A public liberal-arts university of around 3,500 students, NSU's campus south of downtown is the prettiest part of Aberdeen, with shaded lawns, the Spafford Hall bell tower, and a recently renovated quad. The university's Johnson Fine Arts Center hosts gallery shows, theatre productions, and concerts open to the public throughout the academic year.
Wachs Arena is the on-campus events venue and home court for the Northern Wolves; basketball games here on a Saturday in winter are inexpensive and surprisingly raucous.