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INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Bloomington
IU bucket list

Experience the best of being a Hoosier

There’s no single way to do IU Bloomington right—but there are a few classic moments, traditions, and experiences every Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ should try at least once. Use this bucket list to explore campus, make memories, and build your own version of the Hoosier experience.

Student interacts with a Herman B. Wells campus statue along a tree‑lined walkway during a campus tradition.

Your IU bucket list

Traditions

  • Attend Little 500 men’s and women’s races
  • Cheer on the Hoosiers at a free athletic event
  • Have lunch in Ostrom Commons
  • Learn the fight song at Traditions and Spirit of IU
  • Look at the stars from the Kirkwood Observatory
  • Make and keep the Indiana Promise
  • Shake the hand of the Herman B Wells statue
  • Show your IU pride at the Old Oaken Bucket Game
  • Wear IU gear to celebrate homecoming 

Get involved

  • Chalk for an event or Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ organization
  • Join a Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ organization on beINvolved
  • Register to vote
  • Volunteer in the Bloomington community

Explore Bloomington

  • Experience a summer event in Bloomington
  • Explore a local farmers market
  • Find your favorite ice cream shop
  • Go on an outdoor adventure in or near Bloomington
  • Walk under the holiday lights on the square in downtown Bloomington

Experience the arts

  • Attend a live concert in Bloomington
  • Catch a movie at the IU Cinema
  • Dance to international music at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival
  • Experience an opera at the Musical Arts Center
  • Experience the arts at First Thursdays
  • Support the local arts at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater
  • Visit the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
  • Watch the film Breaking Away and look for places you recognize on campus

Learn beyond the classroom

  • Ask a librarian at Wells Library for help with a research project
  • Attend a cultural center event
  • Connect with a professor during office hours
  • Experience the special collections at the Lilly Library
  • Explore the cultures of IU, starting with Welcome Week
  • Explore the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center & Kumbum Chamtse Ling Monastery
  • Have a meaningful conversation with someone from a different culture
  • Hear a lecture or see a show at the IU Auditorium
  • Take an interesting elective just for fun
  • Taste new cuisine at an international restaurant

Make memories

  • Go bowling or see a movie at IU Late Nite in the IMU
  • Go on a late-night tour of campus with friends
  • Lie on the ground and watch the lights change color on the side of the IU Eskenazi Museum of Art
  • Order cookies during a late-night conversation with friends
  • Play a game in Dunn Meadow
  • Relax near the fireplace in the IMU
  • Score some free breadsticks
  • Share a moment with someone special in the Rose Well House at midnight
  • Snap a photo in front of the Sample Gates
  • Study in the Cox Arboretum
  • Take part in a Rec Sports activity
  • Take a photo with the brain by the Psychology building
  • Take a picture of an IU squirrel
  • Graduate from IU with pride
IU Bloomington

Office of Orientation & Enrollment Programs

1514 E. Third Street Bloomington, IN 47401
  • orientation@iu.edu
  • 812-855-4357