Walking around campus, I’ve found a few cool sights that I think can either be great study spots, photo backgrounds, or places to go to with friends. As I’ve only been on campus for about two months now, here are the areas I’ve found so far that I’ve considered hidden gems.
1. The Greenhouses and Flower Shop (UConn Blooms)
The location of these are near the biology/physics building here on campus. The greenhouse has a huge selection of beautiful flowers and it helps promote floriculture. When you go inside the greenhouse, you’ll even see a few work and desk rooms filled with watering cans and other eqiupment. It’s an overall very quiet and tranquil place on campus. It’s also always awesome to be surrounded and be able to admire all sorts of plant life, and the greenhouses give you the opportunity to do so!
2. Planetarium
There’s a cute dome-sized planetarium right near the Chemistry building that many people haven’t heard of. I’m not entirely sure if night shows are still being exhibited in it (I tried opening both doors and they were locked, and one had a bunch of cobwebs around it so it looked like it hadn’t been open in a while). I searched up a few articles from previous years about this planetarium and it seems that every once in a while in the night time the physics and astronomy department has star shows here. It’s such a cute place on campus and if star shows are indeed being shown, I think that’s something that might be fun to check out with friends.
3. The Area Behind the Benton Museum
There’s a sitting area right behind the Benton Museum that has a fountain, sculptures, a few benches, and a bunch of natural plant life surrounding the buildings. It’s usually not a very busy area either, so if you need a quick place to sit at or do a bit of homework in before heading off to your next class, it’s a great place to be. There’s an eroding sculpture of a woman’s head (pictured in the second photo, near the fountain) and it’s a really beautiful sight. I didn’t expect it to be there at all but lo and behold!
4. Gazebo
Right near McMahon dining hall and West campus sits a gazebo surrounded by flowers. Inside, there are multiple tables and chairs and surrounding every side of the gazebo are benches. During the night time, when there’s lights around the rest of the campus, the gazebo especially stands out. It’s a tranquil place on campus and I would recommend it to anyone looking to just sit somewhere and relax.
5. Homer Babbidge Library
Homer Babbidge has a bunch of hidden gems. Almost every floor has eye-grabbing artwork, a plethora of books you can check out, and areas you can hang out at with your friends. I, however, especially found the painting of this woman (Floor A) and this sitting area (Floor B) to be especially gem-worthy. I’m not entirely sure why that painting is there, or what the backstory is, but whenever I get to Floor A and see it, it always sparks a little joy inside. Hopefully it will in you, too.
Overall, here are just a few of the gems I’ve found on campus so far. Given a few more months, I’m sure this list can go on and on. However, if you’re looking for a relaxing and somewhat obscure place to go, these few may be your next destinations!