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California Institute of Technology

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory grew out of rocket research at Caltech's Guggenheim lab in the 1930s, and Caltech still manages JPL today.

  • 10Buildings
  • 5Traditions
  • 1917Oldest · Parsons-Gates Hall of Administration
  • 2009Newest · Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics

Planning the visit

  • Fly intoHollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)

    Hollywood Burbank Airport is the closest airport to Caltech. Los Angeles International (LAX) has many more flights but is a longer drive across the city.

  • Getting aroundWalking / Metro A Line

    The compact campus is easy to walk. Metro A Line light rail stops at Lake and Allen stations, about a mile north of campus.

  • Colors and teams

    Write it 'Caltech', one word: the institute considers spellings like 'Cal Tech' incorrect. The school color is orange, and the teams are the Beavers.

10 buildings to stamp

  1. The Athenaeum
    Photo: Nick Webb, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The Athenaeum

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Gordon Kaufmann designed this Mediterranean Revival faculty club, which opened in 1930 with gardens by Florence Yoch and Lucile Council. Albert Einstein stayed here during his winter visits to Caltech.

    Built
    1930
    Architect
    Gordon Kaufmann
    Style
    Mediterranean Revival
    Today
    Faculty Club and Guest Rooms
  2. Beckman Institute
    Photo: Ross Berteig, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Beckman Institute

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Albert C. Martin & Associates designed this Spanish-style research building around a courtyard and reflecting pool. Funded by Arnold and Mabel Beckman and dedicated in 1989, it hosts chemistry and biology research and the Caltech Science Museum.

    Built
    1989
    Architect
    Albert C. Martin & Associates
    Style
    Spanish style
    Today
    Research Institute

  3. Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Opened in 1929 with money from the Daniel Guggenheim Fund, this lab became the first university rocket research center under Theodore von Kármán, work that led to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Carvings over its doors show the Douglas World Cruisers that first flew around the world.

    Built
    1929
    Architect
    Mayers, Murray & Phillip (Goodhue Associates); Clarence S. Stein
    Today
    Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT)

  4. Beckman Auditorium

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Edward Durell Stone designed this round white concert hall, a gift of Arnold and Mabel Beckman that opened with a gala concert in 1964. Its 1,136 seats host Caltech's public lectures, shows and films.

    Built
    1964
    Architect
    Edward Durell Stone
    Today
    Auditorium

  5. Caltech Hall

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    The nine-story former Millikan Library is the tallest building on campus; its donor argued a tower would save green space on a low-rise campus. Completed in 1967, it was renamed Caltech Hall in 2021 and now holds offices and study space.

    Built
    1967
    Architect
    Flewelling & Moody
    Stories
    9
    Today
    Offices and Study Space

  6. Dabney Hall

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Planned by Bertram Goodhue's office and opened in 1928, Dabney Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus. It still houses the humanities, with Dabney Lounge and the Humanities Library inside.

    Built
    1928
    Architect
    Mayers, Murray & Phillip (Goodhue Associates); Clarence S. Stein
    Style
    Spanish Mission-influenced
    Today
    Humanities Offices and Library

  7. Parsons-Gates Hall of Administration

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Built in 1917 as the first unit of the Gates chemistry labs, this is the oldest building still standing on campus. Damaged in the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, it was rebuilt in 1983 for the offices of the president and provost.

    Built
    1917
    Architect
    Elmer Grey; Bertram Goodhue (1917); Bobrow/Thomas & Associates (1983 rebuild)
    Today
    Administration

  8. Norman Bridge Laboratory of Physics

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Bertram Goodhue designed this physics lab, first occupied in 1922 and the oldest academic building on campus. Robert Millikan had his laboratories here, and its second floor holds the Feynman Lecture Hall.

    Built
    1922
    Style
    Spanish Mission-influenced
    Today
    Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

  9. Kerckhoff Laboratories of the Biological Sciences

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Opened in 1928, Kerckhoff is home to Caltech biology. Ed Lewis worked here on fruit fly genetics, research that won the 1995 Nobel Prize, and it keeps one of the few fruit fly collections in the US.

    Built
    1928
    Architect
    Mayers, Murray & Phillip (Goodhue Associates); Clarence S. Stein
    Today
    Biology Laboratory

  10. Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics

    1216 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125

    Thom Mayne's firm Morphosis designed this astronomy center, which opened in 2009 as the first building on campus to earn LEED Gold. Its street number, 1216, is the wavelength of ultraviolet light given off by hydrogen.

    Built
    2009
    Architect
    Thom Mayne / Morphosis
    Today
    Astronomy Center

5 traditions to check off

Stamped! keeps these as a checklist, so you can tick each one off on the visit.

  • The Fleming Cannon

    A Franco-Prussian War-era cannon rests on its wheels in front of Fleming House and is fired only for big moments like commencement. MIT students once hauled it across the country as a prank. Stop by to see it.

  • The Turtle Pond

    Dozens of turtles, mostly red-eared sliders, live in the pond in Throop Memorial Garden, where Caltech's first building once stood. Look for them sunning on the rocks, but don't feed them.

  • Watson Lectures

    For about a century Caltech scientists have explained their work in free public talks, today called the Watson Lectures and held at Beckman Auditorium. Catch one in person or online.

  • Halloween Pumpkin Drop

    Every Halloween, students drop pumpkins frozen in liquid nitrogen from the top of Caltech Hall, the former Millikan Library, while a crowd watches for a spark. The name nods to Millikan's famous oil-drop experiment.

  • Tournament Park

    The athletic field at Tournament Park, on the south side of campus, hosted the first Rose Bowl games. Walk past the track to see where the famous game began.

History

Founded 1891

From Wikipedia

The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes of technology in the United States that are devoted to the instruction of pure and applied sciences.

Read more on Wikipedia

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