Frequently Asked Questions

Alumni Weekend welcomes Techers from every class year, degree, and Caltech connection, with events for house communities, clubs, teams, affinity groups, and alumni from across the Institute. The most up-to-date session details can be found on the Schedule page.   

Visit the Registration page to secure your Alumni Weekend ticket. Register by Friday, October 2, 2026.

Tickets include general admission to scheduled events, tours, and meals throughout the weekend. Please visit the Registration page to review ticket options.

The Caltech Alumni Association subsidizes a portion of Alumni Weekend’s costs, so each ticket delivers exceptional value—covering meals, faculty sessions, house events, and more.  

Yes. Refunds are possible through the Friday, October 2, registration deadline. Please email info@alumni.caltech.edu for assistance processing your cancellation.   

Visit the See Who’s Attending page, which includes a real-time list populated from event registrations. Use the dropdown list under Attendee List to view alumni who have expressed interest in specific events.   

Yes, your tiny Techers and future alumni are welcome. Please be mindful that there is no specific family programming this year, and most events are geared toward an adult audience, including events with alcohol service and faculty lectures, but children may attend with a parent or guardian.

Registration is required for guests of all ages in order to participate in Alumni Weekend events. 

On May 15, 2026, we held Milestone Class Dinners at the Athenaeum for alumni in classes ending in 1 and 6. Alumni from all class years can keep the celebration going at Alumni Weekend in October. We encourage you to attend and invite your classmates.  

If your class year ends in 2 or 7, your class dinner will be held on May 14, 2027. If you are interested in helping plan your reunion dinner and gathering your class, sign up to become a class committee volunteer here.  

In May 2026, we hosted a standalone celebration for Half Century Club alumni and the newest Half Century Club inductees from the Class of 1976 who gathered for their 50th reunion. The Half Century Club includes all alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. Recognition also included members of the Classes of 1976, 1971, 1966, 1961, 1956, and 1951. 

Alumni of all years and degrees are welcome to attend Alumni Weekend! There are a variety of events and activities for all alumni to enjoy. 

GOLD stands for Graduates of the Last Decade alumni who graduated from Caltech in the last 10 years. We are proud to host events and discounts that create accessible and fun options for recent alumni to celebrate together. 

Many events will be held outdoors, and temperatures can vary greatly from day to evening. Check the weather forecast for Pasadena. Pack appropriate clothing and dress for comfort throughout the weekend, including all scheduled walking tours and hikes.  

Business casual or cocktail attire is welcome for dinners and events with Institute leadership. 

For information and local accommodations with Caltech-friendly rates, visit the Plan Your Visit page.

Parking is available in the Wilson Parking Structures (341 S. Wilson Avenue), near the intersection of Del Mar Boulevard and Wilson Avenue. Overflow parking will be available in the California Parking Structure (1248 California Boulevard). 

Weekdays
A complimentary parking code will be provided to all registered guests for a parking permit.   

Caltech is currently in the process of transitioning to a new vendor for visitor parking: HonkMobile. Using HonkMobile (also known as HONK), visitors will no longer need to display a dashboard permit or hang-tag to park on campus. Instead of physical permits, visitors will enter their license plate when they pay for a parking session, and the license plate will be the permit.  

When visitors park at Caltech, they will purchase their parking session at payment signs which will be installed in the campus lots. The signs will include payment instructions including scan-to-pay (QR code) and text-to-pay options. No download is required to pay for a visitor parking session. Learn more here. 

Saturday and Sunday
All parking lots are open and free to all guests on weekends. No permit is required, and you may park in any unreserved (unmarked) parking stalls. 

Holliston Parking Structure (370 S. Holliston Avenue), near the intersection of Del Mar Boulevard and Holliston Avenue, is also available on the weekends for closer access to Alumni House and other nearby events. 

Please note that street parking on Hill Avenue is a 2-Hour Limit from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except Sundays.  

The Athenaeum kindly requests that you do not park in their lot due to limited capacity and private events being hosted. Please use the assigned structures or street parking on Hill Avenue. Courtesy shuttles will be available for guests who require special assistance from the assigned parking structures.    

Click here for additional campus information, directions, and campus maps.  

Please note that only the California Structure (1248 East California Boulevard) has an elevator; the Wilson and Holliston Structures do not. A limited number of accessible parking spaces are available. Guests with accessibility placards may park in any available marked accessible parking space on campus or consider street parking on Hill Avenue with your placard visible.  

A campus accessibility map can be found here. Courtesy shuttles will be available throughout the weekend for guests who require special assistance.  

Visiting faculty, staff, and students from participating institutions should use the “eduroam” wireless network (using their own institution credentials) while at Caltech.   

Alumni, prospective students and their families, vendors, conference attendees, and other visitors may use Caltech Visitor wireless while at Caltech.

Once connected, open a web browser and go to caltech.edu. You will be redirected to an authentication page where you can enter the above credentials. Attendees with access.caltech credentials should instead connect to the “Caltech Secure” network.     

Click here for more information on accessing the Caltech Visitor network.

Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the Alumni House on Hill Avenue. Courtesy shuttles will be available for guests who require special assistance from the assigned parking structures. 

Registration tables are located on the front lawn of the Alumni House. Guest registration will be organized by each attendee’s last name. You will pick up your event name tag and a gift courtesy of the Caltech Alumni Association.  

Campus Architectural Tours: Meet in front of Beckman Auditorium. Please meet your tour guide on the front steps. 

Caltech Archives: This tour will be held at the Caltech Archives department in Suite B215 at the Beckman Institute.

Yes, visit the Plan Your Visit page to see the available hours. The Braun Athletic Center, Sherman Fairchild Library, and Caltech Store will all have extended hours (and discounts!) for Techers.

For safety, all alumni and guests must wear their Alumni Weekend 2026 event badge at all times. Guests must show their name badge to enter all applicable scheduled events and permitted buildings. Guests are not permitted to enter Caltech facilities, houses, offices, or buildings without permission or an official Alumni Weekend 2026 event scheduled there.

For emergencies, call Caltech Security at (626) 395-5000.    
For general security questions and non-emergencies, call (626) 395-4701.     

In an emergency, please listen to instructions from staff and emergency response personnel. All updates will be posted to the Caltech Emergency website.  

View the Caltech Alumni Relations Event Conduct Policy. 

Reach out to the Alumni Relations team at info@alumni.caltech.edu—we’re happy to help.