MIT Chapel

The MIT Chapel is a non-denominational space located next to Kresge Auditorium and the Kresge Oval with the ability to accommodate up to 140 people. With access managed by the Campus Activities Complex (CAC), requests to use the Chapel by members of the MIT community and general public are all reviewed by CAC on a case-by-case basis with special care to preserve the solemnity of the Chapel.

General Access

The MIT Chapel is open via card access to all members of the MIT community for quiet observances outside of regularly scheduled events. Groups approved by the Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life (ORSEL) may use the Chapel for services. In addition, sororities and fraternities may use the Chapel to hold initiation ceremonies. Experienced organists from the MIT community may use the Chapel organ with approval from CAC.

The space is unlocked and open to members of the general public for visiting hours,

Monday – Friday, 10:00AM to 11:00AM and 1:30PM to 2:30PM.

If you arrive during a service, the Chapel is not available for viewing and we ask that you return on another day.

Booking a Special Event

Members of the MIT community may book the Chapel for personal events such as weddings, baptisms, bar/bat mitzvahs, and memorial services.

Contact the CAC to inquire about availability.

Chaplain Services

Would you like an MIT Chaplain to officiate your special event? Contact one of our Chaplains directly or contact ORSEL Program Coordinator Christina English (617-253-7707) who can connect you with the best chaplain to answer your questions. It is not required to use an MIT chaplain, and availability is not guaranteed. For weddings, you may use the officiant of your choice, including a Justice of the Peace (search the MA Justices of the Peace directory) or someone with a 1-day license to perform a wedding ceremony in Massachusetts.

About the Chapel Design

Designed by famed architect Eero Saarinen and dedicated in May 1955 alongside Saarinen’s Kresge Auditorium, MIT Chapel’s unique appearance immediately stood out among the more classical architecture style seen on campus. After some criticism, Saarinen explained that the Chapel’s windowless cylinder “implied the self-contained, inward-feeling which was desirable” for a place of worship. He noted that its undulating interior walls promoted good acoustics as well as an “enclosed feeling.”

A stained glass entryway leads to the Chapel, the centerpiece of which is a solid marble altar placed in the center of a circular marble platform. A metal sculpture by Harry Bertoia reflects light from the Chapel’s only window, a beautiful domed skylight. The Chapel also features a 1300-pound bell cast at MIT in the Metals Processing Laboratory and a 768-pipe organ designed by Walter Holtkamp.

If you are interested in learning more about the art and architecture on MIT’s campus, please visit the List Center’s digital guide available on Bloomberg Connects to access self-guided tours and highlights based on your location.