San Luis Obispo is known as one of the happiest places in America — alumni have known that for decades. That’s why when alumni come back to visit, it’s not just the campus they want to see.

“We know alumni come back to stay in town and play in town,” said Ellen Cohune (SPC, ’88), Assistant Vice President, Alumni Outreach. “So we’re bringing the Cal Poly alumni connection right to our visiting alumni with a new location in the heart of downtown SLO.”

Located at 854 Monterey St., overlooking the iconic Mission San Luis Obispo, the Alumni Welcome Center is open and ready to connect alumni to campus.

The new center is steps away from the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hothouse, shares a space with student entrepreneurs living in the Cal Poly Lofts, and is right around the corner from the new Cal Poly Downtown store – making it uniquely poised to serve as the alumni community’s downtown connection to Cal Poly.

“Now Cal Poly alumni have a home downtown to help them stay more informed about campus happenings, hear about events and get reconnected to their alma mater,” Cohune said.

Being located in the heart of downtown also enables the Cal Poly Alumni Association to highlight and support local alumni-owned businesses.

Featuring a beautiful patio and a bright, open floor plan, the historic, century-old building is also the ideal location to host events, including exclusive alumni receptions during Homecoming Weekend in the fall and Open House in the spring – key times when alumni return to their old college hometown.

“The Cal Poly campus is where we earned our Learn by Doing education,” said Cohune. “But we know that many alumni will always have a special place in their hearts for the town of San Luis Obispo and the memories so many of us have made here.”