Frequently Asked Questions About the Friends

Catherine Thomas, Development Coordinator
(609) 734-8008 
[email protected]

The Friends are a community of benefactors who support the mission of IAS financially and through engagement with the faculty, staff, and visiting scholars.  As part of the IAS ecosystem, Friends are afforded access to select events, dining options, and other resources on the IAS campus, which is otherwise closed to the general public. 

Friends memberships run for 12 months, so you can join anytime. Most Friends join in the summer (for the academic year) or December (for the upcoming calendar year). 

Friends and Community programming slows considerably during the summer months, when the Institute hosts conferences for scholars from around the world. Lunchtime dining at Simons and happy hours at Rubenstein remain open in June and July, but all dining services close during the month of August.

You can locate this information on the Give section of the Friends webpage. Privileges afforded Friends are listed in the dropdown menu for each level of giving.

Our recurring Friends-only annual events (Fall Welcome Reception, Holiday Party, Annual Meeting) are probably the simplest events to navigate, especially if you are visiting solo for the first time.  Many new Friends also like to start with an evening lecture followed by drinks at Rubenstein Commons, or a low-key lunchtime visit to Simons Hall. 

Another approach is to visit with a seasoned Friend.  The staff of the Friends Program can help you connect with other Friends if you are new to the community. 

Tours are not offered, as one of the Institute's most important tenets is to maintain an environment that is a haven for scholars, where they can work without any interruptions. The Institute Woods are open to everyone, and all are encouraged to explore.

If you are considering becoming a Friend but have not been to campus, please contact us to discuss getting acclimated to IAS buildings and grounds.

You must bring your IAS badge with you.  The campus is not open to the general public, and your badge differentiates you as a member of the IAS Friends community.

In general, you will be spending most of your on-campus time in one of the following spaces:

• Simons Hall Dining Room – for weekday lunches, Wednesday servery dinners, Friday gourmet and buffet dinners. Some events and receptions are also held here.
• Rubenstein Commons – for happy hour (drinks and bar food) and certain events/receptions.
• Dilworth Room in Simons Hall – for small-group scholarly talks and smaller events.
• Wolfensohn Hall – for large public lectures, films, and concerts 
• Historical Studies – Social Science Library – For quiet work, schedule upon request
• Sports Courts - Tennis and Pickleball Sports Courts 
• Institute Woods – Open to the public. Wooded trail system for light hiking and running.
• Parking – Lots A and B, and roadside near Lot A (if A is full). During the Historical Studies – Social Science Library construction, visitors can park along Einstein Drive, as marked.

IAS operates on an academic calendar, which means that events are generally suspended during June, July and August. Dining facilities are closed in August.  The Institute Woods remain open year-round.

During the academic year, the following are open to all Friends:

• Simons Hall is open for:
  • Lunch weekdays from 11:30am - 1:30pm (no reservations required)
  • Servery dinners Wednesdays from 5:30-7:00pm (reservations required)
  • Gourmet dinners Fridays from 6:30-7:30pm (confirmed reservations required)
• Rubenstein Commons is open for: 
  • Happy Hour (bar & menu) Friday from 5:00 to 9:00pm 
  • (If you contribute at a Circle level, you may access Rubenstein for Happy Hour on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings as well.)
• Event spaces (e.g., Dilworth Room, Wolfensohn Hall) will be open during scheduled events (reservations required) 
• Tennis and pickleball courts (see details below) 

The Institute Woods are open every day from dawn to dusk (open access)

Occasionally a dining area or other campus space will be closed for ad-hoc events.  When this happens, the closure will be noted on the Friends calendar and Friends will receive an email. 

Friends who have used the libraries for private research projects have been incredibly happy with the resources and staff support they have received. Friends are not permitted to check any materials out of IAS Libraries.  The Historical Studies – Social Science library is currently undergoing significant renovation and expansion, and is expected to re-open in Summer 2027. During that time, access to the Mathematics - Natural Sciences Library in Fuld Hall is determined on a case-by-case basis.

If you are interested in using the Mathematics – Natural Sciences Library for quiet study during business hours, please contact Catherine Thomas at (609) 951-4408 and she will introduce you to a librarian.

Tennis and pickleball courts are located behind the Facilities garage and adjacent to the red barn in the facilities area of the campus. Hours of operation are 7:00am – 11:00pm. Currently, reservations are not necessary. Your Friends ID card will unlock the gates at the location, and will also unlock the light box on the side of the garage for evening play.

No.  The nomenclature can be a bit confusing, but Members are the visiting scholars who are invited to IAS to do research for a period of time.  They are differentiated from Faculty in that the Faculty have permanent appointments.

Our Events Team emails a list of happenings open to Friends at the beginning of each month. For the most up-to-date information, please check the Friends Event Calendar. We frequently add events or adjust timing and location: the online calendar will feature the most accurate information.

Please note that registration is required for all events – a link to registration will be included in both the email notice and from the calendar listing.

We welcome guests who are not Friends to accompany you to events if we can accommodate them. Kindly alert Friends staff when this is the case so we can confirm that there is space. When you register yourself for an event, please register your guests as well.

We recognize the children of Members, Faculty, and Friends as an important constituency at the Institute. Events for kids include holiday parties, stargazing, guided walks in the Institute Woods, and the annual Founders Day gathering.

Scholarly talks tailored to children and their families have generally been very well-attended and received.  These can vary from large-scale lectures open to the public to smaller gatherings open to just a smaller audience, including Friends.  We will continue to include these as options in our programming: you can find them on the Friends calendar of events page.

In this context, the "IAS community" refers to Institute Faculty, Members, and Staff. If you have any question about whether this includes Friends, contact Friends Staff.

Friends are invited to some but not all events designated for the IAS community.  These gatherings will be posted on the Friends Event Calendar.  When in doubt, the best course of action is to check this Friends-specific schedule.

You can find a library of programming specifically for the Friends on the Video Lectures page of the IAS website. Recordings of school-sponsored events and Director's Conversations can be located on the Videos page. Individual speakers provide permission for their own talks to be recorded, so if you do not see a recording of the particular talk you seek, it is likely because the speaker did not grant IAS permission to post any recording of the event on its website.

To support and preserve Simons Hall's intimate and cohesive community environment, access to this private venue is limited to the Institute Community (Members, Faculty and Staff) as well as Friends of the Institute, and their guests.

Access to dining for Friends is limited to:

• Weekday Lunch at Simons Hall
• Wednesday Servery Dinners at Simons Hall
• Friday Gourmet Dinners at Simons Hall
• Friday Happy Hour (bar & menu) at Rubenstein Commons
• Wednesday & Thursday Happy Hour (bar & menu) at Rubenstein Commons (for Friends giving at the Ambassador level and up [$3,000+])

Afternoon Tea and morning coffee is open to Members, Faculty and staff only.

We invite you to consult the Dining Services page for extensive information on hours, the dinner and buffet schedule, menus, the price list and more.

Yes. Reservations are needed for Wednesday Servery Dinners, Friday Gourmet Dinners, and Buffet Dinners.  

To make a reservation, please go to the Dinner page of the IAS website for a information on hours, costs, menus, and a calendar of upcoming dinners. Scroll to the date that interests you and follow the instructions.

When you request a reservation for a Friday dinner, our Events staff will receive it and confirm that we can accommodate your party.  Confirmations will be sent via email within 48 hours. 

All Friends can go to Rubenstein Commons (bar and menu) for Friday Happy Hours. 

Friends who join at the Ambassador level and above ($3,000+) are welcome to attend Happy Hour on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays as well. 

No reservations are required for small parties, but please email [email protected] at least 24 hours in advance for parties exceeding ten guests.

Menus are available online one day in advance. For example, Friday’s lunch menu, as well as a Gourmet Dinner menu if one is scheduled, will both be posted on Thursday afternoon.

Check with the Dining Services staff before ordering. A vegetarian option is available daily. This facility uses and processes nuts and nut products.

IAS has a remarkable offering of hundreds of wines from around the world, curated by our WSET II certified staff who can help guide you through a selection.  All wines are stored in temperature controlled conditions.

For Gourmet Dinners and receptions at Simons Hall, most guests dress as if they were spending Saturday night out at a nice restaurant. Women wear dresses or dress pants and jacket, and men wear a jackets (and occasionally ties) with dress shirts and shoes.  

Attire for functions and dining at Rubenstein Commons tend to be "smart casual."   Women could wear elevated denim and men tend to wear collared shirts and denim or jeans (but no jacket required).  

For the holiday party, guests are encouraged to wear creative or festive attire.

At lunch and Servery dinners, yes.  There is an alcove and conveyor belt where dining trays can be deposited near the north wall of the main dining room at Simons Hall.  Follow the crowd or ask one of the dining staff the first time you visit. Gourmet Dinners are full-service and operate like a traditional restaurant.

Lunch at Simons Hall as well as drinks and bar food at Rubenstein Commons is open to Friends through the end of July. Dinners are not offered in the summer, and will resume in October. All dining at the Institute closes during August. 
 

The cost of dining at IAS is subsidized by the institution as one of the perks of being part of this community.  Prices are the same for Members, Faculty, Staff, and Friends.  Note that even with this subsidy, prices have gone up recently as part of the rise in grocery and other costs that is happening nationally.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact the staff of the Friends Program. One approach is to consider giving at a higher tier. Friends who have made IAS a priority in their philanthropy are invited to smaller gatherings with more opportunity to connect at length with IAS leadership and scholars. 

Maintaining your privacy is of critical importance to us. Names of Friends are listed in the annual report only. If you would like to reach out to a Friend but do not have their contact information, please contact the staff of the Friends Program.  They can reach out to ask permission to share a phone number or email address.

You must wear your ID badge while on campus.  The campus is not open to the general public, and your badge differentiates you as a Friend. You will receive a badge and lanyard when you join the Friends. If you misplace yours, please call (609) 951-4408 or email [email protected] and we’ll send you a replacement.

You will receive email notification about renewing your membership the month before your membership is scheduled to expire.

We welcome active engagement from all Friends.  Both the staff of the Friends Program and the Executive Committee of the Friends are available to connect and discuss your ideas.

IAS does not rent space on campus for meetings. Friends who give at the Founders' Circle level can apply to use Marquand House and grounds for a private party pending availability. Please contact us with specific questions about events.