the Trans-Mississippi West and Native American cultures. The Chinese Literature Translation Archive ​holds nearly 10,000 volumes and thousands of documents from some of the greatest translators of modern Chinese literature in the West. To learn about other collections, visit our Locations page. Special Collections exhibition tours may also be scheduled by contacting the appropriate collection. 

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What to expect, general campus visits.

General campus visits are available for prospective students at the Oklahoma City and Tulsa campuses. The tour will last approximately 1 hour. Once you arrive on campus, an OUHSC staff member will give a brief introduction, followed by a walking tour. Comfy shoes are encouraged! Please also check the weather for your tour location ahead of your visit. 

To register for a general campus visit, please click the “Book a Campus Visit” above and then click the campus you would like to visit.

Group Tours

Group tours are available on the Oklahoma City campus for groups of prospective high school (grades 9-12) and college students. Group tours are designed to accommodate special interest groups like various academic classes or school clubs (among others) that may be too large for our regularly scheduled tours. 

Group tours are offered in September, October, November, February, March, April on the last Friday of the month from 10 AM – 12 PM. 

OU Health Sciences Group Tours: 

• MANDATORY : Groups must register or make requests to visit campus two weeks prior to the desired date. 
• PARKING/DROP-OFF : To receive parking passes, your group must be formally registered for a group tour with HSC Student Affairs. 
• MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE : 40 students plus chaperones (1 chaperone over 21 years of age is required for every 12 students). Please review our Youth Protection Policy for additional information. 

To register for a group tour, please click the “Book a Campus Visit” above and then click the “Oklahoma City Campus”.

Personalize Your Campus Visit

All of our academic colleges offer one-on-one or group advising appointments, which provide a more in-depth look at specific programs of interest. These are a great opportunity to meet staff and faculty members from your intended academic college and program as well as ask any questions you may have about the application process.

To ensure prospective students make the most of their campus visit experience, it is recommended to book all three opportunities if possible : a campus tour, a meeting with one or more academic counselors or recruiters, and a visit with Student Financial Aid . Please note, meeting times vary across departments, and you are not limited to visiting campus on one day only.

Places to See in OKC

If you are on your way to the University of Oklahoma from the OU Health Sciences Center campus, be sure to take a quick loop around town to see the various districts of Oklahoma City!

Places to see in OKC

Campus Spaces, Art, and Walking Trails

HSC Student Affairs and Landscape Services have gathered together locations and descriptions of some of the most relaxing outdoor spaces across campus. Whether you want sun or shade, perennials or pavement, this list is for you!

Outdoor Spaces Campus Art Walk

Let us come to you!

HSC Student Affairs representatives would love the opportunity to come to your group to give general information, answer admission questions and offer a glimpse into life at the OU Health Sciences Center. Please contact HSC Student Affairs for more information or to schedule a visit.

[email protected] (405) 271-2416

Campus Safety

The health and safety of our guests, students, and campus community is of the utmost importance to the OU family. We may make updates regarding safety expectations to campus visits at any time as conditions and circumstances in the community evolve. We ask that you please reschedule or cancel your tour if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or have had a known recent exposure.If you are unable to visit campus in-person during this time, we encourage you to explore our  virtual campus tour !

8 Ways to Choose the Perfect Tour Company

Last Updated: November 3, 2023

That idea of tours being bad is an old and outdated perception.

These days tour groups have become more adept at the changing landscape. They feature smaller groups, more authentic experiences, a better environmental impact, and more local guides.

I love group tours.

Even though I am an independent traveler, I find group tours super fun, a great way to meet people, learn more from an informed guide, go to places you normally can’t, and wet your feet in travel. My first trip overseas was on an organized tour. I didn’t know the first thing about travel and that tour gave me the confidence to travel on my own. It was the taste test I needed to become hooked on travel. Tours give a lot of people time to adjust to the “travel lifestyle.”

Unlike in the past, today’s tours are eco-friendly, cater to all travel styles, over cheap, and make a point to use local transportation and guides. And many destinations (like Halong Bay, the Galápagos Islands, the Serengeti, Machu Picchu, Antarctica, Everest) are virtually inaccessible without an organized group tour!

In this article, I am going to tell you how to find the best tour company so you get one that is inexpensive, eco-friendly, provides local guides, and gives back to the local community:

1. Research the costs

With tour companies, it’s not always true that you get what you pay for. Many tour companies nickel-and-dime you, while some are really good at maximizing value for your every penny. Ask how your money is spent to find out if you are really getting the best value for your money. How much of your fee is their overhead? Are you paying for top-notch hotels but staying in two-star guesthouses? You want a company that is transparent with why prices are the way they are.

Moreover, make sure you ask if there are added fees to pay when arrive. Many companies require you to pay additional money when the tour starts or don’t include park or attraction entrance fees. That cheap tour won’t be so cheap if you have to pay for everything while you’re there!

2. Make sure you are the audience 

Is the tour geared toward older couples? Young people? Families? You don’t want to end up on a loud Contiki tour full of drunk twenty-year-olds when all you want is a quiet holiday.

There’s a tour company for everyone — just make sure you don’t end up on one that isn’t yours. Most tour companies list their guest demographics on their “About” page, and you can usually see from the photos of their tours who goes on it.

You can also tell the audience based on accommodation: if it’s hostels or guesthouses, it’s usually for backpackers and budget travelers; if it’s fancy digs, it’s for older travelers and families.

This is very important because these are the people you’ll be traveling with so you want to make sure it’s the kind of people you are traveling with. I’m still friends with the people from my first tour in 2003 because they were people like me. The tour in Japan that was filled with older families? Not so much. We didn’t have much in common. Wonderful people but we didn’t connect.

So, I always look for tours that have my demographic in them.

3. Get local guides

Guides can make or break your trip. They are going to explain everything to you and keep the flow of the tour going. I don’t want them hiring some young kid, non-expert, or someone who doesn’t know the place well. I’ve been on tours where the guide was a walking encyclopedia, and on somewhere the guide was a glorified timekeeper.

Make sure the company uses knowledgeable, local guides. The guide should be a local or at least a long-term resident, know the local language, have travel experience, and know life-saving techniques.

If you are unsure about the guides, call the customer service line and ask them about their guides.

4. Safety record 

Make sure the company follows all the proper safety requirements and is accredited by the local government, the government where they are registered, and any other appropriate trade organizations.

5. A balanced schedule 

You’re paying for them to fill most of your day. How do they do that? Are they doing that? Do they have a lot of activities organized, or do they leave you to your own devices?

That said, you don’t want a schedule that is crammed with things to do. Make sure you get a schedule of all the activities and pick a tour that is balanced. Running around will leave you wishing you had a holiday from your holiday, but you don’t want to be sitting around all day, either.

I love taking small group tours because they generally have a good balance. Any tour that requires you to be on a huge bus and hits 6 cities in 5 days is not a tour to take!

6. Environmental impact

There’s a growing trend among travelers called ecotourism . It’s about more responsible travel, not only toward the environment but also toward the locals in an area. This means using local guides, hotels, and services, and making sure to reduce waste and your footprint on the local habitat.

Moreover, these companies tend to offer better and more interactive tours that also give you a good degree of autonomy.

I think it’s important to pick a company that provides great value and gives back to the place you are visiting. After all, did you go there to ruin it for others? Doubtful.

Check with groups like the International Ecotourism Society for a list of companies that have been certified “eco-friendly.” With so much money pouring into the industry now, you have a lot of companies fraudulently saying they practice ecotourism but end up being involved in terrible labor practices, animal abuse, and waste.

7. Group size

Tour companies that have smaller groups tend to be much more mindful of the environment and the impact they are leaving. It’s a lot easier to meet people in a group of 10-15 than it is in a group of 60. I don’t like to go on tours with more than 15 people on them. However, I have friends who love Contiki tours with 40-50 people. Know what you are getting yourself into, so you don’t find yourself with a group too small or too large for your tastes.

Just remember larger groups tend to stay at bigger, more impersonal accommodations (they can only accommodate the numbers), eat at more touristy restaurants, and tend to travel to more destinations quicker.

In my expert opinion, small group tours are the best.

8. Check their reputation

How have other travelers enjoyed their time? Look for online reviews to see what a company’s reputation is. It might not always be what they claim, and it’s important to find out the truth before you book.

Remember that MOST people only write a review if something goes wrong. Someone might give a tour company one star just because their eggs were runny. Find the average. Someone might hate a tour because the weather was hot. Seriously. These are actual negative reviews from the tour operator company, Thomas Cook:

“On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food.”

“We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish.”

“We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it would be included in the price.”

“No-one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared.”

“Although the brochure said that there was a fully equipped kitchen, there was no egg-slicer in the drawers.”

“When we were in Spain, there were too many Spanish people there. The receptionist spoke Spanish, the food was Spanish. No one told us that there would be so many foreigners.”

“We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air-conditioning.”

So how can you trust the reviews you read online?

Take them with a grain of salt. You can read reviews on websites TrustPilot . The approval rating should look like a bell curve but with more A’s and B’s than C’s. I look for companies that average 85% or higher (or 4 out of 5 stars). If a company is that highly rated, the negative reviews are probably just outliers.  

My Recommended (Best) Tour Companies

Here are some of my favorite small, day-tour, or backpacker bus tour companies:

• Take Walks – This is my favorite walking tour company. They run a wide variety of insightful and entertaining tours around Europe and the US. What makes them so good is they get you inside access to attractions and places you can’t get elsewhere. Their guides rock too!
• Get Your Guide – A massive marketplace for tours, activities, and excursions. If you’re looking for something niche, you’ll find it here!
• Devour Food Tours – My go-to tour company for tasty food tours around Europe and the US.
• Kiwi Experience – A hop-on, hop-off bus tour company in New Zealand for backpackers!
• Baz Bus – A hop on, hop off again bus tour company in South Africa for all travelers.
• New Europe – Free walking tours throughout Europe.
• Free Tours By Foot – Pay-what-you-like tours throughout Europe and the United States. They are one of my favorite free walking tour companies in the world!

THE #1 COMPANY FOR MULTI-DAY SMALL GROUP TOURS

When it comes to multi-day, multi-week tours (think trips through Morocco, sailing in the Galápagos, etc.), I highly recommend using Intrepid Travel .

Intrepid is my favorite and best small group tour operator out there! I really love their guides, their small groups, off-the-beaten-track itineraries, and their commitment to the local environment and community. I always have an incredible time on their tours. They are my favorite multi-day tour operator and the only one I use now (the picture at the top of this page is me on their Patagonia trip). Intrepid is environmentally friendly, uses local guides and transportation, doesn’t rush their tours, and are quite inexpensive. I don’t even consider anyone else when it comes to multi-day trips.

I love tours. They are a great way to meet people, get a local to add value and knowledge, and see places you can’t get to alone! I don’t take them often but I do take them. And, since I follow the above rules, I always have a good time. Some of my favorite travel memories were when I was on a group trip. If you follow my tips above, you’ll never go wrong either.

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Artists Are Canceling Arena Tours Right and Left. Maybe They Shouldn’t Have Been Playing Arenas in the First Place

By Chris Black

This is an edition of the newsletter Pulling Weeds With Chris Black, in which the columnist weighs in on hot topics in culture. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Thursday.

Last week, the Black Keys, a band best known for soundtracking car commercials and occasionally fistfighting fellow Nashville resident Jack White, canceled the entire North American leg of a scheduled arena tour without explanation. Why would a band without a major hit in years think it can sell out arenas in tertiary markets? No one can be sure, but the touring business is in trouble, and part of the reason is ego.

Going on tour used to be a non-negotiable part of a life in music—a way to interact with fans, make money, and see the world. But nowadays, artists either want to play arenas or stadiums or do a residency, playing multiple nights in one city at the same venue, à la Harry Styles and Adele. Every week, another artist goes viral on Twitter for low ticket sales, with a screengrab of a Ticketmaster seat map awash in blue. I will be at the Charli XCX and Troye Sivan show in New York City at Madison Square Garden, but can that duo sell as many tickets in Tacoma on a weeknight? Kim Petras, an artist with hits, had such an awful time with arenas that she resorted to Groupon. And legacy artists aren’t necessarily faring better; for every Justin Timberlake, who just added nine dates to his Forget Tomorrow world tour, there’s a Jennifer Lopez, who recently cut her upcoming summer greatest-hits tour short by seven dates , reportedly due to soft ticket sales.

The Taylor Swifts of the world are still making money on the road, and artists from Wednesday and Waxahatchee to Chappel Roan and Joanna Newsom are selling out shows at great venues. But big arena tours have historically been sustained by early ticket sales, and that part of the market appears to be collapsing. The Twitter account @UnderFaceValue tracks price drops and undersold shows and “other peculiarities across the ticketing ecosystem”; its mantra, because soft sales translate into crazy 11th-hour price breaks, is #PaysToWait. If you’d waited for the right moment, you could have seen the Rolling Stones in Seattle for $29, 21 Savage in Chicago for $19, or George Strait and Chris Stapleton in Indianapolis for $13.

These challenges hit close to home for me. My cohost Jason Stewart and I take our podcast, How Long Gone, on the road. We experienced a high point in Philadelphia at Johnny Brenda’s, a cozy spot in Fishtown with a rich history. The show was a sellout, the crowd was fantastic. The next time we visited, we stepped up to a bigger venue, World Cafe Live. The turnout was decent, but it didn’t reach the same level of energy, and the experience felt different. We're heading back to Philadelphia in June, and we've decided to return to Johnny Brenda’s . It's a lesson learned: Better to have a packed house in an intimate setting than a half-empty room in a larger venue. The ego bruise was temporary, but the lesson was invaluable.

So, who do we blame? Is this the fault of corporate mega-promoters like LiveNation (which produced the Black Keys’ tour) booking artists into the biggest venues possible, then jacking the price of everything from tickets to parking to concessions, all regardless of what the market will bear, while tightening their grip on the marketplace to the point that the Department of Justice is preparing to sue them in federal court for antitrust violations ? Is it agents and managers gassing up the artist? Is it just the artist's desire to sell out these giant venues? Maybe all of the above.

If you’re going out on the road and you’re big enough to even consider booking an arena show, why not do three nights in a prestigious venue like Radio City Music Hall or the Beacon Theatre instead? It provides fans with a more intimate experience, and every night will feel full. The Black Keys eventually released a statement . They didn’t blame anyone. They didn’t whine about how hard touring is. They just said they were recalibrating after a successful European run playing venues like Brixton Academy in London and the Zenith in Paris. It was the right approach. We all know it was ticket sales, but no artist should be ashamed of taking your lumps, switching things up, and selling tickets.

Big streaming numbers look great online but don’t necessarily translate to ticket sales. A touring business has to be built, returning to the same cities every year. A career cannot rely solely on the algorithm. Being great live will get people through the door and keep them coming back. These offline collective experiences are few and far between these days; buying tickets and going to shows is essential and valuable. They just don’t all need to be in arenas.

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