Tulane University

Tulane University Review

Next to Loyola University on St. Charles Avenue, the university's three original buildings face the avenue: Tilton Hall (1902) on the right, Gibson Hall (1894) in the middle, and Dinwiddie Hall (1924) on the left. The Romanesque style, with its massive stone look and arches, is repeated in the several buildings around a quad behind these. Modern campus buildings extend another three blocks to the rear. Tulane is known for its medical school, law school, and fine main library. The Sophie H. Newcomb College for Women was Tulane's coordinate women's college until it was merged with Tulane College as part of a post-Katrina renewal plan in 2006. The college's memorial institute maintains the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women, a women's resource center that brings in speakers, writers, and academics.

The newly renovated Middle American Research Institute and Gallery (504/ 865-5110, mari.tulane.edu), located on the third floor of Tulane's Dinwiddie Hall, includes the world's oldest documented Guatemalan textile collection and a replica of a Mayan altar. Established in 1924, the collection also includes unusual artifacts like poison-dart arrows from Venezuela and shrunken heads from the Brazilian rain forest. The pre-Columbian, Central and South American artifacts are complemented by an associated collection of books on Latin American culture housed in Tulane's main library. The gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10 to 3, but appointments are recommended.