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Carbondale is home to Southern
Illinois University. The university was established in 1866
and has grown to become the second largest comprehensive university in
Illinois offering more than 100 academic programs. The student population
is very diverse with students from more than 100 different countries.
Enrollment exceeds 34,000 students with some students attending SIU’s
permanent campus in Niigata, Japan. The university is the area’s
largest employer with more than 10,000 employees.
Established in 1869, the Southern
Illinois University Museum is located on campus in Faner
Hall. The museum has six galleries, an archive, an auditorium and a sculpture
garden. Exhibits offer a look at local history as well as arts, humanities,
and sciences. There are more than 52,000 objects on display in the permanent
collection. For more information call the museum at (618) 453-5388.
Constructed in 1918, Shryock Auditorium is located on the historic Old Campus. The auditorium was dedicated by President William Howard Taft and named for the university’s third president, Henry Shryock. There are 1,200 seats in the theater which hosts a wide variety of events. Famous performers at Shryock include Ray Charles, Dana Carvey, BB King, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The auditorium’s north balcony holds a Rueter Pipe Organ whose 3,000 pipes weigh more than 9 tons. For more information about Shryock Auditorium call (618) 453-3379.
SIU’s Old Campus is home to several impressive structures. Altgeld Hall is the oldest surviving building on campus. This Gothic Revival building was built in 1896 and resembles an English castle. Wheeler Hall was built in 1903 and originally served as the university’s library. This Romanesque style structure is a beautiful architectural gem.
Carbondale offers two historic districts. The first, Town Square, contains 25 historic buildings, four of which are century-old churches. The second district, West Walnut Street Historic District, is a registered National Historic District. West Walnut has 54 historic residences that date back to the 1850's. The Carbondale Convention and Tourism Bureau, located at the Old Depot in Town Square, offers walking tour brochures that highlight the historic structures.
Hundley House is located at 601 West Main Street in the West Walnut Street Historic District. The two-story brick house was constructed in 1915 by Carbondale mayor J.C. Hundley. Tragically, Hundley and his wife, Luella, were murdered in their home December 13, 1928. Today Hundley House serves as a gift shop.
Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery at 405 East Main Street was founded in 1854 and became Carbondale’s first cemetery. Woodlawn is the location of the first organized Memorial Day service which took place on April 29, 1866, after the Civil War. More than 60 Civil War soldiers have been laid to rest at Woodlawn as well as many prominent Carbondale residents.