Support Us Button Widget

How to visit Furman University

Lake in foreground with white bell tower, mountains, and sky in the background

Furman (Swan) Lake with the iconic Bell Tower in the background | Photo by GVLtoday Team

Table of Contents

FU all day long.

About three weeks ago, Furman University (see what we did there 😏) reopened its campus to the public after being closed for over a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We realized some of you folks who are new to town may have never been, so here are few things to know before you go:

Garden with gravel path and flowers

Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities/Furman Farm | Photo by GVLtoday Team

Furman is roughly a 15-minute drive from downtown Greenville. The best (and prettiest) way to enter campus (in our opinion) is from Poinsett Highway through the front gate. From there, you can drive around to see the Joseph A. Vaughn Plaza, Daniel Chapel, and more or head straight back towards Furman (Swan) Lake.

If walking or cycling, you can also get on campus from the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail. #ProTip: Furman makes a great place for a picnic, water break, or pit stop (there’s a restroom super close to the trail) between Greenville + Travelers Rest.

On the ~2 paved miles (distance varies based on how many detours you take) around the 26-acre, man-made lake you can spot ducks, fish, turtles, frogs, and geese (but you can’t feed them).

Gazebo with decorative iron cover surrounded by colorful roses and boxwood hedges

Janie E. Furman Rose Garden | Photo by @vanzeppelinaerial

In addition to great walking, cycling, and picnic areas, there are a few other things to see on your visit:

Poll

More from GVLtoday
These 10 spots are serving up your favorite Thanksgiving dishes so you don’t have to turn the oven on.
Sponsored
A long-awaited dam stabilization has unlocked plans for a mill-village-inspired redevelopment that would bring housing, commercial space, and new connectivity to Conestee Mill.
The proposed concept would bring a new kind of social space to the Mills Avenue corridor, combining recreation with community. If approved, Bogey’s Golfgarten could become Greenville’s next go-to spot to sip, swing, and stay a while.
In what she calls her “favorite day of the year, every year,” award-winning Chef Dayna Lee organizes a community meal at Comal 864 for people looking for food and fellowship on Thanksgiving Day.
It’s cold out there, so grab yourself a cup of comfort and enjoy some soup in Gereenville.
Over the next 10 days, we’re launching a reader-driven campaign to sustain what we do best.
Unity Park’s Honor Tower will pay tribute to local military and first responders, and architect Paul Endres says he hopes the design “unifies the city and helps bring people together.”
There are major investments happening in the live music scene across our city, with many ongoing projects hitting big milestones.
Bookmark this guide for a curated list of events taking place each month that we’re most looking forward to.