So, here's an updated map... still not complete, but the detail is a bit better than the first and some new legs have been added. The coding is as follows: Red for tunnels, Blue for abandoned tunnels or tunnels that are apparantly not connected to the main system, Purple for entrance areas and manhole access, Dotted Lines for conjectured routes.Entrances & Important Buildings
- 57 The Steam Plant- Where the system begins. An entrance for the bravest (or idiotic) souls.
- 58 Ceramics Building- You can't miss the pipes here. Read the 'stories' section for info on gaining entrance here.
- 52 Taliaferro- Following a line from the kilns along the path, one can easily find the manhole access/escape here.
- 49 Jefferson Hall- The manhole near the Ewell Circle bike rack. You can look down into the system through the grate.
- 48 Barrett Hall- The mother of all entrances. Just enter the eastern wing's stairwell, head down and enter the door on the left.
- 47 Chandler Hall- Metal fire door at the bottom of the stairwell on the Barrett side offers an easy exit / okay entrance. Exiting from here is fairly 'blind' & entering is noisy, though.
- 5 Ewell Hall- The manhole near the posting board.
- 10 Tucker Hall- Manhole near here. Also random accesses that go nowhere on the Tyler side as well as on the eastern side down the ramp. Easy access to the basement, too.
- 6 Washington Hall- Possible tunnel entrance here; the manhole on the northeastern corner of this building is always issuing steam- though we haven't found a spur that goes there.
- 1 Wren Building- The venarable Wren's basement is accesible via the tunnels. Always keeping an eye on the hidden door beneath the main door's stairs. If it's ever unlocked, this would be the best access in town.
- 18 Monroe Hall- No tunnel access that I'm aware of, but you can crawl around the foundations. Enter from the southeastern stairwell.
- 8 James Blair Hall- A sometimes-unlocked door below the eastern stairs allows access into the basement- where one can find entrance into the tunnels.
- 18 Old Dominion- No longer any tunnel access, but a cool basement level with machinery, pipes, and lots of interesting things. The access door is the one on the right just as you enter O.D. from the entrance facing Blair (8).
- 3 The President's House- The manholes to the west of the house along the path onto campus are go.
Points of Interest
- Chandler to Barrett leg / Hell- This is, perhaps, the most hell-like environment in the system: dark grey/black walls, no ventilation, and the hottest temperatures. Be sure to check out Paddy's Folly (a second route that apparantly serves no purpose) just before entering Barrett. What circle of hell is this?
- Beneath Barrett- Some have called this "The Ballroom" (grafitti) and it's either because it's a relatively spacious and well-lit area or because of the sordid activities that appear to have taken place here (Note Frodo's message on a piling). The most interesting things here are the hardened clayey soil walls on which many travellers have scratched messages, names, and dates. One such scrawl promises online maps, but none of us have ever run across them... a little competition, eh? Assorted large, mysterious, and rusting objects litter this region.
- Barrett to Jefferson leg- Just a quick left turn from the Barrett stairwell entrance lies a fairly large space that is lit up every now & then. Towards to the end of this room there is a friendly message in gold marker on one of the steel girders: "BEWARE!" This coupled with the hideous and intimidating screeching noise coming from ahead make this a fairly creepy and "dangerous" section of tunnel that upon which we have bestowed the name Lorelei.
- The Lorelei- Given our spills in this area, we think this is a fitting name for this small section between the Barrett and Jefferson straightaways. It's muddy, wet, and your ears are assaulted by the shrill noise of escaping steam. Approaching this area from both directions is really exciting... and a ventilation fan closeby provides fresh air.
- Jefferson Leg- A long and cramped stretch. No graffiti or machinery of note, this can be a fairly grueling leg.
- Wren Building- Great open basement area. It once allowed access into the early 1700's chapel crypt, but that has since been sealed off to prevent vandalism. Check the pipes for great messages from past tunnel rats. The oldest we've seen is from the 60s.
- The Secret Room- I ain't saying where this is b/c it's my emergency cop escape room, but I discovered it during the summer of '98 and I don't think anybody has found it in many, many years. Quite exciting. A few early 80s coke cans, old non-functioning electrical systems, and large mysterious canisters. Any clue about these?
- Large Cockroaches- Wow. Some of the nastiest concentrations of roaches can be observed in the Tyler to Blair leg. Cover up head-to-toe in these parts.
WARNING! Be advised that steam tunnel exploration can be dangerous and may result in physical harm. It is also a punishable offense at the College, as stated in the Student Handbook.
This page hosted by GeoCities.