Our Campus

Our campus

Anchored by the historic Montezuma Castle, a luxury hotel built in the 19th century, UWC-USA’s campus is located on the edge of the Pecos Wilderness and the Santa Fe National Forest. The natural beauty of our campus is designed for reflection and, more importantly to learn more about the natural world. When the hotel was built originally it was a destination for wealthy patrons from the East Coast to casually experience the American West. UWC-USA students, on the other hand, head out on challenging orientation hikes almost as soon as they arrive on campus. Our Wilderness program actively uses the outdoors as a classroom.

The campus is situated on 200 acres and features academic buildings, resident houses, an auditorium, faculty housing, playing fields, tennis courts, and offices for staff.

Learn more about the campus and how our students learn by taking a tour with our campus map.
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DiningHall StudentCenter DwanLightSanctuary LansingFieldHouse SasakawaHouse ScienceBuilding OldStoneHotel MontezumaHotSprings KlugeAuditorium ResidentHouses WelcomeCenter
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The Agroecology Research Center

The Agroecology Research Center (ARC) is a 20 acre piece of land adjacent to campus where students and faculty work together to grow some of the produce consumed in the Dining Hall. The ARC also serves as an important place for students to conduct experiments for their academic classes. Past research has included soil sampling, decomposition, and plant varieties in arid climates.

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Welcome Center

The Welcome Center is home to our security staff. Visitors to our campus stop at the Welcome Center for a visitor’s badge and directions for parking when they arrive. For concerts and events, the staff at the Welcome Center will help direct visitors to the best parking depending on which venue is being used.

 

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Resident Houses

Student housing is split between the Castle and the four resident houses on the lower campus. Students typically live in rooms that sleep two or three.

 

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Kluge Auditorium

The Kluge Auditorium seats over 400 people and is where our community meets for Forum every week, guest speakers present, and performances are held. Three times each year the entire Las Vegas community is invited to a two-hour cultural day performance featuring skits, songs, and dance from one of six regions around the world.

 

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Montezuma Hot Springs

The Montezuma Hot Springs are the original reason that the Old Stone Hotel and Montezuma Castle (then the Montezuma Hotel) were built. They are managed by a local non-profit but students are welcome to use them.

 

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Old Stone Hotel

Home to many of our academic classrooms, the Lockwood Library, and some administrative offices, The Old Stone Hotel was originally a hotel used for visitors coming to the Montezuma Hot Springs which are located just across the Gallinas River. Campus tours led by students begin here during select Saturdays during the school year.

 

 

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Science Building

The Zeinal-Zade science building is home to our biology, chemistry, computer science, design technology, environmental systems, physics, and sports exercise and health science classrooms and labs.

 

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Sasakawa House

The porch of Sasakawa House is a favorite gathering place for students on sunny days. The building is home to our experiential education staff and is a meeting place for smaller gatherings of students and community members.

 

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Lansing Field House

The Lansing Field House features a gymnasium, squash courts, weight and cardio machines, a climbing wall, dance studio, and locker rooms with showers.

 

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Student Center

The Student Center hosts dances, presentations by speakers, and is a comfortable place where students relax. It has a stage for performances, pool and foosball tables, and a full kitchen where students can cook meals.

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Dining Hall

Located in the Montezuma Castle, the campus Dining Hall is a place where students and faculty eat meals together, meet for study sessions, and enjoy performances. The Dining Hall boasts two magnificent Chihuly chandeliers.

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Dwan Light Sanctuary

A gift from Virginia Dwan, the Dwan Light Sanctuary provides all members of the community a place to reflect while enjoying the playful light and prisms.

Click here to read more.

“Instead of defining “close to home” as being within my country, I found that looking at the world as one community [the UWC-USA community] helped me to realize the importance of all the problems people face. Knowing and fully understanding a problem is always the first step to resolving it.”