Facilities Management, Northwestern University

Weekdays

7 a.m.–6 p.m. – Main entrance open. Electronically controlled doors accessible via Wildcard. 

Weeknights

6 p.m.–11 p.m. – Electronically controlled doors accessible via Wildcard.

Weekends and University Holidays

7 a.m.-11 p.m. – Electronically controlled doors accessible via Wildcard.

Every Night

11 p.m.–7 a.m. – Entry limited to authorized people only.

Main Building Entrance

The main building entrance will be open and unlocked from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, subject to limited exceptions with alternate access protocols. Access is available to everyone, including students, faculty, staff and visitors. The main building entrance is generally street-facing and/or the most heavily utilized exterior door. Most main building entrances are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible. See below for locations where an additional entrance will remain open and unlocked from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. to provide ADA access. Doors should never be propped open. Regardless of the time of day, both main and perimeter doors may be used for building egress.

Perimeter Doors

Northwestern community members can enter buildings through electronically controlled perimeter doors by using their Wildcards until 11 p.m., at which point access is limited to authorized people only. Regardless of the time of day, community members should remain vigilant when entering buildings through secured doors. Doors should never be propped open. Both main and perimeter doors may be used for building egress at all times.

Interior Doors

The standard building hours apply to the main building entrance and perimeter doors of a campus building. Interior doors, such as doorways to wings or suites in a building, may have different hours or authorization. Please contact your program director or supervisor if you need authorization to these interior locations.

Building-Specific Authorization

After 11 p.m., only authorized people will be allowed access to buildings via electronically controlled main building entrances and perimeter doors. Wildcards previously programmed with building-specific authorization will retain their access. Please contact your program director or supervisor if you need authorization to access a specific building after hours.

Get 'N'

Your Wildcard is your key to campus. By carrying your Wildcard at all times, you help foster a secure environment and ensure a seamless experience with access to University buildings. Thank you for keeping our campus community secure.

Public-facing administrative and academic buildings have options for ADA accessible entrances with exterior push buttons. These exterior doors allow access with a valid Wildcard if needed.

If the main building entrance is not ADA accessible, an additional ADA accessible perimeter door will remain open and unlocked during these standard building hours from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The push plates continue to open these specific accessible exterior doors for ADA access.

On weeknights, weekends, University holidays and after hours (if authorized for building-specific access), when all exterior doors are secured, Wildcard holders should unlock the ADA-accessible door with their Wildcard, then press the exterior push plate to open the door for ADA access. In the unlikely event that a push plate malfunctions, please contact Facilities Customer Service at 847-491-5201 (Evanston) or 312-503-8000 (Chicago) for after-hours assistance.

The following buildings will have an additional entrance that will remain open and unlocked from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday to provide ADA access:

• Annie May Swift – ADA entrance is on the east side of the building, accessible via a ramp
• Catalysis Center – ADA entrance is on the north side of the building, west of the main entrance, off South Tech Drive
• Fisk Hall – ADA entrance is on the east side of the building, off the parking lot facing the Segal Visitors Center
• Kresge Hall – ADA entrance is on the east side of the building, facing McCormick Foundation Center
• Lunt Hall – ADA entrance is on the northeast side of the building, opposite of the main entrance, off Campus Drive
• McCormick Foundation Center – two ADA entrances are on the south side of the building, facing Locy Hall and facing Crowe Hall
• University Hall – ADA entrance is on the south side of the building, adjacent to the main entrance and accessible via a ramp

While main building entrances remain open and unlocked from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, you will encounter many electronically controlled perimeter doors that require a Wildcard for entry during these hours. As of Aug. 31, 2023, a valid Wildcard will be needed to access doors with card readers.

Please check the expiration date on your Wildcard to minimize a disruption in access. If you need to obtain, renew or replace your Wildcard, please schedule an appointment with the Wildcard Office.

For building-specific authorization, please contact your program director or supervisor. The Wildcard Office cannot provide access to buildings.

The following buildings operate with standard building hours. All other buildings will continue their existing building access protocols.

• Annie May Swift Hall
• Center for Catalysis and Surface Science
• Cresap Laboratory
• Fisk Hall
• Ford Motor Company Engineering
• Frances Searle
• Harris Hall
• John J. Louis Hall
• Kresge Centennial Hall/Crowe Hall
• Locy Hall
• Lunt Hall
• McCormick Foundation Center
• OT Hogan Biological Sciences
• Pancoe-NSUHS Life Sciences
• Patrick G. & Shirley W. Ryan Hall
• Regenstein Hall of Music
• Richard & Barbara Silverman Hall
• Ryan Center for the Musical Arts
• Swift Hall/Swift Annex
• Technological Institute
• University Hall
• Walter Annenberg Hall
• William A. and Gayle Cook Hall
• Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts

If you are planning an event that occurs in a building with standard building hours, please review the following to ensure that you and your attendees will be able to access the building for your event.

If your event is scheduled after 6 p.m. or on the weekend and you intend to invite attendees from outside the campus community, you will need to submit a Building Unlock request. Please allow up to 2 weeks for your request to be reviewed. 

Monday – Friday - 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

A valid Wildcard is required after hours and on weekends.

During hours when buildings are unlocked (please see below), entry will only be permitted through designated entrances. When buildings are locked, only electronic access is permitted.

McGaw Pavilion - 240 E. Huron Street

• Monday – Friday - 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Sunday, and University-observed Holidays - Closed
• Security Guard Hours - Monday – Friday 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center - 303 E. Superior Street

• Monday – Sunday - 7 a.m.– 7 p.m.
• University-observed holidays - Closed
• Security Guard Hours - Monday – Sunday 6 a.m.– 11 p.m.
• Security Guard Holiday Hours - 9 a.m.– 5 p.m.

Ward Building - 303 E. Chicago Avenue

• Monday – Saturday – 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Sunday and University-observed holidays - Closed
• Security Guard Hours - Monday – Saturday 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Tarry Building, Searle Building, Morton Building, Method Atrium

• Security Entrance - 320 E. Superior Street
• Monday – Sunday - 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• University-observed holidays - Closed
• Security Guard Hours - Monday – Sunday – 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.
• Security Guard Holiday Hours - 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Valid Wildcards, Northwestern Medicine badges or Northwestern affiliate credentials must be displayed to security staff and worn at all times while in the buildings.

Additional information is available on the Feinberg School of Medicine website.

Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center

A NetID and badge are required to access building entrances, turnstiles and designated lab floors, 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Additional information is available in the Building Access & Services section of the Feinberg School of Medicine website.

Wieboldt Hall

• Monday – Friday - 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., closed 10 p.m. – 7 a.m.
• Saturday - 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.
• Sunday - Closed

Kellogg students can access Wieboldt Hall using a valid Wildcard at the entrances on Superior Street and Chicago Avenue. Additional information is available on the Kellogg website.

Doors at 375 E. Chicago and 350 E. Superior are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and staffed by security personnel. A valid Wildcard must be presented. Persons without a valid Wildcard will be asked to register with building security.

Doors at 420 E. Superior are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and staffed by security personnel. A valid Wildcard must be presented. Persons without a valid Wildcard will be asked to register with building security.

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law buildings are accessible via valid Wildcard to law students 24 hours per day except for University holidays.

Northwestern’s updated procedures, informed by best practices from peer institutions, were developed to make our campus safer while providing convenient access for students, staff, faculty and visitors.

If you need to replace your Wildcard, please schedule an appointment with the Wildcard Office.

Northwestern community members can enter buildings through electronically controlled perimeter doors by using their Wildcards. Regardless of the time of day, community members should remain vigilant when entering buildings through secured doors. Perimeter doors should never be propped open. Both main and perimeter doors may be used for building egress at all times.

All valid Wildcards will unlock ADA accessible exterior doors of buildings operating on standard hours from 7 a.m. through 11 p.m. For access to specific interior devices (e.g., elevators, lifts, etc.) that are otherwise inoperable by the Northwestern University community without authorized approval, staff and faculty should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance; students should contact AccessibleNU (ANU). These offices work to provide our disabled community with reasonable accommodations.

If you need to renew or replace your Wildcard, please schedule an appointment with the Wildcard Office.

If you need building-specific authorization, please contact your program director or supervisor.

If you are locked out and need immediate assistance with building access, please call Facilities Customer Service at 847-491-5201 (Evanston) or 312-503-8000 (Chicago).

If a door, operator or card reader does not appear to be functioning properly or needs to be serviced, please submit a request through Facilities Customer Service.

Students, staff and faculty with a valid Wildcard will be able to access the main exterior doors seven days a week until 11pm. After reserving a space, event organizers must complete this form to request that the main entrances be unlocked if an event is scheduled after 6 p.m. or on the weekend and they intend to invite attendees outside the campus community.

Reservation systems that service these spaces have incorporated guidance for requesting a building unlock in their reservation confirmation notifications.

Event requesters should allow up to 2 weeks for their requests to be reviewed. Decisions regarding building unlocks will not impact the confirmed space reservation.

You may submit a Building Unlock Request by completing this form. Before submitting the form, please review the University’s standard building hours to confirm that guests without Wildcards will not otherwise be able to access the building for your event.