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University of Notre Dame | Fox Sports University

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Located in Indiana, University of Notre Dame is the home of the fighting Irish. Well known as a catholic university and for their football team, Notre Dame has many other fun facts that you may not know.

1. The Golden Dome that sits on top of the Main Building is covered in 23.9-karat gold leaf. Students often find flakes of gold in the surrounding grass during a re-gilding, so I guess you could say gold is literally falling from the sky at Notre Dame!

2. The football helmets also get some gold: Other flakes collected during the re-gilding are used in their painting process.

3. The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is a 1/7-sized scale of the famed French shrine where the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette on 18 occasions in 1858.

4. The architecture of the South Dining Hall is reminiscent of a medieval Guild Hall. It reminds many people of Harry Potter, which prompted food services to host the first Harry Potter-themed dinner in 2009. This is now an annual tradition!

5. During the Vietnam War, the first dorm built on campus; Sorin Hall broke away from the university. Students and professors held classes in the dorm and boycotted university events. On the front porch, they declared the dorm "Sorin College."

6. Two movies were filmed at Notre Dame: "Knute Rockne, All American" and "Rudy," both which are football related.

7. It has been said that if a male and female student holds hands and walk around the two lakes on campus in the shape of a figure 8, they will get married.

8. A similar tale is if two people of the opposite sex kiss under the Lyons' arch, it will lead to marriage.

9. Students, under no circumstance, walk up the steps of the Main Building. The popular superstition is that you will not graduate if you do so. Therefore, it is a commencement tradition to take a picture on the stairs.

10. Notre Dame boasts seven Heisman trophy winners, the highest number in the whole country.

List created by our awesome intern Amanda, a rising sophomore at Notre Dame!

If you're applying to Notre Dame, make sure to check out the application files of recently accepted students, including essays and advice! Learn what it takes to get accepted and how you can improve your chances. You can also talk to current students by signing up for a mentor.

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10 Fun Facts about Notre Dame | AdmitSee

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Located in Indiana, University of Notre Dame is the home of the fighting Irish. Well known as a catholic university and for their football team, Notre Dame has many other fun facts that you may not know. 1.

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Connecticut State Fossil | Eubrontes Giganteus Dinosaur Track

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Connecticut designated a large three-toed dinosaur track (Eubrontes Giganteus) as the official state fossil in 1991; Connecticut Valley is the world's foremost dinosaur track location.

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Encompassing 1,441 square miles of the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park invites visitors to explore three distinct ecosystems: subalpine forest and wildflower meadow; temperate forest; and the rugged Pacific shore. Because of the park's relatively unspoiled condition and outstanding scenery, the United Nations has declared Olympic both an international biosphere reserve and a World Heritage site.

Inside the park, the Olympic mountain range is nearly circular, contoured by 13 rivers that radiate out like the spokes of a wheel. No road traverses the park, but a dozen spur roads lead into it from US 101, making it easily accessible from outside the park.

Residents of the Olympic Peninsula refer to it as a gift from the sea, and its features were indeed shaped by water and ice. The rock of the Olympics developed under the ocean-marine fossils are embedded in the mountain summits. Another component, basalt, originated from undersea lava vents. About 30 million years ago, the plate carrying the Pacific Ocean floor collided with the plate supporting the North American continent. As the heavy oceanic plate slid beneath the lighter continental plate, the upper layers of seabed jammed against the coastline, crumpling into what would become the Olympic Mountains. Glaciers and streams sculptured the mountains into their current profiles.

Glaciers nearly one mile thick also gouged out Puget Sound and Hood Canal to the east, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, isolating the peninsula from the mainland.

Ice Age isolation led to the 15 animals and 8 plants that evolved nowhere else on Earth, including the Olympic mountain milkvetch, Olympic marmot, Olympic Mazama pocket gopher, Olympic mud minnow, Beardslee, and crescent trout.

There are also the 11 mammals common in the nearby Cascades and Rockies that either died out in the Olympics or never found their way into the peninsula. The missing include the grizzly bear, lynx, and mountain sheep.

The mountain goats found here are non-native. They were introduced in the 1920s before the park was established. The goat population eventually boomed to over 1,000 and so damaged Olympic's alpine meadows in 1981 the park staff began efforts to manage their numbers within the park.

Moist winds from the Pacific condense in the cool air of the Olympics and drop rain or snow, bestowing on the mountains' western slopes the wettest climate in the lower 48 states. Mount Olympus, which crowns the park at 7,980 feet, receives 200 inches of precipitation a year.

Approach the park from US 101, which skirts three sides of the Olympic Peninsula. The main visitor center and entrance are in Port Angeles. From Seattle, take the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island, then drive north to Wash. 104 to join US 101 west to Port Angeles, a drive of about 60 miles. Airports: Port Angeles, Seattle, Sequim, and Olympia.

All-year park. Summer is the "dry" season, but be prepared for cool temperatures, fog, and rain at any time. Hurricane Ridge opens for skiing on winter weekends and holidays, weather permitting.

Plan to spend at least two days. On the first day, stroll subalpine meadows at Hurricane Ridge while admiring the peaks and glaciers in the distance. Savor the Lake Crescent area and, if you're feeling energetic, wind up with a dip at Sol Duc Hot Springs.

On the second day, drive to the Hoh Rain Forest and sample its nature trails before heading west for the Pacific Ocean beaches and tide pools. If you have more time, consider a trip to Ozette along the coast, or visit less known Quinault.

Covering nearly one million acres, Olympic National Park provides three distinct ecosystems-glaciated mountains, rugged Pacific coastline, and lush temperate forests.

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Encompassing 1,441 square miles of the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park invites visitors to explore three distinct ecosystems: subalpine forest and wildflower meadow; temperate forest; and the rugged Pacific shore. Because of the park's relatively unspoiled condition and outstanding scenery, the United Nations has declared Olympic both an international biosphere reserve and a World Heritage site.

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Points of Interest for Olympic National Parks & Forest | Olympic Peninsula WA

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Points of interest in Olympic National Park & Forest include Lake Quinault, Quinault Rainforest, Sol Duc Hot Springs & Falls, Lake Crescent, Marymere Falls, and Hurricane Ridge.

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As the famous New Year's Eve Ball descends from the flagpole atop One Times Square, an estimated one million people in the street, millions nationwide and over a billion watching throughout the world are united in bidding a collective farewell to the departing year, and expressing our joy and hope for the year ahead. Here's everything you need to know about joining the celebration live, in person!

Revelers start arriving late in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. By approximately 3:00 p.m., the Bow Tie of Times Square (42nd to 47th Sts. between Broadway & 7th Ave.) is fully closed to traffic. Revelers are directed by the NYPD to gather in separate viewing sections. As one section fills up, the revelers are directed by police to the next viewing section. As the evening progresses, revelers continue to fill the Times Square neighborhood along Broadway and Seventh Avenue moving uptown from 43rd Street to as far as Central Park. If you are planning to come to Times Square and join in the festivities, you are advised to enter from Sixth or Eighth Avenue. Your chance of getting a viewing spot near the Ball (at Broadway & 43rd Street) increases the earlier you arrive. The blocks will be closed off as they fill up northward, street-by-street, as the police deem necessary. The Ball can best be seen along Broadway, from 43rd Street to 50th Street, and along Seventh Avenue, as far north as 59th Street, so plant to arrive early to grab the best possible spot.

The celebration begins with the lighting and raising of the New Year's Eve Ball atop One Times Square. The Ball is lit at 6:00pm and begins its ascent accompanied by special pyrotechnic effects. Then, the Times Square Alliance sanitation crew, clad in bright red uniforms, begins to distribute tens of thousands of fun party favors-those famous hats, glasses, and noisemakers- to the Times Square revelers to help cheer in the New Year.

Let not forget one of the most exciting parts of New Year's in Times Square- the New Year's Rockin' Eve performances! The stage will come to life at around 8pm with some of your favorite musical guests. This year's host will be national television and radio star Allison Hagendorf. The 2017 farewell show features a performance by pop sensations Taylor Swift!

Sixty seconds before the big moment, the New Year's Eve Ball begins its descent. At the stroke of Midnight, the Ball's lights on are turned off as the numerals of the New Year "2017" burst to life shining high above Times Square. The world-famous New Year's Eve confetti is released from the rooftops of buildings throughout Times Square creating a celebratory blizzard of colorful confetti as revelers welcome the New Year accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects.

So that only leaves one question-where will YOU be this New Year's Eve?

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As the famous New Year's Eve Ball descends from the flagpole atop One Times Square, an estimated one million people in the street, millions nationwide and over a billion watching throughout the world are united in bidding a collective farewell to the departing year, and expressing our joy and hope for the year ahead.

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The most-visited tourist attraction in the world receives over 40 million annual visitors each year, with approximately 300,000 visitors each day. From star-studded Broadway shows to world famous stores and restaurants, "The Crossroads of the World" is the hottest place in town. Be sure to check out these live cameras from Times Square.

As with the 20 Things You Didn't Know About Central Park post, you may already know some of these items, but hopefully you'll pick up a few new facts.

1. Times Square has it's very own Visitor Center and Museum, which is free to the public. It's housed in the famous Embassy Theater, which is the world's first newsreel theater. At one time, it was the only US theater managed and staffed solely by women. Visit their New Year's Eve Wishing Well to write a wish on a piece of confetti, which will be released to the world on New Years Eve. Learn all about the history of Times Square in this 6,000 sq. ft. mini-museum. Take a glance at some of the costumes from NYC's most famous Broadway shows. See the New Year's Eve Ball from 2007, which simulates the New Year's Eve Countdown every hour.

3. On New Year's Eve, close to a million people congregrate to celebrate the 'Dropping of the Ball'. The ball was actually replaced by an energy efficient ball in 2008 and it is 12 feet in diameter and weighs 11,875 pounds. The ball has the capability to showcase over 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns, giving it a beautiful kaleidoscope effect.

4. The world famous ball drops from a pole atop the 25-story One Times Square building and the ball is timed to reach the bottom of the pole at precisely 12 midnight, New Year's Day.
In the Time Square neighborhood there are 40 theaters including 22 landmark Broadway theaters.
5. Times Square's NASDAQ sign cost over $37 million to build and it's the largest LED sign in the world, at 37-feet high. There are approximately 50 super signs advertising everything from clothing to food products to banks. In 1917 the first large electric display billboard was installed. Eleven years later, the first running electric sign was lit for the first time, to announce Herbert Hoover's victory in the Presidential elections. The billboards have become such a tourist attraction for the area, that the zoning now requires the buildings to be covered with billboards and it costs between $1.1 million and $4 million a year if you want to buy one. Anyone want to sponsor one for US City Traveler?!

6. The 1929 stock market crash led to the area being replaced with pornographic "peep shows." In 1913, it was estimated that 150,000 daily visits to prostitutes took place in Times Square. In the thirties, the Great Depression led to a sharp decline in theater attendance. Many businesses had to close down, and they were quickly replaced by strip teases and and peep shows. But after the Second World War, the Theater District was booming once again and yet again, by the end of the sixties, the area started to go downhill and by the mid-seventies, tourists just avoided Times square, which had become a dirty, crime-ridden and drug-infested place.

7. New York City began a slow but steady push to clean up Times Square in the 1990s, which was led by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. In fact, people referred to this as the 'Disneyfication'. Why, one might ask? Well in the 1980s redevelopment proposals didn't get too far off the ground, but when the Walt Disney Company opened a Disney store on Times Square in the 90's, families once again flocked to this former hot spot. Today, it's once again a thriving must-see tourist destination.

8. In 2011, Times Square became 100% smoke free. The measure fines any person smoking within the area a fee of $50. Smoke down the block and save that money for a taxi.
Times Square's shape is actually not that of a square but rather a bow tie, formed by the intersection of Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan.
9. The first Times Square New Year's Eve celebration was held in 1903 when a New York Times newspaper office decided to celebrate the company's opening in Times Square. So it was actually named after the newspaper itself. Approximately 200,000 people attended the 1903 event and it was considered such a fantastic way to ring in the New Year that by 1904, going to Times Square to celebrate was a new tradition. In 1907, the firework show was replaced by an electrically lit ball which was lowered down a flagpole to symbolize the very second midnight hit and 1908 was officially declared.

The Times Square Ball has been dropped every single New Year's Eve since, except for 1942 and 1943 in accordance of wartime blackouts. The original New Year's Eve Ball contained 100 light bulbs and descended down a 141 foot pole while the current version has a computerized multi-colored LED lighting system and an outer surface made of highly-reflective triangle-shaped crystal panels that descends down a 475 foot pole. The ball is on display all year.

10. The ball was actually made by "Waterford Crystal," a glassworks company that is located in the county of Waterford, Republic of Ireland. While it is a little ironic that this great American landmark wasn't made in these great states, Waterford Crystal is proud to call the Times Square Ball one of its most famous products, having made the 2,668 crystals that adorn it.

46% of Americans pick Times Square as the #1 place to celebrate New Year's Eve, while 56% of Americans will be watching the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration on TV, with over 100,000,000 U.S. television viewers and over one billion television viewers worldwide. Over 275 broadcasters worldwide carry the event.

11. Times Square is home to MTV's headquarters and ABC's 'Good Morning America' is broadcast in front of a live audience from its office at 44th and Broadway. There are a variety of Broadway shows and well over 100 restaurants and shops in the area, including their flagship, super-sized 100,000 sq. ft. Toys"R"Us, which has a 60-ft indoor ferris wheel. They also have a 2 story doll house, a five-ton, 20 ft. high animatronic T-Rex, and they host a variety of characters like Barney and Spider-Man, along with celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and Miranda Cosgrove. They offer 45-minute private walking tours that offer a behind-the-scenes look at the "world's greatest toy store." It was the world's largest toy store when it opened in 2001. The Toys"R"US company also operates the FAO Schwarz toy brand, which includes their famous NYC toy store on fifth avenue, which is where kids can play on the giant piano from the Tom Hanks "Big" movie (they are actually currently considering leaving this iconic location).

12. Th Times Square Applebee's rakes in over $13 million a year, making it the highest grossing location of any Applebee's in the world. The highest grossing restaurant in all of NYC is called Smith & Wollensky, which makes over $25 million a year - it's the 3rd Highest Grossing Restaurant In America.

One of Times Square's most unique restaurants is called Ellen's Stardust Diner and it is the home of the singing waitstaff! The sining begins at breakfast and runs late into the night and ranges from classics to today's latest hits. This retro 1950s themed diner offers a diverse selection of American cuisine. Or you can get the feel of dining with the stars at the famous Times Square Hard Rock Cafe (which is actually open for breakfast!), it's where you can dine while admiring memorabilia from The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Elvis Presley.

13. It's home to 6 massive hotels, with countless others just steps away. The hip, super trendy W Times Square (rates start at $469 a night) offers amazing views with all of the latest 21st century decor. Renaissance Hotel Times Square (rates start at $279 a night) is among the cheapest, while the Sheraton New York (rates start at $299 a night) recently underwent a massive $160 million renovation and offers a nice complimentary breakfast to its guests. The Doubletree Guest Suites (rates start at $314) is the only all-suites hotel on Broadway, which has 460 spacious rooms, offers warm complimentary cookies to each of it's guests ( as it has for the past 25 years) and welcomes guests to their popular 24-hour fitness and business centers. Crowne Plaza Times Square (rates start at $314 a night) has nearly 800 guest rooms in this prominent location.

Lastly, one of my favorites is the famous Marriott Marquis Hotel (rates start at $332 a night), which was built in 1985 and has become famous for it's massive 45-story lobby. Floors 37-49 actually aren't open to guests because they are used as offices. Parking costs $55 a day - that's the price of a motel in many parts of the country! But this hotel's most famous aspect brings us to our next fun fact.

But my favorite is the Yotel New York (rooms from $149), featuring an ultramodern atmosphere as you check in at touch-screen kiosks similar to those found at airports, but only a bazillion times cooler. Guestrooms are decked out with purple mood lighting, near-silent heating and cooling systems, a Techno Wall fitted with a flat-screen LCD TV, lots of power points for laptops and other devices, Wi-Fi, an iPod or MP3 connection for playing music through the TV speakers and a motorized bed that expands to full size at the push of a button. The hotel's tech de resistance is the world's first-ever robotic luggage handler. A 15-foot robotic arm towering in the lobby behind a glass window, the Yobot picks up your luggage and safely stores it in a wall of drawers before or after check-in. It's just 2 blocks West of Times Square.

14. Dine at the Marriott Marquis' restaurant is called " The View." It's the only revolving restaurant in all of New York, offering panoramic, 360 degree views of the city skyline. Some of their signature American cuisine specials from their 3-course prix-fixe (which is $79 a person + tax & gratuity) include the Sunchoke Tortellini, Wild Boar Chop and Lamb Ribeye.
TKTS Times Square is the ultimate NYC ticket shop.
15. Pictured above is the TKTS booth in Times Square, which sells day-of-performance show tickets at discounts of 20-50% off their face value! They alse sell full-price tickets to future performances and shows that are not discounted. They first opened in 1973 (they recently celebrated their 40th anniversary!) and now also have 2 other locations around town. The ticket booth you see above actually cost $19 million to build! Over $50 million tickets have been sold. They actually release new tickets throughout the day, with more tickets typically available within a few hours of showtime.

16. New York's Madame Tussauds wax museum let's you get a snapshot with over 200 of your favorite celebs. These include Obama, Miley Cryus, Justin Bieber, Madonna and my favorites - Paris Hilton and Kim K! It's located right off the square, on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth.

17. Take some time out to tour NBC studios or catch a taping of "Saturday Night Live" or "Dateline NBC" (although you'll have to make reservations well in advance). The NBC tour gives you a behind the scenes look at the studios of shows like the Today show, The Dr. Oz Show and MSNBC. You can also purchase some of your favorite TV show memorabilia at the building on 49th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

18. You may run into the Naked Cowboy, Times Square's most famous entertainer who can often be seen wearing nothing but cowboy boots, a hat and briefs, along with a guitar placed around his midsection. He actually ran for president in 2010 to represent the US Tea Party Movement. He even has his own website where he sells a "Fear God Hate Sin" DVD, Naked Cowboy Underwear and even an $800 guitar!

19. Planet Hollywood Times Square recently hosted Miley Cyrus for a CD signing. New York's only Planet Hollywood, which is a chain that became famous from cool memorabilia and big-name Hollywood owners like Arnold Schwarzenegger, recently decided to split is three-story size in half, to make way for a new Buca di Beppo italian restaurant.

20. Look out for bogus super hero and sesame street creatures all over the place wanting to take photos with your kids. They go around in "ratchet" lookin' sub par costumes, many of which, I think Walt himself would be rather ashamed of. One of the worst parts is that they demand a payback and will even go after you demanding more money, totally ruining the moment for you. Just say "hey kids, look over there, I think that's Justinieber" and turn around and flip the bird, stand your ground and make a run for it so your kids don't have to see how mommy and daddy Get into a fight with some greedy ball of fur! I recommend just staying away from them at all costs and visiting the real guys in the nearby Disney or Toys"R"Us stores instead.

Which of these surprised you the most? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

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Taylor Goldblatt

After years of research, travel, and dreams, I have created this website for people like you who want to experience the things that only America can offer. My passion is to explore and share America's greatest destinations and attractions. Follow me on Twitter @USCityTraveler for additional travel tips and ideas.

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20 Things You Didn't Know About Times Square

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The most-visited tourist attraction in the world receives over 40 million annual visitors each year, with approximately 300,000 visitors each day. From star-studded Broadway shows to world famous stores and restaurants, 'The Crossroads of the World' is the hottest place in town. Be sure to check out these live cameras from Times Square.

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Rural Kansas Tourism | Wamego Exploration: Oz Museum

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You can find us just off I-70 on Kansas Highway 99 on "The Road to OZ."