Friends and Family Weekend
2026
Friends and Family Weekend
2026
Photo credit: Raaya Ferdous '27
OPEN HOURS
Emporium 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wellesley College Bookstore 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lake Path 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Davis Museum 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
EVENTS and PROGRAMS
3 to 6 p.m.
Family Check-in and Information Center
Come say hello when you get to campus, pick up your name tags and some swag, and grab a snack!
Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, Anderson Forum
3:30 to 4 p.m.
Welcome to the Davis Museum from the Director
Come meet Dina Deitsch, the new Ruth Gordon Shapiro ’37 Director of the Davis Museum, then enjoy curatorial tours of our 2026-2027 academic year special exhibitions!
Davis Museum Lobby
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Clapp Library: A Closer Look
Visit the Makerspace, Special Collections, and the Wellesley College Archives and learn more about these special spaces on campus.
Clapp Library
3:45 to 4:15 p.m.
Health Professions Advising Presentation
Join Cindy Seltzer, Director of Health Professions Advising, and Peer Career Mentors for a presentation on Career Education's advising for patient-facing careers including medicine. We will share how your student can be a strong applicant, trends in the field, and answer your questions.
Collins Cinema
4 to 4:30 p.m.
Davis Museum Curatorial Tour
Discover Excavating Antioch: The Archaeology of an Ancient City with Nikki Berlin, Associate Curator of Collections
Davis Museum Lobby
4 to 5:30 p.m.
Carillon Concert
Hear and see a carillon masterclass with students and a visiting carillon instructor. Please note, you must climb several steep staircases to access the bell tower.
To access the bell tower, please enter Green Hall from the Academic Quad door.
4:30 to 5 p.m.
Davis Museum Curatorial Tour
Discover Shi: Stories in Stone with Yuhua Ding, Kemper Assistant Curator of Collections and Academic Affairs
Davis Museum Lobby
5 to 6 p.m.
Faculty Lecture with Katherine Grandjean, Associate Professor of History: Kingdom of Devils: A Tale of Murder in the Shadow of the American Revolution
Drawing from her new book, Professor Grandjean tells the story of a brutal series of murders on the Revolutionary American frontier. Her investigation of this murder mystery doubles as a glimpse into how historians do their detective work.
Collins Cinema
5 to 7 p.m.
Shabbat Service and Dinner
Join our vibrant campus community to welcome in Shabbat! A delicious shabbat dinner will follow services; all are welcome.
Houghton Chapel, Multifaith Center
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
S'mores!
Enjoy a Wellesley tradition and have a little sweet treat!
Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, Firepit
7 to 9 p.m.
Whitin Observatory Open Hours
Come visit the observatory and see the night sky through the six and twelve inch telescopes.
Capacity is limited. We encourage you to arrive early. The queue will close at 8 p.m. or earlier if maximum capacity is reached.
Whitin Observatory
7:30 to 9 p.m.
Jazz and A Cappella Welcome Concert
Join us for a concert with Wellesley's student jazz and a cappella groups.
Jewett Auditorium
OPEN HOURS
Emporium 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wellesley College Bookstore 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lake Path 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Davis Museum 11 a.m. to 5 p.m
Saxby's Cafe, Clapp Library 12 to 3 p.m.
EVENTS and PROGRAMS
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Family Check-in and Information Center
Come say hello when you get to campus, pick up your name tags and some swag, and grab a snack!
Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, Anderson Forum
9 to 10 a.m.
Historical Landscape Tour
Join us for a student-led tour of the Wellesley College Historical Landscape. Follow the history of campus from the central meadows to Alumnae Valley.
Meet at the Science Complex, South Entrance Steps
10 to 10:45 a.m.
Career Education, Experiential Learning, and Skill-Building at Wellesley
Learn about Career Education and experiential learning at Wellesley including opportunities available for global and domestic internships, fellowships, civic engagement, employer and alumnae connections, and more. Jen Pollard, Associate Provost and Executive Director of Career Education, will provide a full overview of the Career Education curriculum, advising model, and how students can make the most of the wide variety of opportunities available to them. You'll also learn about the experiential learning requirement in the Wellesley degree program introduced in 2024.
Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, Tishman Commons
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Varsity Softball vs Nichols College
Come cheer on the Blue against Nichols!
Keohane Sports Center, Softball Field
10 am to 12:15 p.m.
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens Tours
10 to 10:15 a.m. Student-led fish observation in Global Flora Conservatory tanks
10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Student-led tour of Nesting Art, an exhibition by Mika Taga. Please note, this tour requires walking over uneven ground.
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Student led tour of Global Flora
All tours meet in the Global Flora Visitor Center
10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Varsity Swimming & Diving Blue and White Meet
Come to Chandler pool to cheer for the Wellesley swim and dive team!
Keohane Sports Center, Chandler Pool
11 to 11:30 a.m.
President Paula Johnson's State of the College address
Alumnae Hall Auditorium
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Alumnae Achievement Award Recipient Panel: Lessons in Leadership: Challenge and Change
The panel will feature this year’s recipients of the Alumnae Achievement Award: political scientist Jane Mansbridge ’61, business and higher education leader Alecia DeCoudreaux ’76, and historian Ayesha Jalal ’78, in conversation with Ama Baafra Abeberese ’04, associate professor of economics.
Alumnae Hall Auditorium
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Club Rugby vs Southern Connecticut State University
Come make some noise and cheer for the Blue!
Keohane Sports Center, Upper Grass Field
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Community Lunch
Join your student for lunch in their dining hall! As we expect a large number of guests at our community lunch, we ask that you eat with your student in the dining hall closest to their residence hall to ensure the shortest wait time for everyone.
12 to 2 p.m. NEW TIME
Varsity Softball vs Brandeis University
Come make some noise and cheer for the Blue!
Keohane Sports Center, Softball Field
12 to 3 p.m.
Davis Museum Tours
12 to 1 p.m. Join the student-led tour: Women in Art
1 to 2 p.m. Join the student-led tour: Global Stories Across Time
2 to 3 p.m. Join the student-led tour: Modern and Contemporary Art
All tours meet in the Davis Museum Lobby
12 to 3 p.m.
Community Crafts: Small Acts of Service
Hosted by the Ministrare Peer Leaders and Civic Engagement. Drop in and make a difference through craft! We'll make kindness rocks to spread delight, friendship bracelets for connection, caring cards to brighten someone’s day, and green bandana embroidery to support mental health awareness. No experience needed. Just drop by, craft, and spread some community love!
Clapp Library, Lower Level, Cafe Space
1 to 1:45 p.m.
Clapp Library Tour
With love letters from the 1800s (and the door through which they were delivered), a humanities hub, a maker space for multiple media, and much more, join a student-led tour and learn about the recently renovated library.
Meet in Clapp Library Lobby
1 to 3 p.m.
Varsity Soccer vs Clark University
Wear your new swag and cheer for the Blue!
Keohane Sports Center, Soccer Field
2 to 2:30 p.m.
Sophomore Tree Planting
Join President Johnson and the green class of 2029 as they host one of the College's oldest traditions, planting the Class Tree.
Munger Meadow, East End
2:30 to 3:15 p.m.
Wellesley Faculty and Leadership Panel: The Impact of AI in the Liberal Arts
As society and higher education actively grapple with the profound impacts, promises, and risks of artificial intelligence, Wellesley faculty and leadership are exploring how AI is transforming liberal arts classrooms and career preparation. Join Orit Schaer, Associate Provost for Wellesley in the World / Michael and Denise Kellen ’68 Chair in the Sciences and Professor of Computer Science; Jennifer Pollard, Associate Provost and Executive Director of Career Education; and Miranda Daniloff Mancusi, Executive Director of the Wagner Centers for Wellesley in the World as they discuss how our community is addressing the very real issues that are shaping the future of learning and work. Hosted in partnership with the Wagner Centers for Wellesley in the World, the Gen AI Faculty Fellows and Career Education.
Science Complex, Hub 101. Please note, no food or beverage is allowed in Hub 101.
3 to 4:30 p.m.
Vivian A. Kao '04 Health and Counseling Center Grand Opening Celebration and Open House
Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Vivian A. Kao '04 Health and Counseling Center with remarks from President Johnson at 3:30 p.m. Open house tours will be offered from the Dahod Family Health and Counseling Common and light refreshments will be served.
Vivian A. Kao Building
3:30 to 4:15 p.m.
Clapp Library Tour
With love letters from the 1800s (and the door through which they were delivered), a humanities hub, a maker space for multiple media, and much more, join a student-led tour and learn about the recently renovated library.
Meet in Clapp Library Lobby
4 to 5:30 p.m.
Music Showcase
The Music Department presents a concert specially designed for FFW, featuring the College Choir, Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra, and Chamber Music Society.
Houghton Chapel
5 to 7 p.m.
Taste of the Diaspora
Come meet Dean Patty Birch, Assistant Dean of Intercultural Education and Advisor for Students of African Descent, hear the Harambee Singers, and enjoy a performance by Yanvalou Drum & Dance Ensemble.
Harambee House
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Dead Serious presents: Enemies and Strangers
Join Dead Serious, Wellesley’s best and only improv comedy troupe, as they present Enemies and Strangers for friends and families. Dead Serious is a student run organization that performs improv comedy for the Wellesley community, as well as with colleges and universities in the greater Boston area. They are very grateful to be performing for the fifth year at Friends and Family Weekend and apologize that auditions aren’t open to family members.
Jewett Auditorium
OPEN HOURS
Lake Path 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wellesley College Bookstore 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Emporium 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Davis Museum 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saxby's Cafe, Clapp Library 12 to 3 p.m.
EVENTS and PROGRAMS
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Family Information Center
Stop by and say hi before you head out. We'd love to see you.
Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, Anderson Forum
9:30 to 11 a.m.
Houghton Chapel and Multifaith Center Open House
Come meet the chaplains and take a self-guided tour of Houghton Chapel and the Multifaith Center. Join us for a chaplain guided labyrinth walk at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and an organ demonstration by the Wellesley organ club at 10 a.m. We invite you for bagels, cider, tea, and coffee in our Multifaith Center, which is on the ground floor of the Chapel.
Houghton Chapel and Multifaith Center
10 am to 12:15 p.m.
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens Tours
10 to 10:15 a.m. Student-led fish observation in Global Flora Conservatory tanks
10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Student-led tour of the Edible Ecosystem or other outdoor location
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Student led tour of Global Flora
All tours meet in the Global Flora Visitor Center
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lacrosse Play Day Tournament
Wear your new swag and cheer for the Blue!
Keohane Sports Center, Butler Stadium Turf Field
11 to 11:45 a.m.
Office of International Study: Student Study Abroad Panel
Learn about various programs and the application process from students who have returned from study abroad.
Collins Cinema
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Alum Softball Game
Come cheer for all the Blue!
Keohane Sports Center, Softball Field
3 to 4 p.m.
Catholic Mass
Join your students for mass.
Houghton Chapel