Overview
The Main Building, crowned by its iconic Golden Dome, stands at the heart of University of Notre Dame, a symbol of both its history and present. Built in 1879 after a fire destroyed its predecessor, it once served as a true campus hub where students lived, learned, and dined, and today functions primarily as administrative headquarters. The Dome, added in 1882 and regilded as recently as 2005 using just a small amount of gold leaf, is topped by a 19-foot, 4,000-pound statue of Mary, “Notre Dame” (“Our Lady”). Reaching 187 feet, the Main Building is the second tallest structure on campus, just behind the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.