Baylor Christmas/New Year’s Holidays Openings and Closings

Contact: Baylor University Media & Public Relations, 254-710-1961
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WACO, Texas (Dec. 19, 2023) – Baylor University offices and most facilities will be closed during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays from Friday, Dec. 22, to Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. The University will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. The first day of classes for the spring semester will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.

Below is holiday information about Baylor offices, facilities and public attractions.

Campus Visits

The Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center will be open through Dec. 21, with Thursday hours from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and then closed for the holidays from Friday, Dec. 22, through Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. The Hurd Welcome Center will reopen Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Baylor Undergraduate Admissions, housed in the Hurd Welcome Center, will resume offering on-campus tours on Jan. 3, 2024, when the University returns from the holiday break. To schedule an on-campus tour beginning Jan. 3, please register here. Guests also can walk in or call at 254-710-TOUR (8687) or 1-800-BAYLOR-U, option 1-2., for assistance with on-campus tours.

During the holiday closure, prospective students and their families are welcome to take a self-guided tour by accessing the Baylor University Walking Tour, which allows visitors to see the beautiful Baylor campus at their own pace. From the comfort of their home, visitors also can discover Baylor University virtually through The College Tour, which featured Baylor in season 2 of the Amazon Prime streaming series. 

End of Year Giving

The Baylor Office of University Advancement will be available by phone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 26-29 to process end-of-year gifts made by credit card. Please call 254-710-2561 or 800-229-5678, option 4. End-of-year online giving also is available on the Baylor giving website.

Bear Foundation offices will be closed from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2, 2024, reopening on Jan. 3, 2024. To contact the Bear Foundation during this holiday period, please email Bear_Foundation@baylor.edu.

Museums

The Mayborn Museum will be closed Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1, 2023, but otherwise open to the public during its regular hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The Martin Museum of Art in the Hooper-Schafer Fine Arts Center is closed until Jan. 9, 2024, when the museum will open a new exhibit, In Pursuit of Light: Women in Photography from the Permanent Collection.

University Libraries

Baylor Libraries, including Moody and Jones libraries and Special Collections libraries, will be closed from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2, 2024. Libraries will reopen from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 3, 2024. Please see the Libraries’ calendar for specific opening hours and dates leading up to the first day of spring semester classes on Jan. 16, 2024.

McLane Student Life Center

The McLane Student Life Center is closed from Dec. 18 to Jan. 2, 2024. Please see the SLC’s online calendar for reopening information in 2024.

Campus Dining

The Food Court in the SUB, Starbucks at Moody Memorial Library and Varsity in the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center will be closed Dec. 22, through Jan. 2, 2024, reopening Jan. 3, 2024.

Residential dining halls are closed during the holidays:

• Penland Crossroads
• East Village Dining Commons
• Brooks Great Hall
• NOTE: 1845 Memorial will reopen Feb. 16, 2024.

Penland Crossroads will open starting Jan. 7 from  5 to 8 p.m. Please check the Baylor Campus Dining website for updated hours in 2024.

Baylor Athletics

Baylor men’s basketball will play the final game in the Ferrell Center at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, vs. Mississippi Valley State.

Both Baylor men’s and women’s basketball teams will open 2024 in the new Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, with MBB taking on Cornell at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, followed by WBB hosting TCU at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3. For more information, visit the Baylor Athletics website.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.