About "The Rock"

“The Rock” – aka “North Campus Rock,” “Signal Rock,” “North Campus Bulletin Board” – was first painted in the 1940s and became a coveted tradition at UConn among students.

The original rock was removed for construction of the Life Sciences building in 1958. A portion of it was relocated on North Eagleville Road where it was painted repeatedly for the next 40 years. During the UConn 2000 construction program, it was then moved to storage.

Click here to see more pictures of the rock.

FAQ about "The Rock"

Where did this rock come from and why is it different than other rocks?

This rock has a lot of history. The original rock was a much larger piece that lived on North Eagleville Road, where the Life Sciences building sits today. In the late 1950’s, when the Life Sciences building was constructed, the rock had to be removed. A smaller piece of the rock was relocated to the corner of North Eagleville Road and North Hillside Road, somewhere between the current locations of the Lodewick Visitor's Center and the North Garage. For 40 years, this piece of rock was painted by student organizations, accumulating approximately 1,200 layers of paint! With new construction during the UCONN 2000 project, the rock was removed yet again and disappeared from the Storrs campus. Earlier this year it was recovered, cleaned up and installed – permanently – in its new home at the corner of Alumni Drive and North Hillside Road.

Can any student organization paint "The Rock"?

Yes! "The Rock" has traditionally been a billboard for student organizations to showcase pride and support for events around campus. This tradition is very popular, so chances are if you paint the rock today, it will be repainted tomorrow!

Is there an official painting policy for "The Rock"?

Yes, there is. Click here for the official Rock Painting Policy developed by Greek Life.

What does the plaque say?

The Rock

Coated with thousands of layers of paint over the decades, The Rock is a student tradition dating back to the late 1940s. Students repeatedly paint it to promote student events, including dances, pep rallies, student elections, parades, fraternity and sorority functions and a host of other campus activities.

The current rock is a portion of a much larger outcropping that was originally located across from the North Campus quadrangle and removed for construction of the Life Sciences building in 1958. Forty years later it was put into storage during the UCONN 2000 construction program. The Rock was relocated to its present site in 2008.

Dedicated Homecoming Weekend, October 2008

Share your stories

The Rock Stories - Phil Barry '59

Patricia Barry '79 was greated by The Rock as an entering freshman in the summer of 1975. The Rock was painted by her three brothers: Dave, Doug and Dan.

The Rock Stories - Donna Eriksen ‘72

My roommate and I painted the rock on the occasion of her boyfriend’s birthday...

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The Rock Stories - Debbie (Mostowy) Zygmont ‘78

I had the privilege of living on the Storrs Campus of UConn for my Junior & Senior college years. I lived in West Campus, first in Hollister B (all female) and then in Chandler (during it's first year as a co-ed dorm)...

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The Rock Stories - Kim Donovan '79

I had the great privilege of painting The Rock not once but TWICE during my time as a student...

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The Rock Stories - Doug Denyer '83 and Pam Riccio Denyer '85

As members of Kappa Kappa Psi, Music Service Fraternity we painted The Rock! In order to insure that someone else wouldn't come to paint over your hard work, we usually painted it in the middle of the night and sometimes stood guard until morning...

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