Old Main

Built in 1883, Old Main is one of four USD properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This distinguished building is home to classrooms, Farber Hall, Honors Program offices and the Oscar Howe Gallery.

Wellness Center

Get your fit on at the Wellness Center! Whether it’s our large array of equipment, joining a group fitness class or playing intramural sports, the Wellness Center has no shortage of ways to stay healthy on campus.

Lee Medicine & Science Building

Home to South Dakota’s only medical school, Lee Med features state-of-the-art laboratories and technology that will prepare you for a career in the healthcare field.

Muenster University Center

Affectionately known as “The MUC,” the Theodore R. and Karen K. Muenster University Center is your one-stop shop for dining, studying and getting involved in student life at USD. Did we mention we have Qdoba and Chick-fil-A?

DakotaDome

Go Yotes! Built in 1979, the recently renovated DakotaDome is the home of Coyote football, track and field, soccer and swimming and diving.

Beacom Hall

Beacom Hall is the namesake location of the Beacom School of Business. It houses classrooms, offices and the groundbreaking Ellis Finance and Analytics Lab, which allows students to use real-time data to analyze financial markets and gain experience in the business world.

Belbas Center

Built in 1905 and previously used as an armory and physical education building, Belbas now serves as the center for undergraduate admissions, financial aid and the Office of the Registrar.

Slagle Hall

This nearly 100-year-old building houses the Office of the President, along with marketing, information technology and many other departments.

Aalfs Auditorium

Quartered within Slagle Hall, Aalfs Auditorium is the place to hear USD’s symphony orchestra, student choirs, chart-topping artists and more. Whether you’re catching a lecture or a live performance, the auditorium’s enhanced acoustics will make your experience a memorable one. 

Al Neuharth Media Center

Through this state-of-the-art center, named for USA Today founder and USD alum Al Neuharth, media and journalism students can gain valuable experience with The Volante student newspaper, KYOT TV station and KAOR radio station.

Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts

Calling all artists, actors and musicians! The Warren M. Lee Center is your place to learn and create in its studios, labs, galleries and 450-seat Knutson Theatre.

Pardee Estee Laboratory

Constructed in 1914, this historic building is home to USD’s chemistry and biology programs. It was renamed on its 100th anniversary to honor two of the chemistry department’s previous chairs, Arthur M. Pardee and Charles Estee.

Churchill-Haines Laboratory

Along with Pardee Estee Laboratory, Churchill-Haines houses the chemistry and biology departments at USD and provides a dynamic space for science students to practice their craft.

Akeley-Lawrence Science Center

Named for USD dean Lewis Akeley and “The Father of Nuclear Medicine” John Lawrence, an alum, the science center contains both the departments of physics and sustainability and environment.

East Hall

One of USD’s oldest buildings, East Hall opened as a women’s dormitory in 1887. The castle-like structure is now home to many of the social sciences departments, including anthropology, history, philosophy, Native American studies and sociology, along with dental hygiene. 

Dakota Hall

This large brick building, built in 1919, houses the English, communication studies and political science departments.

Delzell Education Center

Built in 1963, the Delzell Education Center offers opportunities for teachers in training to get hands-on experience through innovative experiences.

USD Knudson School of Law

As the only law school in South Dakota, Knudson School of Law is the alma mater of approximately 70% of the state’s attorneys. In 2020, the law school was renamed in honor of lawyer Dave Knudson, who also served as a state senator.

I.D. Weeks Library

The site of many late-night study sessions, the I.D. Weeks Library is also home to the Academic and Career Planning Center, Center for Academic and Global Engagement, IT Service Desk, Writing Center and Speech Presentation Center.

Arts & Sciences Building

Formerly the home of the School of Law, the Arts & Sciences building contains its namesake college’s administrative offices and the Department of Computer Science.

McKusick Technology Center

The center adjoins the Arts & Sciences Building and houses the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the USD Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, the Esports Arena and other departments.

Native American Cultural Center

The Native American Cultural Center offers a space for Native American and non-Native students to gather and enjoy activities like drum group practice and Sundance meetings. The center also houses the Lakota language lab.

South Dakota Union

Built in 1930 as the original student union building, the South Dakota Union is now home to the Department of Psychology offices.

Noteboom Hall

Originally constructed as a women’s dorm in 1954.

National Music Museum

Built in 1911 as one of the renowned Carnegie Libraries, this stately building became the National Music Museum in 1973. After closing for extensive renovation, parts of the redesigned museum opened for visitors in fall 2021.

Wagner Center

This building is home to the USD Foundation and the Alumni Association offices.

Center for Continuing Education

This center houses Student Rights & Responsibilities, the Math Emporium, the Copy Center and Postal and Disability Services.

Coyote Village

The newest residence hall on campus, the 175-unit Coyote Village offers suite-style rooms and apartments can house 546 occupants. The dorm also features amenities like a convenience store and a 15-seat HD movie theater.

Beede and Mickelson Halls

Along with the more traditional dorm experience, this double residence hall also offers innovative housing opportunities like living learning communities and gender-inclusive housing.

Richardson and Olson Halls

This coed double residence is part of the North Complex, which also includes Beede and Mickelson Halls.

McFadden Hall

Available only to upper class students, McFadden offers a unique residence hall experience with four-person apartments featuring a communal kitchen and living room space.

Burgess and Norton Halls

The Burgess and Norton complex focuses on smaller student communities, giving you more chances for involvement. Burgess and Norton halls are conveniently located near Dakota, Noteboom and East Halls, as well as the Delzell Education Center and the Arts & Sciences Building.

Explore Housing & Residence Life

Shakespeare Garden

This gorgeous spot on campus contains every flower, herb and shrub mentioned in William Shakespeare’s works, along with a bust of The Bard himself.

Danforth Chapel

Constructed in 1954 by the Danforth Foundation, an educational philanthropy organization, Danforth Chapel is a multi-faith space used for prayer meetings, quiet meditation and weddings.

Inman House

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Inman House is located on Main Street just a few blocks from USD’s campus. Used both as a gathering space for the university and as the home of the USD president, the stately residence underwent a renovation in 2018.

Lillibridge Track Complex/First Bank and Trust Soccer Complex

The Lillibridge Track Complex is NCAA-certified for track and field events, while the First Bank and Trust Soccer Complex houses two soccer fields.

Service Center

Facilities Management, Planning and Construction are housed at the Service Center, along with Business & Custodial.

John T. Vucurevich Children’s Center

This Department of Social Services-licensed child care center offers a variety of programming and activities for infants through preschool-age kids.

Patriots Plaza

Honoring USD veterans past and present, Patriots Plaza features plaques commemorating three USD alumni who received Congressional Medals of Honor. The plaques were designed by USD art students under the direction of associate professor of sculpture Christopher Meyer.

The plaza – which is located in a central location on the University of South Dakota’s campus among the Beacom School of Business, the Al Neuharth Media Center and the Knudson School of Law – provides an appropriate site for the observance of patriotic holidays and related events. It was funded by private gifts and matching funds from USD.

Inspired by USD student veterans and supported by others in the USD family, Patriots Plaza features an impressive display of American, South Dakota, POW/MIA and USD flags honoring three USD alumni Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and other veterans. The plaza also commemorates the first 100 years of the Army ROTC at USD.

Patriots Plaza features memorial monuments, each with a bronze iron cast plaque, for Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Capt. Joe Foss ’39, Capt. Arlo L. Olson ’40 and Col. George E. “Bud” Day ’49, all USD alumni. The plaques, bearing intricate portraits and the achievements of the recipients, were created by USD Department of Art students Natalie Higgason, Levi Sternburg, Mackenzie Moody and Tasha Determan. They were led by Christopher Meyer, MFA, associate professor of sculpture.

Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to visit the plaza to pay tribute to and remember service members, veterans and military families.

Medal of Honor Recipients

Col. George E. “Bud” Day ’49, a veteran of the Vietnam War, earned the Medal of Honor as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force as forward air controller pilot of an F-100 aircraft. After being forced to eject from his aircraft in North Vietnam in 1967, he was taken to an enemy prison camp where he was interrogated and severely tortured as a prisoner of war for five years and seven months, alongside the late Sen. John McCain. Day offered maximum resistance to his captors despite his many injuries. He was released in 1973 after years of torture and deprivation in prison. Fellow prisoner McCain said Bud Day was the bravest man he ever knew.

Capt. Joe Foss ’39, served in the U.S. Marines as a fighter pilot in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. He proved himself as a man of outstanding heroism and courage as an executive officer of the Marine Fighting Squadron. He was the leading Marine fighter ace in WWII, and he personally shot down 26 enemy aircraft at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. He went on to be the governor of South Dakota, the Commissioner of the American Football League and the president of the National Rifle Association. Foss is fondly remembered as “Ace of Aces.”

Capt. Arlo L. Olson ’40, a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry, exhibited extraordinary and repeated personal heroism in the 1943 Italian campaign. After leading his troops in multiple engagements with German forces, Olson was fatally wounded and died only after being certain his platoon was cared for. He earned the Medal of Honor for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life beyond the call of duty. A fellow veteran stated, “He was one of those who did not send any of his men into the kind of thing he would not walk himself.”