Photo Tour of Cornell University

McGraw Tower and Chimes, Cornell University campus, Ithaca, New York
McGraw Tower and Chimes, Cornell University campus, Ithaca, New York. Dennis Macdonald / Getty Images

Founded in 1865, Cornell University's Ithaca Campus is home to eight undergraduate and four graduate schools and colleges. The 2,300-acre campus includes 608 buildings. With 20 libraries, over 30 dining facilities, and more than 23,000 students, Cornell is the largest of the prestigious Ivy League schools.

Admission to Cornell is highly selective. The school's 13 percent acceptance rate and high bar for grades and standardized test scores makes it rank among the most selective colleges and universities in the country.

Fast Facts: The Cornell University Campus

  • Location: The main campus is in Ithaca, New York, one of the nation's best college towns. The university has additional campuses in New York City and Doha, Qatar.
  • Size: 2,300 acres (main campus)
  • Buildings: 608. The oldest, Morrill Hall, opened in 1868.
  • Highlights: The campus has stunning views of Lake Cayuga in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Local restaurants and wineries abound.
01
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Cornell University Sage Hall

Cornell University Sage Hall
Cornell University Sage Hall.

 Allen Grove

Opened in 1875 to house Cornell's first female students, Sage Hall recently underwent a major renovation to become home to the Johnson School, the university's business school. The state-of-the-art building now contains over 1,000 computer ports, the Management Library, a fully equipped trading room, team project rooms, classrooms, a dining hall, video-conferencing facilities and a spacious atrium.

02
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Cornell University McGraw Tower and Uris Library

Cornell University McGraw Tower and Uris Library
Cornell University McGraw Tower and Uris Library.

 Allen Grove

McGraw Tower is probably the most iconic structure on Cornell University's campus. The tower's 21 bells ring out in three concerts a day played by student chimesmasters. Visitors can sometimes climb the 161 stairs to the top of the tower.

The building in front of the tower is Uris Library, home to titles in the social sciences and humanities.

03
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Cornell University Barnes Hall

Cornell University Barnes Hall
Cornell University Barnes Hall.

 Allen Grove

Barnes Hall, a Romanesque building constructed in 1887, is home to the primary performance space for Cornell's Music Department. Chamber music concerts, recitals and small ensemble performances all take place in the hall that can seat roughly 280.

The building is also home to Cornell University's main career library, and the space is frequented by students researching medical and law schools or looking for test prep materials for graduate school admissions.

04
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Cornell University Statler Hotel

Cornell University Statler Hotel
Cornell University Statler Hotel.

 Allen Grove

The Statler Hotel adjoins Statler Hall, home to Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, arguably the best school of its kind in the world. Students frequently work in the 150 room hotel as part of their classwork, and the hotel school's Introduction to Wines course is one of the most popular offered at the university.

05
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Cornell University Engineering Quad - Duffield Hall, Upson Hall and the Sun Dial

Cornell University Engineering Quad - Duffield Hall, Upson Hall and the Sun Dial
Cornell University Engineering Quad - Duffield Hall, Upson Hall and the Sun Dial.

 Allen Grove

The building on the left in this photo is Duffield Hall, a high-tech facility for nanoscale science and engineering. To the right is Upson Hall, home to Cornell's Computer Science Department and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.

In the foreground is one of the university's better known outdoor sculptures, the Pew Sundial.

06
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Cornell University Baker Laboratory

Cornell University Baker Laboratory
Cornell University Baker Laboratory.

 Allen Grove

Built shortly after World War I, Baker Laboratory is a massive 200,000 square foot building of neoclassical design. Baker Laboratory is home to Cornell's Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department, the Chemistry Research Computing Facility, the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility, and the Advanced ESR Technology Research Center.

07
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Cornell University McGraw Hall

Cornell University McGraw Hall
Cornell University McGraw Hall.

 Allen Grove

Built in 1868, McGraw Hall has the honor of having the first of Cornell's towers. The building is built of Ithaca stone and is home to the American Studies Program, Department of History, Department of Anthropology, and Archaeology Intercollege Program.

The first floor of McGraw Hall houses the McGraw Hall Museum, a collection of roughly 20,000 objects from around the globe used for teaching by the Anthropology Department.

08
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Cornell University Olin Library

Cornell University Olin Library
Cornell University Olin Library.

 Allen Grove

Built in 1960 on the site of Cornell's old Law School, Olin library sits on the south side of the Arts Quad near Uris Library and McGraw Tower. This 240,000 square foot building has holdings primarily in the social sciences and humanities. The collection contains an impressive 2,000,000 print volumes, 2,000,000 microforms, and 200,000 maps.

09
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Cornell University Olive Tjaden Hall

Cornell University Olive Tjaden Hall
Cornell University Olive Tjaden Hall.

Allen Grove 

One of the many striking buildings in the Arts Quad, Olive Tjaden Hall was built in 1881 in a Victorian Gothic style. Olive Tjaden Hall houses Cornell's Art Department and the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. During the building's most recent renovation, the Olive Tjaden Gallery was created in the building.

10
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Cornell University Uris Library

Cornell University Uris Library
Cornell University Uris Library.

 Allen Grove

Cornell University's mountainside location has led to some interesting architecture such as this underground extension of Uris Library.

Uris Library sits at the base of McGraw Tower and houses collections for the social sciences and humanities as well as a children's literature collection. The library is also home to two computer labs.

11
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Cornell University Lincoln Hall

Cornell University Lincoln Hall
Cornell University Lincoln Hall.

 Allen Grove

Like Olive Tjaden Hall, Lincoln Hall is a red stone building built in high Victorian Gothic style. The building is home to the Music Department. The 1888 building was renovated and expanded in 2000, and now contains state-of-the-art classrooms, practice and rehearsal rooms, a music library, a recording facility, and a range of listening and study areas.

12
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Cornell University Uris Hall

Cornell University Uris Hall
Cornell University Uris Hall.

Allen Grove 

Constructed in 1973, Uris Hall is the home to Cornell's Department of Economics, Department of Psychology, and Depart of Sociology. Several research centers can also be found in Uris including the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, the Center for Analytic Economics, and the Center for the Study of Inequality.

13
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Cornell University White Hall

Cornell University White Hall
Cornell University White Hall.

 Allen Grove

Located between Olive Tjaden Hall and McGraw Hall, White Hall is an 1866 building constructed in the Second Empire style. Build from Ithaca stone, the gray building is part of "Stone Row" on the Arts Quad. White Hall houses the Department of Near Eastern Studies, the Department of Government and the Visual Studies Program. The building underwent a $12 million renovation beginning in 2002.

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Grove, Allen. "Photo Tour of Cornell University." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/cornell-university-photo-tour-788539. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 28). Photo Tour of Cornell University. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/cornell-university-photo-tour-788539 Grove, Allen. "Photo Tour of Cornell University." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/cornell-university-photo-tour-788539 (accessed March 29, 2024).