Old Main

Old Main was the first, and originally the only, building on campus. When St. Olaf began, everything happened here: students and faculty lived, ate, and studied together. The building was remodeled in 1989. Old Main is now home to the foreign language departments (Chinese, French, German, Norwegian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish), as well as Asian Studies, Classics and Medieval Studies. The lawn behind Old Main offers a beautiful vista of the city of Northfield. At the bottom of the hill sits the historic Ole Store Cafe. The Ole Rolls from this place hold a place in norsk lore, alongside such culinary legends as lefse and lutefisk.

The field in back of Old Main is a great spot for outdoor activities, regardless of the season—football in the fall, sledding in the winter, Ultimate Frisbee in the spring, and romantic moonlit walks all year round.