Its most iconic feature can be seen long before you ever reach the place -– the Golden Dome at the University of Notre Dame. It becomes visible shortly after arriving in South Bend, Indiana while you head north of town toward the campus. The dome guides visitors like the North Star while the 19-foot-tall statue of the Virgin Mary that sits atop the dome watches over the campus as if to bless and protect all who enter there.
Parking on the Notre Dame campus
All visitors need to have a guest pass to park anywhere on the Notre Dame campus, so stop at the first entrance gate you see before driving on campus. Before you go, email the campus parking office at [email protected] or call (574) 631-5053 to prearrange parking. All parking rules are enforced, even during holidays and breaks. On football game days, parking is at a premium so planning ahead is best.
Best and worst time to go to the Notre Dame campus
The best time to visit the University of Notre Dame campus is any Saturday every fall when there is a home football game. Music of the Bagpipe Band, the house that Rockne built and Notre Dame's time-honored football traditions are an experience that can't be found anywhere else. Game days are also the worst time to go to the campus if you don't like huge crowds, congested traffic and parking.
Getting on the Notre Dame campus:
Before you go, email or call the Eck Visitors Center at 574-631-5726 or [email protected] to get all the information you need. When you arrive, stop at the first entrance gate you see to get permission to enter the campus. Campus tours, arranged through the visitors center, are available during specific hours and dates.
Three things you must see while at Notre Dame
The Golden Dome on the university's administration building
The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a replica one-seventh the size of the original in France
Basilica of the Sacred Heart for its Gothic architecture and magnificent artwork
Touchdown Jesus mural on the Hesburgh Library
Other things to do while in South Bend, Indiana
- Studebaker National Museum to see a major South Bend industry of yesteryear
- South Bend Chocolate Company for a tour of the factory and scrumptious samples
- East Race Waterway, a whitewater rafting course on the St. Joseph river
Insider tip for visitors to the Notre Dame Campus
If you want to visit Notre Dame on a home football game weekend, plan as far ahead as you can because South Bend hotels are booked months in advance by football fans. Some even offer shuttle service for their guests to and from the campus so guests don't have to deal with parking.
Author's bio: Susan Hoskins Miller is a writer who lives in metropolitan Indianapolis and works in a university library. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family and exploring places in the Midwest.
