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Housing & Residential Life

Cascadilla Hall

Exterior of Cascadilla Hall.

Located in the heart of Collegetown, just steps from the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, restaurants, cafés, shops, and gathering spaces, Cascadilla Hall offers convenient access to the intellectual, cultural, and culinary opportunities that surround campus. Residents enjoy South Campus's unique blend of independence and community, with opportunities to engage through programs, shared spaces, and traditions while shaping a Cornell experience that strengthens the connections and interests that matter most to them.  

Cascadilla Hall is one of Cornell's most historic residential communities, offering students the opportunity to live in a building that predates the university itself. This community is particularly well suited for students who value a calm, self-directed residential experience that supports focus, personal recharge, and meaningful connections rather than constant activity and exploration. 

More About Cascadilla Hall

Built in 1864, the building was ultimately transformed by Ezra Cornell into student housing to affirm the historical commitment to a residential campus. Welcoming students and faculty when Cornell University opened in fall 1868, Cascadilla Hall became the university's first residence hall when ownership officially transferred to Cornell in June 1869.

Today, Cascadilla Hall blends its historic legacy with the distinctive character of Cornell's South Campus community. South Campus is home to students who have found their place at Cornell and are seeking a more independent and quieter living environment where they can deepen existing friendships, pursue their academic and personal interests, and enjoy a stronger sense of balance. 

Community features:

  • Open to transfer and upperlevel students
  • 366 residents
  • Located in Collegetown
  • Single and double rooms arranged along a corridor; floors are mixed gender
  • Lounges, study areas, a kitchen, a piano room, and laundry facilities
  • Houses the Service Center for all Collegetown area residence halls
  • Bedrooms contain, for each occupant: an extra-long twin bed, a closet and a bureau (or wardrobe/bureau combination), a desk and desk chair, a wastebasket, and floor carpeting
  • Wireless Internet access 

Cascadilla Hall rooms do not have air conditioning. 

Housing Population Type

Affiliated Faculty

South Campus Residence Halls have a number of Faculty and Community Fellows that provide students with opportunities to explore and cultivate their academic, intellectual, and cultural interests. You will find them attending events in your building, eating with students, and leading on and off campus trips to lectures, plays, films, concerts, and regional points of interest. 

Helpful Information and Important Links

Below are resources and guidelines to support your residential experience at Cornell University. Please review the tabs below and bookmark these pages to apply for housing, browse through meal plan options, find mail and package information, and explore the Cascadilla Hall community on CampusGroups. 

Cascadilla Hall Contact Information 

Cascadilla Hall, 115 Cascadilla Place, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA

Questions? Email cascadillahall@cornell.edu

Mail and Packages

Please be sure mail and packages are addressed to you at:

Your mailing address:
Your Name, NETID
Room Number, Building
115 Cascadilla Place 
Ithaca, NY 14853

Visit the Service Center website for student mail and package information.

Dining Options

  • Sign up for one of Cornell Dining's three traditional Meal Plan Options if you plan to eat all or most meals on campus (includes Cornell Dining's dining rooms, West Campus Dining Rooms, and retail dining facilities)
  • Use City Bucks for cashless food purchases if you plan to eat some or all meals at off-campus establishments (you may use City Bucks in addition to, or instead of, a meal plan or debit plan)

Learn about Cornell Dining's meal plans.

Questions?

Contact us.