Socializing during the COVID-19 pandemic is important, but challenging. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends spending time outdoors as much as possible, but as the temperatures dip, finding places to hang with friends outside can be difficult. 

To help, Northeastern has added dozens of fire pits, propane heaters, and outdoor furnishings to its Boston campus—creating a number of new places to catch up with friends and work together. In addition, campus planners created a series of themed tents, evoking everything from a Renaissance ballroom to a forest lodge, to make outdoor dining a whimsical experience.

The “Bamboo Room,” a dining tent near Curry Student Center, is a favorite for Haynes Bell, a second-year student working on co-op at Northeastern’s arboretum. 

“It’s such a great place to meet up,” he said on a chilly January day. “It’s always really warm in there—in fact, sometimes it even gets a little too hot.”

Find Bell’s favorite plant-themed tent and other great places to socialize outdoors this winter by exploring the interactive map below.