Building detail - Williams Hall

Join us for a rich historical tour of the fifth oldest university in New England

Founded in 1791, the year Vermont became the 14th state to join the union, the University of Vermont is the fifth oldest university in New England. To bring its illustrious history to life, we encourage you to take this walking tour of our historic campus. The tour is approximately 90-minutes; read detailed tour coverage from The Boston Globe and Vermont Public Radio.

Tour focus: The historic buildings on campus

More than a dozen UVM buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places: Billings Library, designed by the renowned architect H.H. Richardson; and the Old Mill building, whose cornerstone was laid by the Marquis de Lafayette.

The people behind the buildings

The university has its share of visionary people behind it — and some colorful ones. UVM founder Ira Allen was a Revolutionary War hero, statesman, and aggressive real estate speculator. UVM’s third president, James Marsh, was a transcendentalist who inspired Emerson and Thoreau and created the modern university curriculum.

 

Slideshow about historic tour

Slideshow transcript

When, where, how

Note: Due to the pandemic, UVM will not be holding historic tours in 2020. We look forward to offering this unique opportunity again in Fall 2021.