Onsite at ORNL

Details on onsite amenities such as dining, taxi transportation, WIFI are listed below. For information on the arrival and check in process, please see Plan Your Visit. Please contact the User Office if you have any questions.

Download the printable PDF of the services for users here.

Campus Transportation

The ORNL Ridge Runner shuttle and taxi services provide transportation within the campus from 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. ORNL is on Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Shuttle routes and operating hours:

Plasma Loop: 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Rotates from the Main Campus Visitor Center to SNS and HFIR.
Between 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., call the taxi at 865-680-2303.

Spark Loop: 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Travels clockwise from central to west campus (from Building 5600 to Building 1506).

Infinity Loop: 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Travels counter clockwise from central to west campus (from Building 5600 to Building 1506).

Taxi operating hours:

For any destination within the campus that is not included in the shuttle loop routes, between 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., call the taxi at 865-680-2303.
Tell the driver where to pick you up and where you need to go.
Wait at the designated taxi pickup location for the taxi to arrive.

Learn more about the ORNL Ridge Runner shuttle and taxi services and download the Passio GO app.

WIFI and Computer Access

The ORNL wireless network is available for users to access while onsite. A personal computer or phone with wireless capability is required for access. Follow the directions here to log onto the ORNL WIFI network.

Printers are available at SNS in Bldg 8600, SNS User Lounge (printer 8600-J205-C400) and Bldg 8700, Instrument Hall (printer 8700-TA206-2000) located across from the Instrument Hall Coordinator’s Office. At HFIR, there is a printer located in Bldg 7964K User Trailer (printer 7964K-C31-C2000), located in the printer cubicle behind the User Workstation area, towards the backside of the trailer.

Email your file to be printed as an attachment to PUBprint@ornl.gov You will then receive an email with a “Release Key” that will be valid for 2 hours at any of the ORNL Public Printers. At the printer, you will press the “Release Key” button and enter the key code that was emailed to you.

SNS and HFIR User Lounges

The SNS and HFIR User Lounges have seating areas and computer workstations for users to work, relax, eat and monitor their experiments. To log into the computer workstations, users will need to use their ORNL Guest Portal username and password.

Lockers, refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee machines are also provided in or near the lounges.

Meals

Onsite Dining

ORNL’s on campus dining offers breakfast and lunch. For evenings and weekends, there are prepackaged meals and snacks available to purchase using the self-service check-out kiosk. Users are responsible for the cost of all their meals.

There are three on-site locations:

SNS Cafeteria (Building 8600)
- Breakfast is served 7:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. and lunch is served 10:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Vending services with snacks and beverages can be found in many buildings on campus.
- The SNS Cafeteria also offers a self-service cooler and checkout system outside normal operating hours. You can choose from the available packaged food items and ring up purchases at the credit card only self-checkout kiosk. Cafeteria employees are not present during this time, so the cafeteria operates on an honor system.
HFIR Satellite Canteen (Building 7910)
- Limited lunch menu served 10:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Visitor/Conference Center Cafeteria (Building 5200)
- Breakfast is served 7:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. and lunch is served 10:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Offsite Dining and Food Deliveries

https://exploreoakridge.com/where-to-eat/
Numerous restaurants and grocery stores are available 24/7 in Oak Ridge. To visit the main Oak Ridge shopping complex, go out the east entrance/exit on Bethel Valley Rd to the stoplight at Bethel Valley Rd and Scarboro Rd. Turn left onto Scarboro Rd, and continue straight (past Y-12) to the stoplight at Scarboro Rd and South Illinois Ave. Turn left onto South Illinois Ave and continue straight ahead to reach the shopping complex.

Food deliveries can be made to the ORNL Guest House for users staying there. Note that only drivers that are US Citizens, or non-US citizens with an ORNL badge, can pass the ORNL security check point to deliver food. You will need to confirm with the restaurant when ordering that the delivery driver meets one of these criteria. From Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., please notify the Main Campus Visitor Center by calling 865-574-7199 and let them know that you are expecting a food delivery to the Guest House. They will notify the security guards to expect the delivery. After-hours/weekends, when the Visitor Center is closed, inform the restaurant that the delivery driver will need to provide the security guard with your name (or the person they will be delivering food to) so the security guard can verify you have a badge and are on-site to receive the delivery.

There is also a weekly meal delivery service available through Clean Eatz, find out more here.

SNS and HFIR Operating Status Alerts

Notification of beam status changes including beam start, shutdown, outages and schedule changes is available through our SMS message service.

To subscribe to SNS operating status alerts, text “SNSINFO” to 333-111 to begin receiving messages. To stop receiving messages, text “STOP SNSINFO” to 333-111.

To subscribe to HFIR operating status alerts, text “HFIRINFO” to 333-111 to begin receiving messages. To stop receiving messages, text “STOP HFIRINFO” to 333-111.

Status alerts are also available for email subscription:

WellOne Clinic

The WellOne Clinic provides medical services to all employees, subcontractors and visitors. Services for primary, acute, wellness, and preventative care are available. Insurance plans are accepted; non-insured patients are billed in full for services provided. All patients should call the WellOne clinic before coming into the clinic.

Location: Building 4500 North, Room I-112 (next to the ORNL Library)
Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. by appointment only)
Phone: 865-574-9355
Parking: Nearby parking lots. Alternatively, you can have the ORNL Ridge Runner shuttle or taxi drop you off at the building entrance.

ORNL Logo Store

The ORNL Logo Store has shirts, hats, mugs and more available on the Main Campus in Building 5200 (next to the Main Campus Cafeteria). Store hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Photography Guidelines

There are some restrictions in place for photography at ORNL. Photography is permitted and may be used to document your research or to take pictures around the ORNL campus. Signs are generally posted in areas where photography is prohibited or restricted. Ask your local contact about what you may photograph or about what areas prohibit cameras.

Places to Visit

The nearby cities of Oak Ridge and Knoxville offer a variety of activities and entertainment to enjoy, such as mountains, rivers and lakes, outdoor adventures, championship college teams and minor-league baseball, movies, shopping, and cultural events.

Oak Ridge Visitors and Convention Bureau https://exploreoakridge.com/

Knoxville Visitor Guide https://www.visitknoxville.com/

American Museum of Science and Energy https://amse.org/

Manhattan Project National Historic Park https://www.nps.gov/mapr/planyourvisit/oakridge-tn.htm

Great Smoky Mountains National Park https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm