Amber waves of grain, building fraternity houses, and brewing quality beer are three American things that the Midwest does very well. That’s why we thought it would be best to look at the Midwest region for the second installment of our ongoing “20 Most Impressive Fraternity Houses” series. If you missed our list of impressive southern fraternity houses, you can read that here.
The two things that these Midwestern fraternity houses have in common is that 1) they’re all huge and 2) they’ll make you seriously question why you didn’t go to school in our nation’s breadbasket.
In order to properly rank these twenty fraternity houses, we listed (when available) size, number of beds, amenities, and what makes each house so impressive. Most importantly, we also pulled together a comprehensive gallery of each house to give you the best feel for how awesome these houses really are.
#20: Sigma Phi Epsilon (Michigan Epsilon Chapter)
SCHOOL: Michigan State University
Number of beds: Sleeps 35 brothers
Amenities: Indoor half-court basketball court, TV den, full-size kitchen, full-size stripper pole, two full bars
What makes it so great: There are rumors that this fraternity house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, but while every bro would jump at the opportunity to be a part of Americana what really wins us over are the indoor basketball court and the stripper poles. We’re not big fans of the design/look of it (sorry Frankie) but you can’t deny the sheer size and location right by the river are impressive.
#19: Farmhouse (Alpha Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Missouri
What makes it so great: Not only is the the Alpha Chapter of Farmhouse, the brothers use their massive house to throw some of the best parties at Mizzou–a hard accomplishment in its own right. The house has a little more history (i.e. it’s older) than some of the other fraternity houses here, but it’s still standing strong. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in town and can get in.
#18: Kappa Alpha (Beta Alpha Chapter)
SCHOOL: Missouri S&T
Number of beds: 54 brothers (via architects’ original blueprints)
Amenities: Back terrace, fire pit, dining hall
What makes it so great: Kappa Alpha brothers just moved into their new house this Fall and from what we can tell it looks great. Not only does it sleep more brothers than a majority of the houses you’ll see on this list, it boasts an impressive footprint. There’s something about the state of Missouri that just breeds awesome fraternity houses.
#17: Kappa Sigma (Gamma-Kappa Chapter)
SCHOOL: Oklahoma University
Number of beds: 60 brothers (26 doubles and 2 singles)
Amenities: Gym room, laundry rooms, multiple offices and lounge rooms, portico, basement
What makes it so great: If you’re a fraternity at OU who wants to make a splash, you need a strong brotherhood and a great house. When Kappa Sigma’s house will finally be completed, it will be the newest Greek building on campus. Oh and it’s massive.
If this house was actually finished, it’d certainly rank higher on this list. But the construction’s not keeping the brothers from enjoying the house–here’s a quick video showing some bros enjoying the balcony before it’s finally complete.
#16: Kappa Sigma (Beta Epsilon Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Amenities: Lakefront property, best porch for tailgates, fantastic view, five floors (incl. basement)
What makes it so great: When we think of Wisconsin tailgates, we think of Kappa Sigma. Its fantastic location on Lake Mendota not only lends itself to day drinking and ragers during the fall and spring, during the winter brothers have been known to set up some pond hockey. It might not be as modern as some of the other houses on this list, but regularly throwing parties with hundreds of people in attendance will always be frat.
#15: Beta Theta Pi (Alpha Tau Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Nebraska
Amenities: Completely refurbished house
What makes it so great: The brothers of Beta Theta Pi are living in a completely revamped house, making it (in our opinion) the nicest fraternity house on UNL campus. Considering the size of some of the places on and off campus, that’s an outstanding accomplishment. Look for the bright red Beta lettering if you’re searching for a good time.
#14: Alpha Tau Omega (Gamma Omicron Chapter)
SCHOOL: Indiana University
Amenities: Massive basement, outdoor basketball court, art collection, game room (dart board, pool tables), full-size kitchen, huge dining room, great view of campus, big front lawn.
What makes it so great: ATO’s house at Indiana is dope. Sadly they weren’t able to live in it until a couple of years ago but now that they’ve got the numbers to fill the house again, they’re big men on campus. Chacnes are that John Mellencamp won’t be filming another MTV promo–like he did a few years ago–there anytime soon but they’ll always have the memories and a seriously impressive art collection (bros like art).
#13: Sigma Alpha Epsilon (Michigan Iota-Beta)
SCHOOL: University of Michigan
Amenities: HUGE lawn, multimillion refurbishing, actual frat castle
What makes it so great: First things first, you can’t talk about Michigan’s SAE without talking about their annual Mud Bowl–probably one of the greatest ongoing traditions in college. We’ve included a few of the photos for you to see in the gallery below, but long story short it’s a sloppy very good time.
Unfortunately the house has a bad history with fires. Last fall/winter they actually had to move out because of another one, but the silver lining is that they then went through a multimillion dollar refurbishing. Boo. Hoo.
#12: Psi Upsilon (Epsilon Nu Chapter)
SCHOOL: Michigan State University
Amenities: Big yard, hidden keg taps, huge basement, house dog
What makes it so great: Psi Upsilon has the nicest house in all of Michigan State University, hands down. Not only that, it’s probably got the single greatest thing I’ve ever seen in a fraternity house: a keg tap faucet hidden within a light fixture. Definitely worth a visit if you head to East Lansing.
#11: Alpha Tau Omega (Gamma Zeta Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Illinois
Amenities: Awesome balcony, modern living room with multiple screens for Gameday
What makes it so great: Illinois’ ATO house has one of the nicest views on campus, which is great because it also features a nice balcony to chill on if you’re not trying to drink on the porch. Inside, you’ve got a great mixture of old and new furnishings–wooden dining rooms and modern living areas. They’re no longer recognized by campus but that’s not going to stop them from operating like champions.
#10: Beta Theta Pi (Zeta Phi Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Missouri
Amenities: Pool table, full court outdoor basketball court, dining hall with overlooking balcony, game room, balcony
What makes it so great: Beta Theta Pi has the nicest house at Mizzou. It’s huge, features massive windows on the first floor, and is sure to impress both parents and women you show it to. The house was recently renovated and now boasts brand new e’erything.
#9: Beta Theta Pi (Pi Chapter)
SCHOOL: Indiana University
Amenities: Outdoor basketball court, huge lawn, pool table, massive lounge area, fire place
What makes it so great: Aesthetically speaking, you’ve gotta appreciate the Tudor-ish look that the Indiana houses have and none do it better than Beta Theta Pi. Once you go inside, the same thing can be said of their interior. They’ve also done the ridiculous and installed two fire places. Bold move Cotton, let’s see how it pays off.
#8: Beta Theta Pi (Beta Mu Colony)
SCHOOL: Purdue University
What makes it so great: We’d be lying if we said that Beta’s location didn’t have something to do with its ranking, but when you see this beast on the top of a hill you can’t help but be impressed by it. The house was just recolonized this year, and the founding fathers will be moving in next Fall so make sure to try and visit in 2015.
#7: Kappa Sigma (Beta Chi Chapter)
SCHOOL: Missouri S&T
Amenities: Volleyball court, big dorm rooms, one the largest houses in the nation
Size: 28,500 sq. ft.
What makes it so great: Kappa Sigma’s house is not just the largest on campus, it’s also one of the largest in the nation. And I don’t know what your country celebrates, but here in America we like things big.
#6: Pi Kappa Alpha (Alpha Kappa Chapter)
SCHOOL: Missouri S&T
Amenities: Piano, fire place
What makes it so great: Pike’s Missouri S&T is a real beauty and makes the list because it looks impressive as hell from the outside. They’ve got one of the largest brotherhoods on campus, but the good news is that their house can handle the volume. The house also has more than enough room to accomodate all the trophies they’re busy winning.
#5: Sigma Alpha Epsilon (Mo Alpha Chapter)
SCHOOL: University of Missouri
Amenities: Ghosts
What makes it so great: Technically this is an SAE house, but after a few *ahem* mishaps TKE actually took over the historic property for a couple of years. That’s all changed, though, and SAE is back to living here. Funny thing is, they’ll be sharing this house with a couple of ghosts. A long time ago the building served as a field hospital for troops and the story has it that the place is haunted.
In all seriousness, this house is a little off the beaten path but the fact remains that SAE is very impressive. With the way that things have been going in the world of fraternities, a little seclusion never hurt anyone.
#4: Phi Kappa Psi (Ohio Delta Chapter)
SCHOOL: Ohio State University
Number of beds: 50 brothers
Amenities: Parking lot for 30 brothers, full-size kitchen, two balconies
What makes it so great: When you’re modeling a fraternity house to look like the governor’s mansion of South Carolina, you’re doing something right. Phi Kappa Psi is one of the most classic-looking fraternity houses in the country, and the craziest thing is that these photos do not do the building justice.
#3: Sigma Chi (Delta Delta Chapter)
SCHOOL: Purdue
Amenities: Fire place, pool table, ping pong table, massive halls
What makes it so great: You mean besides the fact that Drew Brees was brother here? Besides the fact that Breesus and some other alumnus donated millions of dollars to turn this place into a college student’s dream? Fine, then let’s talk about the awesome party halls they have. Purdue by its very nature does frats very well, so the fact that Sigma Chi can say that it’s got the nicest house on campus is something they should drink to.
#2: Beta Theta Pi (Gamma Phi Chapter)
SCHOOL: Oklahoma University
Amenities: Full court basketball court, putting green, pool table, dining room w/ 3 flat screens, TV room with 10 flat screens, tiered conference room
What makes it so great: Beta is currently under construction/renovation, which is crazy because the photo you see above was what the house already looked like before they decided to improve it. Beta Theta Pi would have been a shoe-in for Top 10 but then they had to go and blow everyone’s socks off with their new plans. That’s why we’re putting it at #2, even though it’s not done yet.
UPDATE: The house was finished! Check out pictures in the link above!
Do yourself a favor and check out some of the renderings they’ve done of what the house will look like. And kudos, Betas, for installing a putting/chipping green on your property. Everyone knows the short game is where the winners are made.
#1: Phi Gamma Delta (Nu Omega Chapter)
SCHOOL: Oklahoma
Number of beds: 72 brothers
Size: 29,000 square feet
Amenities: Heritage Room, Library, and Alumni Meeting Space, a Chapter Lounge for member gatherings, and an individual apartment for the House Mother
What makes it so great: There aren’t many words that exist for the kind of jealousy FIJI’s Oklahoma chapter instills on the youth of America. This is currently the nicest fraternity house in the midwest and could very well be the greatest in the country. Yes it looks like a country club, but that’s something we can roll with.
Not only do they know how to design, build, and pay for an amazing house, the FIJI brothers also know how to dedicate it: by having Miss America sing “God Bless America.”
