Campus Attractions

Syracuse University's Main Campus has a striking physical presence as well as the warm feel of a traditional college campus setting. Over the years, there are many places on campus that continue to be popular with our students and visitors. Several of them are listed below.

• The Campus
• The Quad
• The Schine Student Center
• Marshall Street
• The Carrier Dome
• Archbold Gym
• Bird Library
• The Orange Grove

The Campus

Visit SU during the academic year and you'll feel the excitement and energy in the air. The campus contains 170 buildings used for academic purposes, student housing, and recreation.

South Campus, located just more than a mile away from Main Campus, has residence halls and apartments, a student center with dining and recreation areas, outdoor sports courts and fields, and an ice pavilion.

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The Quad

For many Syracuse University students, the Quad is one of the most lasting visual memories of their college years. As the center of campus, the Quad's walkways serve as the main lines for walks between classes.

In the spring and summer, students can be seen here throwing Frisbees, sitting on benches reading, or gathering with classmates for study sessions.  During the winter, you might find students builiding snowmen or participating in Winter Carnival events.

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The Schine Student Center

One block north of the Quad, the Schine Student Center is the heart of student activity. A food court, bookstore, auditorium, gallery, lounges, meeting rooms, game room and student organization offices are housed in this center.

Built in 1985, Schine Student Center ended a 73-year struggle to create a student center on the SU campus. University trustee Renee Schine Crown, a 1950 graduate, donated funds to create the center and named it in memory of her parents.

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Marshall Street

Not officially part of the SU campus, Marshall Street ("M Street") is embedded in the memories of most alumni. Its many shops and restaurants are frequented by the University community. 

Marshall Street underwent a facelift in the summer of 2000. The street was repaved, and diagonal parking was added. Also, utility poles were removed and cables placed underground, and decorative light fixtures were installed.

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The Carrier Dome

Perhaps no other building on campus is as famous as the Carrier Dome. Built in 1980, the Dome, which looms over the former site of its predecessor, Archbold Stadium, is home for SU's football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. Melvin C. Holm, then-chairman of SU's Board of Trustees and the Carrier Corporation, helped initiate multi-million-dollar funding for the athletic facility.

The fifth-largest domed stadium in the nation, it was the first in the Northeast and is the largest on a college campus.

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Archbold Gymnasium

Archbold Gymnasium dates back to 1908 and continues to provide faculty, staff, and students with top facilities for athletic recreation and competition. It was built after John D. Archbold offered to pay a University debt and to ensure the gymnasium's construction. A former president of the Board of Trustees, Archbold gave the University numerous gifts for building construction on the SU campus.

The Financial Aid Office, Bursar's Office and ROTC are located in Archbold North.

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Bird Library

This building, constructed in 1972 and renovated in the early 1990s, serves as the University's main library. Featuring more than two million volumes, Bird Library is named after the building's major donor and is fortified with some of the most advanced information retrieval technology.

The sixth floor is home of the University's archives and special collections, and the William A. Safire Reading Room, which opened in 1994 and houses a collection of books donated by Safire, a New York Times columnist, former SU student, and University trustee.

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The Orange Grove

Established in 2003 through the collaborative efforts of the Syracuse University Alumni Association and the Syracuse University Office of Alumni Relations, the Orange Grove is a beautiful space at the heart of campus dedicated to the loyal supporters of SU. Located on the Quad in front of Bowne Hall, alumni, students, staff, and all friends of the University can have their name etched in granite. This campus landmark is a permanent tribute to these individuals that have made the University the outstanding institution it is today.

In May, graduating students write their 5-year goals on orange ribbons and tie them on the branches of the trees in the Orange Grove.

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