For the first time in nearly two decades, the Golden Dome atop the University of Notre Dame’s Main Building will be regilded. The process of adding a new layer of gold leaf will occur over the course of approximately five months, beginning immediately after Commencement Weekend on May 19-21.
This will be the 12th time the Dome and the 17-foot-tall statue of the Virgin Mary have undergone this process since they were added to the Main Building in 1883. Standing 197 feet above the ground at its highest point, the Golden Dome has been regilded on 11 previous occasions: 1886, 1893, 1904, 1912, 1924, 1933, 1948, 1961, 1971, 1988 and 2005.
In addition, the upper tower of the Main Building will be cleaned and repainted. The project will begin with the installation of an extensive scaffold system on May 22 and is targeted to be completed by mid-October.