Welcome to Indiana University-Bloomington!
Whether you are in town for a campus visit, a sporting event, a conference or for one of the many arts events and festivals for which IU and the city of Bloomington are known, I hope you’ll take the time to explore our diverse campus, consistently voted one of the nation’s most beautiful.
Our tree-lined campus highlights the natural beauty of southern Indiana and prominently features buildings made of signature limestone from quarries in Bloomington and the surrounding region. You’ll find plenty of open walking paths and green spaces around campus, such as the IU Arboretum next to the historic Herman B Wells Library and the new Global and International Studies Building, or Dunn Woods, just through the iconic Sample Gates.
While you’re here, take a look at the many beautiful pieces of public art throughout campus. Take your picture with bronze sculptures of important figures in IUB’s history, starting with famed World War II journalist Ernie Pyle outside Franklin Hall, home to our new Media School.
Next along the path is the statue of former IU president Herman B Wells outside of Maxwell Hall, followed by Hoagy Carmichael, whose bronze form sits at his piano outside our renowned IU Cinema.
Also on campus, look for a 10,000-pound limestone brain sculpture in front of our Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, a colorful Light Totem in front of the IU Art Museum and the iconic sculpture of Venus in Showalter Fountain in front of the IU Auditorium.
I invite you to enjoy our many cultural centers, museums and performance spaces. Each year the IU Auditorium brings world-famous performers and Broadway productions to Bloomington. The IU Cinema is one of the Midwest’s premier venues for independent films and draws filmmakers and actors such as Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter Weir for public lectures and screenings.
The Jacobs School of Music and the Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance present student-run performances year-round, including the collaborative Hammer & Nail concert each spring. The IU Art Museum’s collection rivals that of any other public university in the country, and the Mathers Museum of World Cultures is one of the world’s leading anthropological museums.
We are so proud of our beautiful campus and our place in the vibrant, diverse Bloomington community. For nearly 200 years, IU has called Bloomington home, and we hope you feel at home during your time here.
Provost and Executive Vice President
