Yale University Walking Tour (Self Guided), New Haven

The Yale Art and Architecture Building (the "A & A Building") is one of the earliest and best known examples of Brutalist architecture in the United States. The building still houses Yale University's School of Architecture (it once also housed the School of Art). Designed by architect Paul Rudolph and completed in 1963, the complex building contains over thirty floor levels in its seven stories. The building is made of ribbed, bush-hammered concrete. The design was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Larkin Administration Building, in Buffalo, NY and the later buildings of Le Corbusier.

When the building first opened, it was praised widely by critics and academics, and received several prestigious awards, including the Award of Honor by the American Institute of Architects. New York Times architecture critic, Ada Louise Huxtable, called it "a spectacular tour de force." As time went by, however, the critical reaction to the building became more negative. Architecture historian Nikolaus Pevsner bemoaned the structure's oppressive monumentality. A large fire on the night of June 14, 1969 caused extensive damage and during the repairs, many changes were made to Rudolph's original design. Appreciation of the structure has increased in recent years, with Yale investing $126 million for the building's renovation.

The Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of the Yale School of Drama in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented students. Located at the edge of Yale's main downtown campus, it occupies the former Calvary Baptist Church.

As head of "the Rep" from 1966 to 1979, Brustein brought professional actors to Yale each year to form a repertory company, and nurtured notable new authors including Athol Fugard. The more successful works were regularly transferred to commercial theaters.

Of the ninety world premieres the Rep has produced, four have won Pulitzer Prizes; ten productions have received Tony Awards after being transferred to Broadway, and the Yale Repertory Theatre was given a Drama Desk Special Award in 1988 and the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1991. In 2002, the Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre received the Governor's Arts Award from Governor John G. Rowland for artistic achievement and contribution to the arts in the state of Connecticut.

Harkness Tower is a prominent masonry structure located at Yale University in New Haven. Completed in 1922 as part of the Collegiate Gothic Memorial Quadrangle, the tower stands as a tribute to Charles William Harkness, a Yale graduate from the Class of 1883 and the brother of Edward S. Harkness, one of Yale’s most generous benefactors. It was donated by their mother, Anna M. Harkness, in memory of Charles.

Designed by architect James Gamble Rogers, a Yale College classmate of Edward Harkness, the tower was built between 1917 and 1921. It marked the first modern construction of a couronne ("crown") tower in the English Perpendicular Gothic style. Rogers drew inspiration from England’s 15th-century Boston Stump and the tower of Saint Giles' Church in Wrexham, Wales—the latter notably housing the tomb of Elihu Yale, the university's namesake.

Standing at 216 feet (66 meters), the tower was intentionally built with one foot every year since Yale’s founding at the time of construction. Its design includes a square base rising through multiple stages to an octagonal crown adorned with stone finials. It contains 284 steps from the ground to the rooftop.

Harkness Tower became part of Branford College when Yale’s residential college system launched in 1933. A major renovation took place between 2009 and 2010 to restore the tower’s masonry and architectural details.

Midway up Harkness Tower, four copper clockfaces mark the time, with the Yale Memorial Carillon bells ringing behind them. Below, the tower houses the carillon console, practice instruments, office space for the Yale Guild of Carillonneurs, a disused water tank, a historic chimes console, and a memorial chapel. Now an iconic Yale symbol, the tower even features on The Yale Herald masthead and inspired the Cathedral of Christ the King in Hamilton, Ontario.

Connecticut Hall, formerly known as South Middle College, is a Georgian-style landmark on Yale University’s Old Campus in New Haven. Completed in 1752, it is Yale’s oldest surviving building and the second-oldest structure built for the college after it relocated to New Haven in 1718. Originally constructed as a student dormitory, it served that role for 200 years before being converted into academic offices. Today, it houses Yale’s Department of Philosophy, while its third floor serves as a meeting space for the Yale Faculty of Arts & Sciences.

Connecticut Hall holds a special place in American academic architecture—it’s the third-oldest surviving college building from the colonial era in the United States and the last remaining example of Yale’s original Old Brick Row campus plan. The building was constructed by Francis Letort and Thomas Bills, with labor that included enslaved African workers, one of whom was owned by Yale’s then-president Thomas Clap. Funding came from a mix of creative sources, including a Connecticut Assembly grant, a lottery, and the sale of a captured French ship.

Architecturally modeled after Harvard’s Massachusetts Hall, Connecticut Hall set the tone for Yale’s future building designs and even influenced campus architecture elsewhere, including the University of Georgia’s Old College and the first dormitories at Miami University in Ohio—an institution once nicknamed the "Yale of the Early West."

Over the centuries, the building has seen several significant renovations: a fourth floor was added in 1797, but this was later removed in 1905 during a restoration that aimed to recapture its colonial appearance, including the original gambrel roof. Between 1952 and 1954, its interior was entirely rebuilt to better suit academic needs.

Saved from demolition during a 19th-century push to modernize the campus, Connecticut Hall remains a vital historical and academic presence at Yale. In recognition of its cultural and architectural importance, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Welch Hall is a freshman dormitory at Yale University. The building is located on Yale University's Old Campus. Pierce N. Welch, an 1862 graduate of Yale College, Mrs. Cora Van Milligan, and Mrs. Grace M. Davies, heirs of Harmanus M. Welch, mayor of New Haven from 1860 to 1863, donated the building to Yale in 1891 in accordance with their father's wishes.

The architect Bruce Price designed the building. Welch Hall faces College Street and the New Haven Green on one side and the interior of Yale's Old Campus on the other. Carved above the first-floor windows at both ends of the College Street façade is the inscription AD 1891. The dormitory is Victorian English Collegiate in style and built of Longmeadow freestone. The building has been altered and renovated several times.

Welch Hall is currently occupied by Davenport College freshmen. It is considered among Yale students to be one of the more desirable freshman residence halls because it has many single bedrooms, large common rooms, and internal emergency exit doors without alarms, allowing residents to move freely between different parts of the building without having to go outside or through the basement.

Battell Chapel is the largest chapel of Yale University, located on the historic Old Campus in New Haven. Constructed between 1874 and 1876, it was primarily funded by Joseph Battell and other members of his family. Designed in the High Victorian Gothic style, the chapel features a striking exterior of rough brown New Jersey sandstone with decorative elements made of blue Ohio sandstone.

This building succeeded two earlier Yale chapels and served as the space for daily worship services, which were mandatory for all (male and mostly Protestant) Yale College students until 1926. Alongside Durfee Hall and Farnam Hall, Battell Chapel was part of a 19th-century initiative to define the perimeter of the Old Campus and create a stronger visual and structural separation from the rest of the city.

Inside, the chapel features a flat coffered ceiling made of wooden beams, painted blue and adorned with gold leaf. Solid oak paneling and pews line the interior, while religious symbols such as the Greek Cross and the Shield of the Trinity are displayed on the upper pier walls, reflecting Yale’s Congregational and Trinitarian heritage.

One of the chapel’s distinctive features is its now-silent clock and bell chime system, once a timekeeping reference for the entire university. The organ, gifted by Irene Battell Larned (Joseph Battell’s sister), and the Apse Memorial Windows—designed by architect Russell Sturgis and installed in 1876—honor Yale benefactors and its early leadership, including Elihu Yale and the university’s first nine presidents.

Today, Battell Chapel hosts University Church services and concerts by local ensembles, including youth and civic orchestras. It is also a recognized site on the Connecticut Freedom Trail, reflecting its cultural and historical importance.

*** Amistad Freedom Trail ***
The Chapel symbolizes the role the Yale Divinity School faculty and students played in helping the Mende Africans of La Amistad and houses a themed exhibition maintained by Yale.

Durfee Hall is a historic freshman dormitory located on Yale University’s Old Campus in New Haven. Completed in 1871, it is the second oldest residential building at Yale, following Farnam Hall. Today, Durfee houses first-year students from Morse College, who reside there during their freshman year before transitioning to Morse College proper.

Designed by architect Russell Sturgis, Jr., Durfee Hall was funded through the generosity of Bradford M. C. Durfee of Fall River, Massachusetts. It forms part of a trio of buildings by Sturgis, along with Farnam Hall and Battell Chapel. At its completion, Durfee was described as “large and costly,” but quickly earned recognition for its architectural impact, even being called “the centre of wealth at Yale” by The New York Times and praised as one of the finest dormitories in the country.

Architecturally, Durfee is a standout example of Victorian Gothic style, featuring a façade of sandstone and bluestone, complete with gables, turrets, and towering brick chimneys. Its original roofline and chimneys were lauded for their quiet dignity by American Architect and Building News, and the building’s exterior was recently restored by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. A major interior renovation also took place in 2016.

Inside, Durfee Hall features communal suites for 6–9 students, arranged around five stairwells with a walk-through layout. About 80% of the rooms are singles—the highest among Yale's freshman housing. Suites have 12-foot ceilings, wood-paneled walls, fireplaces, and views of Old or Cross Campus. The fifth floor, lit by skylights, includes four large connected suites. Most singles have walk-in closets, and like other Old Campus dorms, there are no overhead lights.

Durfee Hall is more than just a place to sleep—it also houses the beloved Durfee Sweet Shop, Yale’s go-to late-night snack store, and the Yale Women’s Center, both located in the basement.

Sterling Memorial Library is the largest library at Yale University, containing over 4 million volumes. It is an example of Gothic revival architecture, designed by James Gamble Rogers, adorned with thousands of panes of stained glass created by G. Owen Bonawit. The Library has 15 levels, each with its own category of books.

In 1971, the adjoining underground Cross Campus Library was built. It was renovated and renamed to Bass Library in 2007 and connects to Sterling via an underground tunnel. Bass Library currently contains an additional 150,000 volumes. Although the original architect, Bertram Goodhue, originally intended Sterling to be taller and resemble the State Capitol Building in Lincoln, Nebraska, plans changed under the new architect James Gamble Rogers.

The main entrance of library is adorned with symbols and writings in various ancient languages, the work of architectural sculptor Rene Paul Chambellan who executed the designs produced by Lee Lawrie. The rest of the sculptures throughout the library; gargoyles and interior panels and ornamental designs were designed and executed by Rene Chambellan. The Nave is decorated with marble reliefs depicting Yale's founding and the history of New Haven and Connecticut.

The most famous detail about the construction of the library, however, is its windows. In total, there are some 3,300 hand-decorated windows in the library. They depict everything from fiction to history and even small insects on otherwise unadorned panes created to look real. In 2000, one former librarian published a book about the windows.

Sterling Law Building is the building of Yale Law School. It is located at 127 Wall Street, close to the downtown area, in the heart of the Yale campus. It occupies one city block between the Hall of Graduate Studies, the Beinecke Library, Sterling Library, and the Grove Street Cemetery.

The Sterling Law Building was built in 1931. Its model follows the English Inns of Court. In contains classrooms, offices, a law library, a dining hall, a day-care center, and a courtyard. The building is named after Yale alumnus and benefactor John William Sterling, name partner of the New York law firm Shearman & Sterling.

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library is located on the Yale University campus in the Hewitt Quadrangle. The library, which was established in 1963, is one of the world's largest institutions devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts.

The building has a unique appearance that is indicative of its Modern style. Architect Gordon Bunshaft famously designed the building with thin, marble panels that filter indirect sunlight into the library in order to protect the rare manuscripts and books. The outstanding architecture is enhanced by the surrounding buildings, like the Lillian Goldman Law Library and Woolsey Hall, that have a more typically collegiate Beaux-Arts style.

Tourists may marvel at the design of the building, but if possible should plan to stop inside to see the golden light that spills in from the outside and the modernist sculptures by Isamu Naguchi. Though the bulk of the library is only available to Yale University faculty and students as well as visiting researchers, members of the public are typically permitted in exhibition hall, the ground floor and the mezzanine.

Beinecke holds one of the few copies of the original Gutenberg Bible. This is on display in the exhibition hall. John James Audubon's "Birds of America" is also permanently on display. Visitors can find the 1742 Library of Yale College on the ground floor. They will also see some of the earliest books published in the West with dates that go back to 1472.

Special exhibitions are offered throughout the year as well. Previous exhibitions have included modern photography, a focus on poetry and the display of the Declaration of Independence.

Why You Should Visit:
- To see an original Gutenberg Bible
- To marvel at Modern architecture

Tips:
Anyone wanting to see more than the exhibition hall will have to contact Beinecke in advance. Only approved researchers can enter the reading room, which is open by appointment only.

Woolsey Hall is the primary auditorium at Yale University. With approximately 2,650 seats, it is the university's largest auditorium and hosts concerts, performances, and university ceremonies including the annual freshman convocation, senior baccalaureate, and presidential inaugurations.

During the 19th century, Yale became one of the largest higher education institutions in the world, establishing seven graduate and professional schools in addition to the undergraduate college founded in 1701. Although Yale was nominally organized as a university in 1887, its constituent schools remained mostly independent of the university administration, and they lacked any shared facilities. In 1896, Yale President Timothy Dwight V proposed the construction of a central dining hall and auditorium.

Succeeding Battell Chapel as the university's largest assembly space, the new hall was the university's first secular auditorium, coinciding with Arthur Twining Hadley's appointment as the first non-ordained person to lead the university.

Silliman College is a residential college at Yale University. It opened in September 1940 as the last of the original ten residential colleges, and includes buildings that were constructed as early as 1901. It is the largest college in terms of area, consisting of a full city block in New Haven, bordered by College, Wall, Grove and Temple Streets.

The older, Indiana limestone part of the college, consists of the Vanderbilt-Sheffield dormitories and Byers Hall, both originally part of the Sheffield Scientific School. The Van-Sheff portion of Silliman was built between 1903 and 1906 by architect Charles C. Haight in the Collegiate Gothic style. Byers Hall was built in 1903 and was designed by Hiss and Weekes architects in the modified French Renaissance Style.

The newer, Georgian brick portion of the college, which includes most of the core facilities and the Master's house, was completed in 1940 when the college was opened. Architect Eggers & Higgins designed this part of the college.

Due to Silliman's size, the college is able to house its freshmen in the college instead of on Yale's Old Campus, allowing first year students to immediately become immersed in the vibrant student life in Silliman. The College has links to Harvard's Pforzheimer House and Dudley House, as well as Trinity College, Cambridge and Brasenose College, Oxford.