Turn off South Texas Avenue in College Station, west onto the tree-lined New Main Drive. To the left is the campus golf course, and to the right the polo field and the Bonfire Memorial. From 1907 to 1998, the Aggies would light a tremendous bonfire prior to its annual football game with its rival, the University of Texas. But in 1999, the bonfire stack collapsed while under construction. Twelve students were killed and twenty-seven were injured. The memorial to the deceased students was dedicated in 2004. At the end of the drive is the Administration Building. Because of the imposing row of columns across the front, it's a popular place for Aggies to pose for their wedding photos. The Art Deco entrance hall inside is also impressive. Walk around the Administration Building and head west. Cross Spence Street, pass the Agriculture Building and go to the L-shaped Evans Library. The western end of the library was built in the 1920s and houses special collections.
Head west to the copper-domed Academic Building. Here on the first Tuesday of every month, at 10:15pm, in front of the statue of former Governor and A&M President Sul Ross, Aggies gather for the "Silver Taps" ceremony, wherein any Aggie students who died the previous month are honored. At the corner of Ross and North Houston Streets is the 100,000 square-foot Sbisa Dining Hall, the second-largest building of its size in the world. Beyond this is Northgate, a section of shops, restaurants and bars popular with students.
Go south and you'll see Rudder Tower and the Rudder Theatre Complex. Next door to that is the Memorial Student Center, which contains several lounges, game rooms, a food court, book store, art galleries and hotel rooms. Make sure you don't walk on the grass around the building or wear a hat inside, as that is considered an act of dishonor towards the Aggie war dead to whom the building is dedicated.
Exit on the Joe Routt Boulevard side of the Student Center and go east, then turn south down either Coke or Throckmorton Streets to the Sam Houston Sanders' Corps of Cadets Center, a museum dedicated to the history of the A&M Corps. It's open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and on special weekends.
Retrace your tracks and go back to Joe Routt and head west to Kyle Field, where the Aggie football team plays. Aggies stand during their football games to show their willingness to play with the team in case too many of the members get injured.
Proceed west down Joe Routt, across Wellborn and the railroad tracks over to West Campus. Routt then turns into John Kimbrough Boulevard. Pass the Student Recreation Center and Reed Arena on the south. Kimbrough curves to the south and leads to the parking lot of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, the official address of which is 1000 George Bush Drive West. Dedicated to the life and career of the nation's 41st President, the Library is open Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 5pm and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm. Admission is charged.
