Sport and recreation
Punting
In the summer, punting is an ever-popular activity, involving propelling a wooden boat along the river with a pole. you can also hire someone to do the punting for you, although it is easy and fun to do it yourself. bring a bottle of wine and good balance along for a more interesting trip although it helps to have a sober crew member along! punt rental available at magdalen bridge (http://www.oxfordpunting....), from salter's (http://www.salterssteamer...) at folly bridge, and from the cherwell boathouse (http://www.cherwellboatho...) in north oxford.
Swifts
In the summer, check out the nesting Swifts birds at the Oxford Museum of Natural History (http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/s...) - these elegant little birds have been nesting in ventilation flutes in the tower of the University Museum for many years, providing a wonderful opportunity for scientists. Visitors to the Museum can watch live pictures from three of the nests in the tower on a television monitor, from May to August.
Stage and screen
New Theatre
Popular shows, musicals and ballets.
Oxford has four city-centre cinemas, screening mainstream Odeon and art films Ultimate Picture Palace, Phoenix Picturehouse. The latter sometimes has showings at 11:30PM for night owls.
Oxford also hosts a number of London productions on tour, as well as playing host to a large number of student productions each year. Oxford has a lively student-drama scene. The following theatres put on amateur student productions during term-time, which are often very good value for money:
Burton Taylor Theatre
Tickets sold at the box office of the oxford playhouse see above
Old Fire Station Theatre (OFS)
George street
The Sheldonian Theatre
Recently voted the most uncomfortable concert hall in england, the sheldonian never has a shortage of both professional and amateur classical music concerts.
Walking tours, that last about two hours, from St Aldates, near the centre, are an excellent way of visiting some of the more famous colleges, such as Christ Church and Merton. A number of independent general and ghost tours also start nearby in Broad Street.