Introduction

This tour of the Columbia campus is given by members of the Undergraduate Recruitment Committee, student leaders on campus in a variety of clubs and organizations.

(1) Low Plaza and College Walk

Columbia's current campus was designed by McKim, Mead and White at the end of the 19th century. Low Plaza has been described as one of the great urban spaces in America.

(2) Low Library

Our administration building housing the Visitors Center, Security and the Office of the President. The Rotunda is surmounted by the largest granite dome in North America.

(3) Hamilton Hall

The heart of Columbia College and home to its Office of the Dean, Undergraduate Admissions and the Center for the Core Curriculum.

(4) The Living Learning Center (Hartley and Wallach Halls)

Housing all years of Columbia students and the Dean-in-Residence and Faculty-in-Residence, fostering close-knit relationships.

(5) John Jay Hall

Named for a pioneering Columbian who became the first Chief Justice of the United States. Home to over 400 first-year students, Columbia's main dining hall and JJ's Place.

(6) John Jay Dining Hall

One of a dozen campus eateries, offering a traditional, all-you-can-eat style collegiate dining experience with a variety of foods.

(7) Butler Library

Columbia University Libraries is the fifth largest academic library system in the nation, and Butler is the flagship with over 2 million volumes.

(8) South Field

The campus green outside of Butler Library, South Field previously served as Columbia's main sports facility where 1922 Columbia alumnus Lou Gehrig began his baseball career.

(9) Furnald Hall

First-years and sophomores live in Furnald in a combination of double and single rooms.

(10) Carman Hall

Carman offers suite-style living for first-year students where four students live in two double rooms and share a bathroom.

(11) Frat Row

Blocks of brownstones lining 114th and 113th streets make up residential and social communities for many fraternities, sororities and cultural and socio-political organizations.

(12) Alfred Lerner Hall

Designed by Bernard Tschumi, the $85 million student center is the largest glass structure of its kind in North America and the main hub for student activities and resources.

(13) Earl Hall

Home to the University Chaplain, meeting space for several campus ministries and student groups and headquarters of Community Impact, our largest umbrella community service organization.

(14) Dodge Hall

Home to our world-famous School of the Arts, Miller Theater, screening rooms, galleries and an arts library.

(15) Havemeyer Hall

Home to the Chemistry department. Room 309 has been featured in numerous films, including Spiderman, Malcolm X, Kinsey, Mona Lisa Smile and Awakenings.

(16) Pupin Hall

A national landmark and the first home to the Manhattan Project, it today houses the Astronomy and Physics departments and the Rutherford Observatory.

(17) Dodge Fitness Center

The gym features three floors of fitness equipment, an indoor track, twelve squash/racquetball courts, four basketball courts, a swimming pool and a full-sized basketball arena.

(18) Engineering Quad (and SEAS and URIP)

Home to the majority of facilities and classrooms for The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, the third oldest engineering school in the nation.

(19) The Botwinick Multimedia Learning Lab

Columbia Engineers take a first-year design course where they partner with NYC non-profit agencies to work on engineering design projects.

(20) Fayerweather and Schermerhorn Halls

Fayerweather is home to the History and Sociology departments; Schermehorn houses a variety of social and natural science departments.

(21) St. Paul's Chapel

A non-denominational place of worship, also used as a performance space and for meetings of over 40 religious organizations on campus.

(22) East Campus (and Center for Career Education)

Home to several academic buildings (including many graduate and professional schools), upper-class residence halls and the Center for Career Education.

(23) Philosophy and Kent Halls

Academic buildings where undergraduates take many seminar courses; they also house the Starr East Asian Library, the Registrar and other essential Student Services.

(24) Buell Hall

Buell predates the building of the Morningside Heights campus; it is today the Maison Française, just one of our many language and cultural centers on campus.

(25) Broadway and Morningside Heights

Often called an academic acropolis, Columbia's surrounding neighborhood includes other colleges, cafes, public parks, shops, restaurants and bookstores.

About the Podcast

Members of the Undergraduate Recruitment Committee are excited to share Columbia with you. In addition to daily weekday campus tours while classes are in session and during most weeks of the summer, we want to make Columbia accessible to prospective students and families anytime! Please join us for a pre-recorded campus tour highlighting some of the historic architecture and acclaimed facilities on this majestic campus and learn more about the Columbia undergraduate experience. From the many campus traditions to the Core Curriculum, it is all covered in the Podcast.

About the Columbia Tour

The Undergraduate Recruitment Committee and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions present this podcast campus tour, featuring twenty-five stops on Columbia’s campus in Morningside Heights. While this tour is intended for prospective students and families considering undergraduate education at Columbia, we welcome all visitors to enjoy learning about our home in New York City.

iPhone/touch Version

This version of the Columbia tour was created by the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning.

Meet the Guides

Ruqayyah Abdul-Karim
Columbia College
Brooklyn, New York
Anthropology & Pre-Medicine

Arianna Bastianini
Columbia College
Caracas, Venezuela
Political Science (International Relations) & Dance

Cliff Massey
Columbia College
Van Buren, Arkansas
Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)

Amanda Olivo
Columbia College
Garden City, New York
Biochemistry

Johnny Ruan
Columbia College
Windsor, Ontario
Astrophysics

Brian Smith
Columbia Engineering
Ruidoso, New Mexico
Computer Science

Alex Topkins
Columbia College
Milton, Massachusetts
Economics & History

Sarah Weiss
Columbia College
Woodland Hills, California
Urban Studies & Hispanic Studies