Photo Tour

Bidwell Mansion

While Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park is not technically part of campus, its proximity and history blur the distinction. This beautiful, three-story Victorian brick home was built by Chico founder John Bidwell and his wife, Annie, in 1868. They donated eight acres of their cherry orchard for a North State college in 1887. Guests at the mansion included Susan B. Anthony, President Rutherford B. Hayes, General William T. Sherman, and John Muir.

Big Chico Creek

Chico State is one of the few campuses anywhere that has a creek running right through its core. Enjoy the view every time you cross one of the nine footbridges that span Big Chico Creek as it flows from the Sierra Nevada foothills through Bidwell Park and downtown Chico to the campus, eventually making its way to the Sacramento River.

University Farm

The 800-acre Paul L. Byrne Agricultural Teaching and Research Center, commonly called the University Farm, includes a meats lab, mechanics lab, and the beef, sheep, swine, and organic dairy units, in addition to fields and orchards. The greenhouse and rose gardens are available for public viewing, and the farm hosts many local schoolchildren and FFA and 4-H events each year.

Gateway Science Museum

The LEED Gold-certified Gateway Science Museum building was itself designed as an exhibit, with landscaping that represents North State ecosystems and floor mosaics evoking the Sacramento River and its tributaries. Its angled dome echoes the area’s dormant volcanoes. Inside, the museum features interactive exhibits that explore the natural world of the North State and beyond.

Holt Hall

Completed in 1972, the 62,401-square-foot life sciences building has three stories of faculty offices, classrooms, lecture rooms, and laboratories. A temperature-controlled herbarium ensures that plant specimens can be dried and mounted for further study. The building is named Vesta Holt Hall in honor of the distinguished professor of biology.

Kendall Hall

“Today Decides Tomorrow” reads the inscription above the central arch leading into the entrance of the Romanesque-style administration building. Kendall Hall sits on the site of the original Chico Normal School, which was built in 1889. It is part of the “campus trinity”—a trio of Chester Cole-designed buildings that make up the historic campus core. In 1964, a spiral staircase was added under the dome of the rotunda.

Laxson Auditorium

This beautiful Romanesque structure is the second building in the historic “campus trinity.” It’s also a great place to see a show. Featuring a proscenium arch over the stage opening and a removable orchestra pit, Laxson is a showcase venue for the Chico Performances program, which presents professional artists as well as student and community shows.

Trinity Hall & Rose Garden

Trinity Hall was completed in 1933; it was one of three buildings designed to replace the Normal School building that burned down in 1927. It houses faculty offices and an art gallery. The carillon in the bell tower chimes on the hour and half hour. If you walk behind Trinity, you can stop and smell the roses in the garden donated by George F. Petersen, son of John Bidwell’s groundskeeper.

Meriam Library

Meriam Library serves students most days from 7:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., with extended hours for studying. The fourth floor provides collaborative working spaces with movable furniture, whiteboards, and tables with integrated displays for laptops. You’ll also find computer labs, a curriculum collection for future teachers, historical photographs and maps, a substantial reference collection, and more.

O'Connell Technology Center

In these labs and classrooms, students are paving the way in engineering and emerging technology—from designing and programming computer animations, mobile apps, and space rovers to constructing bridges, buildings, and water systems using sustainable manufacturing processes.

Performing Arts Center/Theatres

The three theatres in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) host performances in music, theatre, and dance put on by our talented students. You will also find students here recording music in the professional studio, playing in practice rooms, rehearsing for productions, building sets, and designing and sewing costumes—in addition to attending classes.

Student Services Center

This courtyard building houses student service programs in a warm, light-filled environment. Here are all things related to registration, admissions, Wildcat ID cards, parking permits, advising, tutoring, counseling services, and more. Rated LEED Silver, the building meets the University’s sustainability goals while reflecting the architectural tradition of the campus.

Sutter Hall

The Sutter Hall residential complex opened in fall 2010 and received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It occupies 111,000 square feet and contains 232 student rooms, a dining center, and a programming center. The attractive and colorful dining center, with four unique stations, won the National Association of College and University Food Service’s Silver Plate Award.

Trinity Commons

The former "Free Speech Area" has always reflected the times. During the Vietnam War, it was an area for debate. In the early '70s, it was an entertainment venue. The 1988–89 school year saw cardboard-box sleep-in rallies to bring attention to the plight of the homeless. After 9/11, almost 2,000 people gathered for a memorial. Today, Trinity Commons is still being used for political speech, performances, and student group tabling.

Wildcat Recreation Center

The WREC has three basketball courts, an indoor track, four group exercise rooms, a pool and hot tub, and a three-story climbing wall and bouldering area. It is also used by many student sports clubs. The building is rated LEED Gold sustainable features, and its stunning architecture has won it praise from the Chico community.

Yolo Hall

This is the home of the Department of Kinesiology. Yolo Hall contains an exercise physiology lab to evaluate human performance and a biomechanics lab for 3-D analysis of motion. Yolo also houses the Autism Clinic, which serves North State families. The clinic gives Chico State students hands-on experience in helping children with autism by focusing on sensory and motor skills.