COVID-19 PROTOCOLS: We expect all visitors to campus to be fully vaccinated and to bring a mask with them in the event that they are asked to wear a mask during their visit. You do not need to wear your mask to enter the admission building when you arrive. Visitors who are not fully vaccinated must receive a negative COVID test result before arriving on campus. In advance of your visit to Bard College, we ask that you kindly monitor your current health. In the event you are not feeling well, we ask that you remain at home and reschedule your visit for another time. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been in close contact with a person with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 in the past 5-10 days, please also remain home.
These in-person tours are led by student tour guides. Every tour begins with an information session from an Admission Counselor and ends with a Q&A session. Registration is required. Each visiting student may register up to three guests. Register for a Campus Tour
Campus Tour and Information Session
These in-person tours are led by student tour guides. Every tour begins with an information session from an Admission Counselor and ends with a Q&A session. Registration is required. Each visiting student may register up to three guests. Register for a Campus Tour
The campus visit starts inside of the Admission Office at Hopson Cottage. Your tour begins with a short information session and ends with a Q&A. Campus visits usually last about 75 minutes.
Please bring a mask with you to this event. You might be asked to wear it at specific points on the tour. You do not need to wear your mask to enter the admission building when you arrive. In advance of your visit to Bard College, we ask that you kindly monitor your current health. In the event you are not feeling well, we ask that you remain at home and reschedule your visit for another time. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been in close contact with a person with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 in the past 5-10 days, please also remain home.
After your tour, we invite you to explore the northernmost sites on campus in your car, as they are not easily walkable from Admission. You can explore these sites by following the audio-guided driving tour. The QR code for this tour is on the kiosk in front of Admission.
Live Virtual Tour and Information Session
Join our student tour guides, who will take you (virtually) on an academic walking tour of campus. An admission counselor will host an information session for families at the start of each tour. 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. Virtual tours will take place at noon on the Fridays in August. Registration is required. Register for a Virtual Tour
Self-Guided Walking Tour
The self-guided walking tour offers students and their families the chance to see the central hub of campus on foot since parts of central campus are not accessible to visitor vehicles. This tour route includes most of the main campus buildings that are within a 15-minute walk from the Office of Admission. Visitors can pick up a printed walking-tour brochure at the red kiosk in front of the Admission Office.
Self-Guided Walking Tour
The self-guided walking tour offers students and their families the chance to see the central hub of campus on foot since parts of central campus are not accessible to visitor vehicles. This tour route includes most of the main campus buildings that are within a 15-minute walk from the Office of Admission. Visitors can pick up a printed walking-tour brochure at the red kiosk in front of the Admission Office.
Visitors must register for the walking tour upon arrival using the QR code which is printed on the brochure and also on a sign at this location. These tours are not scheduled, so students and their families are welcome to walk around campus at a time that works best for their schedule.
We strongly suggest that families pair the walking tour with the audio-guided driving tour, which allows visitors to see a full loop of campus, including the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, The Hessel Museum, Music and Film Program buildings and Blithewood Manor, home to the Levy Economics Institute which also has a beautiful view of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains.
There is NO access to any campus buildings. You do not have to wear a mask outside, but all visitors must bring a mask with them in case they are invited to wear one while on campus.
Weekdays during business hours only: Admission Counselors are available to speak with visitors and answer questions. Visitors may also use the bathroom facilities in the Admission Office foyer. Please ring the doorbell for access to the bathroom facilities or to be greeted by an Admission Counselor. You must wear a mask in the Admission Office.
Audio-Guided Driving Tour
The driving tour is audio guided. Visitors may drive around campus in their own vehicle following the directions and information provided in the audio guide, which is accessed through a QR code. The QR code, along with easy instructions on scanning the QR with your phone, are posted on the red kiosk outside the Admission Office. The audio guide recording starts with an information session by the Director of Admission.
Audio-Guided Driving Tour
The driving tour is audio guided. Visitors may drive around campus in their own vehicle following the directions and information provided in the audio guide, which is accessed through a QR code. The QR code, along with easy instructions on scanning the QR with your phone, are posted on the red kiosk outside the Admission Office. The audio guide recording starts with an information session by the Director of Admission.
These tours are not scheduled, so students and their families are welcome to drive on and around campus at a time that works best for their schedule.
The audio guide includes an introduction by the Director of Admission (please park and listen to the intro before driving), directions (the audio is timed with the drive, so stay between 15-20 mph), and information about what you see along the route as you drive through campus. There is a printed brochure of the driving tour map in the red kiosk in front of Admission.
The audio-driving tour 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 there at a safe distance from others. A map of local restaurants with take-out options can be found here.
NOTE: There is NO access to any campus buildings. You do not have to wear a mask outside, but all visitors must bring a mask with them in case they are invited to wear one while on campus.
Weekdays during business hours only: Admission Counselors are available to speak with visitors and answer questions. Visitors may also use the bathroom facilities in the Admission Office foyer. Please ring the doorbell for access to the bathroom facilities or to be greeted by an Admission Counselor.
Bard's Conservatory of Music Tour
When scheduling a campus tour of the college, there is an option to also indicate your interest in a tour of Bard's Conservatory of Music. Those students and families interested in a Conservatory tour would then be notified by a representative from the Conservatory confirming this tour as well. If you are unable to visit in the morning, please know that staff in the Office of Admission will be able to speak with you more generally about the Conservatory of Music.
April Office Drop-ins
During the month of April, the following offices are offering in-person drop-in hours:
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. Meet the Tour Guides | More Videos
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.
In-Person Group Tours
March, May, September, and November
The Tour: Currently, our group tours start with a 15-minute information session, followed by a 60 minute campus tour and a Q&A with a counselor to conclude.
Group tours interested in an additional information session with representatives from the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) can indicate this interest on the form below and will be contacted to set up the information session.
Group tours must be larger than 15 and no larger than 50 students total, not including chaperones. We require one chaperone per 15 students.
Please plan at least one month in advance when submitting the Group Tour Form in the link below. Once you submit this form, we will contact you to solidify a date and time for the tour. Please reach out to Cassidy Murray ([email protected]) with any additional questions.
Spring '23 group tours are now full
LAND AND SLAVERY ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR BARD COLLEGE IN ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON
Developed in Cooperation with the Stockbridge-Munsee Community and Bard College faculty, staff, and students
In the spirit of equity, it is with gratitude and humility that we acknowledge that we are gathered on sacred homelands of the Munsee Muhheaconneok people, who are the original steward of this land. Today, due to the forced removal, the community resides in northeast Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We honor and pay respect to their ancestors past and present, as well as future generations and we recognize their continuing presence in their homelands. We understand that our acknowledgment requires those of us who are settlers to recognize our own place in and responsibilities towards addressing inequity and that this ongoing and challenging work requires that we commit to real engagement with the Munsee and Mohican communities to build an inclusive and equitable space for all.
The College also acknowledges that its origins are intertwined with slavery, which has shaped the United States and American institutions from the beginning of its history. Recognition and redress of this history are due. As students, teachers, researchers, administrators, staff, and community members, we acknowledge the pervasive legacy of slavery and commit ourselves to the pursuit of equity and restorative justice for the descendants of enslaved people within the Bard community.
This land acknowledgment, adopted in 2020, required establishing and maintaining long-term, and evolving, relationships with the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. The Mellon Foundation's 2022 Humanities for All Times grant for “Rethinking Place: Bard-on-Mahicantuck” offers three years of support for developing a land acknowledgment–based curriculum, public-facing Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) programming, and efforts to support the work of emerging NAIS scholars and tribally enrolled artists at Bard.
About Campus
Students and Alumni/ae Offer Snapshots of Bard
Students and alumni/ae talk about their favorite spots on campus. Take a look at the best places to explore 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.
Residence Halls Virtual Tours
Take a video tour of a selection of our residence halls. Bard has over 50 student residences featuring WiFi, social rooms, kitchens, and laundry facilities. Most of them are coed, and roughly one-third of the rooms are single occupancy. The residences are as eclectic as the College’s student population; rather than having a uniform architectural design, the halls have evolved as Bard has grown.
Bard on the Road
Meet with members of our admission team virtually or in a town near you! We regularly schedule visits with high schools and at college fairs around the country and the world. You can join us for in-person events near you or attend a virtual event from anywhere. Visit our Bard on the Road page for dates and details.