Exploring Brigham Young University

Founded in 1875 by Brigham Young, Brigham Young University is the nation's largest church-owned private university, sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Home to more than 30,000 students, the beautiful 638-acre campus is located on the east side of Provo at the base of the Wasatch Mountains.

For information, contact Brigham Young University, Public Affairs and Guest Relations, Provo, UT 84602 (tel. 801/422-4678; www.byu.edu). To get to the university from I-15 north, take exit 269, University Parkway, and travel east through Orem into Provo to the northwest entrance of the campus.

Free 45-minute tours of the campus, beginning at the visitor center, are offered Monday through Friday on the hour from 9am to 4pm. Allow at least 1 hour. Admission to campus museums is free unless otherwise noted; allow 1 to 2 hours for each of the BYU museums.

The 112-foot-tall Centennial Carillon Tower, a campus landmark, houses 52 bells that toll at intervals throughout the day.

The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, 1430 North, just east of the Marriott Center (tel. 801/422-5051; http://mlbean.byu.edu), houses extensive collections of insects, plants, reptiles, fish, shells, mammals, and birds from around the world, with an emphasis on Utah's wildlife. It's open Monday through Friday from 10am to 9pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm.

The Earth Science Museum, 1683 N. Provo Canyon Rd., west of Cougar Stadium (tel. 801/422-3680), houses one of Utah's largest collections of dinosaur bones from the Jurassic period. Guided tours are available by appointment. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

The Harris Fine Arts Center, Campus Drive (tel. 801/422-2881), houses galleries featuring American and European artists. The B. F. Larsen Gallery and Gallery 303 feature student and faculty exhibitions. The center also hosts theatrical and musical performances in its five theaters; call for the schedule and ticket prices. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

The state-of-the-art Museum of Art, north of the Fine Arts Center at 492 E. Campus Dr. (tel. 801/422-8287), is one of the largest museums in the West. Its 17,000-piece collection includes something for everyone, from ceramics to sculpture, paintings to pottery. The galleries hold everything from etchings by Rembrandt and Monet to jade and ivory from Asia. The museum also contains a gift shop and a cafe that serves lunch. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10am to 9pm; and Saturday from noon to 5pm. Admission is charged for special exhibitions only.

The Museum of Peoples and Cultures, in Allen Hall, 700 N. 100 East (tel. 801/422-0020; http://mpc.byu.edu), focuses on the cultures of the Western Hemisphere, but also looks at Colombian, Egyptian, Israeli, Polynesian, and Syrian societies. It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm (until 7pm Tues and Thurs during the school year).

The Harold B. Lee Library (tel. 801/422-2926; www.lib.byu.edu) is the largest library in Utah, with more than three million bound volumes. Library hours are Monday through Saturday from 7am to midnight. The second floor houses the world's second-largest genealogical library (tel. 801/422-6200), with free services to all.