Stealing Away: The secret (and not-so-secret) hideaways of Bennington College

December: crunch time for college students and high school seniors alike. If you're a Bennington student, you also have the pleasurable problem of figuring out how to pack in all the events you want to go to. There's the performance of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure and Bowl-a-Rama, Poets' Night and the car repair workshop, the Snow Ball winter dance and the overnight hiking trip and, most pressing of all, a smorgasbord of your friends' end-of-term concerts, performances, and readings....

Fortunately, on a campus with no shortage of things to do, there's also no shortage of secluded places to steal off to—in any season. Whether you need a spot to study or a break from studying, a bit of quiet for private conversation, or just uninterrupted time for dreaming, writing, or sketching, here's a survey of Bennington's best nooks and crannies.

All photos except House Living Room, Barn Quadrangle, and Cricket Porch by Sue Huggins and Briee Dellarocca.

End of the World
This is probably the most public of Bennington's "reflective places," but it's also arguably the one with the best view. At the end of Commons Lawn, you'll find Adirondack chairs, a long stone wall (perfect for sitting), and a breathtaking view of the Green Mountains. In early fall, you can watch the mist rise off the mountains in the morning.

Secret Garden/Walled Garden
Exactly what it sounds like. Once meticulously tended, then allowed to grow into an enclosed sanctuary of lush wildness, the garden was recently renewed as an outdoor performance space. Still enclosed by its brick walls, carpeted with grass, and dotted with trees, it remains the perfect place to sneak off to for a picnic or reading session.

The Treehouse
The treehouse was built by a student several years ago, and its solid platform is big enough for a handful of people to hang out on. (Rumor has it that a few students even hosted their Passover seder there some years back.) It's deliberately a bit hidden, offering plenty of seclusion even when the leaves have dropped off the trees.

The Pond
Great bird-watching, a bench for resting, and beautiful views year round.

Library Garden
Enclosed by brick walls and brimming with ivy, this is a great place to take your book. If it's cold out or you need a place to rest your laptop, Ava Heller '07 recommends a few prime spots inside the library: "A lot of people like the writing tutor room on the top floor of the library. And also the big arm chairs near the windows that look out on the library garden." You can also set up your own ongoing study space by reserving a carrel (a small desk with partitions) in the library.

Visual and Performing Arts center (VAPA) late at night
VAPA is open 24 hours a day, and students looking to take a break from their late-night painting, digital art, sculpture, photography, or other work can find a number of quiet corners to relax in.

Shaded platforms
In warm weather, you'll often see classes meeting on these outdoor platforms, which are shaded by surrounding trees. Sometimes used for readings or performances, they're also a great place to stretch out for conversation, reading, or stealing a moment of stillness before class. You may find ceramic art pieces lurking about, tucked beneath the trees (or sometimes hanging in them).

House living rooms
Every student house has a living room, most with fireplaces. Depending on the house, the living room can be a great place for either socializing or seclusion. "I've been known to be a tourist of living rooms for their varying qualities," says Sarah McAbee '07. "Kilpat [Kilpatrick house] is best for late-night conceptions of performance art projects, or for an impromptu sing-along with harmonicas and ukeleles when everybody's eyes are glazed over from reading. The living rooms of Franklin and Welling are great for stretching out on the fainting couch and reading or thinking or writing for several uninterrupted hours."

Blue Trail/Short Aldrich Trail/Mile Around Woods
The Blue Trail/Short Aldrich Trail winds through the wooded areas of campus and along a slope above a creek, to the lowest of four millponds. A sign by the dam guides walkers along the western slope of the valley and then on to the Mile-Around Woods, a path through the woods on the historic Park-McCullough estate.

Noyes Hillside
A quieter, more private alternative to the End of the World. It has the same view (from a different angle), the same Adirondack chairs-it's just a little less public. A great place to take your journal or guitar.

Gardens behind Jennings Music Building
If campus legend is to be believed, the ghost of Lila Hall Jennings still resides in Jennings, the limestone-and-granite Edwardian mansion that houses Bennington's music facilities. (Mrs. Jennings and her family donated 350 acres of the land on which the College is built, and the mansion was their home before it became the music building.) If you head out the back doors, past the beautiful patio, and through the stone pillars, you can find some repose in the place where the family once kept gardens and a fountain.

Jennings Stone Wall
The sweeping stone wall that overlooks Jennings Field is right in front of the music building, and rivals the End of the World for best view. At night, the light beaming from the Visual and Performing Arts center (VAPA) reflects off the pond. In June, the fireflies are out of this world.

Barn Quadrangle Benches
There are two benches in front of the barn-one beneath the huge old tree in the middle of the quadrangle, the other beneath the little apple tree. A great place for people-watching or chatting with your advisor.

Waterfall in North Bennington
This one isn't on campus, but it's a short walk and well worth it. Next to the North Bennington firehouse is a scenic waterfall with a grassy area to relax on. Right around the corner is Powers Market, where you can pick up a cup of coffee or a sandwich, and bring it back to the benches by the waterfall for leisurely conversation with a friend or a relaxing lunch by yourself.

Cricket Porch
Though it falls last on this list, it's likely the first place you'll visit when you come to Bennington. Cricket Porch is the scenic porch of the converted house that holds the Admissions Office. A row of rocking chairs and a striking view of the mountains makes it the perfect place to relax with a cup of the Green Mountain coffee they brew in the office.

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