Large crowd on the lawn of Meadow Brook Music Festival, watching an outdoor concert.

Local Community

Oakland University is located in Oakland County located in southeast Michigan. One of the most prosperous counties in the United States, Oakland County is home to Fortune 500 companies, year-round recreation, entertainment, shopping, and cultural and social opportunities. Together, all this makes Oakland County a great place to live, work and go to school.

Arts and Music

Arts at OU

Art Center
Paint Creek Center for the Arts is a nonprofit community art center that provides a variety of studio art classes for children and adults, a year-round exhibition schedule of contemporary fine art and the annual Art & Apples Festival.

Art Museum

The sixth-largest fine arts museum in the United States, The Detroit Institute of Arts, houses more than 60,000 works and is located in downtown Detroit.

Meadow Brook Amphitheater

Meadow Brook Amphitheater is located on-campus and features mainstream music artists, family programs and festivals year-round.

Music

A variety of concerts and special events are held within a short driving distance of OU, including:

Oakland University Art Gallery

The OU Art Gallery features six museum-quality exhibitions annually, September through May. The gallery aims to enrich through intellectual and emotional enjoyment of the visual arts.

Tickets at the Office for Student Involvement

Discounted tickets are available for students at the Office for Student Involvement Service Window in the basement of the Oakland Center. Tickets for on-campus events and off-campus concerts and sporting events at participating venues. A valid GrizzCard must be shown to purchase tickets at the discounted student rate.

Attractions

Cider Mills

Goodison, Rochester and Yates cider mills all are located in Oakland County and offer seasonal opportunities for outings.

Historical Museums

The Henry Ford, located in Dearborn, is the nation's largest indoor/outdoor history museum, which includes 88 acres of historic homes and buildings spanning 300 years of American history. The Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, located in Stoney Creek Village, a 16-acre museum complex dating back to 1823, has exhibits that highlight the settlement, agriculture, industry and cultural evolution of the greater Rochester area.

Historical Sites

Besides Meadow Brook Hall on OU’s campus, there are a number of historical sites in the area including Olde World Canterbury Village in Lake Orion, which is the former farm of newspaper publisher Howard Scripps.

Sporting Events

You can attend sporting events on-campus. Or, you can take a short drive to Detroit and see the Detroit Lions, Tigers, Pistons and Red Wings.

Zoo
The Detroit Zoo is located not too far away in Royal Oak.

Recreation

Downhill Skiing
Three downhill skiing resorts are located nearby Oakland University: Alpine Valley, Pine Knob, and Mt. Holly.

Golf Courses

You can golf on OU's two golf courses, The R&S Sharf Golf Course and the Katke-Cousins Golf Course. There are also more than 30 courses located in Oakland County! Ones near campus include Brookwood Golf Club, Pine Trace Golf Club and Hampton Golf Club.

Parks

Besides the many city and township parks, Oakland County has 11 county parks and 8 state parks that offer year-round recreation including camping, hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, golfing, biking, picnicking, cross-country skiing, ice skating and ice fishing. Parks close to home include Stoney Creek, River Woods Park and Spencer Beach.

Recreation Trail

The trailhead for the 8.5-mile Paint Creek Trail, which is a non-motorized recreation trail for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and horseback riding, is located in downtown Rochester. There are also multiple trailheads for the Clinton River Trail near campus.

Shopping

Many close-by neighborhoods offer shopping districts such as Rochester, Birmingham and Royal Oak.
The Village of Rochester Hills, an outdoor shopping center with several restaurants and upscale shops, is located next to Oakland's campus.
Four major shopping malls are also located near Oakland's campus including Great Lakes Crossing, Lakeside Mall, Oakland Mall and the Somerset Collection.
Olde World Canterbury Village extends over 21 acres and contains the Kings Court Castle restaurant and 18 specialty shops, including Always Christmas, a 90,000 square-foot, year-round Christmas store.

Tree Runner Adventure Park At Oakland University
TreeRunner Adventure Park at Oakland University is a premier aerial adventure park in Oakland County. With 60 + exciting obstacles and zip lines, 3 difficulty levels, and 5 different trails, there is plenty to explore!

Experience our aerial trails in the trees on your own or with friends and family! This is the perfect outdoor adventure for birthday parties, team building, school field trips and special events.

For more information, visit the Tree Runner webpage.

Accommodations

The Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Drive in Rochester, has partnered with Oakland University to serve as the university’s preferred destination for guest lodging and official conference center. This partnership provides OU guests and visitors with first class conference facilities and lodging, while increasingly drawing esteemed visitors to the region and broadening awareness of the Rochester community.

Preferred Partner Hotels
The following hotels are preferred partners of OU Athletics. Ask for OU discounted rates when making a reservation at these places.

Details on Oakland's Three Preferred Marriott Hotels

For questions, contact Sara Arpke by phone at (248) 648-6019 or by email at [email protected].

Courtyard by Marriott
3555 Centerpoint Pkwy
Pontiac, MI 48341
(248)858-9595

Marriott Auburn Hills Pontiac
3600 Centerpoint Parkway
Pontiac, MI 48341
(248)253-9800

Residence Inn Marriott
3333 Centerpoint Pkwy
Pontiac, MI 48341
(248)858-8664

Other Hotels Near OU
There are many other places near OU's campus to stay when you visit. See the Metro Travel Guide website for a complete list of places to stay.

Transportation
AirportLIMO
(877) APT-LIMO (278-5466)

Oakland University

201 Meadow Brook Rd.
Rochester, MI 48309-4401
(location map)
(248) 370-2100