The Hahn Center - Phillips Exeter Academy

Dining in community

Our new dining center is designed to foster a sense of togetherness: dining in community, gathering for school-wide celebrations and meeting comfortably as a team, a club or a class.

A lot on our plate

The dining center features a welcoming front terrace with seating for 50-60 for outdoor dining, while also creating an impromptu, al fresco performance space. Indoors, the Bonnie McElveen Dining Hall has become our newest community hub.

A seat at the table

At Exeter, the phrase “taking a seat at the table” applies to more than the Harkness classroom. Sitting down together to share a meal provides nourishment, comfort and a sense of connection for all members of the campus community.

With this intention, the Academy renewed the dining experience in the heart of campus, replacing the beloved but outdated Wetherell Dining Hall with the Hahn Center, a functional, welcoming space that is much more than a cafeteria. The state-of-the-art dining center is a symbol of the institution’s evolution, emphasizing shared experiences that last a lifetime.

Flanked on north and south by newly refurbished Merrill and Langdell residence halls, the Hahn Center is a vibrant hub of campus life, from morning till night.

The centerpiece of the Hahn Center is the Bonnie McElveen Dining Hall, a two-level dining space that becomes a buzzing hive during mealtimes. The vibrant hall features soaring, west-facing windows that bring in natural light and visually connect the indoor dining area to the outdoor terrace and the quad beyond. Combined, the flexible layout and furnishings create comfortable seating for more than 400.

Built to serve

The servery and finishing stations provide flexibility and efficiency during high-traffic times, allowing diners to engage with kitchen staff and customize their meals. A thoughtfully designed kitchen and front-of-house cooking stations support events of varying types and sizes.

Lower-level walk-in refrigeration and dry storage are situated for shared use with the Academy’s on-site bakery and catering services team. The kitchen’s ample preparation and cooking areas lend new responsiveness to the many culinary needs. From considerations for dietary choices and allergies to culinary celebrations of different cultures, ethnicities and religions, Exeter’s new dining center will embrace the diversity of the community for generations to come.

To make room for progress, we had to say goodbye in 2023 to our Wetherell Dining Hall. Watch as our campus transforms from "Weth" to the Hahn.

The Hahn Center is transforming the dining experience for the entire campus community and is meeting critical programmatic needs through beautiful and environmentally sustainable design.
— Principal Bill Rawson '71; '65, '70 (Hon.); P'08.