During your visit to the University of Notre Dame, orient yourself with the college campus in the Eck Visitor’s Center then explore Notre Dame University’s grounds featuring renowned landmarks. You can enjoy lunch in Greenfields or Reckers.
Eck Visitor’s Center
Start your time at the University of Notre Dame in Eck Visitor’s Center, just minutes from the University’s Notre Dame Avenue entrance. Built in 1998, Eck Visitor’s Center was opened to orient visitors with the University of Notre Dame. A wealth of information about the University awaits you in Eck Visitor’s Center. In addition, a 150-seat auditorium is housed within the Eck Center and features a 12-minute introductory video that chronicles Notre Dame’s tradition and commitment to excellence.
University of Notre Dame Campus
With 1,250 acres containing two lakes and 143 buildings, the University of Notre Dame offers much to explore. While the wealth of surrounding nature alone makes a visit to Notre Dame worth the while, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Golden Dome and “Touchdown Jesus” are among the most widely known university landmarks in the world and add to the beauty of this college campus.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is the mother church of Congregation of the Holy Cross in the United States and features gorgeous glass windows and murals completed over a 17 year period by the Vatican painter Luigi Gregori. Mass is held in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on a regular basis and used as a place of worship and prayer for students, faculty, staff, alumni, locals, pilgrims and countless visitors.
Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes
One-seventh the size of the famed French shrine where the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette in 1858, Notre Dame’s Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was built with boulders from surrounding farms. Notre Dame students and alumni see the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes as a haven where they can spend a few quiet moments. Outdoor Masses are held here regularly, and the Rosary is prayed every day at 18:45. Be sure to look for the small piece of stone from the original grotto in France, located on the right-hand side of the shrine directly below the statue Mary.
Main Building (Golden Dome)
Visible from roads that lead from nearby Chicago and Indianapolis, the Main Building with its gilded Golden Dome and 19-foot- tall, 4,000 pound statue of Mary, is the centerpiece of Notre Dame’s past and present. The Main Building was constructed in 1879; however, its Golden Dome was not added until 1882. In its early days the main building served as a crossroads where students learned, ate and lived. Today the Main building is primarily used as a headquarters for administration. It also contains several classrooms.
Word of Life Mural
Installed during the spring of 1964 by artist Millard Sheets, The Word of Life, nicknamed “Touchdown Jesus,” covers the southern face of Notre Dame Hesburgh Library. Looming over the Notre Dame Stadium, the work of art, by strict definition, is neither a mural nor a mosaic, but was made using a unique process in which 6,700 separate pieces of granite were used to create the composition. Representing the saints and scholars throughout the ages, it helps make the Library among the most familiar of the campus landmarks.
Restaurants at the University of Notre Dame
Enjoy a snack or lunch at Greenfields or Reckers. Located in the Hesburgh Center, across Notre Dame Avenue from the Eck Visitor’s Center, Greenfields is a full-service restaurant offering hot entrées, salads and sandwiches built around fresh seasonal and local ingredients. In Reckers, south of the South Dining Hall, you will find wood fired pizzas, flatbread sandwiches and Freshens smoothies on the menu.
Shopping in the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore
Located adjacent to the Eck Visitor’s Center you can enjoy a unique shopping experience in the Notre Dame Bookstore. Books, apparel and accessories, gifts and collectibles, technology and accessories unique to the University of Notre Dame and Indiana are available to purchase.
- Check the weather forecast prior to your visit to the University of Notre Dame, so that you can plan your wardrobe accordingly.