Established in 1891, Colonial Club is the fifth oldest club on Prospect Avenue and is easily recognizable by its four large, white columns fashioned in the Colonial Revival style.  As the first of Princeton’s eating clubs to move away from the bicker process and to go coeducational in 1969, we have retained an openness that has encompassed the heart of our community ever since. Members of Colonial Club are a part of a genuine, diverse, and intellectual family, all the awhile enjoying an unparalleled dining experience.

Featuring an open grill and smoothie station, Colonial’s first-rate cuisine has long been the envy of the Street. Our Executive Chef, Gilberto Ramirez, has directed Colonial’s culinary experience for over 20 years. Graduating from the prestigious French Culinary Institute, Chef Gil has worked at the renowned TPC Jasna Polana and continually fascinates our members with his intricate dishes and desserts.

Hosting a variety of events for our community such as weekly study breaks, game nights, classy semi-formals, and extravagant winter and spring formals, Colonial has maintained a history of providing Princeton upperclassmen access to unforgettable social activities. The club was referred to as “flamboyant Colonial” in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s debut novel, This Side of Paradise—a reputation and legacy that continues to persist in our members, alumni, and graduate members today.

Furthermore, members of Colonial are able to participate in various academic and professional endeavors including Colonial Investments, the club’s student-run portfolio of over $100k in assets under management; Colonial’s Professor Dinner Series, where notable Princeton professors debate and discuss with our members over dinner and drinks; and Colonial Alumni Panels and Networking Events, where current members have the opportunity to meet alumni in software, engineering, medicine, law, business, government, and finance.

Affiliated with several Rhodes Scholars and Valedictorians of Princeton University, Colonial prides itself in maintaining a rigorous scholarly community devoted to pursuits in research and academia. According to Princeton Alumni Weekly, among the Princetonians who were involved in the World War II code-breaking at Bletchley Park, several called Colonial Club home during their undergraduate years at the University.

Facilities

From the Street, one can easily glean that Colonial has one of the largest clubhouses out of all of the Eating Clubs of Princeton University. Our gorgeous front lawn has been host to several bonfires, barbecues, golf outings, frisbee matches, and various bands and artists such as Audien, Smallpools, Weston Estate, and BETWEEN FRIENDS. Our magnificent dining hall boasts lavish tables and fireplaces that contribute to Colonial’s dining experience. We also recently installed a stunning 85″ TV, which our members use to watch live sports, fun shows, and play games together during study breaks and social events. The dining room is bordered by the Elk Room, a beautiful common room with a grand piano for musical performance and old-fashion couches for some rest and relaxation. Colonial’s second floor is unrivaled in size along all of Prospect. There is a large, antique-styled library with plenty of room for quiet studying or group work. Next to it is the Del Vento room, a small study displaying Colonial’s profound history with a great view of the Street. Then there is the Colonial Theatre, which boasts tiered, reclinable seating and hundreds of movies, topped off by a huge HD projection system and a large selection of games for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, and PS4. There is another quiet study room with huge, comfy bean bag chairs that are perfect for napping. Near the end of the hall, Colonial has a computer lab courtesy of Google’s Eric Schmidt and, last but not least, a recreational room equipped with a pool table, ping pong table, foosball table, and a cabinet full of board games.

Events

Great music, great drinks, and great people can always be found at Colonial. Open most Fridays PUID, we invite you to check out our lively taproom and bust some moves on our dance floor. Colonial also enjoys keeping it classy with a variety of Saturday evening events, from wine and cheese soirées to Bae & Bottle, for our members and their guests. We wrap up every semester with a top-tier formals, paired with an elevated semis with complementary themes: recently, we’ve hosted Colo in Wonderland Semis & Enchanted Forest Formals, Murder Mystery Semis & CLUE Formals, and Ocean’s 11 Casino Semis & Now You See Me Magic Formals. One of Colonial Club’s key values is community, which we build through club-wide events such as participating in Princeton Campus Rec’s Intramural Sports and competing against other Eating Clubs in “Colo Olympics.” We also hold events and provide funding to our members through our Affinity & Interest Groups. Finally, we also host a huge variety of weekly events, including trivia night, study breaks, movie nights, hands-on arts and crafts, and more. Come check out our events during Street Week!

Food

Colonial provides a variety of culinary options for our members, with vegetarian selections available daily. Breakfast is served À la carte, with breakfast smoothies, assorted fruits, omelets made to order, and standard meat and egg options available. Lunches and Dinners are always a treat, with a wide variety of salads, burgers, steaks, ribs, quiches, and other delicacies often gracing the menu. Lunch also includes a open grill where one of our cooks makes food such as burgers, quesadillas, and tacos to order. Thursdays are our weekly pub nights, where members feast on delicious green bean fries, fajitas, supreme nachos, bison burgers, and buffalo wings and enjoy fine bottled drinks. To top it off, Colonial hosts weekly study breaks on Wednesdays, bringing in exciting options such as Junbi, sushi, Hoagie Haven, and more! 

History

Located at 40 Prospect Avenue, the Colonial Club was founded in 1891 as the fifth oldest eating club at Princeton, and the first club to admit women. Colonial is one of two current eating clubs on the north side of Prospect and is easily recognizable by its four large white columns fashioned in the Colonial style. In his novel This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald referred to the club as “flamboyant Colonial” and identified it as one of the “top five” clubs at Princeton. Originally a bicker club, Colonial was the first club to go non-selective in 1969 and has retained that openness as part of its philosophy ever since.

Alumni

Colonial Club is proud to boast our Graduate Board of Governors who give their time and expertise to oversee the Club and ensure its ongoing presence and history for many years to come. Colonial Club is truly “Bound together by genuine ties of friendship.” Famous alumni of Colonial include William B. Pell 1898, noted Princeton illustrator; Norman Thomas 1905, the chief Socialist in the United States and perennial Socialist candidate in every presidential election from 1928 to 1948; Claiborne Pell ’40, Rhode Island Senator and creator of Pell grants in 1973; Pete Conrad ’53, the third man to walk on the moon; Edward F. Cox ’68, U.S. politician and son-in-law of President Richard Nixon; Eric E. Schmidt ‘76, former CEO of Google; Ted Cruz ’92, Texas Senator and 2016 Presidential Candidate; and Wentworth Miller ’95, star of the popular TV series Prison Break.

Service

Colonial Club actively partakes in many service events throughout the year, supporting both local and international causes. This year, Colonial Club is partnering with the Friends of Princeton Open Space to preserve and protect natural spaces in the greater Princeton area. As volunteers, our members will be doing work such as invasive species removal and other restoration projects in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, which serves a critical habitat for a variety of birds, insects, and aquatic life. This work also helps to improve natural areas and safeguard our drinking water supply as our drinking water in Central New Jersey. In the past, our membership regularly volunteered for the Princeton-Blairstown Center, attended Woodcutter’s Weekend for trail maintenance, and gave tours of the University for the urban youth through the Princeton Campus Exhibitions program. Colonial has also held events with Big Brothers Big Sibs, a national organization that pairs volunteers with young children to foster mentorship and friendship, during which Colonial members help kids with arts & crafts and educational activities. In spring of 2013, Colonial held its Dare to Donate fundraising event, which received the ICCF Creativity Award from the Pace Center for Civic Engagement. The proceeds went towards the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, as well as schools in New Jersey that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Colonial also partners with EcoReps to support sustainability initiatives such as Clothing Swap, and Colonial continues to be part of the Community Service Intercouncil Club (CSICC), which organizes events such as the Trick-or-Feed Fundraiser and TruckFest that benefit food security chains in Trenton and the wider New Jersey area. Colonial Club also donates excess food and meals to Share My Meals, a local food bank that delivers meals to food insufficient families in our local area.

Financial Aid

Colonial Club is committed to making the club affordable to students who are able to show that there is a need. The club offers financial aid to help with out of pocket expenses on a sliding scale. Contact Kathleen Galante ([email protected]) for additional information.

Joining the Club

Colonial is committed to making sure that all students can join the club. In the fall, juniors and seniors can join via a full-year membership; in the spring, sophomores are also invited to join as a sophomore member. You can also find more information on joining via our website. If you are interested in joining, please request the 2024-25 membership contract from the Undergraduate President, Evelyn Chen ([email protected]) or our Club Manager, Kathleen Galante ([email protected]).