Included with GeorgiaRoam+Shorter University Campus Tour
'The Hill' overlooking Rome, a Baptist college's grand 1910s vision
Self-guided walking tour in Rome · 0.5 mi · walking · ~50m · 5 stops
The Tour
Chartered in 1873 and renamed for benefactor Alfred Shorter in 1877, Shorter moved in 1910 to a scenic hilltop west of downtown Rome that students and alumni simply call 'The Hill.' This walk crosses the classic front-circle campus past the administration building, the chapel, the library, and the little museum that keep the college's story alive.
Shorter University Campus Tour is a self-guided walking tour of Rome, built around its campus side. It's one of 3 Georgia Roam tours in Rome — each a different route through the city, on your own schedule.
The walk covers 5 stops over about 0.5 miles and roughly 50 minutes, entirely at your own pace. Each stop's story unlocks on your phone the moment you arrive — GPS-triggered, hands-free, no guide and no tour group to keep up with.
What you'll see
Shorter's campus sits on a hilltop west of downtown Rome, and this short walk shows why everyone calls it the Hill. The heart of it is a semicircular front lawn, paved in part with cobblestones, where the university holds its biggest ceremonies. Behind it stands the main administration building, and the view drops away toward the city that grew up on seven hills where two rivers meet.
Along the way you'll pass the fine arts building that houses the chapel. Shorter's music tradition goes back more than a century, and choirs and recitals still fill that building. You'll also see the library at the center of academic life and the science hall named for the city below. The walk ends at the welcome center, whose small museum of artifacts tells how a Baptist women's college in downtown Rome turned into the coeducational university around you.
The loop covers about half a mile and takes under an hour, on sidewalks with some gentle slopes. Weekdays during the school year feel the most lively, and spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons. Please respect classes and residence areas. The Georgia Roam app tells each stop's story as you arrive.
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