Last updated: January 2023
Built between 1907 and 1910, this Tudor Gothic structure with four towers is the landmark of the campus and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. In 1979, a fire destroyed the north wing, which contained the Deerwester Theater, and the west wing, which was largely restored; the entire second floor was extensively renovated. This historic building houses the offices of Admissions, Career Services, the Registrar, Scholarships and Financial Assistance, Human Resources, and University Marketing and Communication as well as the graduate school, and various administrative and student services offices. The third floor also houses nutrition and dietetics courses.
Total square feet: 96,702
Year completed: 1910
The opening of this structure in 1952 fulfilled a long-time dream of J.W. Jones, the sixth president of the University. The building underwent a complete renovation and received an addition in 1999. The building's dining facilities underwent a remodel during the summer of 2013 to add national brands and conveniences for students. The Student Union is a split-level structure with three floors. The basement is commonly referred to as the first floor, and the "ground floor," as accessed from the east plaza, is commonly called the second floor.
The building houses the offices of Student Involvement, Student Affairs as well as the Student Engagement Center. On its second floor, the building houses the campus dining office, which is managed by Aramark Corp., and the Bearcat Shop, which is managed by local retailer The Student Body and sells a variety of supplies and Northwest apparel.
A second floor dining area, named The Jones, features Einstein Bros. Bagels, Chick-fil-A, and Zen Asian cuisine. Bearcat Commons on the first floor consists of a Mediterranean kitchen offering pizza and pasta, produce market and deli, all-American grill, Tex Mex cuisine, bakery, Mongolian grill and exhibition stations.
Other named facilities inside the Student Union include The Carnahan Student Senate Chamber named for former Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan, the First Family Dining Room, the Living Room, the Boardroom, the Ballroom, the Tower View Room. Designations such as meeting room A or B are so expressed.
Total square feet: 121,788
Year completed: 1952
The Jon T. Rickman Electronic Campus Support Center, which is located across from Bearcat Baseball Field and the B.D. Owens Library, provides free-of-charge, in-person service to Northwest students and employees who have been issued University-owned notebook computers or tablets. The building was built in 1951 and was formerly the Missouri National Guard Armory. It is named for Rickman, who spent 35 years at Northwest, helped implement the University's “electronic campus” in 1987 and retired in 2011 as vice president of information systems.
Total square feet: 13,326
Year completed: 1951
Located at the southeast entrance to campus, the center is named for a graduate of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences who later served on the faculty and chaired the department. The building serves as a visitors center and contains offices for admissions staff.
Total square feet: 5,225
Year completed: 1962
Located on College Avenue, the Federal-style structure is owned by the non-profit Northwest Foundation, and its offices are leased to the Office of University Advancement, which includes alumni relations and development operations.
Previously known as the Alumni House, the building was renamed in 2017 in honor of Faust, a 1974 alumnus, after the completion of a 2,994 square-foot addition that includes staff offices and the Lawhead Conference Room, named for 1942 Northwest graduate Florence Abarr Lawhead, who served on the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors and was active in the Alumni Association.
The original structure stands on land purchased in 1926 by local businessman F.M. Townsend for the purpose of building a residence for his family. The residence, located directly across from the Gaunt House, was purchased by the Foundation in 1980 after a loyal group of alumni brought together their combined vision and resources to challenge all Bearcat alumni and friends to secure a permanent home for alumni activities and services.
Total square feet: 11,067
Opened in 1966 as Taylor Commons dining hall and known for a period as the Conference Center, this facility on the northwest side of campus contains lounges, meeting rooms and study areas. It houses Mooyah Burgers , Fries and Shakes, a P.O.D. convenience store and Textbook Services.
Total square feet: 32,732
Year completed: 1968
Located on College Park Drive on the north side of campus, the Support Services Building was completed in 2014 as an addition to Central Receiving. It houses the University Police Department and the Office of Purchasing.
Total square feet: 7,300
Year Completed: 2014
The Central Receiving section of the structure was added in 2002. It is a warehouse facility that also houses Central Stores, Mail and Printing Services, and University surplus.
Total square feet: 25,000
Year Completed: 2002
Located on College Avenue, across from the Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends on the south end of campus, the Gaunt House was constructed in 1870. The Classical Revival structure has been the residence of University presidents since the founding of the institution in 1905. The house was constructed by Gaunt, a retired sea captain whose tree nursery was located on what is now the main campus. The home has undergone multiple renovations and additions.
The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Total square feet: 6,673
Year completed: 1875
This building, located north of Wells Hall, was built in 1931 to house industrial arts programs. Kenneth Thompson and Howard Ringold were long-time faculty members of that department, which no longer exists.
Total square feet: 31,765
Year completed: 1932
This facility provides student medical and counseling services within the unit of Wellness Services.
Total square feet: 7466
Year completed: 1997
The Agricultural Learning Center houses classrooms, laboratories, exposition and office spaces, and a kitchen. The facility provides opportunities for constituencies throughout the region involving innovative learning for students, applied research and partnership within the agricultural industry, and creating economic, educational, cultural and social engagement activities related to food and agriculture.
Total square feet: 29,000
Year completed: 2021
Named for the eighth president of the University, the limestone and glass B.D. Owens Library is designed to meet the needs of the University well into the future and accommodate technological advances in information retrieval systems. Included in Owens Library are personal computers connected to the campus network, including a multitude of web-based databases, group and private study rooms, and comfortable seating arranged throughout the open stacks. The building also features a Starbucks store within the library's first floor Novel Grounds area.
Total square feet: 111,498
Year completed: 1983
Total square feet: 5,232
Year built: 2002
This V-shaped structure is named for Charles J. Colden, the first president of the Board of Regents. Renovated in 1996-97, it contains classrooms and offices for the School of Health Science and Wellness; Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business; Department of Language, Literature and Writing; and School of Computer Science and Information Systems.
Total square feet: 79,721
Year completed: 1959
Located on the northeast edge of the campus, this facility opened in 2009 as the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It was renamed in honor of Northwest's ninth president, Dr. Dean L. Hubbard, in 2014. In 2017, the Hubbard Center's business incubation wing was remodeled and became the home of the School of Agricultural Sciences.
Total square feet: 46,710
Year built: 2007
Located west of the J.W. Jones Student Union, this Neo-Gothic structure was renovated in 1987 and is named for Everett W. Brown, an alumnus, long-time staff member and eight-term member of the Missouri House of Representatives. Brown Hall houses the School of Education in addition to the Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families.
Total square feet: 70,550
Year completed: 1939
This triangular structure is located south of the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. It houses ceramics, sculpture and wielding programs. The building also is equipped with a variety of sophisticated safety, fire prevention and ventilation systems.
Total square feet: 11,227
Year built: 2004
This building, located north of the Administration Building, honors two former department chairs, William T. Garrett, of the former Department of Biological Sciences, and J. Gordon Strong, of the former Department of Chemistry and Physics. Renovated in 2000-2001, Garrett-Strong contains laboratories, lecture halls and classrooms, while serving as the home of the Department of Natural Sciences.
Total square feet: 159,787
Year completed: 1968
Total square feet: 10,426
Year completed: 1989
Home to the School of Health Science and Wellness, this building contains classrooms, offices, a dance studio and Martindale Gymnasium, which formerly was the home of Bearcat basketball. The building, which opened in 1926, was remodeled between 1973 and 1975. It is named after Nell Martindale Kuchs, who, beginning in the 1920s, was instrumental in developing the women's physical education program at Northwest
Total square feet: 38,521
Year completed: 1925
Located north of the Garrett-Strong Science Building, this structure is named for Alfred McKemy, a former member and president of the Board of Regents. Renovated in 1999, the facility provides classroom and meeting space. It features a 100-plus seat lecture hall, computer lab, recording studio and a commodities training room to simulate market tracking.
Total square feet: 7,492
Year completed: 1977
Located on the south side of campus, this circular structure honors the long-time faculty member and nationally recognized leader in art education, Olive DeLuce. The Fine Arts Building contains the Olive DeLuce Art Gallery, classrooms, rehearsal rooms, art studios and offices for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. The 549-seat Charles Johnson Theater is named for the first chairman of the Spring Festival of the Arts, which evolved into the year-long Northwest Encore performance series.
Total square feet: 91,465
Year completed: 1965
The Ron Houston (pronounced HOUSE-ton) Center for the Performing Arts contains the Mary Linn Auditorium, Studio Theatre and other facilities related to the dramatic arts, including a black box performance space, classroom, scene shop, costume shop, green room and faculty offices.
The Mary Linn Auditorium is the main performance space in the building. Mary Casteel Linn was a regent and dedicated patron of the arts. The 1,027-seat theater can accommodate a full symphony orchestra and Broadway-style stage productions.
The Studio Theatre, a 5,500-square-foot facility, was added in 2008.
Total square feet: 60,114
Year completed: 1984
Named for Donald N. Valk, long-time chair of the former Department of Technology, the building includes faculty offices, lecture rooms and laboratories. In 2008, the lower level of Valk was remodeled to serve as the home the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. In 2020, the ground floor was remodeled to house Veterans Commons and offices of the Missouri Army National Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program.
Total square feet: 47,994
Year completed: 1970
Dedicated in 1939 as the University's library, Wells Hall is named for the University's first librarian, Edwin C. Wells. After the opening of B.D. Owens Library, the building was converted into a classroom building and houses the School of Communication and Mass Media. It is home to Student Media programs, which include KZLX radio, KNWT TV, The Northwest Missourian newspaper and Tower yearbook. Northwest's National Public Radio affiliate, KXCV/KRNW, broadcasts from the second floor of the building. A 2015 remodel of classroom space resulted in the opening of the Michael L. Faust Media Lab.
Total square feet: 56,335
Year completed: 1939
Named for H.R. Dieterich, this seven-story residence hall is located on the northwest side of campus.
Total square feet: 69,468
Year completed: 1971
Forest Village Apartments is a complex comprised of apartment buildings - Hawthorn, Sycamore and Willow - located on the north portion of the campus. The complex contains a community building providing lounges and meeting facilities for residents, a convenience store, mailboxes and staff offices. The fully furnished apartments consist of two‐ and four-bedroom styles; they include a living, storage, kitchen and dining spaces. The units contain a washer, dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave, stove and cable TV.
Year completed: 2004
Total square feet:
Named for Katherine Franken, a psychology faculty member, this seven-story coed residence hall is one of four high-rise structures located on the northwest side of campus.
Total square feet: 69,525
Year completed: 1968
This structure houses nearly 500 first-year students. It retains the names of residential facilities that previously stood on the same footprint and were demolished to construct the current building. The building's south residential wing is named for the first woman registrar, Nell Hudson, and the northern wing is named for the first dean of women, Alice R. Perrin.
Total square feet: 167,144
Year completed: 2007
Named for Chloe Millikan, an education faculty member, this seven-story residence hall is one of four high-rise structures located on the northwest side of campus.
Total square feet: 69,491
Year completed: 1971
This structure contains Cooper Hall, named for Albert H. Cooper, former director of extension; Douglas Hall, named for former Regent R.L. Douglas. It houses the Office of Title IX and Equity, academic space for Knacktive, the Regional Professional Development Center and the Career Closet. It is also used for student housing and apartments.
Total square feet: 62,103
Year completed: 1962
Phillips Hall is one of four seven-story residence halls on the northwest side of campus.
Total square feet: 69,525
Year completed: 1968
Roberta Hall provides housing for members of Northwest's social sororities and is named for Roberta Steel, a student who lost her life as a result of injuries suffered during a 1951 explosion and fire that heavily damaged the building. Roberta Hall was renovated in 1993-94.
Total square feet: 71,218
Year completed: 1922
This residence hall contains Wilson Hall, named for Lon Wilson, former dean of men; Richardson Hall, named for fourth University President Ira Richardson; and Cook Hall, named for T.H. Cook, a former history faculty member.
Total square feet: 82,637
Year completed: 1962
Tower Suites is located on the west side of campus adjacent to the high-rise residence halls and The Station. The residential complex provides upperclass students with advanced housing options. Sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students may choose to live in the suite-style buildings.
Year completed: 2004
Total square feet:
Bearcat Baseball Field is the home of the Bearcat baseball team and is located on the west side of campus. It has a grass infield, scoreboard and press box facility. Originally constructed in 1968, the field has a seating capacity of 500.
The dugouts were replaced in 2017, and the backstops were replaced in 2018.
Total square feet: 640
Year completed: 1981
The home of Northwest women's soccer, Bearcat Pitch was constructed in 1999 for the inaugural season of Bearcat soccer. The facility seats 600 spectators and features a weather-protected press box with a full sound system. Bearcat Pitch also includes weather-protected team areas and benches. Prior to the 2020 season, the grass field surface was replaced with artificial turf.
Total square feet: 600
Year completed: 2001
The softball field was constructed in 1996 near Phillips Hall on the west side of campus. Home to the Bearcat softball team, the dirt infield is made from aqualime, a textured soil that allows moisture to go through the ground.
Total square feet: 456
Year completed: 2000
The home of Bearcat football, Bearcat Stadium offers permanent seating for 6,200 fans and a total capacity of 7,500. The playing surface is known as Mel Tjeerdsma Field, renamed in 2007 in honor of Northwest's head football coach from 1994 to 2010, and the track that encircles the field is called Herschel Neil Track, in honor of a Bearcat track and field standout of the 1930s. The stadium also houses the Loch-O’Rourke Family Center, a gathering space housing championship trophies on the Mezzanine Level, and the Navy V-5/V-12 Combat Information Center, a classroom facility under the west grandstand that serves as a tribute to individuals who prepared for Navy combat duty at Northwest.
Opened in 1917, it is the longest-running continuous site for football in NCAA Division II. The stadium underwent extensive renovations between 2000 and 2003, and in 2004 its name was changed from Rickenbrode Stadium. In 2007, the natural playing surface was changed to turf and lights were added.
Recent structural improvements:
The Hughes Fieldhouse stands as the single largest public-private partnership in Northwest's history and one of the largest such projects in the region ever. The $21 million facility, which features a 90-yard practice turf field and 300-meter indoor competition track, serves a multitude of social, recreational and economic needs for the University and region.
The facility is named for the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Family Foundation, which provided leading support for its construction. Carl Hughes is a 1976 alumnus, and his wife, Cheryl, attended the University.
Total square feet: 137,250
Year completed: 2018
This complex is named for the University's fifth president, Uel W. Lamkin, and underwent a renovation and expansion in 1993-1994. It includes Bearcat Arena, the Student Recreation Center and the Robert and Virginia Foster Fitness Center as well as offices, classrooms and other facilities supporting the Department of Athletics and the School of Health Science and Wellness.
Bearcat Arena is home to the men's and women's basketball programs and Bearcat volleyball program. It has a seating capacity of 2,500 spectators. The facility stages University commencement ceremonies and professional concerts, among other activities, in addition to providing practice facilities for Bearcat athletics teams. The facility's lower level includes the Harr Athletic Success Center and the David and Susan Colt Athletic Training Room.
The Student Recreation Center was added in 1993-1994. It includes three basketball courts, five racquetball/handball courts and a suspended track.
Total square feet: 137,994
Year completed: 1958
The tennis center, which includes the Frank W. Grube Tennis Courts, was rededicated in honor of Northwest tennis coach Mark Rosewell in 2019 as part of an expansion of the facility. The tennis courts were completed in 1981 and named after Grube, a long-time Department of English chair and first varsity tennis coach at the University.
Total square feet: 260
Year completed: 2019
The structure initially opened in 1981 as the 15,000-square-foot Robert P. Foster Aquatic Center, which closed in 2012. After an extensive remodeling, the facility reopened Aug. 31, 2015, as the Foster Fitness Center, consisting of 19,490 square feet of open floor space to accommodate cardio and weight lifting machines, a human performance lab and classroom space. The facility includes a group exercise room and a 2,300-square-foot mezzanine with cardio equipment and windows that provide natural lighting to the facility. It includes locker rooms and an enclosed walkway connecting the Student Recreation Center for added convenience.
The Anita Aldrich Human Performance Lab inside the Foster Fitness Center is named for Dr. Anita Aldrich, a 1936 Northwest graduate who dedicated herself to health, physical education and recreation education. During a career spanning 47 years, she served as a teacher and administrator of physical education programs in King City, St. Joseph and Kansas City in Missouri, and at Indiana University. She was appointed in 1961 as an advisor to President John F. Kennedy's Fitness Council and served as president during 1962-1963 of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation to which she was later named an honor fellow.
Total square feet: 19,490
Year completed: 1981
The complex comprises athletics facilities on the south side of campus along College Drive: Bearcat Stadium, Lamkin Activity Center, the Mark Rosewell Tennis Center and Martindale Hall. It is named for Ryland Milner, a long-time coach, athletic director and alumnus.
The class of 1948 gifted Northwest with a memorial bronze bell in honor of soldiers who fought and died during World War II, especially those fallen soldiers who attended Northwest or who once lived in northwest Missouri. The bronze bell has since heralded Northwest achievements and celebrations and mournfully chimed to honor the passing of students.
The Bell of ’48 is located near the Memorial Bell Tower and is in direct line of sight of the Administration Building.
Centennial Garden was completed in 2005 as part of the University's commemoration of its centennial. Located adjacent to South Complex, it serves as a gathering place and features fountains and a firepit.
Colden Pond is located on the south portion of campus, near Colden Hall and the Joyce and Harvey White International Plaza. It was originally called Lamkin Lake after Northwest President Uel Lamkin, who led Northwest from 1921 to 1945, and was inspired to construct the water feature. The pond quickly became known as Lamkin's Folly during its early days because it did not retain water. After the problem was resolved, the pond was stocked with fish and became a pleasant oasis for the campus community. In the 2000s, Colden Pond underwent renovations to expand and deepen it, creating a better environment for fish and to prevent the growth of algae.
College Park is located on the west side of the campus along College Park Drive and provides space for a variety of University and community activities, including the Bearcat Tailgate Zone prior to home football games.
An 833-square-foot shelter space was completed in 1980. In 2005, an 896-square-foot restroom facility and the Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavillion were added.
The Joyce and Harvey White International Plaza was constructed in 1998 as a tribute to Northwest's global enrollment. The International Plaza, which is a symbol of good will and peace, features the international flags of currently enrolled Northwest students as well as a display of five clocks showing the time in Maryville and four other regions.
Centrally located on the Northwest campus, the open-air Memorial Bell Tower is an iconic structure that was completed in 1971 to memorialize students, faculty and others who had served the country, including the military. University President Robert Foster announced plans to build the Bell Tower in 1965, and it was completed entirely with funds donated by University alumni and friends.
Constructed using pre-cast concrete, the Bell Tower stands 100 feet tall and measures 25 feet in diameter. It also features brass memorial plaques and an electronic carillon. It underwent renovations in 1989 and again in 2004 to make structural repairs and improve handicapped accessibility.
This memorial bell has resided west of Everett W. Brown Education Hall since 2007.
This pedestrian bridge connecting the north and south portions of campus was constructed in 2004.
Located west of the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts in College Park, the Courter Pavilion is an outdoor performance and presentation space that hosts a variety of University and community gatherings throughout the year, including Bearcat Zone Tailgate activities prior to each home football game.
It was named for Northwest's longtime vice president for finance and support services when he retired in 2009.
Total square feet: 4,787
Year built: 2005
This water storage tower was erected in 1967.
The Memorial Plaza was formally dedicated Nov. 10, 2006, and lies just west of the B.D. Owens Library, at the corner of College Park Avenue and Memorial Drive.
It originated in 1919 when the Nodaway County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution planted trees and raised money for brick pillars and plaques to display names of 46 soldiers who died in the World War I. In the 1970s, the pillars were removed during a street renovation project and later reinstalled on the Northwest campus.
The Athletic Grounds Support Building, constructed in 2006‐2007, is located west of the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. It houses athletic field equipment, paint supplies, lawn equipment and employee support function
Total square feet: 5,847
Year built: 2007
This support facility serves staff working in Northwest's Capital Programs unit.
Total square feet: 3,250
Year built: 1980
The Custodial Services Center is a support facility.
Total square feet: 6,508
Year built: 1968
Facility Services East is a support building servicing Facility Services operations.
Total square feet: 21,140
Year built: 1979
Located on the northwest corner of the campus, the Facility Services Maintenance Shop houses administrative offices for Facility Services operations and the University's rental fleet.
Total square feet: 26,356
Year built: 2008
The University's Power Plant was renamed in 2019 for Redden, who dedicated 45 years of service to Northwest and played a key role in launching its innovative alternative fuels program.
The original Power Plant was completed around 1910 in conjunction with the Administration Building to support the new campus and used as coal-fired operation until its conversion to wood fuel. The facility is connected by a 2-mile network of utility tunnels throughout the campus that carry steam as well as HVAC-chilled water to more than 30 buildings.
Total square feet: 6,233 (central plant, 18,790 square feet)
Year built: 1996
Erected between 2000 and 2005, the facility includes offices, a greenhouse and equipment for the University's landscape services.
Total square feet: 3,024
Year built: 2000
The Recycling Center is a support facility providing community recycling of plastic containers, aluminum cans, mixed paper, cardboard and glass.
Total square feet: 21,510
Year built: 1989
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A 315-acre rural lakefront tract of land located at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park, MOERA is offers student and community education and recreation activities. Facilities include a challenge course consisting of an Alpine tower, Carolina climbing wall, and group dynamics low element obstacle stations; courtesy dock; a trap skeet range that may be used for target archery; a biology research area; a small astronomy observatory and outdoor telescope viewing area; and storage buildings. A mixture of walking trails and gravel roads exist throughout the acreage.
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The University's 448-acre crop and livestock operation is located three miles north of Maryville, at Highway 71 and Icon Road. Named for a former chair of the School of Agricultural Sciences, the farm provides farm management experience and a hands-on laboratory for students.
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