Oberlin College offers a host of opportunities for students to get involved on campus, in the community, and beyond. Through organized and informal athletic programs to student groups and clubs, students are destined to find an activity that suits their interests or talents.

Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse

The Cat in the Cream is a coffeehouse-style venue run entirely by students. Here you'll find classic coffeehouse entertainment - folk music, jazz, and poetry readings, for example - interspersed with improv and sketch comedy, student theater productions, dance, and storytelling. Bookings showcase homegrown talent along with national and even international acts. Reasonably priced coffees, teas, and juices, along with the Cat's famous giant cookies, also make this a favorite gathering place.

Refer to the schedule for more details.

Dionysus Discotheque (the 'Sco)

This subterranean nightspot attracts a variety of alternative bands, along with many top-notch musical combos formed by Oberlin students. Located on the ground floor of Wilder Hall, the 'Sco has an impressive selection of beers on tap, as well as games of darts, billiards, and foosball. Student DJs keep the dance floor spinning on nights when there are no live acts.

Refer to the schedule for more details.

Bowling & Billiards

What campus would be complete without its own bowling alley? Opened in 1963 and recently remodeled, Oberlin College Lanes is homey six-lane facility, located in the Hales Gym Annex, that offers the only alcohol-free bowling in Northeast Ohio. Billiard tables are also available in the annex. Learn more.

Downtown Oberlin

Restaurants and fast food places, coffee shops, clothing stores, a post office, public library, groceries and health food markets, book stores and gift shops, banks, places of worship, and even an old-fashioned "dime" store are some of the amenities in downtown Oberlin available to students. Several merchants accept Obie Dollars, the College's prepaid debit card program that allow students to pay for goods and services on and off campus.

Oberlin has a vibrant arts community. In addition to resources from the College, the New Union Center for the Arts serves as a home for several organizations dedicated to increasing the appreciation of art, including Firelands Association for the Visual Arts, and the Music Arts and Drama Factory. The Oberlin Heritage Center, the community history museum, offers a range of programs and exhibits that showcase the unique heritage and traditions of Oberlin College and city. Students can volunteer with these and other community groups that sponsor fairs, parades, workshops for school children, and other activities.

Learn what's happening in downtown Oberlin: Visit Main Street Oberlin, a community organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the city.

Outside Oberlin

Oberlin College is an integral part of the city of Oberlin, a town of about 8,600 residents located 35 miles southwest of Cleveland. While small, Oberlin has just about everything a student could need within a comfortable walking or biking distance.

For those who wish to venture beyond Oberlin's borders for activities, concerts, shopping, restaurants, and other cultural events, refer to the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland and Visit Lorain Web sites for ideas on where to go and what to do.