Great Places to Visit at Rutgers
The fall is always and exciting time to be back on campus. To celebrate the start of another school year, we are sharing a list of some favorite and forgotten spots and some new sites at the university to visit as we reconnect with our friends and our community.
What to See at Rutgers-New Brunswick
Take a Walk Across the Kissing Bridge
Ravine Bridge, also called the “Kissing Bridge,” across the scenic ravine near the Mason Gross Performing Arts Center, is a suspension bridge on the Douglass campus that was engineered by the same firm that built the Brooklyn and George Washington Bridges.
Visit Rutgers Garden
Rutgers Gardens is a 180-acre public garden off Ryders Lane, that includes a rhododendron and azalea display garden, an ornamental tree collection, bamboo forest, a student farm and farmer's market. It’s an ideal spot to escape to for a peaceful walk and some breathtaking views.
Enjoy the Rutgers Farm
Rutgers Farm is a 150-acre teaching, research, and production farm where you can take a break and watch horses, cattle, goats and sheep grazing and pigs getting comfortable in the mud. Depending on the time of year, you may also spot some piglets and other baby animals. The Rutgers Farm Store, open 1-4 p.m. on Fridays, offers eggs and goat milk soap among its farm-fresh products. You can also sign up for an official tour to learn more about the farm and animals.
Take a Walk Around Passion Puddle
Visit the spot that has been recognized as one of the top 25 most romantic spots on an American college campus. Situated between the Cook and Douglass campuses off Red Oak Lane, the small pond is surrounded by trees and benches and is a favorite campus location for young lovebirds. According to a long-standing legend, if a male student from Cook College and a Douglass College woman held hands and walked around the pond three times, they would be married and live happily ever after. But Passion Puddle isn’t only for strolling lovers. It’s also a favorite spot for those studying or enjoying nature between classes.
Stop by Kirkpatrick Chapel
After graduation, you might find yourself coming back to Kirkpatrick Chapel, a popular wedding venue for alumni. The chapel, located on the historic Old Queens campus, was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, the great-great-grandson of Rutgers’ first president, before he went on to design New York City’s iconic Plaza Hotel as well as the Dakota Apartments on Central Park West. Some notable visitors to the chapel include Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost and Academy Award-winning actor and activist Geena Davis.
See the Mastodon at Rutgers Geology Museum
Visitors can check out the fluorescent mineral collection, a mastodon skeleton from Salem County discovered in 1869, a dinosaur trackway discovered in Towaco and a 2,400-year-old Ptolemaic era Egyptian mummy brought to Rutgers by a missionary of the Dutch Reformed Church that was the inspiration for an episode of The Cake Boss. The museum is located on the historic Old Queens campus in Geology Hall, which is listed on both the state and national registers of historic places.
Visit the Zimmerli
Did you know Rutgers is home to one of the largest university art museums in the country? The Zimmerli Art Museum has one of the largest collections of underground artists from the Soviet era in addition to other notable collections including art of the Americas, Asian art, European art, and original illustrations from children's literature.
Attend a Big Ten Sporting Event
Watch the Scarlet Knights compete against Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and more in in the nation’s premier athletic and academic conference. Undergrads have the opportunity to claim a free mobile student ticket for football, men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling and men’s lacrosse games. Admission for Rutgers’ other intercollegiate teams is free, so be sure to check the schedule and bring along a friend!
Snap a Selfie
Whether it’s “William the Silent” on Voorhees Mall, the Scarlet Knight raising his sword in victory atop his steed outside SHI Stadium, or the giant “Block R” on Livingston campus in front of the Athletic Performance Center, take an art walk and check out all the public sculptures that make for plenty of great photo ops on campus. Special thanks to men's basketball head coach Steve Pikiell for showing us how it's done.
Learn About Rutgers History
Check out some of the historical markers around New Brunswick. Stand at the site of the first college football game in 1869, located outside the College Avenue Gymnasium. See where Alexander Hamilton and his artillerymen delayed the advance of General Cornwallis in 1776 at the marker atop the bluffs beside Kirkpatrick Chapel. Walk Will’s Way from Old Queens to the Voorhees Mall named for an enslaved man who laid the foundation of the historic administration building in 1808 and visit some of the other historical markers placed around campus as part of the Scarlet and Black Project that confronts the university's ties to slavery.
What to See at Rutgers-Newark
Check Out Express Newark
Located in the historic Hahne building in the heart of the city's cultural district, Express Newark is a socially engaged art and design center that produces nationally acclaimed exhibitions—like "Picturing Black Girlhood"-which featured nearly 200 works by Black women and genderqueer photographers. It includes space for Rutgers-Newark Arts, Culture and Media classes and hosts renowned visiting artists from the city and beyond. A community resource, it serves as a partner and platform for Newark creatives, city organizations, and residents dedicated to creating change.
Visit the Institute of Jazz Studies
Did you know the Institute of Jazz Studies, located on the fourth floor of the John Cotton Dana Library at Rutgers-Newark, is the world's foremost jazz archives and research library? Founded in 1952 by jazz scholar Marshall Stearns (1908–1966), the Institute has been a pioneering institution in the preservation of and access to jazz heritage and it’s where you can see Louis Armstrong’s autobiography manuscript in his own handwriting and a Martin C trumpet that was owned by Miles Davis. Book an appointment for your visit.
Walk Along the Global Piazza
The Global Piazza, is public courtyard within Rutgers-Newark’s Honors Living-Learning Community. How many words do you recognize among the large-scale signs in different languages that translate portions of the building’s name?
Honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The building at 15 Washington Street, a 17-story neoclassical icon of the Newark skyline, was recently renamed as Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall to honor the renowned and trailblazing jurist whose lifelong pursuit for equal rights and justice began as a faculty member at Rutgers Law School in Newark, where she taught from 1963 to 1972. Take a picture under the new building sign that bears her name and check out the monthly jazz concerts held inside at Clement's Place.
What to See at Rutgers-Camden
Watch a Rising Star at the Walter K. Gordon Theater
Take in the sights and sounds of the performing arts at Rutgers-Camden’s Walter K. Gordon Theater. This 650-seat space has raised the curtain for well-known theatrical works such as Rent and serves as a launchpad for original productions from students in the theater program. The Gordon Theater also hosts concerts, film screenings, and community events.
Take a Break at the Campus Quad
Stop by and see old friends at the Campus Quad, the tree-covered, park-like gathering spot between the Campus Center, the Paul Robeson Library, and the Fine Arts Building. Take a moment to connect and enjoy this relaxing environment every day.
Catch a Game
Cheer on your NCAA Division III Rutgers–Camden Scarlet Raptors as they battle it out on the field and the court. Whether you visit the Camden Athletic Complex, which was named one of the 11 Best Backdrops in College Baseball by NCAA.com, or take in a game at the Athletic and Fitness Center, you will witness the talents of student-athletes who excel in competition and in the classroom. 55 Scarlet Raptor student-athletes were named to New Jersey Athletic Conference All-Academic teams last year.
“Athletics can be the bond that ties an entire campus community together. The logo and colors we wear are a symbol of something bigger than ourselves,” Jeff Dean, Rutgers-Camden director of athletics and recreational services, said recently.
