Outdoor Attractions and Learning Spaces

Unique Campus Park

Purdue is fortunate to have so much greenspace. Few universities have a park on their campuses. Horticulture Park, home to more than 300 types of trees and plants,  provides a nearby escape, as well as academic experiences for many Purdue classes.

A hidden gem

The Jules Janick Horticulture Garden is a source of knowledge and enjoyment for students and visitors alike.  The garden is a living classroom and teaching laboratory. In the garden, university classes meet, student workers get hands-on experience in garden management, and both students and visitors learn about garden plants and their usage in the landscape.  The garden is also a quiet retreat. Its beauty and soothing atmosphere make it as much a place to enjoy as to learn.  A teaching/display garden was originally established on the site in 1982, followed by a complete garden make-over in 2019.  Many donors supported the renovation following the lead gift from Professor Emeritus of Horticulture, Dr. Jules Janick.

Retreat from the Summer Heat

Founders Park is a beautifully landscaped pedestrian mall with Purdue's historical Loeb Fountain, an interactive water sculpture. Dedicated April 23, 1994 during Purdue's 125th anniversary year, the park is larger than two acres and includes walks, trees, tables, seating, lighting, and retaining walls. The Loeb Fountain, originally located in front of Hovde Hall, is now the centerpiece of Founders Park. It can recycle up to 2,200 gallons of water per minute. Founders Park is named in recognition of the students, faculty, administrators, trustees, and benefactors who helped nurture the University in its early years.

Outdoor Classroom

Academy Park is a landscaped pedestrian green space in the heart of the Purdue University campus that replaced a series of streets and parking lots. The five-acre tract includes new walks connecting the buildings surrounding the mall, parking for bicycles and some automobiles, and seating areas for students and staff. The seating areas are enhanced by flowering pear trees, which provide a pedestrian scaled space.

Colossal Model of the Universe

The Visiting Our Solar System interactive exhibit in Discovery Park is the design of the sun, which is 45 feet in diameter. Surrounding the VOSS sun are the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune set into a series of curved, 6-foot-high walls.

Picnic with Beautiful Art

Take a minute to slow down and relax at Pickett Park. Here you can enjoy the serenity and landscape as you step away from the hustle and bustle to a convenient location right here at Purdue. Bring a picnic or a good book to the corner of Stadium Ave. and McCormick Rd. Pickett Park is available for reservation to groups and organizations affiliated with the University. Pickett Memorial Park is named for the late Dean Pickett, a student at Purdue. He died in July 1969 in Yosemite National Park when a ledge he was standing on gave way. His parents, Robert and Margaret Pickett, established the park in 1971 to memorialize their son and his great love of the outdoors. In the spring of 1998, the class of 1999 renovated the park.

The fountain was designed by Eric Ernstberger, principal and cofounder of Rundell Ernstberger Associates located in Muncie, Indiana. The imagery on the glass was selected to capture iconic features from the Purdue campus and its programs without incorporating specific information.

Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences has a outdoor rock display along the stadium mall in front of Pharmacy building.