Georgetown University Main Quad, Washington DC

Georgetown University Main Quad, Washington DC

It's hard to notice anything on this very large quadrangle other than the enormous National Historic Landmark of Healy Hall (1897), whose high-set Flemish-Romanesque towers loom over the neighborhood, and even the city.

It's hard to notice anything on this very large quadrangle other than the enormous National Historic Landmark of Healy Hall (1897), whose high-set Flemish-Romanesque towers loom over the neighborhood, and even the city. It is named after Patrick Healy, who had an impressive career of firsts: the first African-American president of a major U.S. university, the first African-American with a PhD, and the first African-American Jesuit priest. During the day you can wander inside the building to appreciate the interior-Gaston Hall at the north end of the third floor should be your main objective, as it is both beautiful and has hosted endless visits by foreign and domestic heads of state. In the summer, these visits are often free to the public and not very well attended, so you might be able to get in and talk foreign policy with a king or two. Check the university's events website.