Getting To Villanova When You Have No Context
Villanova is a private Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, roughly fourteen miles west of Center City Philadelphia. It sits off Lancaster Avenue and Spring Mill Road in Lower Merion Township. If you're trying to find it for the first time, start with the address: 800 Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA 19085. That's the main entrance for visitors and guest parking. I spent three years commuting to Villanova for consulting work before I stopped checking GPS every five minutes. The campus itself isn't hidden, but the confusion comes from the fact that the postal address says "Villanova" while the physical location is technically in Lower Merion Township. You'll see road signs for "Villanova" all over Main Line Philadelphia, and GPS will drop you at the correct spot about ninety percent of the time. The other ten percent is when you're coming from Route 309 or the PA Turnpike and the exit numbering gets murky. The most common mistake I see people make is entering just "Villanova" into their navigation system without specifying the state or zip code. It'll find Villanova University fine, but if you're looking for a specific building on campus, you need the building name or address. The main buildings range from Walsh Library (the big stone one near the front) to the Pavilion at Villanova Stadium, which is about a mile from the main entrance. I learned this the hard way when I showed up at the stadium expecting the business school conference, which was actually across campus in Llerena Business Innovation Center.
If you're driving, the easiest route from Philadelphia is taking Route 30 West or I-76 West to Exit 2 for Lancaster Avenue. From there, follow Lancaster Avenue north through Narberth and Villanova. Parking is the real issue though. Visitor parking costs around twenty dollars and fills up by ten in the morning on weekdays. If you're visiting a professor or attending an event, request a visitor pass from the host in advance, which usually covers parking for the day. Public transit works fine if you're patient. SEPTA Route 101 trolley runs from Philadelphia to Villanova, and the station is literally on campus. The ride takes about forty-five minutes from City Hall depending on traffic. Amtrak also stops at Villanova Station, which is convenient if you're coming from Newark or Washington DC. One thing GPS gets wrong regularly is the distinction between Villanova University and the surrounding village. The actual town center with shops and restaurants is about half a mile from the university entrance, past the stadium. If your destination is a restaurant or coffee shop near the village, enter the specific establishment name rather than relying on "Villanova" as a general search term.
