Midtown campus

Kathwari Honors House
Formerly known as Alumni Hall, the 8,434 sq. ft. building was renamed the Kathwari Honors House and is now home to the Kathwari Honors Program.  In addition to housing the administrative offices of the Honors Program on the second floor, the house features an Honors classroom, video conference room, den and kitchen on the first floor  that are open to the Honors students. The WCSU Child Care Center is located on the lower level.

Berkshire Hall
Berkshire Hall, totaling more than 84,796 square feet, houses the Bill Williams Gymnasium, the Colonial Fitness Zone and Recreation offices, and the Pre-Collegiate & Access Programs.  Berkshire also houses various academic departments including English, writing, linguistics, communications,  and health promotion and exercise sciences, including a Holistic Treatment Suite.

Centennial Grove

The grove features a semi-circular paved plaza defined by a low fieldstone wall, a lighted planting bed and six cast-in-place benches.  At the head of the plaza is a fieldstone monolith with a bronze plaque commemorating the University’s first centennial.  Beneath the monolith is a vault containing a time capsule for future historians.  This outdoor area serves as a serene location for student browsing, contemplation, reading, etc.

Fairfield Residence Hall
Fairfield Hall was WCSU’s first residence hall. Built in 1917, the hall then accommodated 84 students; in 1957, the facility was renovated and 46 units were added. Over the years, the now 34,771-square-foot hall was once a female-only residence hall.  The facility was fully renovated in 2008 and has now been converted to to a coed dorm for first year students.  It houses several lounge and study areas furnished with pool tables, cable television, recreational equipment and kitchenettes. The building also contains a laundry facility, vending machines and an information desk.  One of the building’s most distinguishing features is the cupola atop the building, which is featured in the university’s logo.

Fifth Avenue Parking Garage

Completed in the fall of 2006, this pre-cast parking garage is located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Osborne Street.  This facility accommodates 800 cars on its four levels and is equipped with surveillance cameras and emergency phone system.

Haas Library
This six-level library was named after former Western Connecticut State College president Dr. Ruth A. Haas, the first woman to be elected president of a four-year college in the United States.

Originally built in 1969, a $19.8-million expansion project in 2000 funded an addition and renovation that more than doubled the size of the library to 113,021 square feet. The combined holdings of the Haas Library and the Robert S. Young Library (located in the Westside Classroom Building) include more than 215,000 volumes and more than 480,000 microforms, government documents, and electronic and audio-visual resources.

The Midtown Computer Center is located on the first floor of the Haas Library.  The Writing Center is located on the third level, the Tutoring Resource Center on the second, and an Einstein’s Bagels is located in the lobby area.

Higgins Hall/Higgins Hall Annex
Built in 1950, Higgins Hall was named in honor of Lothrop D. Higgins, a science professor who became the school’s second principal while the university was known as Danbury State Normal School. In 1964, an addition called Higgins Annex was added to Higgins Hall, nearly doubling the size of the building to more than 85,674 square feet. In addition to classrooms and faculty offices, Higgins Hall houses the Academic Advisement Center, The Annex houses The Math Emporium (a computer-equipped tutorial learning center), a TV studio, and state-of-the-art lecture halls.

Litchfield Residence Hall
Constructed in the 1960s, Litchfield Hall, at 53,357 square feet, accommodates about 240 students and is one of three co-educational residence halls on the Midtown campus. Litchfield’s “open square” design makes it a unique building on campus. The residence hall’s center offers an open square courtyard.

Litchfield includes several lounge and study areas furnished with pool tables, cable television, recreational equipment and kitchenettes. The building also contains a laundry facility, vending machines and an information desk. Litchfield also houses University Health Services in a 2,700-square-foot addition that was built in 1991 to serve campus medical needs.

Midtown Quad

The Midtown Quad, with its series of connecting landscaped pedestrian walkways, benches and street lamps that light they way to the various buildings surrounding this park-like setting, serves as a venue for celebrations and events.  Students use the Quad daily for activities from tossing a Frisbee to finding a quiet place to study or relax outdoors.

Newbury Residence Hall
Newbury Hall is one of three co-educational residence halls on the Midtown campus. Built in 1969, this residence hall accommodates about 230 students, mainly in double-occupancy rooms. At five stories high, the 60,158-square-foot Newbury is the tallest of the Midtown campus residence halls. Many rooms offer a view of the Midtown campus.

Newbury houses a large, multi-purpose lounge and several study and lounge areas furnished with pool tables, cable television, recreational equipment and kitchenettes. The building also contains laundry facilities, a study lounge, vending machines and an information desk. Newbury is also home to the Housing and Residence Life Office.

Old Main
In 1903, when state legislators allocated funding for the creation of WestConn (then called Danbury Normal School), Danbury native Alexander White donated three acres of land to the state for the school’s site. Old Main, constructed in 1904, was built on that land.

Today, at 42,207 square feet, the renovated Old Main building houses student-oriented administrative services that include the offices of the Registrar, Cashier, Financial Aid, Division of Graduate Affairs, and Veterans Affairs. Also located in Old Main are Student Affairs, WestConnect Office (I.D. and access card services), University Relations. As the home of Information Technology & Innovation, Old Main is the focal point for the University’s networking and telecommunications systems.

Boiler House/Police Department
The structure houses the college’s central heating and hot water plant. The building was expanded to include the university’s police department  in 1955. Years later, a second story was added, enlarging the building to 10,773 square feet. WestConn’s Maintenance Trades and Minor Capital Projects Department and maintenance garage are also located in the facility.

Science Building

Completed in 2005, this new 122,000 sq. ft. science building houses the biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and meteorology departments.  The facility includes classrooms,  lecture auditoria, a greenhouse, an observatory, the WCSU Weather Center and research laboratories, including the Boehringer Ingleheim Biochemistry Lab.  This “green” building was the first state-funded building project to seek LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, an organization which promotes the design and construction of environmentally responsible and sustainable buildings.  The Midtown Observatory sits atop the Science Building and is utilized for classes, undergraduate research, and to conduct public viewing nights.

The Student Center

The Student Center, constructed in 1959, was originally called Memorial Hall.  After a four-year renovation and addition project that doubled the building size to more than 71,880 square feet, the Student Center re-opened in 1998. The facility now features a multi-purpose, 170-occupancy theater, a game room equipped with pool tables, a 24-hour computer lab,  a student technology training center, as well as the Student Center Restaurant and the Colonial Corner, home to WCSU’s Midtown Coffeehouse. This building also houses student-related administrative offices such as the Student Government Association, The Echo, the university’s student-operated newspaper, Veteran’s Oasis Lounge, the University Information Center; WestConn Christian Ministry; and WXCI 91.7 FM, the student-operated campus radio station.

Additional student services located in the Student Center are the WCSU Bookstore, Career Development Center, AccessAbility Services, Catholic Campus Ministry, Counseling Center, Greek Council, Mail Services, the Inter-Cultural Resource Center, Program Activities Council, and the Student Center Board.

University Hall
A four-level, 20,302 square-foot office building, University Hall was purchased during the early months of 1996.  Fully renovated in 2000, University Hall now houses administrative offices such as Finance and Administration, Institutional Advancement, Human Resources,  Administrative Services, Environmental & Facilities Services, Academic Affairs and the Office of the President.

WCSU Police Station

This new facility, which opened in 2018, includes a lobby/reception area, conference and interview rooms, dispatch room, records retention space, and briefing roll-call/training rooms for the University Police Department.

Warner Hall
Added to the Midtown campus in 1999, this building was named for Dr. Truman A. Warner, professor emeritus of anthropology and history. The design and architecture of the 34,078-square-foot building was carefully planned to blend with the rest of the Midtown campus, incorporating many aesthetic elements from the two oldest buildings, Old Main and Fairfield Hall. A red brick facade complements the other Midtown structures, while its arched window design echoes that of the Haas Library. Warner Hall houses the Office of the Dean of the Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences, classrooms, and offices for the history, social sciences and psychology departments and grant programs.  The first floor of Warner offers public meeting and lounge spaces, conference rooms, and includes a small food services’ facility for catering large gatherings.

White Hall
Once the home of Danbury’s high school, White Hall was purchased by the university in 1964. Built in 1925, the building was named in honor of Alexander White, a Danbury native and the school’s original benefactor.

Today, White Hall serves as a multi-purpose academic building. The 133,869 sq. ft. facility includes computer and non-computer classrooms, including state-of-the-art Nursing Simulation Labs with support classrooms. White Hall is home to the Office of the Dean of Professional Studies, Media Services’ department,  and Ives Concert Hall, a facility utilized by student and academic departments for recitals, lectures, ceremonies and various cultural events. Also located in White Hall is The Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies, a collaborative effort between The Jane Goodall Institute and the University, offering environmental interdisciplinary programs for students, educators and the community.

White Street Maintenance Building

The two-story 55,314 sq. ft. former warehouse facility, acquired in 2010, is currently home to the Property Management and the Shipping & Receiving departments.

White Street Parking Garage
WestConn’s three-story Midtown parking garage opened in May 1996, expanding the school’s parking facilities by more than 900 spaces.

The garage features an enclosed pedestrian bridge that spans White Street, allowing students, faculty and staff to cross safely. The garage has two elevators, one at each end of the bridge. Equipped with surveillance cameras and emergency telephones, the facility is patrolled night and day by the WestConn police.

Westside Campus

Athletic Fields and Tennis Courts

Outdoor athletic facilities include soccer and rugby practice fields, baseball and softball fields and six tennis courts.

Athletics Complex
Completed in 2004, the Athletics Complex includes a 24,000-square-foot SprintTurf field where the Colonials play their home football and soccer games. The stadium also houses an outdoor facility that seats approximately 2,500 spectators and is equipped with a press box, locker rooms, concessions area (operated by Sodexho Dining Services) and restrooms. The graduation  commencement exercises are held at this facility.

Centennial Hall & Parking Garage

This 350-bed residence hall and 425-car parking garage opened in the fall of 2004.  The bedroom suites include a living/study area, bathroom(s), and a small kitchen area, which  accommodate four to seven students.  The 131,038 sq. ft. facility includes community laundering facilities, a large lounge area, a computer technology lab, a fitness center, game room and vending machine area.

Centennial Hall received an Award of Merit in the 2005 Connecticut Building Congress Project Team Award for a project in the “above $10 million construction cost” category, as well as a LEED certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Grasso Hall
Named in honor of the former governor of Connecticut, Ella Grasso Hall is one of three  apartment-style residence halls on the Westside campus. Completed in 1983, this 78,811- square-foot building accommodates 369 upper-class students. Each suite contains two double-occupancy bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room and a kitchen area. Grasso Hall also houses a large, multi-purpose lounge furnished with pool tables, a piano and a large-screen television. Laundry facilities also are available.

Ives Concert Park
Run jointly by the City of Danbury and WestConn, the Ives Concert Park is a 40-acre site on the Westside campus that is used for outdoor events such as concerts and shows. At the heart of this facility are a pond and a 2,500-square-foot gazebo used as a stage for performances.

O’Neill Athletic and Convocation Center
Completed in 1995, the 167,581-square-foot William O’Neill Athletic and Convocation Center acts as a multi-purpose athletic facility for the Westside Campus and houses many of WestConn’s athletic and recreational offices for the baseball, basketball (men’s and women’s), softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball teams. Equipped with a weight room, swimming pool and locker rooms, the O’Neill Center also contains the Feldman Arena, where WestConn’s basketball and volleyball teams hold home competitions. The arena can seat 4,500 spectators and is often used for concerts, keynote speakers and a variety of college shows.  The O’Neill Center’s Hall of Fame honors WestConn’s own outstanding athletes.

Pinney Hall
Named in honor of a former CSU Board of Trustees’ member, A. Searle Pinney, this building was completed in 1999 and underwent renovation in 2010. This 425-bed, 193,772-square-foot apartment-style residence hall is typically reserved for upper-class students and accommodates five students per suite. Each unit contains three furnished bedrooms, two bathrooms, a furnished living and dining area, and a full-sized kitchen. Each apartment also has a balcony.

In addition, the building houses two-story floor lounges spaced throughout the building, laundry facilities and conference/meeting rooms that can be reserved for special occasions.

Westside Campus Center

This new 49,000 sq. ft. center opened its doors in January 2007 to serve WestConn’s student body, faculty, staff, alumni and guests.  The Center is home to the Student Center/Student Life Office, which provides students with educational and social programs aimed at assisting students outside of the classroom. The Center features a full-service dining facility and club/coffee house, multi-purpose meeting and conference rooms, cardio-fitness center, study lounges, student organization offices and information desk.

Westside Classroom Building
Completed in 1981, the 96,110-square-foot Westside Classroom Building is WestConn’s most uniquely designed facility. With its “spiral” hallway concept, four of its five floors are accessible without using elevators or stairs.

The building is home to classrooms, lecture halls, departmental offices and computer laboratories. In addition to the business and education departments, the building houses the Ancell School of Business, Center for Developmental Studies, Westside Computer Center, and Robert S. Young Library. The building also includes student lounges, The Entrepreneurship, Research and Innovation Center, and offices for The Charles Ives Center for the Arts.

Westside Nature Preserve
The Westside Nature Preserve (WNP), a 33-acre tract of land, is used as an educational and recreational resource for the university and the Greater Danbury region. With its diverse flora and fauna, the WNP serves as a laboratory for WestConn students. Trails are maintained year-round.

Westside Observatory & Planetarium
Sitting atop a hill on the Westside campus, the expanded WCSU Westside Observatory is home to a 20-inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope, among the largest at any institution of higher education in Connecticut. This 2,694 sq. ft. facility houses a 20-foot planetarium dome, a classroom and display case. This observatory is used extensively by students and faculty in the astronomy program. The Physics, Astronomy and Meteorology Department hosts public observatory nights and open houses that allow people from WestConn and the local community to view the planets, comets, stars and other celestial phenomena through the telescopes.