Purdue has a somewhat-extensive system of tunnels connecting some of its buildings. There are 3 primary tunnel systems and many other smaller ones. This Google Maps page shows an overview of these tunnel systems. They are very useful during the winter months as you avoid the snow and the icy paths.
1. South Campus/Union Tunnels
This system of tunnels connects Krannert, Rawls, PMU, Hicks, Stewart Center, Hawkins, and Young Hall. It also connects to Grant Street Garage, Marstellar Street Garage, and Wood Street Garage.
2. Central Campus/Beering-University Tunnels
This is just one small tunnel, but connects Beering Hall to the University Street Garage.
3. North Campus/Northwestern-Engineering Tunnels
This system of tunnels (and skybridges) connects the Northwestern Garage to Wang Hall, ME, EE, and Physics.
4. Other smaller tunnels
Aside from the 3 primary tunnel systems above, some buildings have smaller connections between them. Examples include:
- Hovde and Elliott
- Honors North and South
- Cary Quad
- All the buildings of First Street towers are connected underground
- All the buildings of Windsor Hall are connected underground
- There is an abandoned tunnel just to the left of Wetherill under that big central walkway that goes up towards the WALC.
- Lambert is connected to Mackey is connected to the Brees Academic Performance Center all via controlled access tunnels.
- There is a tunnel connecting PHYS to MSEE (public), and a tunnel connecting MSEE to EE (less public, but I think it’s been open before.
Warning- Steam Tunnels & Older Abandoned tunnels
Apart from the public use tunnels; there are steam tunnels which are small and dangerous & tunnels open for Maintenance Staff only- these often have sensors for detecting unauthorised use. Then there are really old tunnels that most people have forgotten about or Out of Service/ In Disrepair,
All of these are out of bounds for Purdue students. Especially the last type that excites most students who chase urban legends for e.g. One of the sealed tunnels connected the Phi Delta frat house to Harry’s Chocolate Shop – this tunnel was built long before prohibition, and in 1913 it flooded out and was never repaired fully. The tunnel was discovered by the university and sealed during the construction of the memorial union in 1922.
These urban legends/myths/ hints propagate through the student population and they go to explore/ find these at night and often when they are drunk. There have been tragic accidents like that of Wade Steffey… a National Merit Scholar majoring in aviation technology, who went missing on Jan. 13 2007 at Purdue after attending a frat party. No one knew what happened, until they found a body 2 months later in March 2007 in a high-voltage utility room in Owen Hall. He was apparently electrocuted after he inserted the ring finger on his left hand into a 0.88 inch hole into a recessed exposed conductor. It looked like he was searching for a mythical tunnel between the transformer and the wall.
WORD OF CAUTION: If you decide to do a little B&E and explore the steam tunnels, (which you shouldn’t) – PLEASE WEAR A RESPIRATOR WITH APPROPRIATE FILTRATION FOR ASBESTOS. These tunnels are packed with old asbestos insulation, and while most of it is either undisturbed or encapsulated, plenty has been damaged over the years and has become friable. People who explored them say that they ran into multiple instances of pipe insulation that needed repair or removal and after multiple calls and emails to the appropriate facilities department, nothing was ever done. Please take precautions.
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