Self-Guided, On-Campus Tour

Student Activities Center (SAC)

The Swain Student Activities Center, commonly called the SAC and easily spotted by its iconic clock tower, serves as a hub of campus life. The SAC received a $40-million expansion and renovation in 2018 and offers more than 6 acres of vibrant gathering spaces for students. 

East Wing

• UofL Campus Store
• Starbucks
• Athletics Offices
• Health and Sports Sciences academic advisors & staff offices

West Wing

• Office of Student Involvement
• Health Promotions and Wellness
• Flash naps, chair massages, yoga, etc.
• Multi-purpose Room and Ballrooms
• Dining: Wendy's, Papa John's, Panda Express, Chick-fi-a, Olio Mediterranean, Prime Grill, Aqua Sushi by Drakes, and the Exchange (rotating offerings)

Current hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m EST.

Continue your tour by exiting the building from the second floor, heading down the SAC ramp toward the clock tower.

Student Activities Center

George Howe Red Barn

The George J. Howe Red Barn is located in center of campus and hosts a variety of events throughout the year. The Red Barn is a common ground for students and campus visitors to enjoy, as it is conveniently located next door to the SAC.

• Multiple fairs offered such as for Resident Student Organization (RSO), study abroad, job opportunities, etc.
• Ample space for student groups to hold events and gather
• Often offers free food for students throughout the year

To your left you will see construction for a new residence hall due to be finished by fall 2021. This will include double- and single-occupancy rooms and will be the home of the new Cultural and Equity Center. Also to your left is Threlkeld Hall.

Red Barn

Threlkeld Hall

Threlkeld Hall is a traditional style residence hall with double-occupancy rooms and community bathrooms. Community kitchens, a laundry room, and a lounge area with flat screen TV create a feeling of home for around 250 first-year students. Threlkeld houses the Etscorn Honors Center and staff offices. Also included in Threlkeld are academic advising offices and several classrooms.

Continue your tour by heading straight on the sidewalk toward Davidson Hall. If you see Louie the Cardinal along the way, don't step on him! It is said to be bad luck!

Threlkeld Hall

Davidson Hall

Davidson Hall is named after the University of Louisville’s twelfth president, Philip G. Davidson and his wife, Jane Davidson. 

• Testing services for academic, placement, certification and accreditation exams
• Academic classrooms
• The Psychology Department’s RACER Lab
• Subway
• Provisions On Demand (P.O.D.) Express Dining

Next door to Davidson hall, you will find Strickler Hall.

Strickler Hall

Strickler Hall houses the Office of Diversity Education and Inclusive Excellence Committee. In Strickler, students may study Communication and Pan-African studies, among other classes.

• LGBT Center
• Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice
• Women's Center

In fall 2021, these centers will move to the new residence hall within the Cultural and Equity Center.

Continue your tour by heading straight between Davidson and Strickler toward the Planetarium

Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium

Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium is not only an educational space for astronomy and space education, but houses multiple event spaces used by the public that often include light and laser shows. 

• Planetarium Theater with a 360-degree view
• Workshops and Camps for children
• Weekend laser and light shows - student tickets only $6

Continue your tour by heading straight ahead toward the School of Music.

Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium

School of Music

The School of Music is home to students seeking degrees in music and new media, music education, history, theory, therapy, voice, and musical instruments. The school offers concerts by students, faculty and visiting musicians. The school is home to the Cardinal Singers, a competitive choir ranked in the top 10 best choral ensembles in the world.

• Two recital halls
• A music library
• Musical practice rooms

To your right, you will find the College of Education and Human Development.

School of Music

College of Education and Human Development

The Woodford R. and Harriett B. Porter Building houses the College of Education and Human Development, where students study a variety of subjects, including education, counseling, management, finance, economics, sports administration, and health and sports science. Louisville is home to Kentucky's largest school district and this affords our teacher education students many hands-on learning opportunities.

• Clinical model of teacher preparation
• Numerous student organizations for networking, volunteering and building leadership skills
• Fastest growing program at UofL: Sports Administration

Continue your tour by following the diagonal sidewalk in front of the Planetarium toward the College of Business and continue through the atrium.

College of Education and Human Development

College of Business

Harry S. Frazier Hall is the home to the College of Business. The college is accredited by the AACSB and has earned a strong academic reputation with rankings among the top in the nation. Inside, students will study a number of programs including, but not limited to, accountancy, equine business, computer information systems, marketing and entrepreneurship. 

• Ulmer Career Center, a state-of-the-art resource connection employees with College of Business students and alumni
• Student organizations geared toward business majors
• Classroom and lounge areas for study

Continue your tour by heading left toward the Speed Art Museum. You will pass a horse statue, placed 1 1/4 mile away from Churchill Downs, the exact length of the Kentucky Derby!

College of Business

Speed Art Museum

The Speed Art Museum is the oldest and largest art museum in the state of Kentucky. Although owned by the city of Louisville, students, faculty and staff receive free entry. The museum offers rotating exhibits of classic, contemporary and Kentucky art.

• Interactive exhibits
• Inviting outdoor spaces for student study
• 138-seat cinema
• Concerts and film festivals
• Dining at The Wiltshire

Continue your tour along the sidewalk on Brandeis Avenue. Along the way, you will catch a glimpse of Greek row, where 15% of the student population participates in a sorority or fraternity. As you cross the street, you will find The Ville Grill.

Speed Art Museum

The Ville Grill

The Ville Grill is your spot on campus for an all-you-care-to-eat restaurant. This cafeteria-style dining option is open 7 days a week. With multiple cuisine choices and fresh ingredients, there is something for everyone.

Continue your tour along the sidewalk on Brandeis Avenue. You will cross 2nd and 3rd Streets and turn left on 4th Street toward the Student Recreational Center.

Ville Grill

Student Recreation Center

Considered one of the best in the nation, the Student Rec Center (SRC) is 128,000 square feet of activity for physical, emotional and social well-being. The Office of Intramural Sports is housed within the SRC and includes sports such as flag football, basketball, soccer, tennis, bubble-ball and many more.

• Multiple group fitness studios
• Six basketball courts
• Strength-training area
• Golf simulator
• Racquetball and squash courts
• The SRC Cafe and Cardinal Nutrition
• Home to 23 club sports

As of June 15, hours of operation will be Monday through Friday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m EST, Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST, Sunday 1-7 p.m. EST.

Continue your tour by crossing 4th Street to Community Park, one of our many housing options

Student Rec Center

UofL Housing

With 11 residence halls on campus, there is an option for everyone to find their place to live. Each building is monitored at a front desk 24/7 and offers guidance in the form of resident assistant leaders and hall directors. Students are provided with internet and cable within the building and are able to use community kitchens and laundry services.

Traditional Style

• Typically double-occupancy (limited number of single-occupancy)
• Single-gender communal bathrooms located on each floor or wing
• Halls include: Miller, Threlkeld, Unitas Tower
• Over 20 living-learning and themed communities are offered throughout the residence halls

Suite Style

• Variety of floor plans
• "Jack-and-Jill" style bathrooms
• In-room sink
• Refrigerator and microwave are provided
• Halls include: Community Park, Louisville Hall, Kurz, Billy Minardi

Apartment Style

• Available to upper-level students
• Private bedroom and bathroom
• Common living area and kitchen
• Halls include: Bettie Johnson, Cardinal Towne, University Pointe, University Tower Apartments

Continue your tour by following Brandeis Avenue back to 2nd Street. Turn right at the Speed Museum and you will see Ekstrom Library on your left. Enter through the main West Wing doors.

UofL Housing

Ekstrom Library

The William F. Ekstrom Library is the main library on the Belknap Campus. The West Wing is open 24/7 and you will always find a newly renovated and open area for study. Students, faculty and staff are able to checkout not only books, but movies and laptops as well. The East Wing houses the Research Center where students are able to receive guidance on research subjects and projects. The Digital Media Suite provides an area and equipment for creating and editing videos, a helpful tool for many classes. 

• Computer workstations
• Archives and special collections
• Ann Braden Institute for Social Justice Research
• McConnell Center
• Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning
• University Writing Center
• Starbucks

Current hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST.

Exit through the East Wing doors into the Arts and Sciences Quad. Turn right as you leave the library and follow the sidewalk toward the Oval Lawn.

Ekstrom Library

Brandeis School of Law

Named for Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the School of Law is situated to the side of the recognizable Oval Lawn. The Brandeis School of Law was ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report as Most Efficient School and named an over-performing law school by the Tax Blog.

• 3+3 program: begin law school in final year of undergraduate career and graduate sooner
• Two clinics and three student-led law journals
• 20 student-led organizations

At the head of the Oval Lawn, you will see Grawemeyer Hall.

School of Law

Grawemeyer Hall

The H. Charles Grawemeyer Hall is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and one of the most recognizable buildings on Belknap Campus. Students can easily recognize the building by UofL’s “The Thinker” statue that sits on the front steps of Grawemeyer Hall overlooking the oval lawn area that is often the center of campus events. "The Thinker" is the first large-scale bronze cast, personally supervised by French sculptor Auguste Rodine when it was made in Paris. It came out of the mold on December 25, 1903 and was completed in early 1904.

• Administration Office of the President and Provost of UofL
• A Foucalt pendulum suspended from the building's 73-foot interior dome
• Once served as the university library

To the right of the Oval Lawn, you will see Brigman Hall.

Brigman Hall

Built in 1887, Brigman Hall houses the Justice Administration Unit and the Department of Criminal Justice.

• Includes a Criminal Justice Accelerated Track to Law
• Houses advising offices, classrooms and support services

Continue your tour by heading straight toward Dougherty Hall.

Dougherty Hall

Named after General Russel E. Dougherty, the building was initially used as a Naval Sciences Building and housed the V-12 Navy college.

• Home to Department of Military Science
• Air Force ROTC - Detachment 295
• Army ROTC - Cardinal Battalion

Continue your tour by heading straight toward the Speed School of Engineering.

J.B. Speed School of Engineering

The J.B. Speed Building has the benefit of a small engineering college coupled with the ample resources and activities of a major metropolitan university. Programs include bioengineering, chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer engineering and computer science, electrical and computer engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering.

• Offers 4-year bachelor's degree with optional 5th year master's degree
• Opportunities for co-ops, internships and hands-on experience during during undergraduate career
• City Cafe

Continue your tour by heading north toward Schneider Hall. You will pass the Natural Sciences Building and Miller IT Center.

Speed School of Engineering

Schneider Hall

Schneider Hall is home to the Hite Art Institute and houses the institute’s main offices. The Hite Art Institute is the most comprehensive fine arts program in the state of Kentucky. Programs offered include art history, ceramics, drawing, graphic design, interior design, photography, sculpture, and more.

• Bridwell Art Library
• Three galleries
• Interior design and graphic design studios

Continue your tour by heading straight into the quad, where Lutz Hall will be on your right.

Lutz Hall

Housed within Lutz hall are the Department of Sociology, Department of Anthropology, Department of Geography and Geosciences. Each department provides students with many opportunities both within the classroom and in the community.

• Offers courses in diversity and inequality
• Home to several student organizations
• Prepares students for a variety of careers by connecting with the community

While on the quad, the Belknap Academic Building will be to the left of Lutz Hall.

Belknap Academic Building

The newest academic building on the Belknap campus, finished in 2018, the Belknap Academic Building houses many resources for students. As you step into the building you will notice the benches beside the main staircase. These were made with recycled wood from the Crawford Gymnasium floor on which the 1980 and 1986 championship basketball teams practiced.

• Student Success Center
• REACH (Resources for Academic Achievement)
• 50+ technology-rich classrooms, labs, seminar rooms and group study areas
• Provisions on Demand (P.O.D.) Express Dining
• Labs for chemistry, biology, anthropology and physics

Continue your tour by turning left toward the Shumaker Research Building.

Shumaker Research Building

The John W. Shumaker Research Building is an 117,000-square-foot facility designed to promote multidisciplinary research projects. Within the building you will find conference rooms, administrative offices and lab spaces.

• Lab space for 40+ scientists
• Largest clean room in Kentucky

Enjoy the view in the Belknap Academic Building Quad, newly renamed the 2020 Quad in honor of the graduating class of 2020. Remember not to step on Louie the Cardinal if you see him!