Tour Detail

South Quad

As this portion of the tour begins, you should be at the circle at the end of the main drive, facing the statue of Mary with the name, Notre Dame, on the pillar. Continue walking north towards the Golden Dome as you play this segment.

Narration by Fr. Nate Wills C.S.C.

Your next destination on this tour is the monument between Main Circle and the Golden Dome. Keep walking north toward the dome as you listen.

On the right side of the main circle stands the oldest Catholic law school in the country. The other buildings on that side of the quad hold academic units of the University.

On the left side of the main circle stands Alumni Hall, a residence hall for men. Residential life is the cornerstone of the Notre Dame experience for undergraduates—there is no Greek system, and housing is separated only by gender, not by class year or major. Student-athletes live and study among other students, and most residents stay in their halls for all four years. Each residence hall has its own chapel where students gather for daily and Sunday mass. About 80 percent of the 8,600 undergraduate students live on campus. Notre Dame is one of the most geographically diverse universities in the world, with students from all 50 states and nearly 100 countries.

Most of the rest of the buildings on the quad to the left are residence halls, and on warm days in the spring and fall, this area is full of students playing frisbee, studying, or napping in the sun.

Other buildings on this side of the quad house Campus Ministry and the South Dining Hall. The Rockne Memorial stands at the end of the quad to your left. It was built after the death of coaching legend Knute Rockne and continues to serve campus as a center for physical fitness and recreation. You’ll hear more about Rockne at the end of the tour when we arrive at the stadium.

Continue walking north, with the flagpole to your right, and aim for the monument of Father Sorin, Notre Dame’s founder, ahead—you should be able to read “Sorin” in large block letters at its base. Begin the next segment when you are standing in front of this statue.

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One of two student dining facilities on campus, South Dining Hall opened in 1927. As one of the finest examples of Gothic design in the United States, its architecture is reminiscent of a medieval Guild Hall.

The Rockne Memorial is the prominent semi-Gothic building that stands on the west side of campus on South Quad, covering nearly an acre of ground and providing many opportunities for recreational enjoyment. Even with the inception of Smith Center for Recreational Sports in 2018, Rockne is still a bustling stage for many forms of club sports, intramurals, fitness classes, aquatic instruction, and general recreation, as well as life-saving classes.

Dedicated to the memory of Notre Dame’s legendary football coach, Knute Rockne, the Rockne Memorial is one of the most complete recreational facilities on campus. Built in 1939 from the donations of alumni and friends of the University, Rockne Memorial provides recreational facilities for the students, faculty, staff, retirees, and their families. Amenities include the lower level exercise room and Father Lange weight room, 25-yard swimming pool and warm-up pool fit with observation decks, racquetball and squash courts, and locker rooms for men, women, and families. The upper level features a gymnasium, featuring two basketball courts. Finally, the main lobby of Rockne Memorial contains the athletic trophies and mementos accumulated by Notre Dame teams under Rockne and his successors, as well as a bronze bust of Rockne himself to greet patrons and campus visitors. Game Day tradition includes pilgrimage to Knute’s statue before kickoff to rub his nose for good luck.