9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wellesley College Bookstore open hours

Stock up on Wellesley swag!

Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, 4th floor

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Davis Museum 

See In Focus, the faculty artist exhibit and Digging Into History: the Wellesley College Hall Project,  and explore the galleries. Don't forget to ask for a scavenger hunt at the front desk!

Davis Museum 

3 to 6 p.m.

Family Check-in and Information Center

Kick off FFW 2025 with a stop at the family check-in and information center to pick up your name tags and some swag.

Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, Anderson Forum

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 newly renovated library.

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

4:30 to 6 p.m.

2025 Alumnae Achievement Awards

Join us in celebrating the 2025 recipients of Wellesley’s Alumnae Achievement Award: Karen Grigsby Bates ’73, journalist and author; Jocelyn Benson ’99, Michigan’s secretary of state and a voting rights advocate; and Sue Wagner ’82, co-founder of Blackrock. This award, the highest honor the College bestows, recognizes alumnae who have brought honor to themselves and to Wellesley College through their outstanding achievements.  Hear how Wellesley has influenced their lives, the lessons they've learned along the way, and their advice to current Wellesley students.

Alumnae Hall Auditorium

5 to 7 p.m.

Shabbat Service and Dinner

Join our vibrant campus community to welcome in Shabbat! A delicious shabbos dinner will follow services; all are welcome.

Houghton chapel, Multifaith Center

6 to 7 p.m.

2025 Alumnae Achievement Awards Reception

Please join us in the Alumnae Hall Ballroom, after the Wellesley College Alumnae Achievement Awards ceremony, to celebrate the 2025 recipients.

Alumnae Hall Ballroom

7 to 8:30 p.m.

Alum Lacrosse Game

Koehane Sports Center, Butler Stadium Turf Field

7 to 9 p.m.

Varsity Volleyball vs Bowdoin

Cheer for the Blue at the first game of the weekend!

Koehane Sports Center, Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse

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. 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 Capella Welcome Concert  

Join us for a concert with Wellesley's student jazz and a cappella groups.

Jewett Auditorium

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 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 Dr. Suzanne Langridge, Director of the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative on a tour of the Wellesley College Historical Landscape. Follow the history of campus from the central meadows to Alumnae Valley. 

Meet at Mozart III outdoor sculpture on the path between Founders parking lot and the Science Center.  

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wellesley College Bookstore open hours

You know you need a new sweatshirt, tee shirt, hat, tote, mug, water bottle, or other Wellesley gear. You do. 

Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, 4th floor

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Walk Around Lake Waban

The entire Lake Path is open today.  Enjoy a walk  around the lake surrounded by gorgeous fall colors and see the campus from new vantage points. 

Lake Path 

9:15 to 10:15 a.m.

Career Education Presentation

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 new experiential learning requirement in the Wellesley degree program introduced in 2024. 

Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, Tishman Commons

9:30 to 10:15 a.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 newly renovated library. 

Clapp Library

9:30 to 10:15 a.m.

Alum Parent Meet-Up

Wellesley parents who are also Wellesley alums, grab some coffee from the family welcome area or the Emporium and come chat with each other!

Alumnae Hall Ballroom

9:30 a.m. to 12 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

9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Botanic Garden and Global Flora Open Hours 

Explore the Global Flora greenhouse. Visit the Durant Camellia, botanical highlights, and student-made exhibits!

Botanic Garden Visitor Center and Margaret Ferguson Greenhouses

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs Brandeis

Come cheer on the Blue against Brandeis!

Koehane Sports Center, Softball Field

10:30 to 11:15 a.m.

Wellesley at 150: Opening Ceremony

President Paula A. Johnson reflects on Wellesley’s past and shares her vision for the College’s future. 

Alumnae Hall Auditorium

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Club Rugby vs Wentworth Institute of Technology

Come make some noise and cheer for the Blue!

Koehane Sports Center, Upper Grass Field

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Davis Museum Open Hours

The Davis Museum welcomes friends and family to attend tours in the galleries led by Student Guides from a range of academic majors. We also have self-guided and multisensory materials at the front desk that guests of all ages can enjoy in the museum throughout the weekend. 

Davis Museum

11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Wellesley at 150: Women Leading Change

This year’s Alumnae Achievement Award recipients, Sue Wagner ’82, Karen Grigsby Bates ’73, and Jocelyn Benson ’99, address how they define leadership, share their vision, and identify opportunities for positive impact in these complex times. 

Alumnae Hall Auditorium

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 1 p.m.

Davis Museum Tour

Join the student-led tour: Wellesley at 150 in the Davis

Davis Museum

12 to 1:30 p.m.

Varsity Field Hockey vs Worcester Polytechnic Institute 

Wear your new swag and cheer for the Blue!

Koehane Sports Center, Butler Stadium Turf Field

12 to 2 p.m.

Clapp Library: A Closer Look

Visit the Makerspace, the Book Arts Lab, Special Collections, and the Wellesley College Archives and learn more about these special spaces on campus. 

Clapp Library

1 to 1:45 p.m.

Wellesley at 150: Facing the Climate Crisis

Join Knafel Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences, Rebecca Belisle, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Alden Griffith, and Frost Associate Professor in Environmental Science and Associate Professor of Chemistry, Rachel Stanley, for a discussion on climate change.  Courtney C. Coile, provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College and Stanford Calderwood Professor of Economics, will offer opening remarks that highlight 150 years of faculty and curricular innovation at Wellesley, as well as how the College is preparing the next generation to lead through the pressing issues of our time. 

Alumnae Hall Auditorium

1 to 2 p.m.

Davis Museum Tour

Join a student-led tour: The Worlds of Isle Bing and Suzanne Ciani Sound Lounge  at the Davis Museum

Davis Museum

1:30 to 2 p.m.

Sophomore Tree Planting 

Join President Johnson and  the class of 2028 as they host one of the College's oldest traditions,  planting the Class Tree.

Clapp Library,  East Lawn

1:30 to 2:15 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 newly renovated library. 

Clapp Library

2 to 3 p.m.

Davis Museum Tour

Join the student-led tour: Student and Faculty Work: Digging into History and In Focus  at the Davis museum.

Davis Museum

2 to 3:30 p.m.

Wellesley at 150: From Sea to Shining Sea: Katharine Lee Bates and the Story of “America the Beautiful”

View the documentary From Sea to Shining Sea, followed by a discussion with filmmaker John de Graaf and Katharine Lee Bates biographer Melinda Ponder ’66, moderated by Kathryn Lynch, Katharine Lee Bates and Sophie Chantal Hart Professor of English. 

Alumnae Hall Auditorium

2 to 3:30 p.m.

Honoring our Past, (Re)Planting our Future: Dedication of Octavia's Oak 

Join us as we celebrate the centennial of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens by dedicating Octavia's Oak and exploring the edible ecosystem.

Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, Edible Ecosystem 

2 to 3:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball vs Nichols

Wear your new swag and cheer for the Blue!

Koehane Sports Center, Softball Field

2:15  to 3 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 newly renovated library. 

Clapp Library

3 to 3:45 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 newly renovated library. 

Clapp Library

3:30 to 5 p.m.

Now & Ever: Trivia, Treats, and Traditions

Join us on Severance Green for an afternoon of fun and community as we celebrate Wellesley at 150.  Highlights include: 

• A trivia contest hosted by former Jeopardy! contestant Ann Velenchik, associate professor of economics and writing, and Shreeya Lakkapragada ’26, 

• Classic Wellesley desserts, 

• Performances by student musical groups, 

• Family-friendly arts and crafts

5 to 6:30 p.m.

Written by Wellesley: Composers and Lyricists Throughout the Ages

This concert, sponsored by the Wellesley 150th Community Fund, highlights the diverse musical contributions of Wellesley alumnae and honors their rich legacy. The program features works spanning generations—from Katharine Lee Bates, class of 1880, and Katherine Kennicott Davis, class of 1914, to today’s students. 

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, and hear the Harambee Singers.

Harambee House 

6 to 7 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 fourth year at Friends and Family Weekend and apologize that auditions aren’t open to family members.

Jewett Auditorium

8 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

8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Mindful Nature Walk

Join Dr. Suzanne Langridge, Director of the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative Initiative, and Paulson Initiative student interns on a meditative walk using our senses to notice the flora and fauna on campus. No experience necessary, all are welcome!  

Meet at the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, Firepit

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wellesley College Bookstore open hours

Stock up on Wellesley gear before you head out! Please note, the bookstore will close at 2 p.m. today.

Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center, 4th floor

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Walk Around Lake Waban

The entire Lake Path is open today.  Enjoy a walk  around the lake, New England fall foliage, and spectacular views of campus.

Lake Path 

9:30 to 11 a.m.

Houghton Chapel Open House

Come meet the chaplains and take a self-guided tour of Houghton Chapel. The Organ Club will join us to play the Fisk organ and share its history.

Houghton Chapel

9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Botanic Garden and Global Flora Open Hours 

Explore the Global Flora greenhouse. Visit the Durant Camellia, botanical highlights, and student-made exhibits!

Botanic Garden Visitor Center and Margaret Ferguson Greenhouses

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 am to 5 p.m.

Davis Museum Open Hours

See In Focus, the faculty artist exhibit and Digging Into History: the Wellesley College Hall Project and explore the galleries. Don't forget to ask for a scavenger hunt at the front desk!

Davis Museum

12 to 2 p.m.

Varsity Lacrosse vs Salem State

Koehane Sports Center, Butler Stadium Turf Field