Student Rooms

The majority of student rooms are double occupancy. There are some single rooms available on a first come, first served, and need basis. Roommates are paired according to gender preferences, age, and, as much as possible, your special request at the time of registration. Rooms at Ox-Bow are simple. Each room provides you with a twin bed with a pillow and light comforter, a ceiling or standing fan, and minimal storage for clothing and personal belongings. Rooms are neither heated nor air conditioned, so please bring appropriate clothing and bedding for both cool and hot nights. ADA compliant housing options are available. Bathroom and shower facilities are shared.

Commuting Students and Off-Campus Housing

We welcome students to commute or to choose local accommodations off-campus. A variety of hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfast inns are located in and around Saugatuck and Douglas. Both Saugatuck and Douglas are located less than four miles from Ox-Bow and can be accessed by car, bike, or via a chain ferry that leaves from downtown. We maintain a list of local accommodation options and are happy to share these with you. Contact campusoffice@ox-bow.org for details.

Commuting students are encouraged to participate fully in life at Ox-Bow. Please plan to attend special events such as Friday Night Open Studios, artist talks, and parties.

The Ox-Bow Inn

The majority of student rooms are located in a 19th-century landmark inn at the center of the Ox-Bow grounds. The older portion of the inn still stands as rustic and as charming as it always has, with student rooms on the second floor, as well as a gallery space, the original dining room, common areas, and the primary student services reception desk and offices. Here you will also find our relaxing porch equipped with hanging swings and festive chairs for meetings and resting. The Burke Inn Addition, completed in 2006, houses additional student rooms. The first floor in the “New Inn” wing includes two ADA compliant rooms, the kitchen, an expanded dining room, additional office space, and a breezeway that connects to the original building.

The Janie

The Janie, named after Jane Warnock, was a gift from her parents, Todd and Liz Warnock, in 2008. This purple and blue dormitory houses a combination of faculty, visiting artists, students, and staff during all seasons.

The White

In the 1870s, the White was used as a caretaker’s house for the Shriver home and was later rented by lumberjacks and fishermen. Today, it houses students in double rooms.

Bathrooms and showers

There are several bathrooms equipped with showers in the Inn and the Janie dormitory. Individual bathrooms are not available. Outside of the Inn and Janie, there is also a separate shower house in the center of campus, “The Wet”, with four individual shower stalls. There is also a central bathroom on campus, “The Adam and the Eve.”

Fellowship Student Housing

THE MARSHALL

Built in 2006, The Marshall dormitory, a gift from Todd and Liz Warnock, was named after their son Marshall, and houses fellowship students in the summer, artists-in-residence in the fall, and staff in the winter.