Welcome to Walnut Hill College

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Welcome

Tour stop audio transcript

Hello, and welcome to Walnut Hill College! I'm Liana, and I'll be your tour guide today. Before we get started, let me explain the many ways you can explore our beautiful campus. You can click on the forward-facing arrow to start walking around. You can also jump to the next stop by clicking on the "Next" button. Now, if you already know where you want to go, you can select any location by using the list or by clicking directly on the map. Lastly, remember that you can explore any particular location in more detail by clicking on the supplemental content icons. Located in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Walnut Hill College was founded in 1974 as The Restaurant School and is one of America's FIRST private colleges to specialize in fine dining and luxury hospitality education. Nearly 500 students are enrolled in our associate and bachelor's degree majors in Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, and Hospitality Management. To prepare our students for careers in foodservice and hospitality, we combine classroom teaching with hands-on training in our award-winning restaurants, which are open to the public. Here we are outside of our main building, the historic Allison Mansion. Built in 1860 by architect Samuel Sloan, this breathtaking building is home to our Pastry Shop, kitchen classes, and restaurants and is the hub of student life on campus. Let's take a look around!

Office of Admissions

Tour stop audio transcript

Located in Hunter Hall, the Office of Admissions is the very first stop for every prospective student. Our admissions representatives will answer any questions you have about the application process during an interview and give you the VIP treatment during a private tour of our campus. Go behind the scenes in our kitchens, walk through our dorms, and get a "taste" of what we have to offer during lunch at our signature restaurant, Bistro Perrier. We even offer Saturday information sessions where our chef instructors will treat you to a cooking demonstration! Whether you prefer an individual or group tour, we're ready to show you around in our signature WHC style!

Pastry Shop

Tour stop audio transcript

Satisfy your sweet tooth in our Pastry Shop! Every morning, our Pastry Arts students wake up bright and early to bake the freshest breads, cookies, and cakes with supervision from our certified executive pastry chefs. Have a seat--and a treat--in our relaxing café atmosphere, or place a custom order for your special occasion. Our students will happily use their amazing talents to create unique desserts for your event. While you're waiting, you can also order breakfast from a menu of omelets, pancakes, smoothies, and more that our students will make right in front of you. Hungry yet? Well grab a coffee and croissant and let's keep going!

The Great Chefs

Tour stop audio transcript

The Great Chefs is one of our four restaurants that are open to the public during the school year. This sleek and elegant space is definitely the most dramatic on our campus. Just take a look up at the ceiling to see the thousands of clear glass balls meant to resemble champagne bubbles! The Great Chefs' menu always highlights spectacular dishes from some of the greatest chefs in the world, hence its name. Also, it's important to note that our students not only make, but also serve every dish in all of our restaurants with guidance from our certified executive chefs and dining room instructors, providing a real-world learning experience.

You are now on the 9th point on the Welcome trail coming from The Great Chefs on your way to City Hall.

Allison Bar

Tour stop audio transcript

Have a seat at the Allison Bar and drink a refreshing cocktail crafted by one of our Hospitality Management students. Our resident sommelier and beverage instructor teaches our students about the finer points of wine and mixology, and this bar certainly provides the perfect environment for them to share what they've learned. In fact, we allow our students to participate in the beverage selection process for our restaurants. Our Wine Club has helped to create a wine list that has won The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year for over a decade.

You are now on the 13th point on the Welcome trail coming from Allison Bar on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 15th point on the Welcome trail coming from Allison Bar on your way to City Hall.

Bistro Perrier

Tour stop audio transcript

Bistro Perrier is Walnut Hill College's signature restaurant, focusing on fine French cuisine. Named after our very own Master-in-Residence, the legendary chef Georges Perrier, this space has won the OpenTable Diners' Choice Award and The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. The menu at Bistro Perrier changes every season and features a selection of classic French dishes as well as favorites from Georges Perrier's iconic restaurant, Le Bec-Fin. For a heightened sensory experience, you can even request our tableside dishes, which our Hospitality Management students will prepare right in front of you! While we're here, take a look inside two of our other restaurants, the Italian Trattoria and the American Heartland. We've had the honor of hosting some notable figures in our restaurants, including His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex and son of Queen Elizabeth II.

Pastry Kitchens

Tour stop audio transcript

While taking Pastry Arts classes, you'll do all of your baking and extraordinary design work in our pastry kitchens. Hundreds of scrumptious desserts are made each day in these kitchens, which are outfitted with industrial ovens, burners, mixers, and other equipment to help you perform at the highest level. What's more, we have a finishing room where you can make chocolate and candies and add the final touches to your creations. Our certified executive pastry chefs teach classes that include Intro to Pastry Arts, Professional Bread Baking, Wedding Cakes, and more.

You are now on the 21st point on the Welcome trail coming from Pastry Kitchens on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 23rd point on the Welcome trail coming from Pastry Kitchens on your way to City Hall.

Culinary Kitchens

Tour stop audio transcript

Step inside our culinary kitchens and find yourself in the ultimate training ground for aspiring chefs. All restaurant operations, including lunch and dinner service, take place in these kitchens with certified executive chef instructors in charge. An action-packed day of classes can include Intro to Culinary Arts, Beef and Veal, and World Dining Production, among many other course offerings. This is where you'll make that mouth-watering dish that our restaurant guests will get to enjoy!

You are now on the 27th point on the Welcome trail coming from Culinary Kitchens on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 29th point on the Welcome trail coming from Culinary Kitchens on your way to City Hall.

Library & Resource Center

Tour stop audio transcript

The Library, located on the third floor of Allison Mansion, supports the academic curriculum in each of our majors. It provides students, faculty, and staff with access to the print and electronic resources necessary to expand their knowledge and enhance their skills. With a growing collection of educational materials, the Library has thousands of items related to cooking, hospitality, and business, to name a few subjects. Get cozy in a comfortable chair with a how-to guide on artisan cheese making, or do some research on five-star hotels in one of three computer labs. Either way, the Library's got your studying needs covered.

Student Leader Hall of Fame

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If you're a star student, then you might just earn a spot in our Hall of Fame! We have an exclusive Student Leadership Development Institute for associate graduates who continue their education in one of our bachelor programs. The most diligent and dedicated students are invited to join after a competitive selection process. As members of the Institute, our student leaders engage in many campus and city-wide initiatives to provide community service while increasing their professional development. And just for fun, we have a themed photo shoot once a year to showcase each student leader in our Hall of Fame. We hope to see you up here one day!

You are now on the 35th point on the Welcome trail coming from Student Leader Hall of Fame on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 37th point on the Welcome trail coming from Student Leader Hall of Fame on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 39th point on the Welcome trail coming from Student Leader Hall of Fame on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 41st point on the Welcome trail coming from Student Leader Hall of Fame on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 43rd point on the Welcome trail coming from Student Leader Hall of Fame on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 45th point on the Welcome trail coming from Student Leader Hall of Fame on your way to City Hall.

You are now on the 47th point on the Welcome trail coming from Student Leader Hall of Fame on your way to City Hall.

Center for Hospitality Studies

Tour stop audio transcript

The Center for Hospitality Studies, also known as 4100, is our second academic building on campus. Here, we teach general education classes like Math and Psychology in addition to major-specific classes like Nutrition and Event Planning. All lecture classes and their instructors can be found at 4100. You can also visit the Career Success Office for help finding internships and jobs, the Student Success Office for academic advising, and the College Store--but that's not all. With a flair for the dramatic, we've added our WHC style to EVERY space in an effort to inspire our students. Just take a peek at the 3D car scene in one of our restrooms!

Classroom

Tour stop audio transcript

This is one of just a handful of lecture classrooms at 4100. At a boutique college like ours, you won't find massive lecture halls that seat hundreds of students. Instead, we keep our class sizes small so that you can have closer relationships with your classmates and instructors. We believe this fosters deeper engagement in a more collaborative learning environment. For example, our Current Issues in Society class encourages students to debate controversial topics and even invites staff members to act as judges, opening the doors to critical thinking and discourse to the larger campus community.

College Store

Tour stop audio transcript

Shop in the College Store and show your school spirit in Walnut Hill College T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other apparel. You can browse through a variety of items from our WHC brand and even purchase cooking equipment. Need to stock up on classroom essentials? No problem! The College Store also sells school supplies like notebooks and pens and snacks for a quick pick-me-up during class.

Office of Student Life

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The Office of Student Life is in Perrier Hall and coordinates all of the fun activities that take place each day. With over 30 clubs and recreational organizations, you'll always enjoy an active campus environment outside of our kitchens and classrooms. We encourage you to join as many groups as you'd like, so that you can explore famous restaurants, hotels, pastry shops, and wineries. For instance, the Foodie Club might dine at a Michelin Star restaurant in New York City, while the Hospitality Engagement Club might tour a luxury hotel. Beyond food and hospitality, we offer clubs that focus on games, sports, movies, and many other topics of interest.

Dorm Room

Tour stop audio transcript

Now we're inside a dorm room at Perrier Hall, one of several residence halls. Housing is available to all students from freshman to senior year on a first come, first serve basis. Dorm rooms range from doubles to quads, with singles available upon request, and every room is equipped with a TV, DVD player, and cable television. Each residence hall also provides free laundry and Wi-Fi. Incoming freshmen can live in Perrier Hall, Bachler Hall, College House, or 100 South, all of which are conveniently located steps from our main campus. Meanwhile, upperclassmen can choose from Hunter Hall, which has modern, apartment-style rooms, and McManus Hall, which features spectacular suites.

Hamilton Village

Tour stop audio transcript

Hamilton Village is one of the amazing public green spaces in our University City neighborhood. Here, you can relax on a bench and enjoy the scenery or gather a group of friends for a game of flag football! The park borders the University of Pennsylvania on the lively section of 40th Street between Walnut and Locust Street, where it is surrounded by dozens of restaurants and shops. Popular choices include Sweet Green, Bobby's Burger Palace, Hip City Veg, and Ben & Jerry's. No matter your taste, there are lots of different dining options for you to choose from.

Clark Park

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Clark Park was established in 1895 and is situated on nine acres of land in University City. You'll find it along popular Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 45th Street, amidst eclectic eateries and locally-owned businesses such as Clarkville, Milk & Honey, and Green Line Café. The park hosts weekend farmers' markets, movies under the stars, and a music and arts festival, and it's also just a great place to unwind during your downtime.

City Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

Built in 1901, City Hall is one of the most important historical buildings in Philadelphia. Just ten minutes away by subway, it is located at the heart of Center City on 15th Street between Broad and Market Street. Tours of City Hall are open to the public and highlight the building's art and architecture, including its remarkable clock tower. You can even go over 500 feet above ground to the observation deck and take in sweeping views of the city. In particular, the Center City neighborhood is vibrant and full of restaurants owned and operated by our alumni, some of whom have even been on Food Network and Top Chef!

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