Ways to Visit Bard 


Before making plans to visit Bard College, please review the New York State Advisory Guide found here to determine what protocols you must follow based on where you will be traveling from. Everyone traveling from outside the United States or from a noncontiguous state must submit the New York State Traveler Form found here. 
 

  • LIMITED IN-PERSON WALKING TOURS 
Admitted Students Only:
Limited in-person campus tours are ONLY open to Fall 2021 admitted students who have not already visited campus in person. These tours are limited to 3 people per tour (student and two family members).  Visit the admitted students website for more information.  

Campus visitors are not allowed to enter any buildings at any time and are not allowed to walk around campus unaccompanied by Bard staff or faculty.

We hope to expand in-person visit opportunities for prospective applicants and their families in the summer. Updates to follow as we know more!
  • SELF-GUIDED DRIVING TOURS (Drive around campus in your car using the driving tour map.)
Self-guided driving tours are available to admitted students and prospective applicants, and their families, starting in April. Driving tour guests are allowed to visit in parties of 4 or fewer in one car. Please call the Admission Office at 845-758-7472 to ask for any exceptions to this policy. 

Campus visitors are not allowed to enter any buildings at any time and are not allowed to walk around campus unaccompanied by Bard staff or faculty.

Self-guided driving tours are not scheduled for specific dates and times. Students and their families are welcome to drive on and around campus at a time that works best for their schedule. Those who opt to drive to campus will have the opportunity to explore campus from the comfort of their own vehicle, and will be greeted by a member of the admission staff if they visit Monday through Friday. Please ring the doorbell at Admission when you arrive. 

The driving tour map guides you along a full loop of campus starting at the Admission Office (Hopson Cottage) and ending at Blithewood on the southwest end of main campus. Visitors may get out of their car, stretch their legs, and enjoy the view at Blithewood and can picnic at a safe distance from others. A map of local restaurants with take-out options can be found here. 

IMPORTANT:
  • Campus visitors on driving tours must pick up a driving tour map AND identifying sticker, located at the red kiosk in front of the Admission Office.
  • Driving tour visitors may only get out of their cars to retrieve a driving tour campus map and sticker at the red kiosk in front of the Admission Office, to use the bathroom facilities in the Admission Office foyer (available on weekdays only), and at Blithewood––as long as each visitor is wearing a sticker that is clearly visible for security identification.
     
HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS:
In the specific instances where driving tour visitors are allowed to get out of their vehicle (to use the Admission foyer bathroom on weekdays, to retrieve a driving tour map and the sticker at the red kiosk, to take a walk at Blithewood), each person must follow the below health and safety protocols:
1. Do not exit your vehicle at any time on the main campus other than to visit the Admission kiosk, or the bathroom in the Admission foyer on weekdays. 
2. Wear a mask at all times outside of the vehicle.
3. Maintain social distance (min. 6 ft) with everyone outside of your travel group.
NOTE: Visitors are welcome to exit their vehicles at Blithewood, but must still wear masks and uphold social distancing. 
 
If you are planning to come to campus for a self-guided driving tour, please call the Admission Office (845-758-7472) to hear additional instructions on our health and safety protocols. Follow this link for driving directions to campus.

CLICK HERE FOR A DRIVING TOUR MAP
(Hardcopy of the driving tour map is available at the Admission kiosk.)
 
  • LIVE VIRTUAL TOURS
Join our student tour guides, who will take you on an academic walking tour of campus. An admission counselor will host an information session for families at the start of each tour and a Q&A session at the end. The virtual tour will last about 75 minutes. You can ask questions using the Chat feature or unmute your video and audio to speak to the counselor and tour guides directly.

Tour times:
Weekdays: 10:00am and 2:00pm ET

REGISTER FOR A LIVE VIRTUAL TOUR

 

Campus Tour Videos

While our live virtual tours cover the central hub of Bard’s 1,000-acre campus they don’t encompass its outermost reaches, where you’ll find extraordinary facilities and stunning views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. These videos let you explore these areas, at your own pace.

  • Quick Campus Tour
    In just under 10 minutes, enjoy a student-led tour of the Annandale campus highlighting our academic traditions and world-class facilities.
  • In-Depth Campus Tour
    Produced by students, this video takes you on an extended 45-minute exploration of campus, offering a deeper dive into Bard’s programs and campus life.

About Campus

Students and Alumni/ae Offer Snapshots of Bard

Bard College students and alumni/ae talk about their favorite spots on campus. Take a look at the best places to work and play in Annandale, from the historic Blithewood mansion to the iconic Frank Gehry–designed Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. These locations are not part of the campus tour, so we encourage you to explore them on your own.


Live Virtual Group Tours

Now through November (excluding holidays).

Since in-person group tours do not allow for social distancing and would exceed state limits on the size of social gatherings, we will only be hosting live virtual group tours via Zoom. 

  • Tours consist of a 60-minute virtual academic tour followed by a 30-minute information session.
  • Groups must include at least 15 but no more than 50 high school juniors and seniors.   
  • Tours are available on Tuesdays at noon throughout the months of October and November (excluding holidays). Submit your request for a group tour below and we will contact you to solidify a date and time as well as provide you with a Zoom link for the tour. Reach out to Chase Williams at cwilliams@bard.edu with any questions.


Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Statement

We, in the Bard Admission Office take this time to acknowledge the original inhabitants of this land. The land upon which the campus stands is the ancestral home of Native peoples now identified as the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, Delaware Nation, and Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma. These grounds were expropriated from indigenous populations by European settlers through deceitful transactions and violence. Our work as educators and stewards of this beautiful land is grounded in an understanding of where we’ve come from and whose ground we walk on. With the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma and other historically marginalized groups in mind, we embark on this campus tour and all of our Admission work, taking on the task of building intentional equity in our Admission processes and within our community, through access to education and support of positive and peaceful action, while inviting and supporting others to do so as well.

Campus Map

We encourage you to use the virtual map below to learn more about the buildings, amenities, and topography of the Bard College campus.

Discover More

The Montgomery Place Campus
Photo by Chris Kayden

The Montgomery Place Campus

Montgomery Place, a 380-acre estate adjacent to the main Bard College campus and overlooking the Hudson River, is a designated National Historic Landmark set amid rolling lawns, woodlands, and gardens, against the spectacular backdrop of the Catskill Mountains. Montgomery Place has a Federal-style mansion, a farm, and 20 smaller buildings. Exhibitions, concerts, performances, and conferences take place throughout the year, often integrated with Bard College courses.

Visit the Montgomery Place Website