The Francis Quadrangle is the historic heart of the University of Missouri, a broad open lawn surrounded by the oldest buildings on campus. At the far end stand the six limestone Ionic columns, the ruins of Academic Hall — the original university building, destroyed by fire in 1892. The columns were left standing as a memorial and are now the symbol of the university.
The quadrangle is a pleasant place to walk even if you have no connection to Mizzou. The surrounding buildings date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the whole ensemble has a degree of architectural ambition unusual for a Midwest public university. The Museum of Art and Archaeology, on the south side of the quad, holds a genuine collection including Egyptian antiquities and Greek ceramics — free admission, worth a look.