Highlights of Virginia Tech

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The 7-acre Peggy Lee Hahn Horticulture Garden, formerly known as the Virginia Tech Horticulture Garden, is the largest public garden in western Virginia. This horticultural garden is open to the public daily for no charge. Established in 1984, it was renamed in honor of Thomas Marshall Hahn Jr. (former president of Virginia Tech) and his wife, Peggy Lee Hahn. All features in the garden are built and planted by students, faculty, staff, and volunteers.

2. Lane Stadium & Worsham Field

Lane Stadium is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and hosts the Virginia Tech Hokies football squad. At 2,057 feet above sea level, it is the second highest Division I Football Bowl Subdivision school stadium in the eastern United States. Its field is known as Worsham Field. Lane Stadium is billed as the toughest venue for opponents to play in all of college football. On the west side of the stadium is Virginia Tech's Hall of Fame museum, a two-story exploration of the history of Hokie sports featuring galleries, display cases, and interactive screens.

3. Jamerson Athletic Center & Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame

The Jamerson Athletic Center houses administrative offices and facilities for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's athletic department. On the fourth floor, individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the university's prestigious sports program are recognized in the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. Organized in 1982, it showcases the 187 athletes, coaches, and administrators who have been honored with an induction into the Hall of Fame. Visitors can view plaques engraved with the portrait and the primary sport of all members displayed there.

4. Cassell Coliseum

Cassell Coliseum at Virginia Tech is an arena for basketball, wrestling, volleyball, other sports, and events. The building also houses offices and practice gyms used by the Athletic Department. It opened in 1962 as the Student Activities and Physical Education Building but was renamed in 1976 to honor alumnus Stuard Kent Cassell. The 229,297-square-foot facility, which houses a 10,052-seat basketball arena, is distinguished by flanking laminated wood arches that support the roof. This venue is known for being one of the best home environments in all of college sports.

5. Ambler Johnston Hall

Ambler Johnston Hall is a two-wing residence hall located on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute State University. East Ambler Johnston (East AJ) houses over 300 University Honors Students living at in the Honors Residential College. West Ambler Johnston (West AJ) is home to the Residential College at West Ambler Johnston. Construction on the hall began in 1967, but the hall was not fully completed and occupied until 1969. The building was named for James Ambler Johnston, a lifetime supporter of the university, former president of Alumni Association, and a founder of Carneal and Johnston—an architectural-engineering firm that designed many campus buildings.

6. Smyth Hall

Smyth Hall, located on the Ag Quad of the Virginia Tech Campus, houses offices and classrooms for several departments, including the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Science. Originally known as the Natural Science Building, the first section was erected in 1939. In 1950, a second section was added. Named for professor and "practical ornithologist" Ellison Adger Smyth Jr., Smyth Hall is distinguished by three bird gargoyles.

7. Price Hall

Price Hall, completed in 1907, is an academic building in the Ag Quad of the Virginia Tech campus. It is named in honor of Harvey Lee Price, the longest-serving dean of agriculture in campus history (1908 to 1945). Originally, Price Hall was known as Agricultural Hall ("Old Aggie"). Today, it houses the Entomology and Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Sciences departments. Also located in Price is the Plant Disease Clinic and the Nematode Assay Clinic.

8. Duck Pond

The Duck Pond is situated at the confluence of three spring-fed streams that originate in Blacksburg and flow into Stroubles Creek. Located within Virginia Tech's campus grounds, the park around the Duck Pond serves to unify the university's campus and provides opportunities for a variety of recreational activities. It features pedestrian paths, picnic tables, seating areas, and a gazebo. Artificially created in the 1930s, the pond's serene waters, roaming waterfowl, and lush tree cover makes the Duck Pond a scenic spot—popular amongst students and visitors alike. Near the park is a woodland amphitheatre; "The Grove," home of Virginia Tech's President; and Solitude, a historic home and NRHP site.

9. Solitude

Solitude is a historic home, NHRP site, Virginia Landmark, and the oldest structure still standing on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. It was originally constructed as a log cabin in 1801 by James Patton Preston, though over the years it has been used for a wide variety of functions. VT has used the building as a clubhouse, human nutrition and food laboratory, interior design studios, offices, and more. Restored in 2011, Solitude serves as a fine example of mid-to-late 19th Century Greek Revival architecture. The interior is not yet open for tours, but visitors can view the exterior from the campus duck pond.

10. Museum of Geosciences (Virginia Tech)

The Museum of Geosciences is located on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. It is maintained by Virginia Tech's Department of Geosciences and houses a collection of more than 13,000 minerals (including many specimens from Virginia) used for research, education, and display. Also on exhibit are the OmniGlobe, fossils, and a full-scale model of an Allosaurus dinosaur skeleton. Groups and classes interested in visiting the Museum of Geosciences should schedule their trip in advance using the contact number below.

11. Burchard Plaza & School of Architecture + Design

Burchard Plaza is located on the campus of Virginia Tech, in the small quadrangle between Burruss Hall and Cowgill Hall. This unique plaza is actually the roof of Burchard Hall, home of the School of Architecture + Design. It is distinguished by four glass pyramids—skylights that serve to illuminate the studio space below. Burchard Hall, which was constructed underground, houses the studios used by the industrial design program, faculty office space, and workshops for ceramics, plaster, and computer/digital media. A stairway leads from a kiosk in the plaza to the subterranean facilities.

12. Burruss Hall

Burruss Hall is the main administration building on campus. It consists of the original building, completed in 1936; a west wing and rear addition, built in 1968; and an east wing, added in 1970. It also contains a 3,003-seat auditorium where events such as commencement, presidential speeches, concerts, and art shows are held. Additionally, Burress houses facilities for the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Originally known as the Teaching and Administration Building, this hall was renamed in honor of Julian Ashby Burress, the eighth president of the University.

13. Virginia Tech April 16 Memorial: We Remember

This memorial stands in remembrance of the 32 Virginia Tech students and professors who were killed by in the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman on an American college campus. On April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a senior at Virginia Tech, shot and killed 32 people and wounded over a dozen more. Later that year, the university dedicated the April 16 Memorial. The memorial, which includes 32 large "Hokie Stones" engraved with the names of victims, a walking path, and holly bushes, honors those who lost their lives. The memorial symbolizes the enduring bond and determination of the "Hokie Nation" to remember those lost in the tragedy.

14. Drillfield (Virginia Tech)

The Drillfield on the campus of Virginia Tech is a large oval field encircled by a one-way street known as Drillfield Drive. It is the central open space on the campus, with origins stemming from the military history of the university. Since 1926, the site has been used by the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets to conduct military drills. North of the Drillfield and northwest of the Alumni Mall lies the Upper Quad, the site of the Corps of Cadet's barracks. On the northwestern side are the majority of the university's academic and administrative buildings; on the southeastern side are many of the residential buildings; Newman library is on the eastern side.

15. War Memorial Hall

War Memorial Hall commemorates the Techman who lost their lives during World War I. Completed in 1919, the structure was once used for varsity basketball and as an auditorium, dance, and exhibition hall. Today, the building houses gym facilities for Recreational Sports; the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise; and a substation of the Virginia Tech Police Department. The gym provides students, faculty, and staff with space to engage in recreational activities including racquetball, basketball, aerobics, and swimming in the War Memorial Pool.

16. Carol M. Newman Library

The Carol M. Newman Library (also simply called Newman Library) was established in 1872 with 500 books. Today, it administers over 2 million volumes between its three branches. The libraries provide educational resources intended to promote Virginia Tech's objectives in learning; discovery; and engagement, as well as study spaces and access to public computers. Additionally, Newman houses the VT University Library Special Collections, which include a wealth of materials that document American culture during the 19th and 20th Centuries.

17. Virginia Tech War Memorial Chapel

Constructed between 1951 and 1960, the Memorial Chapel was is one of the leading landmarks on the Virginia Tech campus and honors students who have given their lives in defense of the United States as members of the Armed Services. The chapel was constructed in the center of campus overlooking the VT Drillfield where generations of students conducted military training. The chapel also stands as a reminder of the campus's history and unique mission, the Corps of Cadets, and Virginia Tech's honor code. The chapel includes eight sculptures on the upper level that represent the concepts of brotherhood, honor, leadership, sacrifice, service, loyalty, and duty.

18. Torgersen Hall & Bridge

Torgersen Hall is Virginia's Tech's Advanced Communications & Information Technology Center. Completed in the summer of 2000, it houses 30 miles of fiber-optic cable and 75 miles of copper cable. The building is connected to Newman Library via an enclosed bridge which spans Alumni Mall. The building/bridge pair are named in honor of Paul E. Torgersen, the 14th president of the university.

19. College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Building, Virginia Tech

Built in 1900, this structure was the first on the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute to be constructed of Hokie Stone, the building material that became the signature aesthetic of what is now the Virginia Tech campus. The design of this building and those that would follow was part of a transition in the architecture of the campus during the presidency of John M. McBryde (1891-1907) from mainly red brick structures to the locally-quarried stone. Originally the building house the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), then the Performing Arts, and since 2013 it has been an administrative building.

20. Lane Hall (Barracks No. 1)

Lane Hall, historically known as Barracks No. 1, is one of the oldest buildings on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Located in the Upper Quad, it contains offices for disciplines in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and is the home of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. Completed in 1888, the structure housed cadets until its conversion to academic offices in 1967, ending 78 years of use as barracks. In 2015, Barracks No. 1 was added to the National Register of Historic Places; it is also a designated Virginia Historical Landmark.

21. Moss Arts Center & the Cube (Virginia Tech)

The Moss Arts Center, which opened in 2013, is a 150,000-square-foot facility located on the crossroads of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus and Blacksburg, Virginia. Dedicated to promoting community engagement with the arts, the center serves as the cornerstone of the burgeoning arts district in downtown Blacksburg. It is the headquarters for both the Center of the Arts at Virginia Tech and the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT). The facility houses a performance hall, visual arts galleries, an amphitheater, multiple studios, and a four-story experimental Cube—a state-of-the art theater and high tech laboratory.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Highlights of Virginia Tech

Created by Angelica Garcia on February 19th 2017, 11:11:30 pm.

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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (popularly known as Virginia Tech) is home to numerous buildings, educational resources, and monuments that represent the history of this prestigious academic institution. Take a tour of some of the campus highlights. You'll see unique architecture at the School of Architecture + Design, beautiful scenery and a historic landmark at the Duck Pond, and learn all about the Hokies—VT's athletic teams. You can also pay your respects at several monuments commemorating the lives of brave members of the Hokie Nation.

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Highlights of Virginia Tech

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