Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The school was founded just at the start of the Civil War and, as a result, didn't open until the Civil War was finished--1865.  There are only 4,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students.  A very select group.








The campus moved from Boston around 1915.  They picked the banks of the Charles River.  I believe they had to reclaim this land; that it was a flood plain, etc.




They have a collection of model ships because many of their students and professors designed America's Cup winning boats.







The campus is very beautiful and many important architects have designed buildings here.







This is Baker Hall, very famous, designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, completed in 1945.  Every dorm room has a view of the Charles River.





This is Rogers Hall, the main building.  Every part of MIT can be reached by underground corridors.







This is the computer sciences building, designed by Frank Gehry.
















Of course, this is a Calder.




This building was designed by I.M. Pei.  It is the tallest building in Cambridge.










This is a Henry More.  I hope there's a course the kids can take explaining to them the wonders they are living among.  Our guide had no clue.







This is the "grand dome."  On this lawn the students have their first freshman convocation and then graduate 4 years later on the same lawn.













This is the non denominational chapel, designed by Eero Saarinen, the same guy who designed the St. Louis arch.  Very beautiful, indeed.















This is a parking garage.