When Rachel Altmann of Oregon sent her son to stay with his grandmother, a professor at Princeton University, for a week, he returned with tales of meeting tigers—and plenty of photos to prove it. “Still some of my favorite pictures of him ever are with his head in the mouths of assorted cats!” Altmann says. Safaris in Jersey? How can that be?
It turns out that the Princeton University campus is home to dozens of its mascot tiger: statues, carvings, and other works of art. Faculty and staff have long taken their kids on a hunt around campus to find them all. Now your family can get in on the action!
All You Need
Your family needs three things to get started: a campus map, a tiger guide, and imagination. You can download the map from the university website. The guide is called The Tigers of Princeton University: A Campus Safari and Photo Essay, download a copy here or purchase one at the Princeton University Store on Nassau Street for $6 (call to confirm availability: 800-624-4236). While not technically a guidebook, it gives descriptions and locations of “a representative sampling of the countless tigers” on campus.
There have been only a few changes to guidebook since it was originally published in 1992—but that just adds to the fun; your kids will feel even more like detectives. But two tigers that aren’t in the book, and which you don’t want to miss, are the pair of 7,000-pound stainless steel beasts outside Princeton Stadium. The whole hunt is walkable, though you might want to bring a stroller for the 4-and-under crowd.
Perfect Timing
April is the perfect time to visit Princeton’s Ivy League campus, since that’s when its many cherry and magnolia trees are in full bloom.
And between now and August, you’ll be able to see Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, the world-renowned sculpture project by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
The huge outdoor exhibit features a dozen bronze animal heads representing the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, one of which is a tiger. It’s located in Scudder Plaza, which is also a beautiful place for a picnic lunch. Just bring a blanket!
And who knows? Maybe the hunt will inspire your child to fall in love with the Princeton campus and work hard so that she can attend college there someday. (A mom can dream, can’t she?)
Renée Sagiv Riebling is a freelance writer from central New Jersey who is always on the lookout for family adventures.
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