Explore

A College campus like no other

Due to COVID, some of our campus locations are still closed to the public. Please call 859-985-3197 for info before visiting.

Explore like you were Daniel Boone

College Square sits on the edge of the Daniel Boone Trace. This Trace has historical significance as being the first road into Kentucky and a bridge to the West. Daniel Boone was seen as bit radical for his time. In 1855, Berea College was also seen as radical as being the first institution in the South to offer an education to all people, regardless of skin color or gender. Daniel Boone confronted the wilderness while Berea College confronted the prejudices of the time. We invite you to “Trace” the history of our College through a student-led tour then make your way through all the points of interest.

We hope you enjoy the adventure.

Student Led Tours

Immerse Yourself In Berea College's Vibrant History

With our College's rich and culturally diverse history, our student-led tour will guide you from our founding in 1855 to the present day.

Click the button below or call to check availability for our student-led tour.
If there isn't a guided tour available when it's convenient for you, we have a self-guided tour that you can take at your own pace. Stroll the beautiful, scenic campus and learn about our history along the way. Stop by the Berea College Visitor Center & Shoppe first to pick up a map of all the stops.

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Berea College Student Craft

Crafting the Future

The education of the hand has always been an essential part of life here at Berea College. Working individually and together as a team our students discover and enrich their artistic and problem solving potential, starting with the most basic raw materials and creating objects of utility, beauty, and expression. Through the Student Craft program we believe our students experience the full breadth of a traditional liberal arts education by nurturing the development of a complete thinker, while bringing the College’s guiding principles, The Eight Great Commitments, to life through their dedication to craft.

Tours of our Craft Industry are available daily Monday - Friday. Click below to check availability or call us to book a tour. All Berea College tours are free of charge.

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Berea College Forestry Outreach Center

Discover Berea College's Natural Beauty

The Forestry Outreach Center is the welcome center for our 9000-acre forest. Here, learn about the history of the Berea College forest, attend a Documentary Dialogue, go on a guided hike or maybe a bird walk. There is always something to do at the forest.

Located at 2047 Big Hill Rd, Berea, KY 40403

The Berea College Forestry Outreach Center offers group hikes every Saturday at 1 pm. It is also possible to schedule a guided hike time by contacting Wendy Warren at warrenw@berea.edu or John Abrams at abramsj@berea.edu.

Center Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm
Sunday-12-4
Monday – Closed

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Hutchins Library

Our library is brimming with treasures waiting to be found

Hutchins Library, named after our 4th and 5th college presidents – William and Francis Hutchins, is located on the west side of the campus quad, parallel to Ellipse Street at 100 Campus Drive. Hutchins Library is a teaching library that provides educational resources and services to the Berea College campus community. Hutchins Library also serves as an information resource for the Berea area and Madison County.

Weekly Private Showing - Friday Finds: The Bible Before 1611

Have you ever wondered what came before the King James Bible of 1611? Here is an opportunity to find out! This Special Collections tour will show and discuss a dozen Bibles and Bible fragments dating from the early 12th century to the late 16th century. All items are part of the Berea College Special Collections and Archives at Hutchins Library.

“Friday Finds” private showings are by appointment only. Register for this special showing by going to the EXPLORE page of this website. All participants must show evidence of COVID-19 vaccination before entering Hutchins Library. Please see https://libraryguides.berea.edu/COVID-19 for library policy details.

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Get Outside KY

Immerse Yourself in Nature

Love the water? Be sure to make time on your next visit to paddle our beautiful 150 acre Owsley Fork Lake, nestled in the beautiful hills of Kentucky (a quick 5 mile drive from the Boone Tavern Hotel). Get Outside Kentucky is an official partner of the Berea College Trace and offers affordable kayak rentals by the hour and can deliver the kayaks to the lake for you! They have everything you need for a relaxing or invigorating day on the water.

2428 Big Hill Rd, Berea, KY 40403

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Now offering Electric Bikes! E-Bikes have a top speed of 20mph and a 40 mile range. You can get around the entire city of Berea!

Rent Bikes

The Berea College Planetarium and Digital Theater

Exploring the Universe

The Berea College Planetarium provides a high quality educational and entertainment experience that inspires curiosity and wonder about the natural world. With the completion of the Margarett A. Cargill Natural Sciences and Health Building in August 2018, Berea College has a new planetarium with a digital projection dome. The new digital system is capable of projecting stars, planets, exoplanets and nebulae. Come explore the universe with us!

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Loyal Jones Appalachian Center

Experience Appalachia's Rich Culture

The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center is a great place to start your exploration into Appalachia. Learn where Appalachia is, how the locals say Apple-atcha, and celebrate the cultural diversity of the region. We have permanent exhibits as well as temporary exhibits. So, there’s always something new to see and learn.

205 N Main St, Berea, KY 40403
-The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center is temporarily closed to the public-

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Berea College Hutchins Library

Saint John's Bible

The Saint John’s Bible is a work of art and a work of theology. A team of artists coordinated by Donald Jackson in Wales and a team of scholars in Central Minnesota have brought together the ancient techniques of calligraphy and illumination with an ecumenical Christian approach to the Bible rooted in Benedictine spirituality. The result is a living document and a monumental achievement.

Berea College is privileged to be the permanent home to one of the 299 Heritage Editions of the St. John's Bible. One volume of the Bible is on display in the lobby of the Hutchins Library daily. The public is invited to come by and enjoy the words and beauty of this incredible Bible. The entire Bible (7 volumes) is housed in the Hutchins Library Special Collections and may be viewed by scheduling an appointment by clicking below. We look forward to this treasure being used and enjoyed by professors, staff, students, and the wider community.

Private showings of the St. John's Bible are available every Monday at 2:00. Click below to register or call 859-985-3193. Reservations must be made no later than 11:00 the day of the showing to allow time for set up.

Berea College Library
Campus Dr, Berea, KY 40403
Monday-Thursday: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm

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Doris Ulmann Galleries

From Artifacts to the Avante-Garde

Visit the Doris Ulmann Galleries and allow plenty of time to browse our permanent collection as well as current exhibits. Our gallery is home to more than 3000 Doris Ulmann photographs primarily of the Appalachian region.

Chestnut St & Elipse St, Berea, KY 40403
The Doris Ulmann Galleries are temporarily closed for the Fall 2021 Semester.
We hope to re-open to the public in the Spring of 2022.

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Carter G. Woodson Center for Interracial Education

Promoting Social and Cultural Change

The Carter G. Woodson Center for Interracial Education strives to foster communication around Berea College’s Great Commitment: To assert the kinship of all people and provide interracial education with a particular emphasis on understanding and equality among blacks and whites as a foundation for building community among all peoples of the earth. The center regularly hosts events that aim to foster a greater understanding of race, diversity, and inclusion such as True Racial Understanding through Honest Talks (T.R.U.T.H.) and an annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

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Berea College Theater Laboratory

A Theater Experience Like No Other

The Theatre Laboratory supports a full season of plays each academic year, as well as individual student projects and original work.

Some showings have opted to temporarily stream online only.

Single/General Admission: $5.00

Multiple (up to 3 views) Family Admission: $10.00

You can reserve tickets here.

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The Woodworking School at Pine Croft

Keeping Traditions Alive

Berea College has re-opened the former Kelly Mehler School of Woodworking under the leadership of Andy Glenn as The Woodworking School at Pine Croft. Both Andy and Berea College are dedicated to preserving the fundamental character the school has been known for as we move the school into its next phase. The Woodworking School at Pine Croft further supports Berea College’s 120-year commitment to the preservation and promotion of craft.

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