Bowdoin College is a small liberal arts school with a beautiful campus. Founded in 1794 when Maine was still part of Massachusetts, the college has educated some of the greatest literary minds in American history. Stroll slowly along the leafy paths, passing chattering students. Closed to cars, the atmosphere is peaceful and allows a serene tour of the main attractions of the redbrick campus buildings.
Enter the quad, which features Bowdoin’s most architecturally striking buildings. Start at Massachusetts Hall, near the entrance, the oldest building on campus and, for a time, the only one. Moving southeast, walk around the edge of the quad to Bowdoin Chapel, built in the Romanesque Revival style by famous architect Richard Upjohn. Reach Hubbard Hall, now home to the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum. As you keep going, you’ll see the Bowdoin College Art Museum, housed in a historically recognized neo-Renaissance building.
Come out of the quad the way you entered and head to Federal Street. Stop at the Parker Cleaveland house and continue down the street to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, where the author wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Stowe’s husband was a professor at Bowdoin at the time. Go inside to look at Harriet’s Writing Room, which is maintained by the college for the public. Later Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived here as a student.
The Bowdoin College campus is open to visitors all day, year-round, though most buildings are accessible only during regular business hours. Bowdoin is located at the south end of Brunswick, Maine, which is accessible via train from many locations throughout Maine. Brunswick is a 2-hour drive from Boston, Massachusetts, or a 30-minute drive from the closest international airport in Portland, Maine. Use the ample free parking throughout the campus marked for visitors.
