The Columns at Mizzou
507 S 9th St, Columbia, MO
Columbia, MO
Six great stone columns standing alone on a green quad, the only survivors of a vanished building and the enduring heart of the University of Missouri.
At the center of the University of Missouri in Columbia stand six great Ionic columns, rising alone on the broad green expanse of the Francis Quadrangle. They are all that remains of Academic Hall, the university's original main building, which burned to the ground in a fire in 1892. When the smoke cleared, only these six columns were left standing, and rather than tear them down, the university chose to keep them.
In the years since, the Columns have become the beloved symbol of Mizzou, the oldest public university west of the Mississippi River. They anchor the historic heart of the campus, a backdrop for graduations, traditions, and countless photographs, and a quietly moving monument to a building that vanished but left its noblest bones behind.
What Guests Love
- Six graceful columns standing alone on a broad green quad, a striking and photogenic sight
- The story of how they survived a fire that destroyed the building around them
- The lively energy of a historic Midwestern campus and college town
- Traditions like new students walking through the Columns at the start of their studies
Worth Knowing
- The Columns and Francis Quadrangle are open grounds you can visit any time
- This is the historic core of the University of Missouri, so it is busiest during the school year
- Downtown Columbia is an easy walk away, full of restaurants and shops
- The campus offers tours if you want the fuller history
Details
Columbia, MO
Learn about The Columns at Mizzou
The fire and the six survivors
The University of Missouri was founded in 1839, the first public university in the Louisiana Purchase territory, and its original centerpiece was Academic Hall, a substantial building fronted by a colonnade of tall stone columns. For decades it was the core of the young university.
On a January night in 1892, Academic Hall caught fire and burned. When it was over, the building was a ruin, but its six front columns still stood, scorched but intact. There was debate about whether to remove them, but the columns were kept, and over time they came to mean far more standing alone than they ever had as part of the building. Their survival became the university's origin story made visible.
The Francis Quadrangle
The Columns preside over the Francis Quadrangle, the historic district at the heart of campus, named for a Missouri governor and university supporter. The quad is ringed by the university's oldest and stateliest buildings, red-brick halls in classical and collegiate styles that give the area a dignified, timeless feel.
Jesse Hall, with its great dome, rises behind the Columns and serves as the university's administrative center, built on or near the site of the lost Academic Hall. The quad is a gathering place, crossed daily by students and used for ceremonies, and its green lawn and shade trees make it one of the most pleasant corners of Columbia.
Traditions and student life
The Columns have woven themselves into the traditions of Mizzou. New students often walk through the Columns toward Jesse Hall when they arrive, and graduating students walk back out through them at commencement, framing their years at the university with the same six pillars.
Generation after generation of students has posed at the Columns, studied on the quad beneath them, and returned to them as alumni. They are the image that appears on brochures and rings and memories, the one landmark every Mizzou student and graduate carries with them, a shared symbol of the place.
Columbia, a college town
Columbia sits almost exactly midway between St. Louis and Kansas City, a lively college town shaped by the university and by two other colleges. Its downtown, a short walk from the Columns, is full of independent restaurants, coffeehouses, bookstores, and music venues, with a walkable, youthful energy fed by the student population.
The city is a cultural hub for mid-Missouri, hosting film and arts festivals and drawing on the university's museums and performances. It also sits near the Katy Trail, the long rail-to-trail path that follows the Missouri River, making Columbia a good base for exploring the river valley and its wine-country towns.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Columbia
Downtown Columbia
A short walk
A walkable district of independent restaurants, coffeehouses, shops, and music venues adjoining the campus.
Katy Trail at Rocheport
About 15 miles west
A scenic stretch of the long rail-to-trail path along the Missouri River, passing bluffs and a lit railroad tunnel.
Rocheport
About 15 miles west
A small historic river town on the Katy Trail, known for its wineries, bed-and-breakfasts, and antique shops.