New Berea College Visitor Center Opens Aug. 3, Bringing the “Berea Story” to Life
July 27, 2026
Beginning Aug. 3, visitors to Berea College will experience a new gateway to the College’s remarkable story with the opening of the reimagined Berea College Visitor Center in College Square.
Located at 104 South Main Street, the redesigned Visitor Center has undergone a comprehensive transformation, creating an engaging, interactive space that introduces visitors to the people and purpose that have defined Berea College since 1855.
Through immersive exhibits and digital displays, guests will discover what sets Berea College apart from any other institution in higher education – from its historic mission of educational opportunity and its Great Commitments to its nationally recognized academics, student work college program, Student Craft, athletics, music ensembles, centers and institutes, the College farm and forest, and its enduring commitment to Appalachia.
An official grand opening celebration will be held in September in conjunction with Berea College’s One Reunion festivities.
“The Berea story has always been larger than a single campus or a single generation,” said Berea College President Cheryl L. Nixon. “It is the story of a community that has steadfastly believed in the transformative power of education and in the dignity and potential of every person. We hope this Visitor Center becomes a place where that story comes alive for every guest and inspires them to see both Berea’s remarkable history and its enduring promise.”
More than a traditional welcome center, the new Visitor Center has been designed as an educational and interpretive experience that invites visitors to explore Berea’s history, values and ongoing impact. Interactive exhibits and curated storytelling help connect guests with the College’s distinctive educational model while highlighting the lives of students, faculty, alumni and supporters who have shaped Berea’s legacy for more than 170 years. Whether visitors spend a few minutes or several hours exploring the exhibits, they will leave with a deeper appreciation for the College’s mission and its role in expanding educational opportunity.
“The new Visitor Center puts the College story first and is much more about learning than it is about commerce,” said Aaron Beale, associate vice president for Student Craft. “A narrative dialogue has been carefully developed that will take visitors from the founding mission and vision of the College in 1855 through five additional sections that attempt to illustrate the work we do every day to live up to the founding ideals and mission of our founders.”
For visitors who want to carry some of Berea’s incredible story home with them, the Visitor Center will also become the exclusive retail location for Berea College Student Craft products. Student-made items previously sold in other campus locations will now be available exclusively through the Visitor Center and online at Berea College Student Craft’s new website www.bcstudentcraft.com.
In addition to providing visitors with a convenient way to purchase handcrafted work created through Berea’s nationally recognized Student Craft program, the new website brings together Student Craft’s educational mission, student storytelling and retail space into a single, unified platform for the first time in the program’s history.The Berea College Visitor Center will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The center is closed on Sundays. Visitors are encouraged to stop in to explore the exhibits, learn more about Berea College’s mission and history, browse Berea College Student Craft offerings and discover opportunities to engage with the College.