Seismic design of building structures is a major course of civil engineering. Based on the course have the characteristics of numerous contents, deep theory, abstract conception, bad effect on traditional teaching mode, a teaching reform thinking of engineering case and virtual experiments was proposed. The present condition and problems of seismic design of buildings are analyzed in this paper; and the modes and characteristics of “engineering case -virtual experiments” teaching model are summarized; then the teaching reform strategy and curriculum teaching content setting are stated; at last, take reaction spectrum theory as an example, the practice process of teaching model are introduced in detail. The “engineering case and virtual experiments” teaching model take basic theory and method of seismic design as the main thread, and the teaching cases are carefully designed; the virtual simulation is integrated into the case teaching. In this teaching model, the visualization of a real seismic engineering situation can help students submitting, analyzing and solving problems. Meanwhile, the teaching model emphasize heuristic teaching, the students’ interest is stimulated, and the understanding of basic concept and principle of seismic is deepened. By using the teaching model, the comprehensive ability of students to outputs are strengthened．