Carnegie Mellon campus tour: Hamerschlag Hall, the Fence and Oakland

Carnegie Mellon University began in 1900, when the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie founded a technical school for the sons and daughters of Pittsburgh's working families. It became the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1912 and took its present name in 1967, after merging with the Mellon Institute. The campus sits beside Schenley Park, about five kilometres east of downtown Pittsburgh, and it is compact: a few lawns, a tight group of cream brick buildings and a ring of newer ones. This guide covers what to look for and how to plan the day around it.

The shape of the campus

Forbes Avenue, one of the main roads through Pittsburgh's East End, runs along the north side of the historic campus. South of it are two connected lawns:

The Mall: a long, formal green lined with the original academic buildings, with Hamerschlag Hall at one end and the College of Fine Arts at the other.
The Cut: a broader lawn running north from the Mall to Forbes Avenue, with the Fence, the university centre and the main library around it.

Computer science sits on the west side of the Cut, most student housing is to the east, and the business school and newer buildings are north of Forbes Avenue. Schenley Park begins directly to the south.

Hamerschlag Hall and the Mall

The original campus was the work of the architect Henry Hornbostel, who gave it a consistent look of cream brick and arched windows. Hamerschlag Hall, at the western head of the Mall, is his best-known building here. Its round, temple-like tower hides a chimney and has become the university's emblem. The hall is named after the first president and is home to electrical and computer engineering.

The buildings along the Mall have a curiosity worth noticing: the long central corridor of Baker Hall slopes gently from one end to the other. Campus legend has it that Carnegie wanted buildings that could be turned into a factory if the school failed.

The Cut and the Fence

Where the Mall meets the Cut stands the Fence, the university's noticeboard and its most cherished tradition. Student groups repaint it to announce events, celebrate or protest. The custom has rules: painting happens only at night, only with hand brushes, and a group keeps the Fence only as long as it stands guard beside it. The original wooden fence eventually collapsed under the weight of its paint and was replaced with a sturdier one.

The College of Fine Arts

At the eastern end of the Mall, on a rise, the College of Fine Arts is Hornbostel's showpiece. Niches along its front illustrate different periods of architecture, and the entrance hall is richly decorated. The college brings architecture, art, design, drama and music together, which is unusual at a university best known for technology. Its drama school, founded in 1914, was the first in the United States to award degrees, and its graduates fill stages and film sets.

Computer science and robotics

On the west side of the Cut, the Gates and Hillman Centers, opened in 2009, house the School of Computer Science. The dark, angular complex is built into a slope, with a footbridge that is lit in changing colours after dark. Carnegie Mellon is known around the world for computer science, robotics and artificial intelligence, and its Robotics Institute dates from 1979. Prospective engineers should also walk past the newer science and engineering buildings behind Hamerschlag Hall.

Where student life happens

The Cohon University Center, on the east side of the Cut, is the everyday hub: food, a gym, a swimming pool, meeting rooms and student organisations under one roof. Hunt Library, the aluminium-fronted building on the south side of the lawns, is the main library. Most first-year students live in university housing within a few minutes' walk of both.

Traditions: Buggy, Booth and bagpipes

Spring Carnival is the high point of the year. Its best-known event is Buggy, a relay race held since 1920 in which teams push small, streamlined carts, each with a driver lying inside, around the roads of Schenley Park. Alongside it, student groups build elaborate themed booths.

The university also keeps up its founder's Scottish heritage. Its teams are the Tartans, the mascot is a Scottish terrier, and a pipe band plays at ceremonies.

Oakland, Schenley Park and beyond

The surrounding district is one of the best things about the campus:

Schenley Park: a large wooded park with trails, right behind the campus, and home to Phipps Conservatory, a Victorian glasshouse.
The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History: a few minutes' walk west along Forbes Avenue.
The University of Pittsburgh: next door, with its Gothic skyscraper, the Cathedral of Learning, visible from all over the neighbourhood.
Craig Street: a short strip of cafés and restaurants at the edge of campus.
Squirrel Hill and Shadyside: residential neighbourhoods to the east and north with more shops and places to eat.

Arranging a visit

Like most universities, Carnegie Mellon typically offers campus tours and admission presentations for prospective students, and the lawns and paths are open to walk on your own. Schedules vary through the year, so check the university's official visitor page for what is currently available.

Getting there and around

By air: Pittsburgh's airport is west of the city; allow forty-five minutes to an hour to reach the campus by road.
By bus: frequent city buses run along Forbes and Fifth avenues between downtown, Oakland and the campus.
By car: use the signposted visitor parking; street parking nearby is limited.
On foot: the core of the campus takes about an hour to see. Pittsburgh is hilly, so wear comfortable shoes.

Areas families usually choose

Oakland: the closest hotels, within walking distance of both universities and the museums.
Shadyside: a pleasant residential area with a few hotels and inns and a good choice of restaurants.
Downtown Pittsburgh: the widest selection, a short bus or car ride away.

Tips for a smoother day

Start at Forbes Avenue, cross the Cut to the Fence, walk the length of the Mall, and finish in Schenley Park or at the museums.
If you are comparing technical universities, our MIT campus tour and Caltech campus tour follow the same format.
Check the university's visitor page again shortly before you travel, as arrangements change.

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Cover photo: Cbaile19, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons