OU's FRED JONES AND SAM NOBLE MUSEUMS TEAM UP TO OFFER ADMISSION DISCOUNTS

The University of Oklahoma in Norman is home to two world-class museums – the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, featuring more than 500 years of Oklahoma’s fascinating natural history; and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, whose new 34,000-square-foot wing features the fabulous Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionism. Together the two museums, located within a few miles of each other on opposite ends of the OU campus, offer a unique cultural experience for visitors of all ages and interests. Beginning Saturday, Feb. 11, the two museums will offer mutual discounts. By bringing a ticket stub from one museum to the other on the same day, visitors will receive a $1 discount on admission to the second museum.

Located on the north end of the OU campus, at Elm Avenue and Boyd Street, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art exhibits works from its permanent collection including the Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionism, the largest gift of French Impressionist art ever given to an American public university. The Weitzenhoffer Collection includes 33 works by such artists as Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Renoir and others. Throughout the newly expanded and renovated facility, visitors will find works from the museum’s extensive holdings of American art, Asian sculpture, Persian miniatures, American Indian and Southwestern art, 19th- and 20th-century photography, 16th-through 19th-century Greek and Russian icons as well as modern and contemporary art. Temporary exhibitions and special programs also are held on a regular basis.

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, located at the south end of the OU campus at Timberdell Road and Chautauqua Avenue, offers a museum experience of a very different kind, with three main galleries that focus on the natural, archaeological and fossil history of the state of Oklahoma, as well as a World Cultures Gallery and a special exhibitions gallery. Many galleries offer hands-on exhibits appropriate for both adults and children, and knowledgeable docents provide additional information and are available to answer questions in each of the three main galleries.

Together the two museums offer a full day of enjoyment and adventure for museumgoers of all ages.

“We wanted to encourage visitors of both museums to get as much out of their experience as possible,” said Ellen Censky, director of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. “Our audiences share many of the same interests, so it makes sense that our museums work together to help publicize and promote one another. We hope the ticket discounts offer visitors an extra incentive to visit and enjoy both museums.”

“We feel extremely fortunate to be in such close proximity to the Natural History museum,” said Eric M. Lee, Wylodean and Bill Saxon Director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. “This is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to see both first-rate museums, and we hope this offer will encourage them to do so.”

Both museums are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission fees for each museum is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (age 65 and up), and $3 for children ages 6 to 17. Admission for children ages 5 and under is free.

Additional information about the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is available on the Web at www.ou.edu/fjjma or by calling (405) 325-3272. Information about the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is available on the Web at www.snomnh.ou.edu, or by calling (405) 325-4712.

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