Join tour guide Natalie Maroun ’21, ’22G as she takes you through all three campuses—Asa Packer, Mountaintop and Goodman—while sharing stories and highlights from each location.
Welcome to Lehigh University. My name is Natalie Maroun and I will be your tour guide today. As an undergraduate student, I was part of Lehigh’s Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts, and Sciences program and now, as a graduate student, I am pursuing my masters degree in engineering. We are excited that you have stopped by for a visit, and we hope you make our campus your home throughout your time in Bethlehem. At the end of each stop you will hear walking directions to the next stop. You may also want to refer to the fold-out campus map at the front of your Campus Guide for the walking route. To begin the self-guided tour, please walk back towards the parking garage, through the archway and make a left onto the pathway before the garage entrance. Continue down this path as you curve around the Alumni Memorial Building and stop once you have reached Leadership Plaza featuring the statue of our founder, Asa Packer, at the back entrance of the building.
Lehigh University was founded in 1865 by Asa Packer. About 5,500 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students call this university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania "home." With five distinguished colleges - the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Business, the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Education, and the College of Health - Lehigh strikes the perfect balance: It's an internationally recognized research university with an ideal student-to-faculty ratio that allows students and faculty to collaborate in and out of the classroom. Join me to learn about the facilities and opportunities that teach our students to tackle tomorrow's challenges.
Your visit, as with most prospective students, starts at the Alumni Memorial Building. Constructed in 1924, the Alumni Memorial Building was built to honor the 1,921 alumni who served in World War I and the 46 who died. The building was designed by Theodore G. Visscher, Class of 1899, and James Lindsey Burley, Class of 1894. The plan, as Ross Yates notes, was for the building to be an “architecturally unique memorial.” The building currently houses some of the university’s administrative offices including the offices of the President, Provost, Diversity, Inclusion & Equity, Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid, Bursar, and Registration & Academic Services.
Our next stop is the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall. Please walk through Leadership Plaza, passing stone benches on either side, and continue down the path lined with iron benches and greenery. You’ll notice the President’s house on your right. Once you have reached the end of the walkway, make a left and take the first path on your right. Follow this path across University Drive and directly onto the brick pathway which is Memorial Drive. Continue walking down Memorial Drive until you are in front of the flag pole situated on the main lawn. The Clayton University Center at Packer Hall is situated at the top of the lawn beyond the flagpole.
Affectionately referred to as the “UC,” the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall is a hub of campus activity. As the second oldest building on campus, the UC was once home to almost all of Lehigh’s classrooms and facilities. Today, the UC houses student services such as Academic Support, the Center for Gender Equity, Multicultural Affairs and the Pride Center, in addition to one of two main dining halls, a formal dining room, and a grab-and-go food court. The dining halls at Lehigh are buffet-style and provide students with a variety of options on a daily basis. Both dining halls have vegetarian, vegan, and allergy-free options to accommodate students. Lehigh also has a registered dietician that students can meet with to create meal plans and gain support through dietary changes. In addition to the dining hall, students can eat at Upper Court, a grab-and-go food court on the second floor of the building that offers Mexican food, burgers and sandwiches, sushi, Korean BBQ, soups, salads, and more. It is also home to Girdler Gallery, a favorite student study spot. In front of the building, the UC Front Lawn is home to a variety of events throughout the year such as the Student Activities Fair at the beginning of the fall semester, the International Bazaar during the spring, and one of our most-loved traditions, the First-Year Rally. During The Rally, our newest incoming class is welcomed to the Lehigh family and is adopted by the alumni who matriculated to Lehigh 50 years prior. Thanks to a generous $20 million gift from Kevin Clayton--an alumnus from the Class of ’84 and Lehigh parent who served on the board of trustees for 22 years, including as chair--and his wife Lisa, the UC will undergo a major expansion and renovation throughout the early 2020s. The renovation will preserve the historic nature of the building while creating a dynamic, state-of-the-art environment for student life.
To reach our next stop, Linderman Library, continue down the brick pathway of Memorial Drive, stopping at the base of the first sidewalk path on your right hand side. As you look up, you will see the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall to your right and Linderman Library to your left.
Built in 1877, Linderman Library is recognized as one of the most beautiful university libraries in the country. Known for its iconic stained glass rotunda and reading room, Linderman holds 1.2 million volumes, including a rare book collection that features first editions of English and American literature from the 17th to 19th centuries. Widely used by the student community, Linderman is open until 2 a.m. most nights and is home to collaborative group study rooms and Lucy’s Café which offers organic fair trade coffee and espresso beverages, sandwiches, sushi, and snacks. It’s the perfect location for a long study session, or to relax and enjoy a good book.
Our next stop is Williams Hall. Continue down the brick pathway of Memorial Drive once again. On your left you will pass one of our emergency blue lights, which is connected to our University Police Department and part of our larger campus safety infrastructure, and Chandler-Ullmann Hall. Chandler-Ullmann recently underwent a $31 million renovation. It also won a gold medal for its modern-like design in 1889 at the Paris Exposition and was called the best chemistry building in the world. Shortly after passing Chandler-Ullmann you will see a large, two-tiered staircase on your right hand side. At the top of this staircase sits Williams Hall.
Williams Hall was recently renovated to serve as the global hub of campus. The Silver LEED certified building features the Herbert A. Roemmele ’53 Global Commons, a two-story atrium with video feeds that live stream news stories from around the world and serves as a meeting space for large groups. The building is also home to offices including Student Affairs, Residence Life and Academic Support Services. Another highlight of Williams Hall is the Ciatti Global Cafe, a student favorite dining option known for their made-to-order noodle bowls.
Continue down the brick pathway of Memorial Drive one last time as you head to our next destination, Taylor Gym and Welch Fitness Center. Along the path you will pass a number of sculptures on either side, a few of many sculptures featured across our campus, as well as the Sherman Fairchild Center for the Physical Sciences on your left. As you get to the end of the pathway, you will find Taylor Gym and Welch Fitness Center directly ahead.
Taylor Gym is the main recreation center and one of the most active buildings on campus. Taylor’s Welch Fitness Center features weight and cardio equipment, racquetball courts, basketball courts, dance and fitness class studios, the Lane climbing wall, and the Jacobs and Morrissey Pools. It’s open 16 hours per day and is open to all students. Many of our student athletes also take advantage of their own athletic facilities and equipment on Goodman Campus. This helps ensure that Taylor’s Welch Fitness Center is not overcrowded, and provides a comfortable space for all students to use the facilities as they please. Taylor Gym is also home to the Lehigh athletic offices, Campus Athletics, Sports Medicine and the Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame.
Once you are ready to head to our next destination, the Centennial II Complex, please cross Taylor Street so that you are standing in front of Taylor Gym.
The Centennial II Complex is one of the many first-year dorms clustered around campus. At Lehigh, all first- and second-year undergraduate students are required to live on campus. Students find that this offers them the opportunity to develop close connections with friends and immerse themselves in campus life. Each first-year residence hall is unique, but they all surround the academic core of the campus and offer a short walk to classes, the libraries, the gym and all on-campus activities. All residence halls feature laundry facilities, common study areas, kitchens and tv/game areas. First-year residence halls also host tutoring sessions in the common rooms for many introductory courses, such as Intro to Economics, Physics 1, Calculus, and more. Lehigh also offers Themed Housing for students who are interested in living with others who share similar interests and hobbies, as well as Greek Life.
Further up South Mountain just beyond the Centennial II Complex is Rathbone Hall, our main first-year dining hall. Rathbone offers 360-degree views of campus and the surrounding city of Bethlehem. This dining hall features multiple culinary platforms to serve a variety of nutritional needs, including vegetarian and allergen- and gluten-free options. Rathbone also offers daily selections from Lehigh’s award-winning campus bakery and is home to fun events such as late-night breakfasts and themed dinners.
Our next stop is Zoellner Arts Center.
A premier performing arts center, the Zoellner Arts Center showcases the arts at Lehigh and also hosts world class performers from around the globe. Within Zoellner, you’ll find three theaters –the 1,000 seat Baker Hall, the Diamond Theater and the Black Box Theater, an experimental performance space. Performers and key-note speakers such as Leslie Odom Jr, Postmodern Jukebox, the cast of Kinky Boots and Ibram X. Kendi have all taken the stage in Zoellner. One great perk is that students and faculty have the opportunity to attend all shows, both Lehigh-run and traveling, for free with their Lehigh ID. Other facilities include two of the eight on-campus LU Art Galleries, a music library, practice rooms, a woodshop and a costume shop. Zoellner is also home to Lehigh’s Theatre and Music departments. Students across all colleges and majors are able to participate in the various performance ensembles and student-led groups as well as take voice and instrumental lessons with professional musicians on campus.
To head to our next stop, walk through the pillars of the Zoellner Arts Center Entrance Plaza and make a left walking down the ramp and towards the sculpture located in front of the Clayton Conference Center at Rauch Business Center.
Approximately 1/4 of Lehigh’s undergraduate students are enrolled in the College of Business, currently housed in Rauch Business Center. The building houses state-of-the-art classrooms, auditoriums and meeting areas, as well as the "Common Grounds" eatery. Additionally, Rauch is home to Lehigh’s MBA program, the Clayton Conference Center and the Financial Services Lab. At the FSL, undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty from across campus can gain a better understanding of the financial world through the meeting of theory, practice, and research with the state of the art classroom designed to simulate the Wall Street trading environment. As you make your way to the next tour stop, you will also pass our new 74,000-square-foot College of Business building. This new facility will accommodate 16 additional teaching spaces for both undergraduate and graduate programs, an expanded Financial Services Lab, a Data Analytics Lab, a Rauch Media and Communications Lab, and a Behavioral Lab. It will also be home of the Vistex Institute for Executive Learning and Research.
Next up we’ll see Wilbur Powerhouse. Head out to Packer Avenue and make a left without crossing the street. Walk down the sidewalk next to Rauch Business Center, and you will pass the University Police Department on your right. As you continue down Packer Avenue you will cross Taylor Street and pass our new College of Business building, previously mentioned, on your right. At the intersection of Packer Avenue and Webster Street come to a stop, and you will see Wilbur Annex on your left hand side.
The Wilbur Powerhouse is a 17,000 square foot facility in the heart of campus designed to give students and faculty the tools and resources to go from idea to physical concept. Programs and departments from across all four undergraduate colleges use the open space of the Powerhouse and its unique set of resources which include the Additive Lab featuring 3D printing, design labs, computing labs and the creativity lab. You’re bound to find students collaborating and discovering here around the clock. Lehigh values collaboration, and offers many unique interdisciplinary programs. Our intercollegiate interdisciplinary programs include Computer Science and Business (CSB), Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences (IDEAS) and Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE). Beyond these programs, all students are given the flexibility to customize their own unique Lehigh experience.
Our Health, Science and Technology Building is up next.
To get to our next stop, cross Packer Avenue and head down the left side of Webster Street. Walking down Webster Street you will first pass Whitaker Laboratory and then you will walk around the corner of the Health, Science and Technology Building on your left-hand side. Continue on Webster until you come to the intersection with Morton Street. Make a left onto Morton Street and continue until you come to the intersection of Morton Street and Adams Avenue then stop. On one side you will see the red brick of the Farrington Square apartment complex, and on the other, the entrance to the Health, Science and Technology Building.
The new Health, Science and Technology building (HST) serves as the home of the College of Health. The 195,000-square-foot building houses faculty and staff, key labs and resources, and dramatically increases Lehigh’s capacity for interdisciplinary research. The facility will promote a new, innovative model of research. Interdisciplinary teams will utilize the space, while undergraduates will engage in high-impact, hands-on learning experiences, working alongside graduate students and faculty researchers in an atmosphere of constant innovation and change.The HST building features open-concept labs, transparent walls, staggered staircases, integrated workspaces and a community forum, laid out in a way that prompts unexpected meetings among students and colleagues. The HST building redefines innovation as a community health space by allowing Lehigh to forge important new partnerships with local organizations, schools and churches.
Once you are ready to head to the next stop on our tour, continue down Morton Street passing the Farrington Square apartment complex on your left. At the intersection of Morton Street and New Street you will come to our next stop, Farrington Square.
Farrington Square resides on the border of campus and acts as Lehigh’s gateway to South Bethlehem. It features a residential complex for upperclassmen with two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. It’s also home to the University Bookstore, the Campus Mail Center, and several eateries, including The Cup, a Bethlehem tradition for homemade ice cream, and Johnny’s Bagels. Farrington Square’s plaza hosts the Bethlehem Farmers’ Market each Thursday from May to October, which provides students with an opportunity to buy local produce and support local eateries and food trucks while enjoying live music.
Next up you’ll see Maginnes Hall.
Maginnes is home to the College of Arts & Sciences and features many classrooms and computing spaces. The College of Arts & Sciences, which includes approximately 1/3 of Lehigh's undergraduate population, offers over 50 different majors of study. In Maginnes, you’ll find art from LU Art Galleries displayed throughout the halls and our Center for Career and Professional Development, which provides robust support to the student body through career coaching and career education, connecting students with internship and job opportunities, and mobilizing support from alumni and employer partners.
STEPS stands for Science, Technology, Environment, Policy & Society and is one of the many buildings, along with Maginnes, utilized by the College of Arts and Sciences. A gold status LEED-certified facility, the state-of-the-art STEPS building features an open design facilitating interdisciplinary work across the departments housed within it. On the other side of the courtyard from STEPs and Maginnes, you’ll find Lehigh’s other library: The E.W. Fairchild-Martindale Library. It is home to five floors of collaborative and innovative work spaces, classrooms, private and semi-private study nooks, group meeting rooms and open study areas. It is also home to the Visualization Lab, Digital Media Studio, and a one-touch DIY Video Recording Studio. Throughout this library you’ll find the space brightened by art created by students and from the LU Art Galleries. The recently opened Grind Cafe offers coffee, tea, baked goods, sandwiches and sushi to help sustain students as they study and work together.
For our last stop we’ll head over to Packard Laboratory. Walk up the path next to STEPS leading up to Packer Avenue. Those that took the route without stairs, you will be going back up the same path you came down. Once at the pedestrian walkway, cross Packer Avenue and head up the hill back towards the flagpole. On your left you will pass Packer Memorial Church. As you get to the flagpole, curve right onto the Memorial Drive and head down the path immediately on your right leading directly to the entrance of Packard Laboratory.
Packard Laboratory is the headquarters of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. The building features Old No. 1, the original Packard Automobile generously donated by Lehigh alum James Packard. Packard Laboratory houses the department of mechanical engineering and mechanics, and the department of electrical and computer engineering. There are a variety of lab spaces in Packard, including the manufacturing lab, the engines lab, a cast-molding room and the aerospace wind tunnel. Approximately 1/3 of Lehigh’s undergraduate students are enrolled as engineering majors, and they can often be found in Packard’s auditoriums, numerous classrooms, research labs, lecture halls and computer labs.
That concludes our tour of the Asa Packer Campus. To head back to the Alumni Memorial Building parking garage, follow the path from the main entrance of Packard Lab leading back up to the brick path of Memorial Drive. Make a right onto Memorial Drive and follow the path crossing over University Drive. Once on the other side of the street, make a left onto the path and then a right at the bench. Directly ahead you should see the beautiful Alumni Memorial Building once again.
Thank you so much for joining us today! We hope you enjoyed your time on campus, and will join us for a formal Information Session and tour, or a virtual visit opportunity. For more information, please visit us online at lehigh.edu/admissions.
Located at the top of South Mountain, the Mountaintop Campus contains major research facilities, including ATLSS, a national center for research and education on structures and materials of the infrastructure. Mountaintop is home to the College of Education, which offers graduate degrees and certifications, and the Art, Architecture, and Design Department, which is housed in Building C, a renovated building previously owned by Bethlehem Steel. Mountaintop also serves as the inspiring backdrop for the Mountaintop Summer Experience—where students, faculty, and external partners come together to work on interdisciplinary projects that lead to transformative new innovations and new questions.
Goodman Campus is Lehigh’s athletic campus. It includes our 16,000 seat football stadium, Goodman Stadium; the 6,000 seat Stabler Arena, which is used for basketball games and concerts; Rauch Fieldhouse; and Cundey Varsity House. Goodman is also home to acres of playing fields and cross country trails. Lehigh has 25 Division I Varsity sports, as well as many Club and Intramural sports programs, and our students are active in participating and cheering on our teams, especially in the famed Lehigh-Lafayette Rivalry match, America's most played college football match-up.
Thank you for taking the time to do a self-guided tour of Lehigh University. We hope to continue our conversation with you, so please sign up for our mailing list, come back for a formal event, connect with us on social media and submit your application!
