Frequently Asked Questions
Please see our available tours here.
Columbia University is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The Morningside Heights campus houses three undergraduate schools—Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of General Studies— as well as graduate and professional schools for arts and sciences, architecture, the arts, business, international affairs, journalism, law and social work. The School of Professional Studies is also on the Morningside Heights campus.
Columbia University Medical Center, located at 168th Street and Broadway in the Washington Heights neighborhood, encompasses the graduate schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing and public health.
Baker Athletic Complex, home to Columbia outdoor sports programs, is located at the northern tip of Manhattan at 218th Street and Broadway.
Morningside Campus
535 West 116th Street
New York, New York 10027
CUMC
630 W 168th Street
New York, New York 10032
Manhattanville
3227 Broadway
New York, New York 10027
Lamont-Doherty
61 US-9W
Palisades, NY 10964
The Visitors Center can be found at 213 Low Library. Guests should go to the Visitors Center for all questions regarding Columbia, including checking in for information sessions and campus tours.
Low Library is located in the center of campus, a magnificent domed building facing south toward College Walk -- which is a continuation of 116th Street. The Visitors Center is immediately on your left as you enter the building.
The Visitors Center is closed on all University holidays. For a list of those dates, please visit our Academic Calendar.
Columbia has an open campus and you are welcome to explore the outdoor areas at your leisure. If you would like to take a guided tour, the reservation process varies depending on the type of tour that you would like to take. Please find more specific information about your options on the tour section of our website.
There is no fee for any Visitors Center tour.
The Visitors Center is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On weekends, groups are free to tour the Morningside campus on their own using the self-guided tour; however, a current Columbia ID is required to enter all buildings except St. Paul's Chapel . You are welcome to explore any of the outdoor green space on campus. A virtual tour and podcast are available online.
The Guided Historical Tour meets in the Visitors Center of Low Memorial Library. Low Library, a large domed building located in the middle of the campus, can be accessed from our main gates at 116th Street and Broadway. Please come to the Visitors Center in Room 213 upon your arrival.
The Guided Historical Tour does not include any graduate admissions or financial aid information. For graduate-specific information please visit the Admissions page, then make a selection for the specific school you are interested in learning more about.
Please contact us directly at least two weeks in advance of your visit at [email protected] or 212-854-4900.
In general, tours are conducted rain or shine. For any questions regarding inclement weather, please call us 212-854-4900.
Unfortunately, due to Public Safety policy, luggage storage is not available in the Visitors Center.
There are a number of hotels close to campus on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Columbia has negotiated deals with several local options for campus visitors. Please visit the Travel Portal for more information on specific Columbia rates and instructions for how to make reservations at participating hotels.
The Department of Public Safety maintains a Lost and Found desk at the Morningside and Medical Center campuses.
Lost items from the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses that have been turned in to Public Safety may be claimed at the Morningside Public Safety Operations desk located in Low Library, Room 111.
Lost items from the Medical Center campus that have been turned in to Public Safety may be claimed at the Public Safety Operations desk located in the Black Building at 650 West 168th St., Room 109.
For general visitors, photography, filming and videotaping are allowed only in outdoor spaces, such as College Walk along West 116th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. Filming tour guides while they are giving a tour is prohibited.
Members of the working media must contact the Office of Communications and Public Affairs at 212-854-5573 for permission, guidance, and escort assignments. Commercial filming requests must be directed to Joseph Ricciutti in the Office of University Events Management at 212-854-6612.
Applying to Columbia
For admission to Columbia University it is necessary to contact the admissions office of the school, division, department, or program that you would like to attend. Please visit the Admissions page, then make a selection and follow the specific instructions for program information and application requests. Please note that some admissions offices do not accept requests via email.
Sorry, no we do not.
Please visit our parking page for more information.
Yes, there is free outdoor wireless available on campus.
The 1 train at the 116th Street stop.
There is an ATM on the 2nd floor of Lerner Hall next to Cafe 212.
Current undergraduate students and recent alumni are on staff at the Visitor Center and we welcome your questions!
We provide a virtual tour that allows prospective students and families throughout the world to gain a better understanding of campus. The tour is led by undergraduate Columbia students who describe academic and student life on Columbia’s historic Morningside Heights campus.