Franklin and Marshall College

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Table of Contents

Tours

1. Campus Tour

   Take a virtual tour of our campus.

   Stops

   1. Wohlsen Admission Office

      Welcome to Wohlsen House, home of our Admission team. When you visit campus in person, this will be the first stop you make. All of our physical tours start here, and our admission counselors conduct information sessions and interviews here year-round.

      
      

      If you've enjoyed this tour and have the opportunity to see the campus in person, we'd love to hear from you. Thanks for checking us out!

   2. Barshinger Center For Musical Arts

      The Barshinger Center is a state-of-the-art concert hall seating 501 people. Its acoustics are near perfect, and every seat offers a great view of the action. If you are interested in joining the Franklin & Marshall orchestra, college chorus, symphonic wind ensemble, chamber singers, or jazz ensemble, this will be your stage -- and often your practice room.

      
      

      The Barshinger Center draws audiences from both the student body and from outside the college community, while attracting professional performers from around the world. This gives F&M students a distinctive opportunity to work with world-class musicians and perform for a wide range of student and community audiences.

   3. Stager Hall

      Stager Hall is a centrally located fixture on campus, and is heavily used for the humanities elements of the F&M curriculum. Known for its premier science laboratories in the 1890s, Stager is now home to eight academic programs: American Studies, Computer Science, Economics, History, Judaic Studies, Mathematics, Religious Studies, and Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies.

   4. Keiper Liberal Arts

      Constructed in Georgian colonial style and red brick, this ornate, three-story building has housed classrooms and department offices since its dedication in 1937. Several departments call this building home, including English, Comparative Literary Studies, Linguistics, and five F&M’s ten language departments: French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish. 

      
      

      On the ground floor of Keiper, facing College Avenue, you will find the Green Room Theatre, an intimate stage for our aspiring actors. F&M alumni who have performed on the Green Room stage include the late Roy Scheider, and Treat Williams.

   5. Shadek-Fackenthal Library

      Shadek-Fackenthal Library—called "Shad-Fack" for short by the students—holds more than 600,000 volumes of literature and scholarly material. Our research librarians add a mind-boggling 10,000 books to the library each year. We're also part of an inter-library loan program connecting students and faculty with almost every library in the country. F&M has two libraries. Our science library, Martin Library of the Sciences, is located at the north end of campus.

      
      

      You’ll find quiet study areas and group study rooms on all five levels of Shad-Fack. There are reference librarians available at the "Ask Me" help desk, and they encourage you to call them or email them whenever you need a helping hand. During Finals Week, the library is open 24 hours a day, and serves free coffee and hot chocolate to help keep your motor running.

   6. Off Campus Housing

   7. Susan and Benjamin Winter Visual Arts Center

       The Susan and Benjamin Winter Visual Arts Center, located on the south side of the Franklin & Marshall College campus, was designed by the renowned architect Steven Holl and opened in August of 2020. It provides a clean, modern environment for creating and appreciating art—including painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, photography, digital graphics and film. The building is the home of the Department of Art and Art History and the Department of Film and Media Studies, along with a gallery managed by the Phillips Museum of Art.

      
      

   8. Old Main

      Dedicated in 1856, historic Old Main housed classrooms for many years, later serving as a residence hall. Today, Old Main is home to nondenominational Nevin Chapel, which hosts a variety of services and doubles as a recital hall for intimate musical concerts. Old Main also houses the offices of Franklin & Marshall's leading administrators, including the president, provost, and dean.

   9. The Diplomatic Café

      The Diplomatic Café is operated by Sodexo and is partnered with a local coffee shop (Square One) serving fresh salads, sandwiches, soups, coffee and tea drinks. It is on the ground floor of our campus bookstore, and features a patio dining space.

   10. Harwood Commons

       Harwood Commons houses F&M's Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development. OSPGD, as we call it, engages our students beginning in their first year, offering programs on financial literacy, public speaking, leadership development, and top-notch advising on field and industry exploration. OSPGD supports students during and beyond their time at F&M by helping them compete for summer and post-graduate opportunities, no matter which pathway and career they choose, and no matter how far out they are from graduation.

       
       

       Harwood Commons is also home to the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement, the center of volunteerism at F&M. Our students are highly engaged, locally and globally. In fact, 80 percent of our students take part in at least one volunteer activity, ranging from reading to students in Lancaster schools, to traveling to South Africa to teach children and their families how improved hygiene can increase their quality of life. If you are looking to contribute to the world around you, this is your place to start.

       
       

   11. Hartman Green

       In warm weather, the grassy expanse of Hartman Green draws students outdoors in droves and serves as the site for the majority of major campus events, such as student activity fairs, outdoor concerts and Commencement for the senior class.

       
       

       Impromptu games of football, Frisbee and soccer break out regularly on the green. During warm spring days and crisp fall afternoons, you'll find dozens of students spread out on blankets or sitting in clusters of Adirondack chairs, studying, socializing, or snoozing.

       
       

       Squaring off the green are Steinman College Center; Dietz Hall, a residence reserved for students who prefer quiet living; Schnader and Thomas residence halls; Hackman Physical Sciences Building, home to F&M's earth sciences, geology, physics and astronomy departments; and the Patricia E. Harris Center for Business, Government & Public Policy.

       
       

       
       

   12. Residential Quad

       The residential quad is a sloping, tree-lined green that rolls south to north, from Brooks College House to Weis College House. Flanking the quad are Brooks and Bonchek College Houses to the east and Schnader and Thomas residence halls to the west. Just north of Weis College House is New College House.

       
       

       The College House community is distinctively F&M. Our five houses, which group first-year students into smaller cohorts, are student-governed spaces where you can socialize, learn, and stretch your intellect. The communities within the houses are tight-knit, and many students forge lifelong friendships here. Based in each house are a faculty mentor, called a don, and an administrative counselor, called a dean, to guide you.

       
       

       
       

   13. Ben Franklin Dining Hall

       Whatever flavor you're in the mood for, you'll find it in Benjamin Franklin Dining Hall -- “D Hall” for short -- serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. There are five venues under one roof here, including the Marketplace, where the all-you-can-eat menu changes daily.

       
       

       If you're a burger-and-fries kind of person, you'll love the Kite 'N' Key, which also makes fresh sandwiches, subs and wraps. If salad is more your thing, we have a fresh salad bar with a huge variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. There also is a pizza and pasta bar and a vegetarian station serving a variety of hot, nutritious meals. And don't forget dessert!

       
       

       One of the most popular spots in D-Hall is KIVO, featuring kosher, international, vegan and organic foods to meet students' religious obligations and personal preferences. KIVO is also a great alternative for students who have dietary restrictions or prefer their food to be organic and from sustainable sources.

       
       

       
       

   14. Weis College House

       Weis College House was dedicated at Franklin and Marshall College in 2011 and was made possible by the vision and deep generosity of Robert and Patricia Weis and the Weis family. The House motto is socii mundi, translated as "compatriots with an interest in the world." It is a call to join together in the College House community to pursue knowledge and truth.

       
       

       College Houses are much more than residence halls—they are student-run communities. Each house creates its own rules of conduct, drafts a constitution and elects its leaders. Each house has its own budget, which it can spend as it sees fit. House residents choose furnishings and decorations, hold dinners, plan special projects, start clubs—of which we have more than 125—host guest speakers and engage in intellectual debates that spill over from the classroom. Each house is a true supportive community.

   15. Weis College House Bedroom

       This is an example of the types of double-occupancy rooms that are available in Weis and the other four College Houses.

   16. Life Sciences & Philosophy Building

       The Ann and Richard Barshinger Life Sciences and Philosophy Building houses F&M's Psychology, Biology, and Philosophy departments. In addition to classrooms and labs, "LSP" also has a philosophy garden, a vivarium, aquatics and plant-growth suites, and a greenhouse. F&M encourages students to take interdisciplinary approaches to complex problems, so the students who study here typically combine two or more academic interests into majors such as Biological Foundations of Behavior, Scientific and Philosophical Studies of the Mind, Public Health, or Animal Behavior. 

       
       

       Franklin & Marshall has a long history of excellence in the sciences, and we enjoy a reputation for launching our graduates into success in the fields of medicine and academics. Our students and faculty work closely to create knowledge and hone their research and experimentation skills. The beauty of research at F&M is that you can do it in any field, not just the sciences. Two-thirds of our students work directly with a faculty member, individually or in small groups, on a research project while at F&M. These are the kinds of hands-on experiences that give our students a distinctive edge in their postgraduate pursuits.

       
       

   17. Alumni Sports & Fitness Center

       Facility Hours
       
       The Alumni Sports & Fitness Center --"ASFC” for short -- is F&M's multipurpose athletic complex. It features an Olympic-sized swimming pool, five full-sized multipurpose courts, a weight room with cardiovascular equipment, and 200-meter tracks on the lower and upper levels. The coaches for varsity athletic teams such as track and field, cross country, and soccer call the ASFC home. 

       
       

       At F&M, coaches do more than condition players and build game plans. They are teachers and mentors whose doors are always open. Student-athletes frequently seek out their coaches when they are in need of advice and guidance on topics beyond the court and field, and many students continue their relationship with coaches for years after graduation. F&M is a Division III school with 27 men's and women's athletic teams, as well as dozens of intramural and club sports. At F&M, you can balance education with athletics to be a true student-athlete.

       
       

   18. Martin Library of the Sciences

       Martin Library of the Sciences (MLS) was built in 1990, dedicated 1991, and renovated in 2015. MLS contains over 60,000 volumes in the sciences, a collection of topographic maps, and the Archives & Special Collections.
       
       It is also home to our Technology Lending Center (TLC) and Information Technology Services (ITS).
       
       The TLC is your destination when you need gear for your special projects; cameras, tripods, iPads, laptops, Chromebooks, webcams, voice recorders, projectors, video cameras can all be rented out here. 

   19. Student Support Hub

       The ground floor of Harris houses an excellent campus resource, the Student Support Hub. Creative lighting, large interactive displays and comfortable seating combine to form a modern, relaxed atmosphere. 
       
       Currently home to the Quantitative and Science Center, Peer Academic Coaches, the Writing Center, and First-Year Advising Mentors -- peer-to-peer support services. Also home to Amy Faust, professional learning support specialist. 
       
       The Quantitative and Science Center has 65 tutors organized into 8 teams (Bio, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics/Astronomy, Computer Science, Math, Psychology/Stats, Business/Econ).

   20. Harris Center

       Opened in the summer of 2009, the Harris Center houses two of our most popular majors: Government, and Business, Organizations & Society. Harris is also home to our Floyd Institute for Public Policy, which conducts political polling that is cited nationally. The brightly lit, cheerful building is named for Patti Harris '77, who was the first deputy mayor of New York City.

   21. Steinman College Center

       Welcome to bustling Steinman College Center! Here you will find students "atriating"—studying or relaxing in the atrium—or grabbing lunch at one of three restaurants. The Horseshoe Café serves made-to-order subs and pizza. The Grill Off the Green features a variety of traditional grill options such as breakfast sandwiches, chicken fingers, burgers, quesadillas and grilled sandwiches. And Simply Salads? You can probably guess what they serve up.

       
       

       The student center is also home to the student-run radio station, WFNM, and to the Alice Drum Women’s Center. Our community calls Steinman the “living room” of the College, a place where students, faculty, professional staff and guests can gather to share a variety of social, educational, cultural and recreational experiences. The center was designed by M. Yamasaki, the same architect who created the World Trade Towers in New York City.

       
       

       
       

   22. Phillips Art Museum

       The Phillips Museum of Art is a vital cultural resource for the College and the community. It is home to an extensive and expansive permanent collection, and our students have an active role in researching and curating exhibits in its three galleries and outdoor sculpture garden.

       
       

       The museum presents exhibitions by well-known regional, national, and international artists, while providing ample opportunities for research and study, as well as for less-formal learning experiences for students, faculty and the Lancaster community.

       
       

       The museum's curriculum gallery provides an ideal space for students to engage in hands-on instruction with professors of art and art history. And in the spring, senior art majors curate and exhibit their work in the museum as part of their theses.

   23. Mayser Gymnasium

       Facility Hours
       
       The playing surface of Mayser Center’s 3,200-seat basketball court is so true and well maintained that the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers trained on it for two decades. Our men's and women's basketball teams practice and play on Glenn Robinson Court, named after former men's head coach Glenn Robinson, who holds the national record for the most wins of any coach in Division II or III basketball. On fall and winter nights, the Dip Zone -- the home fans' cheering section -- is packed to the rafters with students, faculty and community members cheering on the Diplomats.

       
       

       Mayser is also the site of the college's volleyball courts, wrestling facilities, athletic offices and squash courts. In addition to competing here, our squash players also use this space to perform community service. Through a program called Squash Aces, our players serve as academic tutors for local middle school students and teach them the fundamentals of the game of squash, a well-rounded blend of mental and physical activity.

   24. Roschel Performing Arts Center

       If you like to act or dance, or if you're a budding filmmaker, The Roschel Performing Arts Center could become your second home. It's the core of F&M's Theatre, Dance and Film Department, but is available to everyone. Each spring, F&M Players, a student theatre group, stages a major production at Roschel. Recent performances include "Anything Goes," "Legally Blonde" and "Broadway Revue." The theatre seats 301 and features a set-design area, large dressing rooms, an area for costume production, and top-of-the-line sound and lighting equipment. Elsewhere in Roschel you'll find two beautiful and spacious dance studios, where you can take a variety of classes and lessons--from swing to tap to ballet to jazz. Our dance and theatre professors are professionally active and are trained at the highest levels.

   25. Arts Quad

       The Arts Quad is the gateway to our first-rate fine arts facilities and also home to our collection of large-scale sculptures. Bordering the quad are the Barshinger Center for Musical Arts, Roschel Center for the Performing Arts, and the Phillips Museum of Art, housed in our student center, Steinman College Center.