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MU & Columbia

Activities at MU

The Mizzou Arena Events Series and the The University Concert Series bring big-ticket performers to Columbia, ranging in styles from rapper Kanye West and the Blue Man Group to Tony Bennett and Cats, and from country stars Willy Nelson and Clint Black to the Canadian Brass and the string ensemble Bowfire. The MU Department of Theater and Department of Music put on dozens of performances and recitals each semester. In addition to highly visible sport such as football and basketball the MU Athletics Department fields exciting teams in soccer, gymnastics and wrestling and other sports, all in state-of-the-art facilities.

Columbia, Missouri

Columbia is the quintessential college town, combining small-town comfort, community spirit and cost of living with big-city culture, activities and resources. Money magazine, Fortune magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Men’s Journal, MSN.com and other news entities have named Columbia, MO, one of the best places in the United States to live because of its high quality of life.

Schools

Columbia is home to nationally renowned public schools, including two top-ranked high schools, and to educational centers such as the new interactive YouZeum. It also supports other institutes of higher education, including Columbia College, which is ranked “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report, and Stephens College, a women’s college known for theater, film, fashion and fine-arts.

Downtown

Columbia’s historic downtown district, known as The District, is packed with restaurants and entertainment. For 25 years, The Blue Note has attracted top musicians of all genres, from indie-rock to old-school blues. Ragtag Cinema shows independent and international films in a hipster-friendly setting. The Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts, home to the Missouri Symphony Society, was constructed in 1938 and was recently was restored to its original grandeur. Columbia’s local art community thrives, with galleries and venues including Orr Street Studios, PS:Gallery, Bluestem Missouri Crafts and the Columbia Art League.

The great outdoors

Columbia boasts multiple city parks as well as Rock Bridge State Park and the city’s Activity and Recreation Center. Columbia is an increasingly bicycle-friendly community, with a city program to encourage cycling. The MKT Trail takes cyclers and hikers all through Columbia and links to the 225-mile Katy Trail, a rails-to-trails state park that stretches across the state.

Festivals and events

Columbia hosts more than a dozen annual festivals, including a the Festival of the Arts, the Heritage Festival, the internationally acclaimed True/False Film Festival that attracts documentary filmmakers from throughout the world and the New York Times-touted Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival, which draws top-named blues acts and a crowd of 100,000 people. The We Always Swing Jazz Series is designed to present, promote, preserve and celebrate the great American art form known as jazz. Each May the Columbia Airport hosts a Salute to Veterans Memorial Day Celebration & Air Show.

Stage Performance Venues

Museums