That is indeed Science Hall you’re looking at, and the bridge is likely one you know well, even if the name is unfamiliar. It’s the pedestrian bridge that crosses Park Street from Humanities to lower Bascom Hill. Grand Lakes University is the fictional school that Thornton Melon attended in the film Back to School, which premiered on June 13, 1986. Melon was played by Rodney Dangerfield, and the film’s cast includes Robert Downey Jr. and Kurt Vonnegut. Why did director Alan Metter choose UW–Madison for his fictional GLU? He wanted a spot with traditional, Big Ten atmosphere and plenty of fall color. He was scouting at Southern Methodist University near Dallas when he heard a student say, “God, I wish I was home this weekend.” Home was Madison; Metter was intrigued and flew north. At least that’s his story. It’s also true that Metter’s cinematographer, Thomas Ackerman, grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and visited the UW campus when he was a student, where he fell in love with Memorial Union. He might have influenced the decision, too. At any rate, they found their set. (Or at least part of the set. The diving scenes in the movie’s climax were shot at the Industry Hills Aquatic Club in Industry, California.) Grand Lakes University disappeared 40 years ago, but Science Hall is still there. If you haven’t heard, that classic building is getting an upgrade, though at the end, it will still look the same — and the nearby bridge says, “University of Wisconsin–Madison” again.

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