The Sweet Briar Campus is often cited as one of the nation’s most beautiful, with its 2840 acres, 18 miles of trails, two lakes, old hardwood forests, lush greens and dells, mountain vistas, and 22 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Generations of Sweet Briar women have relished this environment for the motivation, awe, and inner peace it brings.
Campus Aerial During Fall
Hands-On Laboratory
We don’t just enjoy the beauty of the campus; we use it. We harvest grapes, tend bees, and grow our own vegetables. We engineer hydroponic systems, track water quality and develop market strategies for our honey. We photograph and draw the landscape, flora and fauna. By tying our classrooms and academic research to the land, we shape the future of conservation and sustainable agriculture.
Prof. Lisa Powell in the campus greenhouse.
Walk to class under the crisp fall air
Riding in the fall.
Bee tending at Sweet Briar
Sweet Briar lake.
Expert instruction in photography.
Equestrian Life
You can ride here. We’ve been doing it well for 100 years. In a region known for equestrian talent, we excel. In 2021, our Vixens won a national championship. We have a130-acre on-campus riding center and one of the nation’s largest indoor college arenas.But most of our riders are intermediates and beginners. Like everything at Sweet Briar, you are so welcome to join.
Creative Community
Students rehearse for the Fall 2022 Dance Concert.
With three galleries, a performing arts center, and a museum, Sweet Briar offers students many ways to connect with their creativity.
Plus, we neighbor the renowned artist residency program at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Fellows from VCCA share their work with us as visiting writers, artists and composers in our classrooms, at our monthly Salon Series, and on Open Studio days.
Also nearby is Amherst’s community arts center at Second Stage. A little further from our campus is the Harlem Renaissance poet, Anne Spencer’s home and garden in Lynchburg, as well as the third president, Thomas Jefferson’s retreat at Poplar Forest, and his home, Monticello, located in nearby Charlottesville.
Sure, it’s beautiful but where’s the closest…?
3 minutes from Amherst, with 15 restaurants, 2 breweries, grocery and drug stores, antiques, coffee shop and motel.
20 minutes from Lynchburg, with downtown dining and bars on the James River and the Academy Center for Arts, where you can see a show.
50 minutes from Charlottesville, with the University of Virginia, clubs, restaurants, arts venues, great shopping, and Monticello.
Take a pause in your week for a brief service of prayer, reflection, community-building, and listening. Held every Thursday at 12:30 pm in the Mills Chapel sanctuary. Open to all. Questions? Please contact Chaplain Lindsey Moser at lmoser@sbc.edu.
Take a pause in your week for a brief service of prayer, reflection, community-building, and listening. Held every Thursday at 12:30 pm in the Mills Chapel sanctuary. Open to all. Questions? Please contact Chaplain Lindsey Moser at lmoser@sbc.edu.
Sweet Briar College will host an Arts and Writing Retreat June 22-25, 2023. This event will feature 3-day masterclass workshops in photography, mixed media, dance, audio, or writing. A combination of Sweet Briar arts faculty and visiting professional artists will instruct the classes.*
Select one of the following workshops:
The Land as Art
Smartphone Photography
So the Story Begins: Using Prompts to Find Your Way Forward
Writing Your Life Story
Yoga and Modern Dance
Telling Stories with Sound
Each workshop will be a 3-day hands-on learning experience held on the beautiful campus of Sweet Briar College. Lodging and meals will be provided. In addition to the workshops, evening performances and other activities on and off campus will provide an inclusive experience beyond the attendee’s selected workshop.
