Central Hall and CELC - Where Classes and Clubs Meet

A stop on College of San Mateo Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

You're now on the north-south mall, the spine of the 1963 campus. Along it stand the classroom halls: South Hall, Building 14, Central Hall, Building 16, and North Hall, Building 18, with faculty offices in Building 15. Covered walkways connect several of them, so you can cross much of the campus under cover.

Building 17, just north of Central Hall, is a good stop for new students. Renovated and reopened in 2020 as the Center for Equity, Leadership and Community, it brings together the Promise Scholars Program, Student Life and Leadership, student government, clubs, and SparkPoint, which offers financial help and a food pantry. It is also home base for learning communities such as Mana, Umoja and Puente, and the Honors Project.

Almost half of Warnecke's original buildings are gone, but the halls along this mall still show his plan: low buildings, repeating bays and courtyards between them for students to gather.

Getting here: Walk back north along the main mall past the College Center fountain. Stop where Central Hall stands on your left.

Did you know?: Fifteen of Warnecke's original buildings were taken down to make room for College Center, the Science Building and the Health and Wellness Building.

Photo op: Frame the covered walkway between South Hall and Central Hall, with its row of concrete columns leading into the distance.

Central Hall and CELC - Where Classes and Clubs Meet

Stops on this tour