Whether your occasion is a banquet dinner, happy-hour reception, small meeting or corporate event, the Jayhawk Welcome Center offers top-notch venues and amenities to fit your needs. Visit our venues page to learn more.
As visitors enter the lobby, they are greeted by a two-story LED display with a personalized welcome message for each Jayhawk. Expansive videos and images capture iconic KU settings and traditions.
View 360-degree videos that transport visitors to classrooms, libraries, labs and other campus facilities. Explore beyond campus to learn more about the adventures that await in Lawrence and the region.
Guests can select from a variety of alumni success stories that speak to the KU spirit, career pathways and connections that link past and present Jayhawks. Also explore the vast Jayhawk Network on an interactive map to see where Jayhawks flock.
Learn about notable Jayhawks and their achievements—and the ways in which KU shaped their lives and successes.
Learn about KU’s origins, rich history and traditions through artifacts and digital touch screens that tell our spirited story. Here we celebrate what it means to be a Jayhawk.
Large vertical touch screens allow visitors to learn about KU discoveries, research excellence and innovations that drive economic growth, health and prosperity in Kansas and beyond.
President, KU Alumni Association
“With the collaboration of university leaders, KU Endowment, alumni donors and Jayhawk-led corporations, we set out to create a home that would unite Jayhawks past, present and future and help the university achieve its enrollment goals in a highly competitive arena. We’re truly grateful for all those who shared our vision and provided the leadership and resources to make this project a reality after years of planning.”
Chancellor, University of Kansas
The Jayhawk Welcome Center is a 30,000-square-foot facility open for campus tours by prospective students and their families — as well as events and programs for current students and the KU and Lawrence communities. Our door is also open for Jayhawks of all ages as a place to call home.
The building contains six unique and interactive exhibits that visitors can enjoy and use to learn about the Legacy, Achievements, Origins, Networks, and Traditions of what it means to be a Jayhawk.
The Jayhawk Welcome Center houses the front office of the KU Admissions Department and sees close to 1500 students and families weekly for campus visits. The building connects to the Adams Alumni Center, headquarters of the KU Alumni Association, giving Jayhawks the full picture of what being a Jayhawk at the University of Kansas means.
The Jayhawk Welcome Center is open to all! Prospective students, current students, alumni and Jayhawk fans and supporters of all ages are welcome in our building.
Come experience the life of a Jayhawk and interact with our unique exhibits! Get your feet wet in Potter Lake, see the inside of the Campanile, and stand in between Big Jay & Little Jay at our Photobooth or snap a selfie at our ROCK CHALK wall.
We welcome walk-ins! All we ask is that you check-in at the front desk. If you’d like a tour, the Student Ambassadors are some of the best and will be happy to show you around the Welcome Center.
If you are a prospective student planning on visiting KU, we recommend finding a visit day through KU Admissions to ensure you get the full Rock Chalk experience.
The Jayhawk Welcome Center captures the spirit, legacy, and traditions of what being a Jayhawk is all about. The Alumni Center worked with national board members, Alumni Association members, donors and over 100 students to fund and ultimately determine that there was no better home for the Welcome Center than atop Mt. Oread and at the entrance to the historic corridor of campus
The Jayhawk Welcome Center is connected to the Adams Alumni Center as a way to showcase what the life cycle of a Jayhawk entails. The intention was to create a complex that is aesthetically appealing to future generations of Jayhawks while preserving the rich history of the Alumni Center.
After input from KU architecture students, the modern design incorporates the brick of the Alumni Center and the same limestone found in Snow, Budig Hall and Watson Library, with an emphasis on storytelling and large spaces for collaboration through modern technology.
There is no dedicated parking available at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. We recommend parking at the Mississippi St. Garage. Visit parking.ku.edu for more information.
Our hours of operations are 8-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Building hours can vary based on hosted events.
Building Accessibility & Parking
An accessible entrance to the Complex is located in the front of the building. Individuals can access the building via the ramp in the front. There are several accessible parking spots located around the premises, with ramp access to the front doors.
Assistive Listening Devices
The Complex is equipped with an induction loop listening assist system (closed hearing loop), which is a sound system for individuals wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants with a Telecoil. The system is located on both sides of the building (Summerfield, Bruckmiller, and Meeting A/B; JWC: Event spaces A/B).
The Jayhawk Welcome Center has two wheelchairs for guests. For more information or special requests, please contact the Facilities & Event Services Team at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Public Elevator Use
Elevators located in the Jayhawk Welcome Center make all levels accessible.
For additional information or special requests, please contact the KU Alumni Association Facilities & Event Services Team at email@example.com.
The University of Kansas accessibility guidelines can be found here.
Certified service animals are welcome in the Jayhawk Welcome Center.
A map of the Jayhawk Welcome Center can be accessed here.
We build lifelong relationships that strengthen the University of Kansas and the legacy of excellence embodied by its students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends.
Jayhawk Welcome Center at Adams Alumni Center
1266 Oread Ave., Lawrence, KS 66045
firstname.lastname@example.org | 800.584.2957