Visitors to UC Irvine’s Langson Library are greeted by glass display cases highlighting unique archival materials housed within special collections. From federal papers to Shakespeare’s First Folio, buried stories are brought to the forefront in the self-guided exhibits. However, for its latest showcase, the main library has turned the lens inward.

“2025 marks 60 years since the opening of UC Irvine,” says Cheryl Baltes, director of communications at UC Irvine Libraries. “We thought, ‘What a great opportunity to document the history of the university.’”

On display through September, “Anteater Experience: 60^th Anniversary of UC Irvine” traces six decades of campus history, spotlighting key developments that have shaped the university from its opening in 1965 to today.

“To curate the exhibit, we were able to go deep into the university archives, bringing out historical materials documenting major campus milestones,” Baltes says. “Looking through photographs and news materials, we asked ourselves, ‘What are the most important things from each decade?’ But there’s so much!”

Many of the images on display are the work of Steve Zylius, the managing producer-director at the Office of Strategic Communications & Public Affairs and chief university photographer. Chronicling a variety of campus events, such as President Barack Obama’s 2014 commencement address as well as the current construction of UCI Health — Irvine, his photography captures the ever-evolving nature of UC Irvine.

“When you’re walking around campus, you’re seeing the world in real time,” Zylius says. “But when you’re looking at a photograph, it’s a curated moment in time – a particular slice of existence that someone saw and said, ‘Hey, this is important.’”

This visual experience is a key element of the exhibit. As curators pieced together “Anteater Experience,” their goal was to connect viewers with the past, even if they were not there to see it themselves.

The result focuses on three main pillars of progress: landscape, sustainability and student life.

Featuring architect William Pereira’s original master plans for the campus, the exhibit looks to land use as an entry point for the birth of UC Irvine, highlighting the design and expansion of its circular layout built around Aldrich Park. In reflecting on the past, Baltes says, audiences can witness the transformation of the university from a concept to the institution it is now.

“This area went from barren ranch land to a massive city, home to an internationally recognized research institution,” she says. “Today, you can stand in Aldrich Park – this beautiful park that didn’t exist before the development of UC Irvine – and realize just how far the university has come in 60 years.”

Audiences can also follow the progression toward sustainability and conservation with photos documenting the campus’s integration of hydrogen fueling stations, environmentally suitable and sustainable landscaping, and protected open spaces to further immersive education and research.

Beyond the evolution of the campus’s master plan and developments in sustainability, the exhibit covers key moments in student and campus life. One of the most significant events, Baltes says, was the COVID-19 pandemic. To capture that moment in time, “Anteater Experience” showcases original art and firsthand accounts of UC Irvine students’ pandemic experiences. However, the exhibit also features moments of student engagement and advocacy, such as the 1993 student strike demanding the creation of an Asian American studies program.

“Seeing how prior student groups have contributed to shaping the campus has been really powerful for current-day students,” Baltes says. “When they come to see the exhibit, they see themselves in it.”

Open to the public, at no cost, during regular library hours, “Anteater Experience: 60^th Anniversary of UC Irvine” invites all viewers, not just students, to glimpse into the past as the university steps into its next decade of progress.

“I hope people realize what a dynamic environment UC Irvine is,” Zylius says. “It’s its own city filled with amazing folks who have this common drive to make the world a better place.”