Old Main, the best-beloved and most well-known building on campus,is a monument to the achievements of the college's Swedish immigrant founders.

Old Main is home to Classics, English, philosophy, communication studies, multimedia journalism and mass communication, religion, history, political science, and women's and gender studies.

A $13 million renovation of the interior was completed in 2012. This project modernized classrooms with advanced technology, adding computer kiosks, updating faculty offices and seminar rooms, and creating a forum space.

The exterior of Old Main was restored in 2011 and the dome covering was replaced with copper.