Millikan Library is one of the most-often-shaken buildings in the world, as Caltech’s

seismologists use it to test earthquake detectors and to gather other types

of seismological data.

Caltech’s founding fathers – astronomer George Ellery Hale, physicist Robert Andrews Millikan, and chemist Arthur

Amos Noyes – were nicknamed “Tinker, Thinker, and Stinker.”

The campus encompasses

acres in Pasadena.

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The Emmy-nominated television series, The Big Bang Theory, which is set at

Caltech, taped an episode on campus that featured a cameo appearance by

world-renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.

Caltech staff work and live on

different continents.3

Our campus is home to over

investigating the most challenging,

fundamental problems in science and technology.

1,000 labsF = mg

Caltech staff CONTRIBUTE

to the research mission everyday by doing everything from keeping

the lights on to working in labs conducting research.

The annual pumpkin drop takes place at midnight on Halloween, when students drop pumpkins frozen in liquid nitrogen from the top of Millikan Library to see if they’ll give off a

brief glow as they hit the ground and shatter.

N2F = mg

staff members are honored at the Annual Staff Service Awards.

Every year nearly

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Did You Know?

Welcome!Caltech is an exceptional community of researchers, educators, staff and students that advances the boundaries of science, engineering and technology and yields outsized impact. We invite you to enjoy the campus with these curated tours exploring monuments, unique spaces, and cultural icons of Caltech. Each tour is designed with your busy schedule in mind and takes approximately one hour or less to complete.

hr.caltech.edu

Tour Map

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Emergency TelephoneSecurity StationFirst Aid Station

Emergency Operations CenterCampus Boundary

Campus Directory Map

SitesSites are grouped by color indicating their geographical locations.

Tour A

Visit the AthenaeumLocation: Athenaeum (Building 61)Description: The Athenaeum, or the “Ath,” is Caltech’s faculty club and the center of social activities for the Caltech community. Did you know that Albert Einstein stayed here during his three-month visit in 1931?

Take a stroll down Olive WalkLocation: Walkway down Athenaeum near South Student HousesDescription: Did you know Caltech is a certified olive-oil distributor? From 2007 to 2012, the campus hosted the Olive Harvest Festival to collect as much as 2,600 pounds of olives from the 130 olive trees on Olive Walk.

Check out the cannonLocation: In front of Fleming House (Building 57)Description: The 1.3 ton cannon is harmless but noisy when it is fired to celebrate special occasions, such as commencement or the last day of the academic term. It has been the centerpiece of many MIT versus Caltech pranks over the years, which is why it is chained.

Walk down orange walk/The SynchrotronLocation: Between Firestone Laboratory (Building 50) and Fleming House (Building 57). The Synchrotron (Building 49)Description: Take a stroll down the Orange Walk. During the winter, you will also find that the oranges are ripe but many have claimed they are not sweet. Down the walk you will pass the Synchrotron Building which was originally a giant clean room built for the decade-long (1936 – 1946) job of grinding and polishing the mirror for the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory.

Caltech StoreLocation: Winnett Student Center (Building 51)Description: Get your Caltech gear at the Caltech Store! You will find Caltech mugs, notebooks, t-shirts, books from Caltech authors, and much more here.

Get a coffee at Red DoorLocation: Winnett Student Center (Building 51) Description: The Red Door offers solutions to all your caffeine needs. With an outdoor patio, it’s a great place to relax, have a meeting, or read the news.

Tour B

Explore the gem roomLocation: Arms Laboratory of the Geological Sciences (Building 25)Description: The Gem Room includes a collection of minerals and gemstones. You will find benitoite (the official gemstone of the state of California), attractive copper minerals from Michigan and the Southwest, dinosaur eggs, and other interesting specimens from Europe and the Americas. The Smilodon fatalis skeleton (saber-toothed cat) is also displayed here.

CoelostatLocation: Linde + Robinson Laboratory and Courtyard (Building 24)

Description: The Robinson Coelostat was created by renowned artist, architect, engineer, and instrument designer Russell Porter. It is now used to provide daylight into underground laboratories, supply a beam of light for scientific experimentation, and create a large real time projected image of the sun visible in the main corridor of the building.

Visit the gymLocation: Braun Athletic Center (Building 3)Description: Recognizing that active bodies support active minds, Caltech’s Braun Athletic Center offers resources and programs that promote the health and well-being of the entire Institute. The Braun Athletic Center is where our community comes together to train, play, and get fit.

Tour C

Sherman Fairchild LibraryLocation: Sherman Fairchild Library (Building 43)Description: The Sherman Fairchild Library serves as the main library on campus that is open 24 hours a day Monday - Thursday for current Caltech students, faculty, and staff.

Go visit the turtlesLocation: Turtle Pond/Throop Memorial GardenDescription: Say hello to the turtles in the tranquil and tree-shaded Throop Memorial Garden, which is also known as the Turtle Pond. The landscaped area marks the site of Throop Hall, which was the first building on the Caltech campus built in 1910 and torn down after suffering extensive damage in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake (magnitude 6.7).

9th floor MillikanLocation: Millikan Library (Building 32)Description: If you’re looking for a quiet place to work or read, check out the ninth floor of the Millikan Library. It is the highest floor of the building, which is designed to withstand 8.0 magnitude earthquakes, and the Lookout has the best view of the Caltech campus and the city.

Tour D

Catalina Garden ProjectLocation: 391 Wilson Ave. (between the parking structures)Description: The Catalina Community Garden Project began in response to the demand for more space by members of the Avery Community Garden. Included in the development was a small grove of citrus and avocado trees, an area for vines along the wall with grapes started, plots for a community garden, and a gazebo.

Visit the gene poolLocation: Between Beckman Institute and Beckman Auditorium (Between Building 74 and 91 on map)Description: The blue-lined reflecting pool has been dubbed “the Gene Pool” because of its distinctive double-helix tile design. It is also modeled after fountains outside the Alhambra in Spain.

The Keck CenterLocation: Building 127

Description: The 25,000 square-foot compound provides space for the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) and the Caltech Board of Trustees while serving as a venue for aerospace/engineering seminars and conferences. The conference center is also LEED-Platinum-certified with extensive daylight that creates an open, airy space.

North Avery GardenLocation: SW corner of Holliston Ave and E Del Mar Blvd.Description: In 2008, a group of students, with the help from the Moore-Hufstedler Fund for student life, the Caltech Sustainability Office, the Caltech Y, and the Caltech Facilities Management department started a community garden. The garden is shared by grads, undergrads, postdocs, and staff in both individual and shared plots.

Tour E

Treehouse room in Annenberg Center for Information Science and TechnologyLocation: Room 347 in Annenberg Center for In-formation Science and Technology (Building 16)Description: Take a break from work in the Treehouse Lounge. This is a two-story lounge that is lit by natural light and has a view of Moore Walk, Avery House, and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Joint Center for Artificial Synthesis (JCAP)Location: Jorgensen Laboratory (Building 80)Description: JCAP is the Fuels from Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub established by the US Department of Energy in 2010. Inside JCAP, researchers are working to advance the research and development on systems to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into a range of commercially useful fuels.

Dabney gardenLocation: Dabney Hall (Building 40) Description: Dabney Gardens, designed by landscape architect Beatrix Farrand in 1928, is a secluded and elegant courtyard behind a wrought-iron gate. Come sit and enjoy the beautiful wall fountains, climbing roses, and stuccoed and tiled walls. The quiet garden also features an antique bronze statue of a water buffalo bearing Tenjin, a Japanese deity of the arts, sciences and learning.

Beckman AuditoriumLocation: Building 91Description: Beckman Auditorium is operated by Caltech Public Events as a campus and community service. A broad spectrum of performing arts, lectures, films, classes and entertainment events are offered throughout the academic year. All events presented in Beckman Auditorium are directly sponsored by Caltech.

If You Only Have an Hour: Self-Guided Tours