If you've studied or worked at UAlbany, then you know the tunnels. (Can you really say you have been here if you don't?) Most have used the tunnels as a shelter or shortcut, but over the decades they have also harbored "tunnel rats," hosted world-class performance art, served as a hotspot of illicit skateboarding, a home for a horde of electric carts and so much more.
UAlbany Magazine plunged deep into this fixture of campus life to dig up some fun facts and we asked our alumni to share their fond memories.
The University's facilities department really wants you to understand this: Yes, the tunnels are a convenient solution to the bone-chilling winds that knife through you on a wintry day and a handy way to avoid a spring downpour, but pedestrian comfort wasn't the consideration when they were constructed.
The tunnels' primary purpose is utility distribution: large-diameter pipes that snake along the walls carrying hot and chilled water; rivers of power and data lines hanging overhead and buried in the concrete; and dimly lit passageways serving a fleet of Cushman carts delivering materials to the buildings. However, Randy Olocki, the University's director of facilities planning, design and construction, understands the strong pull of convenience the tunnels provide for pedestrian traffic, but he emphasizes that they're really only meant to serve "as a secondary means of egress from the [Lecture Centers] for emergency purposes only."
So now that you know the tunnels are not primarily meant for pedestrians, you'll stop using them, right?
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"I remember, back in the day, that the tunnels were technically off-limits to students and you needed to know which doors were locked or unlocked at any given time to be able to use them ... Many a day they saved me from frozen fingers and toes." - David Reich '85, MS '86
"I could spend entire days without ever once going outside. There's a reason I live in California now." - Stephanie Greene '97
"As a student that came from south Texas, tunnels were a year-round necessity for me!!!" - Laura (Gremillion) Oliver '07
"The mole was in effect November to March. I wouldn't hit above ground until podium day." - Marlon Bynum '91, CGS '92, MRP '93
Most Great Danes are familiar with the "main" tunnels located directly beneath the academic podium. There, the passageway runs in a rectangle that sits at ground level on the south side of the podium (near the Campus Center) and then drops to 14 feet below grade on the north side. That rectangle is also bisected by a stretch of tunnel that plunges, in Dante-esque fashion, to 30 feet below grade into the "sub-basement." But these aren't the only tunnels on campus.
Perhaps you've heard rumors of "secret tunnels" connecting the residential Quads to the podium tunnel?
It's true, they exist, but there's hardly anything "secret" about them. They're simply utility tunnels that are smaller, darker and meant to provide maintenance access to the labyrinth of pipes and wires needed to keep the residence halls running. Contrary to what you might see on Reddit, they're restricted for safety reasons.
Finally, there are two other "tunnels" you've likely never heard of: a stretch that extends from the main podium, underneath the Dutch Quad parking lot and into the University's power plant, and a 3-foot-tall passageway that encases high-temperature water pipes that run between the podium and the PE building. If you're thinking of indulging your inner-explorer, don't bother; no average-sized human can fit. All told, there are some 2.2 miles of tunnels running through campus. Perfect for the "rats."
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There was a time when the rats would race through the tunnels. You could hear the scampering of their feet and sounds of their heavy breathing as they moved in intimidating packs. Fortunately for the campus, they weren't rodents; they were runners.
According to a 1985 Albany Student Press (ASP) article, the "Tunnel Rats" were members of the 1969-70 indoor track team who trained in the tunnels because it was the best indoor option available. The team was given permission to train there by the University administration. "So, we moved in lock, stock and barrel," recalled Track Coach Robert R. Munsey at the time. The team relished the "Tunnel Rats" name and for at least 16 years in a row, they created a custom T-shirt adorned with the nickname and featuring the head of a rat.
But they weren't the only team to undertake subterranean training in 1969; that same year, the men's lacrosse team also ran there. Seventeen years later, in December 1986, the women's indoor track team, reports the ASP, were forced to return to the tunnels for training during a "record-breaking indoor season" after the athletic bubble unexpectedly deflated (the first time.)
"Running in the tunnels for winter rugby conditioning in the '90s." - Robin (Brenner) Lepani '95
"Running repeat 200s down there as a member of the track team." - Sherez Mohamed '13
"One of my friends and I used to run in the tunnels during the cold months back in the late '70s/early '80s after working out in the universal weight room." - Dave Dahl '82
First, if zombies attack, you probably want the high ground – but that's a different topic.
It's not unreasonable to assume that the tunnels could be a place of refuge in an emergency, but that assumption would be wrong. In reviewing the University's Emergency Management Plan, the tunnels are not listed as an official shelter-in-place location. To be fair, it also doesn't mention zombies. Similarly, the tunnels are not listed in any of the University's published evacuation plans or in the "Snow and Ice Response Guide."
So, while the tunnels are not officially a place of protection, it is interesting to note that at each of the residential towers, just off the tunnels, are fallout shelters. They were originally intended for use during a nuclear attack but have long since been converted into storage space.
"As an RA back in 1976-1977, I had to patrol the tunnels under Colonial and check that the doors were locked when I was "on-duty." Other RAs would hide in the tunnels to scare the ones on-duty. LOL!" - Peter Cunningham '77
"The tunnels affected me greatly. I graduated 30 years ago and to this day I have a recurring dream about running through the tunnels, late for an exam, and not being able to find my way out." - Michael Snyder '93
"I cannot even guess how many times I pushed an AV cart through the tunnels from the Campus Center over to one of the LCs on a Friday or Saturday night to show a movie..." - Gabriell Gerhard '89
If you're an alum of a certain vintage, say between the 1960s to the early '00s, you will most likely remember when the tunnels conveyed you to a host of on-campus amenities, long since vanished: A barber shop run for 35 years by Daniel Gatto, remembered in a University news story as an "intelligent and kind man," who would set you right with a haircut for between $3-$5; the din of Campus Lanes, a 12-lane bowling alley (located where the present-day Financial Aid offices sit) that hosted teams with colorful names such as The Potter Club, The Shafts, The Irish All-Stars, and The Bad News Five; the long, hot and sweaty lines formed to purchase books in the tunnels adjacent to the bookstore's location; the legendary and rowdy Rathskeller serving up beers and bands on a regular basis.
Former campus center director, Scott Birge, says the bowling alley experienced a "slow death" after the University dropped the physical education requirement and the Rathskeller ceased operating when the state raised the legal drinking age. The bookstore expanded its footprint and no longer needed the tunnels to accommodate throngs of students.
"I remember lining up to buy freshman books in one of the tunnels!" - Peter Vincent '75, MS '78
"I used to get my hair cut down there!" - T.J. Davis '93
"I remember the barbershop ... I used the tunnel all the time." - Kim Mayhan '84
"The bowling alley was under the Campus Center, next to the Rathskeller (Rat), I think. I have one credit for bowling on my transcript (one for racquetball too.)" - Michael Olin '85, MS '86
If you were on campus on March 27, 1968 — specifically in the Campus Center cafeteria — then you might have seen and heard world-renowned artist Allan Kaprow give a talk followed by a legendary "happening." Happenings were a form of performance art popularized by Kaprow in the '50s and '60s and they involved the viewer as an active participant in the spontaneous creation of the art. Happenings took place all over the world: Tokyo, Liverpool, Antwerp, Venice and Albany. As described in the flyer below, Kaprow's happening at UAlbany involved two groups of people rolling balls towards each other in the tunnels, where the balls simultaneously pick up and shed whatever detritus they encounter along their paths. It was the '60s.
"I got lost in the tunnel several times but once you figure it out - and don't get too curious - it's amazing. On a side note, there were some offices down there and that just felt wrong. It was really weird." - Kisha Santiago, '02, MRP '11
"I got locked in the tunnels after a late final in December 2000. Eventually I found an unlocked door and found my way out through the library. It was a little scary, but at least I was warm!" - Emily Jane Sutherland '02
"Those tunnels were amazing when I discovered them. Fun to skate in too." - Nate Washburn '14
"I worked at Barnes and Noble on campus and I remember driving the little delivery car through the tunnels. The dips were especially fun." - Penny Sue [last name and year withheld.]
"I once almost got run over by a Cushman! But still love the tunnels!" - Jeaninne Chorba-Mackson '91
If you follow the University's social media (and you should), then you know Tunnel Appreciation Day is very real, albeit unofficial.
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While any winter's day in Albany could vie for the recognition, perhaps an argument can be made that, given the tunnels' rich history and Swiss Army knife-like versatility, every day should be Tunnel Appreciation Day.
To be sure, the tunnels aren't fancy: They don't have the signature aesthetics of the soaring carillon or the splashy fountains on campus; they don't catch the light of the setting sun like the grand arches of the podium; they lack the lush expanse for leisure that Collins Circle offers, nor will they ever grace the University's marketing material or be featured on a campus tour.
The tunnels simply are what they are: gritty, unglamorous, but necessary, even wanted. Perhaps that's why they resonate so deeply with those who have sought their solace as a respite from the weather, a maze in which to lose oneself in thought. Maybe the tunnels are simply one of those things in life that, indescribably, you hate to love, but you love it anyway — like black licorice or Barry Manilow.
Long live the tunnels.
"Does anyone remember the gigantic and creepy Phantom of the Opera mask that was parked in the tunnels by the Performing Arts building? Scared me to death as a freshman walking alone. LOL! - Sarah (Rich) Dougherty '03
UAlbany Magazine welcomes your comments and we encourage a respectful and on-topic dialogue. Comments that violate our guidelines will be removed.
Wonderful piece, thank you!
Great article, I graduated in '68 so really never got to enjoy the convenience of the tunnels. Did use them some but the academic podium was not completed and some of the Bio labs were just opened.
What a great article. I can't even count the number of hours I spent down there, mostly on production nights at the ASP. I seem to remember there was some sort of print shop down one of the corridors, but I probably couldn't find it again on a bet.
Reading this great article, I can still smell the garbage odor which one had to pass through while negotiating the tunnels.
This was a super cool article bringing back memories . I always got lost but eventually would find my way out !! The 20 minutes of warmth was worth it !!
The best tunnel discovery ever was finding a stash of brand new mattresses in the tunnels under State Quad at the start of the Fall 1983 semester. We were trying to figure out how to sneak them upstairs when we ran into one of the maintenance staff. We casually asked about the new new mattresses and he asked what suite we were in and then delivered 4 new mattresses to us!
love this article. THANKS for using my quote.
As an RA on State Quad 1971-72, we used the tunnels in the quad regularly to lock up dorms when “on duty”. We also got the pick of unused furniture stored down there to supplement and personalize our rooms. I remember the Podium tunnels especially during fall and spring book rush. I took a broadcasting course and recall the recording studios being down there too.
Fall 1967, I was a freshman living in incomplete (as in no real front doors, not yet delivered furniture, no shower curtains, and most important, no food service) new, uptown campus dorms (as opposed to the old campus dorms). We had to face the elements for our meals which were served in the campus center. It was a much colder and snowier fall and early winter than I had ever experienced, and I don't remember exactly how I gained access, but I regularly used the tunnels to get to meals, the library and classes. The wind was brutal above ground, made worse by Durrell's wind tunnel architecture, rumored to be meant for tropical Brasilia. The tunnels were a lifesaver since back then, being from downstate, I didn't have my artic winter wardrobe!
Great entry and good read - as I had been wondering if they were still accessible to the student body. I loved leveraging them to get around quickly - and warmly and dry - on those less than "nice" weather days.
I graduated in 98. I was always told that the tunnels were not safe places to be due to crime. Not sure how much of that was really true or just rumours.
I got there in ‘82 and remembered all of these facts. The tunnels were great. Especially during snowstorms and the wind they came with. SUNYA never closed because of weather. We had the green buses Knick named the Green Monsters. They got through all snow. I went to barbershop to trim my beard and edgeups. The “Rat” had the best happy hour prices!!! Thanks for the walk through the tunnels memory lane!
Was an original Tunnel Rat running for coach Munsey. I used to run quarter miles with fellow runner Joe Riley. Great workouts out of the incredible below zero temps outside. White leather Adidas with 3 green stripes.