Guided Tours
Mon–Fri: 10:30am & 2pm
Sat–Sunday: 1:30pm
The Visitor Center is closed Thanksgiving Day and from December 22 through January 1. It reopens on January 2. There will be no tour on Harvard-Yale Game Day.
Yale College students provide a glimpse into the history and architecture of the University. The tours start at the Visitor Center at 149 Elm Street. Hear about Yale's rich 300-year history and aspects of student life at several of Yale's twelve residential colleges. The tour also includes the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library, Yale's largest, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Constructed with more than one hundred panels of translucent marble, the Beinecke is home to one of the world's preeminent collections of rare materials, including the Gutenberg Bible.
Tours depart from the Visitor Center (149 Elm Street), cover the central campus area, and last about 1 hour 15 minutes. No fee or appointment needed for these regular tours. A video about campus life is offered 15 minutes before each of these scheduled tours. Please note that the Visitor Center does not offer information sessions. Information sessions are held at the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Self-Guided Tour
Visitors who would rather tour the campus on their own may purchase a copy
of the Blue Trail map, which includes a suggested self-guided tour route,
and a brief history of the University.
NEW! MP3 Tour
Using their portable MP3 players, visitors may listen to pre-recorded
audio tracks on a self-guided MP3 tour
throughout campus.
Special Groups by Appointment
Large groups visiting the campus can arrange to have a tour specifically suited
to their group's interest and time schedule. For each group of 25 people,
there will be a $40 fee. Contact the Visitor Center at least two weeks prior
to the tour, at (203) 432-2300.
Foreign Language Tours
International groups can arrange to have a tour given in a foreign language by contacting the Visitor Center at least two weeks prior to the tour at (203) 432-2301. There is a $40 fee per guide. One guide is appropriate for 25 people.
NEW! Public Art Tour
The Yale Visitor Center is proud to announce a brand new self-guided tour highlighting public art at Yale.
Visitors may pick up a free map of these pieces of art from the Visitors Center. You may also visit an
online tour of public art at Yale.
Kids' Architectural Treasure Hunt
Parents taking the campus tour with children ages 6-11 can request a brochure that encourages the children to hunt for architectural details and designs. Group tours for the treasure hunt can be arranged by calling (203) 432-2302.
