My Loyola

Visit Us

Shadow Program & Parent Tours

The Loyola Academy Shadow Program gives prospective students the opportunity to experience a typical school day at Loyola Academy. Eighth grade students are invited to shadow in the fall and seventh grade students are invited to shadow in the spring. Prospective transfer students are also invited to shadow in the spring.

Parent Tour
We are happy to provide a 30-minute parent tour beginning at 1:45 p.m. on the day of your child's shadow day. Please enter through the Piazza entrance, door #6, and check in with the security desk upon arrival. All tours will end at the main entrance, door #1, where shadow students will be dismissed promptly at 2:30 p.m. If interested, please check the appropriate box when registering your child for his or her shadow day, including the number of parents attending.

Shadow Program Information & Registration

Welcome to Loyola Academy! Located in Wilmette, a suburb twenty minutes north of Chicago, we are faith-based and mission driven. Loyola is a diverse and committed community responding to our God-given call to become women and men for others who are religious, intellectually component, physically fit, loving, open to growth and committed to doing justice.

List of 15 items.

Ignatian Lobby
Read More
Founded in 1909, Loyola Academy is a co-educational college preparatory school rooted in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Jesuit education is the oldest and most distributed system of secondary education in the world, dating back to 1548. In the United States, there are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and 55 high schools. We develop courageous and socially-minded Ignatian leaders who think critically, act justly, and speak eloquently, lighting a path to build a better world for generations to come.
Chapel
Read More
Loyola’s Chapel is a beautiful, open space where students and faculty can find a moment of solace or quiet prayer. Daily Mass, open to all community members, is offered before the start of the school day. The Chapel seats over 200 which is why it’s also a popular space for guest speakers and presentations throughout the school year.
STEAM Lab
Read More
Our 21st-century laboratory space features a flexible classroom think tank equipped with an interactive SMART board and mobile hexagonal desks for enhanced collaboration and problem solving. A new lineup of courses—including robotics, engineering design, forensic science, and biotechnology—give students opportunities to dig deeper into STEAM and make connections across different fields.
Nelson Innovation Hub
Read More
The Nelson Innovation Hub is a communal hub for project-based learning to support the STEAM disciplines at Loyola. Equipped with 3D printers, a programmable robot called Sphero, laser cutter, CNC machines, and other tools and materials to make learning collaborative and hands-on, this space provides new opportunities for Ramblers to become creators and innovators.
Classrooms
Read More
Classrooms at Loyola are thoughtfully designed to create a comfortable environment that fosters student-centered learning. In a multi-year transformation, all classrooms will be equipped with advanced technology and essential resources that support our rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Our classrooms are intentionally structured so that students are actively involved in the learning process, taking the lead in speaking, thinking, and doing. Whether through reading, writing, discussion, or creative activities, we believe that students should be at the forefront of their own learning journey.
Library
Read More
Loyola’s Library has transformed into the intellectual heart of the school, offering much more than just books and periodicals. It serves as the home for the Academic Drop-in Center, the Mary McCarthy Hughes Writing Lab, the Math Resource Lab, and the Science Resource Lab. This vibrant space supports the academic growth of all Loyola students by offering comprehensive resources beyond the classroom. Students are guided in the effective use of diverse print and digital tools to deepen their thinking, learning, and understanding.

In addition to research assistance and classroom instruction, the library offers specialized support in math, science, and writing. Students receive help with homework, classwork, labs, projects, quizzes, and tests, as well as access to peer tutoring in all subjects.
Student Center
Read More
Our student center features comfortable furniture for students to relax and study; a grab-n-go cafe with everything from handmade lattes to paninis and ice cream; and high-top table spaces for group work.
Quad
Read More
Just outside the Student Center doors, the Quad is a beautiful outdoor space on the north end of campus where students enjoy eating lunch with friends on picnic tables and outdoor activities such as frisbee, spikeball, touch football and more. Events like fall spirit rallies and the Earth Day Fair in the spring are just two examples of annual events that take place on the Quad each year. Ample sunshine and a canopy of trees make it a perfect retreat before, during, or after school.
McGrath Family Performing Arts Center
Read More
At Loyola, we believe that all students learn better in an environment that is enriched by the arts. The McGrath Family Performing Arts Center, spanning 29,000 square feet, features a 550+ seat proscenium theater with a balcony, an orchestra pit, a fully equipped scene shop, a green room, makeup and dressing rooms, and both indoor and outdoor performing spaces. Our theater boasts state-of-the-art acoustics that has garnered interest from a broader network of community partners, neighbors and friends, including Highland Park Players, Special Gifts Theater, and more.
Norcross Aquatic Center
Read More
Loyola's Norcross Aquatic Center is a bright and spacious two-story natatorium that features eight lanes, a moveable bulkhead, a wet classroom, two one-meter springboards, wide deck space, a 294-seat spectator gallery with retractable bleachers and a Colorado Time System scoreboard.
Piazza
Read More
Inspired by the St. Ignatius Piazza in front of the Church of St. Ignatius in Rome, our Piazza serves as a hub for Rambler life. Conceived as a flexible, light-filled space that will connect the aquatic center to the West Gym, entry lobby, interior courtyard and academic wings, the Piazza is equipped with modular seating that can be rearranged to accommodate a variety of needs and allow students to gather before, during, and after school.
Hoerster Field and Sachs Stadium
Read More
In June 2020, a new turf and shock pad were installed on Hoerster Field at Sachs Stadium, enhancing the field’s safety and performance for Rambler athletes and marching band members. In May 2024, permanent stadium lights were added to the field, allowing Loyola Academy to host evening athletic competitions. Adjacent to the football field are Loyola’s tennis courts, which received an updated look and feel in the summer of 2017.
Theodore G. Munz, SJ, Campus
Read More
Loyola’s 60-acre Munz Campus features athletic fields, a prairie, a river, and wetlands preserve area. It is located 3.4 miles from our Wilmette campus and is reachable by car in just 10 minutes. Student athletes use our Munz Campus for practice and competition in soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, baseball, softball, and cross country. Loyola’s Science Department has overseen the development of the natural area surrounding the athletic fields.
East Gym
Read More
With its glossy hardwood floors and prominently displayed “RAMBLERS” lettering, the East Gym is one of the most recognized gyms on the North Shore. Host to Loyola Academy pep rallies, basketball games, Hall of Fame celebrations and more, the East Gym has been home to countless Rambler champions over the years.
West Gym
Read More
This multipurpose space is used for everything from all school Masses, intramural competitions, and our annual Ramble dinner and auction. The West Gym is a central hub of activity at Loyola Academy.