Places to Visit Around Campus
Highlighting the Beauty and Magnificence of the Notre Dame Campus
The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes
“The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is one-seventh the size of the famed French shrine where the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette on 18 occasions in 1858. Visiting the site on one of his many trips to his native country, Notre Dame founder Father Edward Sorin vowed to reproduce it on the campus of his new university. A gift from Rev. Thomas Carroll, a former theology student, made it possible in 1896. Boulders from surrounding farms, most weighing two tons or more, were used in its construction. A small piece of stone from the original grotto in France is located on the right-hand side of the shrine directly below the statue of Mary. To Notre Dame students and alumni, the Grotto is a special place to spend a few quiet moments, and especially during football weekends and finals, you might have difficulty finding a candle to light. Hundreds of students have proposed marriage here; outdoor Masses are celebrated regularly; and the Rosary is prayed every day at 6:45 p.m., every day of the year, rain or shine.”
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
“The Basilica of the Sacred Heart serves as the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States. It is in the Basilica that Holy Cross religious profess final vows, that seminarians are ordained priests and where deceased religious are commended to God. Likewise, it is a place of worship and prayer for students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as for regular worshipers, pilgrims and countless visitors.”
(source: www.basilica.nd.edu) Photo: by Jack Schultz
St. Joseph and St. Mary’s Lakes
“The Basilica of the Sacred Heart serves as the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States. It is in the Basilica that Holy Cross religious profess final vows, that seminarians are ordained priests and where deceased religious are commended to God. Likewise, it is a place of worship and prayer for students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as for regular worshipers, pilgrims and countless visitors.”
(source: https://tour.nd.edu/locations/the-lakes/)
Hesburgh Library
“More than 50 years ago, President Emeritus Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., dreamed of a new library building that would become the academic heart of the University. It would serve—along with the Main Building and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart—as one of a trilogy of iconic buildings that would define the Notre Dame campus. The Memorial Library (renamed Hesburgh Library in 1987) and the Word of Life mural would soon stand for all to see, as a symbol of excellence and the pursuit of truth.
Today, the Hesburgh Library remains a centerpiece of Notre Dame’s intellectual pursuits and an enduring symbol of the University’s commitment to academic excellence. Home to a broad range of services, resources, and spaces, and nearly 200 library faculty and staff, the Hesburgh Library continues to serve as the flagship building of the Hesburgh Libraries system.
In addition to the many service points, study spaces, and general research collections in open stacks, four specialty libraries and centers reside within the Hesburgh Library building.”
(source: library.nd.edu)
The Main Building
The Main Building, with its famous Golden Dome, is a centerpiece of Notre Dame’s past and present. Today, it serves primarily as a headquarters for administration, although it still contains classrooms, harkening back to a time when it was a crossroads where students learned, ate meals, and resided. This structure is actually the third building to stand on the site. It was built in 1879, the same year in which the previous building was destroyed by fire.
The Golden Dome was added to this building in 1882 and was most recently regilded in 2005. The regilding process uses only about a fist-full of gold leaf to cover the entire structure. Atop the Dome, you will find a 19-foot-tall, 4,000-pound statue of Mary, the Mother of God, “Notre Dame” (“Our Lady”). With this beautiful adornment, the Main Building is 187 feet tall, making it the second tallest structure on campus after the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.”
(source: https://www.nd.edu/visit/explore-campus/)
Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore (current)
Built in 1998, the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore, proudly managed by Follett Higher Education Group, is located in the Eck Center. Offering 65,000 square feet of retail space to members of the Notre Dame community, the store supplies textbooks, trade books, gift items and apparel, including the full line of Notre Dame Under Armour gear. Always looking to expand its services, the store added the Hammes Hub, an authorized Apple store, in the fall of 2013, and Einstein Bros Bagels in the fall of 2014. A central meeting place for campus visitors, the Bookstore is full of Irish spirit throughout the year, especially on home football weekends. Celebrated Notre Dame authors come in to sign books and musical groups perform guests' favorite Irish tunes. The Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore is truly a one-stop shop for all things Notre Dame.
(Source: https://tour.nd.edu/locations/hammes-notre-dame-bookstore/)