Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine Bowdoin has opened its arms to visitors with the renovation and reopening of two McKim, Mead, and White-designed architectural gems, combined with the updating of other campus arts facilities. The Museum of Art's stunning new brass-and-glass entry pavilion lures passersby into the expanded museum, which now houses 14 galleries of permanent and rotating exhibits. From there, stroll over to Hubbard Hall, home to the college's revitalized Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, which highlights the North Pole expeditions of Bowdoin grads Robert E. Peary and Donald B. MacMillan. Studzinsky Recital Hall, created out of the former Curtis Pool, is the college's premier performing arts venue.
Students and visitors consider the campus dining facilities to be a cut above the rest. Both Moulton Union and Thorne Hall are open to the public, serving breakfast for $6.75, lunch for $11.50, and dinner for $12.75. Jack Magee's, the campus pub and grill, serves sandwiches, salads, and lighter fare, with most choices $5-$7.
The Bowdoin website and newspaper list campus happenings, from lectures and concerts to athletic events. Advance tickets are necessary for some and fees vary. Hockey, basketball, and other sporting events are free, as are student-led campus tours, offered through the admissions office. Another source of area events is Five Rivers Arts Alliance (www.fiveriversartsalliance.org), which keeps tabs on the town's lively arts scene, with gallery and event listings.
Bowdoin's downtown campus makes it easy to explore other Brunswick sites including the Pejepscot Museum (159 Park Row, 207-729-6606, community.curtislibrary.com/pejepscot/phshours.htm), highlighting local history; First Parish Church (9 Cleaveland St., 207-729-7331) where Harriet Beecher Stowe was inspired to write "Uncle Tom's Cabin"; and the Town Green, locally called the mall, with its ice skating rink.
Dartmouth College
