Swarthmore College

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Table of Contents

Tours

1. Swarthmore Scenes

   Not able to visit the campus in person? Tour the campus online.

   Stops

   1. Parrish Hall

      Parrish Hall, the College’s iconic first building, serves as a residence hall on its upper floors and is home to admissions, the deans, and the president’s and provost’s offices. Its lawn is known as Parrish Beach.

   2. Kohlberg Hall

      Kohlberg Hall is home to several academic departments as well as the Language Resource Center and a popular coffee bar. It is also one of many spaces that supports the College's Honors Program. Recognized for its seminar classes, intellectual vigor, and students presenting to external examiners, Honors is modeled on the tutorial system at Oxford University and is unique in American higher education.

   3. Scott Outdoor Amphitheater

      One of Swarthmore's most treasured spaces, the Scott Outdoor Amphitheater is the site of new students’ first formal gathering as a class, First Collection, and their last, Commencement. It’s also a venue for music, dance, and theater shows.
      
      
      

      
      

   4. Life in the Residence Halls

      The College’s 18 residence halls are home to 93 percent of students who choose from a variety of housing options. Students from all class years live together in the halls and each has its favorite hangouts like Wharton Courtyard.

   5. Sharples Dining Hall

      Sharples Dining Hall brings students together for meals under one roof. Language tables, farm-to-table meals, and all-you-can-eat buffets are all part of the menu that always provides options for vegetarian and vegan students.

   6. Intercultural Center

      The Intercultural Center (IC) provides programs and services that support the personal and intellectual development of Asian American, LatinX, multiracial, Native American, queer (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender), low-income, international, and first-generation college students at Swarthmore College. In addition, the IC promotes systemic change toward a multicultural perspective across the institution and fosters community-building and collaboration among diverse groups both within and outside of the College.

   7. Libraries

      At Swarthmore, the vitality of campus life extends into the College’s libraries, including McCabe Library, Cornell Science Library, Underhill Music and Dance Library, and the Friends Historical Library.

   8. Dean Bond Rose Garden

      Each year graduating seniors pin roses from this garden to their gowns before processing into the amphitheater for Commencement. The College’s Scott Arboretum features curated gardens and plant collections throughout the campus.

   9. Black Cultural Center

      The Black Cultural Center strives to critically engage students whose educational, intellectual, and personal interests include issues of race, ethnicity, and the varied social, cultural, and political histories of Africans across the Diaspora. It is a great place to explore and debate ideas, hold study groups, plan and host meetings and events, have dinner, watch TV with friends, read a book, write a paper, or just relax.

   10. Engineering

       The Engineering Department, currently located in Maxine Frank Singer Hall, is a distinctive part of the College’s curriculum since its founding. A responsibly educated engineer must not only be in confident command of current analytic and design techniques, but also have a thorough understanding of social and economic influences and an abiding appreciation for cultural and humanistic traditions. Swarthmore's program supports these needs by offering each engineering student the opportunity to acquire a broad yet individualized technical and liberal education.

   11. Lang Center for Civic & Social Responsibility

       The heart of the approach to civic and social responsibility at Swarthmore is the high energy and deep commitment that its students, faculty, and staff bring to it. The goal of the Lang Center for Civic & Social Responsibility is to provide a learning environment that supports our College community members and the communities of which we are a part. 

   12. Science Center

       Biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics & statistics, physics & astronomy, and the Cornell Science Library provide students and faculty many opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration in this award-winning building. It is also home to Eldridge Commons, which includes a coffee bar, and the Peter van de Kamp Observatory.

   13. Lang Performing Arts Center

       The Eugene M. and Theresa Lang Performing Arts Center is a hub of campus artistic activity, frequently – and often simultaneously – hosting rehearsals, gallery installations, readings, film screenings, classes, and performances. It is also home to the List Gallery, which mounts four or five exhibitions of both emerging and nationally-known artists each year.

   14. Crum Woods

       The College’s Crum Woods, a 220-acre woodland adjacent to campus which features walking trails and the Crum Creek, provides an ecosystem that is an integral part of 35 courses in 12 academic departments.

   15. Traditions

       Annual campus traditions - from the Crum Regatta on Crum Creek to the Pterodactyl Hunt and First Collection - reflect the College’s creative community and link the students’ experiences through the generations.

   16. Kitao Art Gallery

       The Kitao Art Gallery is Swarthmore's student-run gallery space. Every semester it mounts a series of public shows, organized by and for students.

   17. Wellness

       Learning to live well is a lifelong journey. Student Wellness facilitates the holistic growth and development of the mind, body, and spirit of students and the community by creating, organizing, and promoting campus-wide education and prevention initiatives. The Matchbox provides 21,000 square feet of space to support Swarthmore's wellness and fitness needs.

   18. Athletics

       At every level – Division III varsity sports, club and intramural programs, and physical education classes –athletics encourages the lessons of fair play, integrity, discipline, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

   19. Inn at Swarthmore

       The Inn at Swarthmore has 40 guest rooms and suites as well as three meeting rooms totaling 3,400 square feet that are available for academic conferences, social events, workshops, book signings, and more.

        

       Broad Table Tavern at The Inn at Swarthmore offers seasonally inspired menus showcasing locally sourced ingredients and regional artisan products. A convivial atmosphere, inspired beverage selections, and warm staff makes Broad Table Tavern the ideal gathering spot for colleagues, family, and friends.

        

       Adjoining the Inn's lobby is the Campus and Community Store, which includes an array of College-branded items, books, and locally and regionally produced fair trade gifts for guests, students, community residents, and visitors.

   20. Train Station

       Located at the foot of Magill Walk, the train station makes it easy to reach the rich variety of cultural and social life in Philadelphia, only a 22-minute ride away. Other cities on the East Coast are also an easy commute.