Home of the Hoyas
Georgetown University
Healy Hall, the spired landmark visible across the Potomac, was designed by Paul Pelz and John Smithmeyer, the same pair who designed the Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building.
- 4Buildings
- 2Traditions
- 1795Oldest · Old North
- 1970Newest · Lauinger Library
Campus map and Look Around
Tap a numbered pin to see that building from the street with Apple Look Around.
Planning the visit
- Fly intoRonald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Reagan National is about 15 minutes' drive from campus across the Potomac. Dulles International is farther out, roughly 45 minutes away.
- Getting aroundWalking / GUTS shuttle
Georgetown has no Metro station of its own, so the university's free GUTS shuttle buses link campus with nearby Metro stops. The hilltop campus itself is easy to walk.
- Colors and teams
Students call Lauinger Library 'Lau'.
4 buildings to stamp
-
Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Healy Hall
Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
Georgetown's flagship building, built in 1877–1879 by the architects of the Library of Congress's Jefferson Building. Inside are the elaborate Gaston Hall and Riggs Library, one of the few cast-iron libraries left in the country.
- Built
- 1879
- Architect
- John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz
- Style
- Romanesque Revival
- Today
- Administration and classrooms
-
Photo: Ergo Sum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Old North
Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
The oldest academic building on campus, completed in 1795 and one of the grandest buildings in Washington at the time. It was the university's flagship until Healy Hall and now houses the McCourt School of Public Policy.
- Built
- 1795
- Architect
- Leonard Harbaugh
- Style
- Georgian
- Stories
- 5
- Today
- McCourt School of Public Policy
-
Photo: Daderot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Georgetown University Astronomical Observatory
Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
Father James Curley planned this Greek Revival observatory and supervised its construction, finished in 1844. In 1846 it was used to fix the latitude and longitude of Washington, D.C.
- Built
- 1844
- Architect
- James Curley
- Style
- Greek Revival
- Today
- Astronomical observatory
-
Photo: catelinp from New York, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Lauinger Library
37th & O Streets NW, Washington, DC 20057
John Carl Warnecke's Brutalist main library opened in 1970, designed as a modern interpretation of neighbouring Healy Hall, with a spire echoing Healy's clock tower. It holds 1.7 million volumes on six floors.
- Built
- 1970
- Architect
- John Carl Warnecke
- Style
- Brutalist
- Stories
- 6
- Today
- University library
.jpg){kind=link}
2 traditions to check off
Stamped! keeps these as a checklist, so you can tick each one off on the visit.
Healy Hall Seal
A mosaic Georgetown seal is set into the ground at the central entrance to Healy Hall, and students walk around it because legend says stepping on it means you won't graduate. Visitors can see the seal and watch students sidestep it.
The Exorcist Steps
The steep stone staircase from Prospect Street down to M Street appears in the final scene of The Exorcist, written by alumnus William Peter Blatty, and Hoyas make a point of running up them. Visitors can climb the public steps and take a photo.
Know Georgetown University well?
Students and alumni know the traditions best. Suggest one we're missing, a building worth a stamp, or a fix. Every suggestion is checked against a source before it goes into the app.
Stamp all 4 on your visit.
Tour Georgetown University in 3D before you go, add it to a college road trip and earn a passport stamp at every building. Free on iPhone and iPad.
Download on theApp Store