Explore and Play: Get Cultured!
Performing Arts
Get ready to be inspired, cultured and entertained. Performing arts and music offerings are plentiful in Lane County.
Several are conveniently located on campus, including the Cultural Forum, University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, and the University Theatre.
From large performing halls with sweeping balconies and vast stages, to small, intimate theatres, Eugene’s local performing arts venues include Cuthbert Amphitheatre, the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, John G Shedd Institute for the Arts, McDonald Theatre, Richard E. Wildish Community Theatre, Very Little Theatre, and the WOW (Woodmen of the World) Hall.
Eugene is home to hundreds of talented musicians, dancers, singers, and thespians. Local performing arts companies include Actors Cabaret, Eugene Ballet Company, Eugene Concert Choir, Eugene Opera, Eugene Symphony, Lord Leebrick Theatre Company and Oregon Mozart Players.
Each year, the Oregon Bach Festival is held in Eugene, featuring two weeks of choral-orchestral concerts centered on the music and influence of J.S. Bach. The 2010 festival is scheduled June 25 to July 11.
Art Galleries
Downtown Eugene offers dozens of art galleries to peruse. The Lane Arts Council organizes First Friday ArtWalks, free guided tours of downtown Eugene galleries and merchants.
On-campus art galleries include:
Museums
Satisfy your itch for knowledge of the Eugene area’s history, anthropology, archeology, and more at local museums.
The University of Oregon houses two museums, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History.
Other local museums include:
Lane County Historical Society Museum – Lane County’s only county-wide historical museum that houses collections of national and local significance dating from the early 1800s to the present.
Maude Kerns Art Center – Eugene’s only nonprofit community center for the visual arts.
Oregon Air and Space Museum – displays various aircraft and artifacts depicting the history of aviation and space technology and frequently sponsors special aviation events such as fly-ins, dinners, speakers and open house air fairs.
Science Factory Children’s Museum and Planetarium – provides exhibits, hands-on activities and educational programs for children, encouraging them to use their minds and bodies to explore science, technology and humanity.
Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House – a classic example of a Queen Anne-style Victorian mansion of the late 19th century, the home is open for viewing at scheduled times and for special tours by appointment.
Springfield Museum – located in downtown Springfield, the museum is housed in the 1911 Oregon Power Company transformer station and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
