California Institute of Technology

Serene and elegant. Campus is not that big, but it is incredibly beautiful. I lived in San Marino for two years. I took a lot of pictures then. Every time I look at these pictures my mind is immersed in a tranquil atmosphere.

A beautiful campus that is very well maintained and open to the public + in a great location in the heart of Pasadena. From green open spaces, to peaceful water flowing through rocks river-style, stylish cafeterias and modern buildings, it’s a pleasure to walk around. Great place for running/ cycling / walking your dog.

Its one of the world best technical institute. But this review is more about its campus and its greenery surroundings which is so pleasant and cool even in hot sun. Building architecture with supporting natural greenery balance is awesome. Morning, evening is good time for walk, jog and a whole day to spent with family in this lock down. Have water bodies with beautiful lotus and places with tortoise and fountain add extra happiness. Campus restaurants are closed and sitting area still open. A lot parking space. Enjoy the campus by following lockdown rules.

Some cool older and more modern buildings. The website has a walking tour map of you want to check out the main sites. Bring water if you're doing this in the summer as it's hot and the campus is huge!

Beautiful campus for a nice walk. We did a self guided tour based on a guide on their website and learned a bit about the institute's history and what is studied in each building.

We went on a self-guided campus tour - the gardens and open spaces were open to visitors. This has to be one of the most beautiful places to study and learn. We really enjoyed touring. The campus is sprawling and very nature-oriented. The turtle pond is a must-see, given its historical significance! You can read about it in the Self-guided tour online.

Dropped by this storied university for a quick stroll. It's a small focused campus that while it generally doesn't have the fancy looking architecture of some of its larger brethren, it still impresses as you recognize the buildings and some of the achievements that have come from it

It's pretty small as far as campuses go; it's a great place to take a walk around. Academically speaking, it's one of the greatest schools in the world;)

College campus tour on a hot day. Sure why not. :D Lol. Caltech (est 1891) is a private research uni that is geared toward training tomorrow's leaders and pioneers in the field of science. Located in the heart of Pasadena with San Gabriel mountain as a backdrop. It is known for their great academic and research environment. CalTech has huge campus ground and unique academic bldg architecture. I liked the lecture hall buildings, laboratories and Bachman Institute, and the general campus vibe. Overall, I am ebullient that I get to visit this premier learning institution in SoCal.

I explored part of the California Institute of Technology campus on foot in the summer of 2018 with one of my friends as part of a road trip. We were both graduate students at a university in the San Francisco Bay Area and were curious what the CalTech campus and surrounding residential area(s) were like. It was a warm to hot day when we stopped, so we were not as energetic in our exploring as we might have been on a different day. The grounds were well kept and outdoor decor in keeping with the vibe of an institute of technology. Parking we found on the streets abutting the campus and was enforced. We were both amazed at how small the campus was, in a good way, compared to the campus of the university we were attending. The neighboring residential area(s) were peaceful.

What: self- guided campus tour. We were unable to grab a tour slot, so I Googled for a self-guided tour (https://campuspubs.library.caltech.edu/3402/6/Walking%20Tour%202024-pages.pdf). This worked out well. Beautiful campus. Just wished we were able to get the student perspective.

The Einstein Project has very specific visiting hours not listed on their website! Not open on Fridays.

How lucky are we to live in CA which has some of the best schools in the world. Cal Tech is one of the best of the best! Did you know that Einstein taught here and you can still see the house that he lived in?? I was here for a tour and loved every minute. How I wish I had this appreciation for education when I was in college. ;-)

If you want to enhance your intellectual prowess, attend Cal Tech's free lectures! These are offered approximately every 1.5-2 months, typically on Wednesdays at 7:30pm, and delivered by the best in their respective fields. From astronomy, to machine learning, to learning about our hearts, you'll definitely leave here feeling just a little bit smarter than when you arrived! (Sorry no pics as photo taking was not allowed).

California Tech was a school on my list of tours for schools that I considered joining to do an engineering degree at. Though I had a limited view of everything and limited access, the campus had a neighborhood feel and excellent architecture. I did feel like the school was a great place to research and winding down. I wish they would have been more comprehensive with their tours though but understandable. This can be a pro or con, but I did not enjoy the tours of the housing spaces for students and it did seem very exclusive and limited. Needing near perfect gpa also made it odd since they definitely lose some talent. I know my 4.71/5.0 GPA was something though I wasn't sure of the lifestyle. Still, it definitely should be on anyone's list if thinking of places like Stanford, Harvard, and Massachusetts Tech, or similar caliber anyways. It was worth my time to check out the campus. And in the physics community, people tend to work on multiple campuses spaces anyways due to equipment share.

Caltech!! It's nerd paradise. Where else can you hear a lecture on Gravitational Waves, see the latest NASA photos or hear about innovations in gene therapy or the latest robotic breakthroughs. Intellectual Disneyland for sure. They have the Watson lectures, held on Wednesday evenings, usually once a month during the school year. The lectures are free and fabulous! Checkout public events at www.caltech.edu to find out about events. They have intellectual events, musical and theatrical presentations. They have a connection with NASA's JPL, so there are many events that appeal to NASA lovers. Space, science, technology, exploration and curiosity are alive and thriving here. There is plenty of free parking but if it is a popular event, you might have to walk a ways. Plan a little extra time. It is worth checking out. Let your inner nerd out to play!!!!

Attended a lecture by Dr. Don Pettit titled "The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation." Making my way through the campus---as the orange light was fleeting--- for the eight o'clock lecture held in a building that looked like a "white wedding cake" as described by Michael Brundage (Cal Tech Graduate). To me the building looked like "Braut Kuchen mit Mozartkugeln" which is German for: Bride cake with chocolate covered marizipan balls (an Austrian specialty). Dr. Pettit had us wide eyed and forgetting about our stashed Iphones with his Power Point presentation on Zero-G Plasma Circles and the strange effect of rubbing a knitting needle with fur...can you guess what happened? He stressed the varied ways one may view a "Space Photo" and showed us live examples of how linear thinking does not always apply. In space one may want to use "Off the Planet" and "far out of the box" thinking. For problems in space he says there are "no answers at the back of the book" and must be solved in real time. Dr. Pettit pronounced cupola most uniquely as (cup-o-la) and kept interest for over an hour on his amazing adventures in space. Delightful! Funded by the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS). www.kiss.caltech.edu Well organized and helpful staff on site sporting smiles and water. Truly enjoyed the lecture.

I did my PhD here. It was okay. It opened up many good job opportunities. However, nearly 10% of the people don't swing their arms when they walk. This place is weird. I originally rated this 4 stars, but I changed it to 5 because the intellectual environment is top notch.

Great grilled salmon at the cafeteria. The free food around campus suffered a decline after the 2008 financial crisis, but still top notch. 5/5, would PhD again.

We came for a perspective student tour which is offered on weekdays and depart from the Undergraduate Admissions Office. It was a great way to really get a feel for what Techer life is all about. The entire student-led tour took about an hour. We were really impressed by the BEAUTIFUL 124 acre campus, with gorgeous trees and buildings, and all of the undergraduate academic and student life information that was offered during our tour. We got to see a dorm room, one of the dining halls, a lecture room and hear about the MIT rivalry. We were hoping for more information about the application process, but we didn't receive any of that. :( And yet, we still enjoyed it and highly recommend it for anyone interested in attending. Wear comfy shoes, bring water and wear sunscreen. :)

Cal Tech don't often get as much attention as MIT. but people who try to apply top notch school would definite know Cal Tech and MIT are big rival and often joke around that people can't get to Cal Tech when to accept to MIT instead. The Campus is located south west of PCC, is sligh larger but is a lot less people than PCC so doesn't really feel crowded most of the time. The campus has a Architecture design almost all of their building from old to modern. What i really like is their gym, despite small campus, they got a very nice gym with nice size indoor basketball court and track and field. Not to mention they got loads of tennis court. As for the food is pretty good, variety but is a bit pricey, but is more healthy choice , anyone can actually go eat there doesn't check the ID, but only accept cash. Parking in the other hand isn't that great, however is possible to find 2 hours parking in 1 or 2 block away, just aware don't get pass the time, cause city do come check often even in the weekend. By the way offer music concept in here for a low price.

Disclaimer: I went to school here. Yes it's a small campus but it is very beautiful. Each building is unique and there is a lot of renovation that is currently happening. It is lovely to take a walk through or to take a jog through. Cafeterias and the red door are great places to get food and coffee but the best place is Ernie's truck. Goodness! Just go to Caltech and find Ernie. So good and for such a good price. I always tip him. Absolutel Worth visiting. Go see the Beckmann auditorium and the Guggenheim building.

I'm here for the free glasses. Lol Beautiful campus. Super late post I know. I had a good time. I got here early and was able to beat the line. Plus it was cool being around like minded people. Everyone was nice and friendly. Enthusiasts bringing their own gear and sharing. Definitely a great experience.

Caltech is the perfect device for so many universal stories, mythic and true. The journey is everyman's road to self-discovery. Contrary to popular psychology, "self-realization" is a slow road to a realization of one's own limitations, helplessness, and innate evil. Even King David, "a man after God's own heart", found absolute power to be absolutely corrupting. At Caltech the men are not God-fearing, so they have nowhere to turn when they hit bottom. As Caltech begins, with a long, quiet shot of a row of trees and the Doors' "The End" slowly coming up on the soundtrack, helicopters buzzing by almost noiselessly, and finally the row of trees being blown to smithereens, you know you're watching something great. Best of all is the Wagner "Ride of the Valkyres" air raid which never fails to pump adrenaline. Many critics claim that the rest of Caltech fails to live up to this sequence, but they're missing the point. After that it gets more and more hazy and dreamy, as if the drugs are kicking in. Like many people, I've seen it at least a dozen times, but can't remember watching it when I wasn't drunk or high. Some kind of chemical indulgence on the viewer's part has always accentuated its dreamlike qualities, ambling pace and ardently paranoid mood. It may have the most profound effect on such viewers because it closely resembles the Caltech that many of us have hallucinated rather than actually seen. Many also claim that the finale doesn't work. I think the nightmarish, illogical, unreal ending Caltech gives us is the perfect solution. Any conventional ending would have insulted us. Caltech is great art, powerfully exposing (rather than condoning or merely sensationalizing) evil. Once the disease is exposed, perhaps we can live in better health. Perhaps faced with darkness like this, people will be more likely to turn toward light.

Came with a friend to check out the campus and to walk around. It's a pretty cool campus with fountains (although the water is shut off on most of them) and the architectural details on some of the buildings are magnificent. I was surprised by how small the campus is compared to other SoCal universities. As we walked around, we discussed all of the scientific milestones and achievements that came out of this institution and found it amazing that we were walking the same walkways as some past (and perhaps future) Nobel laureates and MacArthur fellows. The Beckman Auditorium hosts a lot of scientific talks and lectures throughout the year. I guess they also do concerts on the lawn from time to time. Overall, nice campus. Don't forget to check out the Pasadena parrots!

It's no surprise there are so few reviews of Caltech. I mean, how can I describe, in a pithy Yelp review, a place where I spent 4 years of my life (plus 3 bonus years post-graduation) in a bonecrushingly dense, compulsively elaborate, silly, obscene, funny, tragic, pastoral, historical, philosophical, poetic, grindingly dull, inspired, horrific, cold, bloated, beached, and blasted existence? I can't. So I'll just give you a little song about my classes as a freshman: **** CORE Love (To the tune of "Soul Love" by David Bowie) Math One - He sits before the chalkboard Great Sums - and sequences that add to Problems - that hover between the homeworks and his mind As they penetrate his grade point Chem One - it mixes all around you New words - that no one understands but True nerds - a class so hard it tears our hearts to sleep Through the fleeting hours of morning Due on monday, due on tuesday, sweeping over night and weekend Work alone or work together Either way it takes forever Other options have I none - just to take some easy Hums Then third term I'll take GE 1, and GE's so easy... Phys One - You'll have to take their word or come undone - the truth of God on high will not come - except by revelation you can see Through the blindness that becomes you [Repeat Chorus] ****

I'm a visiting student here. I come every now and then to use some of the instrumentation since my boss is a professor. The campus is beautiful. Really, it's one of the most visually-striking campuses I've ever been on. Not that any of the students really get to enjoy the great campus. Cal Tech is one of the best science schools in the country. I would love to someday go here for a degree but it's ridiculously competitive. You can even taste the competition in the air-- sometimes I feel the need to dress nerdier or talk more eloquently when I'm here! Word of mouth is that it's not drugs or binge-drinking that makes kids fail out of Cal Tech, like maybe your traditional American college. It's video game addiction. Haha. I. Love. Nerds.

I first heard of CalTech when it was listed in the Money magazine list of top colleges. * Quick factoid - this school has more Nobel prize winners than any other school in the world, by far. I love Beckman Auditorium, and Baxter Hall, both of which I visit for shows and presentations/lectures. The campus has several self sustaining bio ponds, with snails, crawfish/crawdads, frogs and turtles, which are amazing to watch and explore. Love the campus, love the buildings, the fountains - this place is a gem to visit and walk around. Currently the #5 school on the US News World Report, this college is less than $40,000 a year to attend, but only takes 12% or so of applicants. It has an endowment of over 1.6 BILLION dollars with a B. I was lucky enough to attend the big 50th anniversary of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL is run by CalTech), which was amazing. Almost all of the most brilliant minds in Science worldwide have lectured here.

No doubt about it, there's a wicked amount of smarts here and some of my friends have attributed to it. However, how can you go to a college with just about zero women!? I think I should take some of these friends and get them together with some of my Art Center friends. Wouldn't that be an interesting social experiment?

My family and I visit a lot of campuses in Southern Cali for fun and Cal Tech by far was one of the most beautiful campuses in terms of view. Most the buildings are old-school like the ones you would see in London, yet they are really well maintained and appealing when actually seen. Despite being a Saturday near the end of May, there were a good amount of students still on campus which surprised me since very few attend in the first place. There were even student tour ambassadors who gave us a good understanding about the campus' culture and a speaker giving a lecture to the public in one of the halls. Wish I could of met with more of the students and seen what life is like during a regular day, but was still a fun experience. Whether you plan to enroll or not, I would recommend anyone to come visit here just for the feel in general.

The best science university in the world. I went there for undergraduate, and the experience was out of this world. It's not for the faint-hearted. They'll make you work your a%# off, but I think it is all worth it.

This review is not for how the educational system works in this university, it is again how they are making money without any thought about the service. The campus charges about $300.00 for 2 hours wedding photo shooting, a group of 10 or 15 people of community have to pay about $300 plus to be allowed to go in there to take some wedding shots, no bathroom, no limo parking, no attendent available but if you try to go in there without permit, all of a sudden you will see few security cars jump in like want to clear up a bank rubbery. All in all I want to say, they don't have to charge that much money for local residents and if they, at least give some service.

In high school, when I was more precocious and more sure of my abilities, I knocked on lab doors and talked to professors and grad students about doing research. After one or two days of knocking on doors, I finally got a break at the Sloan Annex, where a kindly professor took my friend and I under her wing. Thus, we found ourselves, sophomores in high school, doing "research" on the superconductive properties of a heterogenous crystalline material whose exact composition (it contained oxygen and yttrium, among other elements) eludes me. Mostly, my friend and I tried to attach minuscule lengths of copper wire with silver paint to the gold leads on these superconductors, using tiny tweezers and underneath magnifiers. Actually, we mostly played pool and wandered around the campus, admiring the trees, architecture, and absolute lack of attractive young co-eds. Though I don't recommend just dropping in, there are a few on-campus houses here that serve as dorms / co-ops / co-ed fraternities. My friend and I frequented Rickett's House, which had the best pool table and snack machines conveniently located on the premises. We had been regulars at the faculty club until we had been kicked out by a surly bartender for not being alumni--or over 18, for that matter. Caltech has a very beautiful, picturesque campus. It is especially beautiful during dusk, when the setting sun slants through the Stanford-esque arches and eucalyptus trees. It is nice to stroll down the middle of campus, which has well-tended paths and stretches of grass. There is a nice reflecting pool and bridge in the center of the school, and a little garden area with benches, trees, shrubs, and creek (evocative of Strawberry Creek and the Eucalyptus Grove at UC Berkeley, though 1/10 the size). It's a great place to stroll, to sit and reflect quietly. There are usually not too many people around, as they're all in their dorms or labs studying for 18 hours a day! Check it out for a little window of calm in this crazy world. It's close to the Lake Avenue District, which has Borders, the Coffee Bean, Trader Joe's, Le Petite Vendome, and other places to shop; Paseo Colorado; and Old Town Pasadena.

Even for someone like me, who doesn't study here, Caltech has lots of fun things to do.. including: 1) Walk around a beautiful safe campus with unique mid-century modern architecture and gardens. The turtle pond is awfully cute. 2) Visit Beckman Auditorium for lectures and performances ranging from intellectual (superstars of science) to fun ("physics of magic") to comedic (Capitol Steps satire group). 3) Join the awesome ballroom, swing, and Argentine tango classes open to the public. Yay Caltech!

We have just driven to the campus at off hours and wandered around. It's a beautiful campus, unashamedly geeky (cf. the double helix pool). I must admit to being thrilled at walking around a place that has contributed so much to mankind's advance. For those who recognize and value this kind of stuff, just go there and dig it. You can stand on the steps of the physics building that Millikan and Feynman used to hang out in. I mean...

Amazing buildings here. Just driving by the campus offers an eye-full of unique architecture.

I absolutely love this campus!!! The campus is always clean and many places to seat with plenty of shade.

This place saved me! As Pasadena City Hall screwed up my photo permit process two days before my wedding, I was lucky to find this place. The bad part of it was that I ended up paying more here than City Hall permit costs, but it was worth it. Over all I am very happy, the University has a lot of great places to take photos and the guy who processed my permit was very nice! Highly recommended!

Graduated from this school in engineering. An utterly miserable 4 years. Not recommended. Very difficult, extremely depressing environment, a student suicide is an annual event and there are only 200 people in each incoming freshmen class. The education does not prepare one for the practical needs of employers, people who get engineering degrees at state schools spend much less, actually have some fun in college, and have better and higher paying job prospects. This school ruins peoples lives. The campus and area is gorgeous, however, so a nice place to visit and walk around. Just don't go to school there. Yeah the professors are famous and some of them have Nobel Prizes, but that probably won't help you. And those student loans have to get repaid when the "fun and games" are over.. Go to a state school and save money .. if you go to grad school nobody will care where you went to undergrad in any case, so it will just be a waste.. (i have a PhD in chemical engineering and an MS in electrical engineering so I know.. )

Normally, they just have cookies and coffee for the seminars, but today, on 2/5/2018, they truly outdid themselves by providing not only the cookies and coffee, but also these delicious strawberry jam pastries. I might change my mind about leaving academia after all!

This place is the Mecca for Scientists. It must be visited at least once in a lifetime. I enjoyed my visit. The intellectual power is palpable. Great bookstore. Big leather seats to peruse some of the text books and other powerful tomes. Recommended, highly!

Not only the number 1 University on the entire globe but also an awesome place to be! Historical buildings (e.g. Einstein was here) are mixed in with architectural examples of our building evolution through the decades. From simple and humble to exuberant and flashy and everything in between.

Went there 2 wks ago to see the seminal SavoinGlover at 7:30pm- called the most creative tap dancer in USA today- perform at their outdoor BeckmanAmphitheatre. Tables are set up as 6 or 8 seaters and the cheaper tickets are way(yyy) back from the stage. However, we made our way in front and sat at tables with just 2 ppl on it! So -that's the best tip on how to save $$ on tix! Also, arrived at 6pm and could enjoy the gorgeous views whilst enjoying our packed dinner of food from Eggslut. Happy to note that wine was cheap - got a glass of red for just $4 and Cornetto ice cream for $2 too! Worth going IF there's someone particular you want to see.

Caltech tango and ballroom dance classes are awesome. They get the best instructors at the best price. Nice people. I prefer Caltech's dance classes open to the public.

I went there for a few conferences. I guess there is no need to mention the science and technology part of Caltech. I was very impressed by its beautiful and unique campus.

We went for the college tour. Beautiful little campus we were very impressed with the majors they offer. The bookstore is cute the staff was very helpful.