Princeton University

Princeton was founded in 1746 and Nassau Hall, finished in 1756, was the largest academic building in the colonies; it changed hands during the revolution, took cannon fire in January 1777, and housed the Congress for four months in 1783, which made Princeton briefly the seat of government. The rest of the campus is largely Collegiate Gothic from the decades around 1900, with the modern Lewis Center added at the edge. The university art museum has been rebuilt and holds a serious collection. The Institute for Advanced Study, where Einstein worked from 1933 until his death, is a separate body a short walk away with woods and a pond open to the public.

What's there

• Nassau Hall of 1756 - shot at in the revolution, briefly the seat of Congress.
• Collegiate Gothic quads - most of the campus, around 1900.
• The university art museum - rebuilt, free to enter.
• The Institute for Advanced Study - Einstein's, with public woods.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Good to know

Buildings are working university and mostly closed. The town is small and expensive. Reunions weekend in late spring fills everything. The Institute is a research body, not a museum - only the grounds are public.

Nearby

Princeton town is around the campus; Delaware and Raritan Canal is west.

Key facts