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Campus to give glimpse of facilities

August 12, 1999

Community residents can visit many famous and obscure corners of the university as the campus opens its doors to the community Sunday, Aug. 22.


See also:
Sesquicentennial Celebration parking tips


A number of open houses will be held during UW–Madison’s Sesquicentennial Summer Celebration. Here’s a rundown of events, all scheduled Sunday, Aug. 22:

  • Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital: Discover new technologies and an array of veterinary services available to all species of animals during a guided tour departing from the entrance to the Small Animal Teaching Hospital, 2015 Linden Drive West, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
  • Botanical Garden and Greenhouse: View the garden and greenhouse. The garden, on one-fifth of an acre, showcases 386 different species from 68 families of flowering plants. The eight-room greenhouse contains more than 1,000 species comprising aquatic, desert and tropical plant communities. The garden is located behind Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, along University Avenue, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
  • Carillon: Climb the steep stairs of this 85-foot tower to view the third-floor playing area, or climb even higher to the 56-bell chamber with its arched openings. 1160 Observatory Drive, 1-5 p.m., with 10-minute concerts by carillonneur Lyle Anderson on the hour and half-hour.
  • D.C. Smith Greenhouses: Look to the future of instructional greenhouses and pick out a free sesquicentennial souvenir plant. Visitors will be able to pick up a free potted birch tree, rhododendron or blueberry plant (while supplies last). 465 Babcock Drive, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Dairy Barn: Built in 1898, the barn features one of the best and oldest examples of a round silo. Here in 1907, UW researchers began a series of cattle-feeding experiments that led to the discovery of vitamins in 1913. The barn is still used for research on nutrition and physiology. 1915 Linden Drive, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Geology Museum: Browse a comprehensive collection of minerals, rocks and fossils, then walk through a model of a Wisconsin limestone cave. The museum also includes the skeletons of a 10,000-year-old Wisconsin mastodon, a 65-million-year-old duck-billed dinosaur and a saber-tooth cat. A120 Weeks Hall, 1215 W. Dayton St., 1-5 p.m.
  • Historic Red Gym: Get an inside look at the $13 million restoration of one of three National Historic Landmark buildings on the UW–Madison campus. Built in 1893, the Red Gym recently re-opened as the “front door” to the university. 716 Langdon St., 30-minute building tours, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
  • Memorial Library: Enjoy performances featuring local poets, writers and book club members reading favorite passages, and listen to local musicians. Half-hour tours feature an exhibit on the history of the libraries, the Silver Buckle Press, Special Collections Room and a first-hand look at the electronic resources available in the library. Cookies and iced tea will be served while supplies last. 728 State St. (main entrance across from the University Book Store), 2-4 p.m.
  • Morgridge Center: Check out a resource library for volunteer and service-learning opportunities for the university community. Red Gym, 716 Langdon St., 2-5 p.m.
  • Slichter Hall: Walk hallways reflecting the yesteryear of campus residence life. Visitors can relive the fun of college days gone by, and visit a room of today complete with the newest technology. Tour guides will be available to answer questions. 625 Babcock Drive, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Steenbock Library: See the original ultraviolet light lamp used by biochemist Harry Steenbock during his work on Vitamin D in the 1920s. His discovery helped erase rickets from the list of common childhood diseases. Historical items from UW–Madison Archives also will be displayed. The General Library System is celebrating 150 years of acquiring, preserving and providing access to information resources across the generations of Wisconsin citizens and the university community. 550 Babcock Drive, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • University Club: Enjoy the magnificent ambiance of the unique and historic University Club. Tours will be offered throughout the afternoon and an African storytelling program by professor Harold Scheub will be presented at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from noon-5 p.m. 803 State St., noon-5 p.m.
  • Allen Centennial Gardens and E.B. Fred House: Walk through 2.5 acres featuring more than two dozen distinctive and beautiful gardens that collectively serve as an outdoor laboratory for UW–Madison horticulture students and a resource for gardening enthusiasts. Then step inside the magnificent century-old Victorian home on the grounds, once the residence of the deans of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Beverage stand located in the gardens. 620 Babcock Drive, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
  • Wisconsin Alumni Association: Get a Bucky Badger tattoo and more at Below Alumni Center on the shore of Lake Mendota, home to one of the largest alumni associations in the world. 650 N. Lake St., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Complete listing of events