Plazas, Promenades, and Amphitheaters

The plaza features a cascading fountain, firepit, and seating area. The garden beds flanking the fountain host a variety of perennials and annual flowers that bloom with a red, white, and blue theme. True blue is a rare color in nature, but we approximate it with the bluish purples of Allium 'Millenium' and Flip Side® Vitex. Prostrate Deodar cedars add a frosty blue-green hue to the mix. Representing red, there are echinacea, drift roses, and autumn sage. White-blooming gayfeathers, hydrangeas, and garden phlox complete the colorscape.

Dedicated in September 2020, The Elizabeth Miller Strickland Scholarship Plaza celebrates, recognizes and inspires existing and future endowment donors, while also providing a location for students to reflect on the impact of philanthropy in their own lives and academic pursuits. Converted from a former parking lot, this space includes a reflecting pool, manicured landscaping, and seating areas. Together, this creates an oasis for students, faculty, and staff to relax, study, and catch up in conversations with friends.

The Mahler Family Promenade ties together the buildings that make up the Innovation Corridor, including Congdon, Wanek, and Wilson Halls and the Caine Conservatory. It includes the Topiary Fusion Garden and the newly renovated Scarborough Butterfly Garden, which are part of the network of gardens that make up the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. While there, walk through an allée of Persian ironwood trees, smell the drifts of lavender, and rest at a café table near the koi pond.

The Gene and Jane Kester International Promenade is lined with mature willow oaks and dozens of international flags, which represent the nationalities that make up HPU’s student body. The promenade also features wifi, classical music that plays throughout the day, and 20 sculptures of famous historical figures seated on the many promenade benches. The Henley and Finch fountains prominently anchor the both ends of the promenade. The Bonnie Smith Prayer Garden, Henson Reflection Garden, and E. Roy Epperson Gardens can also be found here.