Old Gymnasium

Yale’s Old Gymnasium, built between 1890 and 1892, was the university’s second major athletic facility and originally stood on the site now occupied by Trumbull College’s dining hall. The massive Victorian structure on Elm Street served as the hub of Yale athletics for nearly four decades before being replaced following the opening of today’s principal Yale gym, Payne-Whitney Gymnasium. The Old Gymnasium was thoroughly equipped, housing everything from running tracks and exercise rooms to elaborate trophy displays celebrating Yale’s athletic prominence at the turn of the century. The building was also the venue for student gatherings, including early pep rallies and class meetings. By the early 1930s, however, it was demolished to make way for Trumbull College as part of the University’s new residential college system.