Photo by Tom Duncan
An exhibit currently on display in the Rotunda describes the period in the University's life from 1865 to 1900 through pictures and drawings. Entitled "The Rambunctious Virginia Gentlemen," the exhibit illustrates the old beer parties, the Final Ball, student political campaigns and the "petting pits"— abandoned ice houses that were used for romantic trysts. The picture above shows a favorite spring pastime of students and their dates. Buggies would be rented for a leisurely drive around the nine-mile circuit of roads ringing Charlottesville.