If you look straight ahead, you’ll spot a striking stone building with arched gothic windows, two tall brick chimneys, and flowering trees flanking its entrance-this is Cloister Inn, right here on Prospect Avenue.
Welcome to Cloister Inn! If you listen closely, you can almost hear echoes of laughter and clinking glasses drifting through the air. Founded in 1912, Cloister is one of Princeton’s legendary eating clubs-a neo-Gothic gem that looks like it’s been plucked straight from the English countryside and dropped right here between the Cap and Gown Club and Charter Club. The present building, designed by R.H. Scannell and Charles Lewis Bowman, sprang up in 1924, and its stone façade and arched doors give it that “Hogwarts meets Princeton” vibe we all secretly wish for. Picture ivy trailing down the walls, the heavy scent of spring blooms, and the soft crunch of gravel under your shoes as students in varsity jackets hurry past.
But Cloister hasn’t always been this calm oasis. Imagine the tumult of 1972-Princeton changed, times were wild, and this club closed its doors to undergrads, inviting instead alumni of every vintage until it reopened in 1977, swinging wide once more for students old and new. If you’re not into drama, you’ll like Cloister’s “sign-in” method-a democratic twist on the club scene, where membership is decided by a lottery, not a nerve-wracking bicker. Their motto? “Where everybody knows your name.” Take that, Cheers!
Now, don’t let the cozy motto fool you-Cloister is home to an impressive bunch who could probably out-row, out-cycle, and out-swim most of us. Over the years it’s been a favorite haunt for athletes, especially Olympians. Picture a room full of rowers comparing blisters, or a cyclist resting tired legs under these very windows. There’s golden medalist Caroline Lind, fencer Susie Scanlan, and more than a handful of world-class rowers like Chris Ahrens and Nick Mead-each one with stories that could fill a trophy case. Swimming, cycling, rowing-you name it, Cloister’s got an Olympian for it. Imagine hearing the dull thud of oars or the gentle splash of water, and wonder if the next champion is inside scarfing down a post-practice snack.
But Cloister isn’t just muscle and medals. It’s also a haven for thought and creativity. The name may ring a bell from the bestselling novel “The Rule of Four” by Ian Caldwell-he was a Cloister member, weaving scenes from this very building into fictional intrigue. He's in good company: screenwriter Craig Mazin, journalist Nicholas Confessore, and even Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan once walked these halls.
And what a parade of public-minded folks have come through here! Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, Anne-Marie Slaughter of New America, and ambassadors galore-the halls buzz with memories of impassioned debates and world-changing plans scribbled late into the night. If these old stones could talk, they’d probably argue politics with more passion than a caffeinated debate team.
The club’s history shows that Cloister has always been about community, whether alumni or undergrads, jocks or writers, rowers or diplomats. Maybe that’s why the legend lives on, with each class adding its own layer of memory, mystery, and mirth. As you stand in front of these arched windows and imposing stone walls, try to imagine the secrets they keep-who plotted a prank here, who traded a secret handshake, and who dreamed a dream that changed the world. On a quiet morning, you might even hear the click of polished shoes on flagstone, echoing from a century ago. At Cloister Inn, you’re not just looking at history-you’re standing right where it happened, and where it’s still being made every day.
