One UO faculty member describes Eugene as "Oz on Earth." Why? Some say Eugene offers all the cultural benefits of a large city with the friendly feel of a small town: lots of bookstores, plenty of great restaurants, cabarets, coffee shops, and concert halls. It's a place where you're just as likely to hit the town in jeans as you are in evening wear.

Nestled halfway between the white snow caps of the Cascade mountain range and the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean, our location is a big part of people love about Eugene. The natural environment is idyllic, with daffodils in January, tree-sized rhododendrons which bloom in May, and lush green foliage year-round.

Maybe it's the variety of styles and personalities that make up our community. What other town would have a Slug Queen reigning over its annual three-day Eugene Celebration or a cadre of street performers at its weekly Saturday Market?

Performing arts
Rolling Stone Magazine recent named Eugene one of the top ten college town music scenes. One of the reasons is that Eugene is the ideal mid-way point on a well-traveled path that carries performers up and down the West Coast in search of the perfect audience. Abstract Rule, Alien Ant Farm, Beck, Black-Eyed Peas, Bright Eyes, Burning Spear, Calexico, Eleven Eyes, Guster, Hieroglyphics, Matmos, MXPX, OAR, Polyphonic Spree, Primus, Rage Against the Machine, Rylus Wainwright, Stephen Mallemus, The Butchies, The Decemberists, The Wailers, U2, Wheel of Meat, Widespread Panic, and many more have all performed recently. They've found their perfect audiences in the small-sized venues of Eugene.

We're home to professional ballet, opera, and symphonic orchestra companies, all of which stage events at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. For information on upcoming shows, call (541) 687-5000. The WOW Hall offers the most diverse selection of alternative live performing arts, including slam, reggae, calypso, alternative rock, and special performance events. For information, call (541) 687-2746. Other options include a jazz club, a blues venue, a salsa place, and several dance clubs.

Fresh air
Home to more than 100 city parks, and 250 miles of bicycle trails, and incredible public gardens, Eugene is also smack dab in the middle of a vast recreation area. You can travel less than an hour by car in any direction, and find ancient and national forests. Wilderness areas with pristine lakes, breathtaking waterfalls, picturesque streams, sprawling lava fields, hot springs, and rolling sand dunes surround us. If you're visiting the area for more than just one day, we recommend taking advantage of the natural world around us. A guide to Lane County is available at the Office of Admissions or by contacting the Lane County Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 547-5445.

Active lifestyles
The natural setting of the Northwest inspires you to try out new things or practice activities those you already love. Several ski resorts in the area offer great powder and miles of groomed cross-country trails. Hiking trails through old growth forests are a short drive from campus. To learn rock climbing, you can check out Smith Rocks near Bend, the Columns in town, or one of several local climbing gyms. The McKenzie River has white water interspersed with peaceful stretches for rafting, kayaking, fishing, or just relaxing along its banks. And, if you'd just as soon be a spectator as an athlete, you've got lots of options: Autzen Stadium for football, Mac Court for basketball, and Hayward Field for track.