Tons of fun: Liberty University’s Spirit Rock is back

Liberty University’s “Spirit Rock,” a campus gem and spray paint canvas for 25 years, was reinstated as a landmark Wednesday morning.

A 9-ton boulder first graced campus in 1993 and was plastered with thousands of layers of paint over the years. Students have used the Spirit Rock to mark many of Liberty’s special moments and exhibit everything from dorm pride to symbols of their favorite superheroes and messages to pay homage to victims of tragedy, including those of 9/11 and the Virginia Tech shooting. It has also helped more than a few students propose.

The original Spirit Rock was removed in 2018 to make way for construction on the School of Business. Liberty had planned to transplant the original rock but it was affixed to a concrete foundation with reinforced steel and cracked into several pieces upon removal.

Nestled in a similar location near the DeMoss Hall bus stop, the new rock is of similar dimensions and weight, standing 5 feet tall and 11 feet wide. The new boulder was discovered by construction crews during recent excavation at the new Reber-Thomas Dining Hall site. Dan Deter, Liberty’s Vice President of Major Construction, stopped it from being broken up and designated it as the school’s new Spirit Rock. Its first layer of paint will pay tribute to Liberty’s 50th anniversary. The yearlong celebration officially kicked off on campus this week.