Bancroft Hall at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is the largest college dormitory in the world. It has 4,663 beds and covers 1.4 million square feet, with 33 acres of space and 4.8 miles of hallways. The dorm is affectionately called "Mother B" by the midshipmen who live there. Bancroft Hall was built in stages, starting in 1908, and now has eight wings. It houses around 4,400 midshipmen, who are students at the academy. Freshmen, known as "plebes," enter through the main doors on their first day but are not allowed to use those doors again until they graduate. Inside, there are many facilities for the midshipmen, including gyms, a bookstore, and medical services. The dorm rooms are shared by at least two people and must be kept very tidy, with strict rules about how to organize their belongings. Meals for the midshipmen are served in King Hall, which can feed 4,500 people quickly. The overall goal of Bancroft Hall is to help train future leaders in the military.
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