Ohio State’s Columbus campus spans over 1,600 acres, encompassing an array of research centers, laboratories, libraries, classrooms and more. With so much terrain to explore, it can be easy to overlook some of the campus’ most compelling places.
Scope out a handful of these hidden gems below.
Orton Hall (155 Oval Drive S.)
Not only is Orton Hall one of Ohio State’s oldest and most recognizable buildings, but it is also geologically accurate. The building, according to Ohio State’s website, is made up of 40 different types of Ohio stone, all arranged as they occur in nature, with the oldest stones at the bottom of the building and the newest ones on the top.
The entrance to the Orton Geological Museum in Orton Hall — located at 155 Oval Drive S. — at Ohio State’s Columbus campus. Credit: Samantha Harden | Arts & Life Editor
Aside from this, the building is also home to Ohio State’s Orton Geological Museum and the Orton Memorial Library of Geology.
According to Ohio State’s website, the Orton Geological Museum holds over 30,000 specimens, including a 7-foot giant ground sloth and the skull of a Jurassic dinosaur.
The Orton Memorial Library of Geology, according to its website, is the oldest library location on Ohio State’s Columbus campus. The library is home to over 200,000 geologic and topographic maps of the United States and the world that are available to the public, according to the library’s website.
Orton Hall and the Orton Geological Museum are open to the public Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and the Orton Memorial Library of Geology is open to the public Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Arne Slettebak Planetarium (174 W. 18th Ave.)
Located on the fifth floor of the Smith Laboratory, Ohio State’s Arne Slettebak Planetarium is a 63-seat, 30-foot digital dome theater that has offered educational programming on the night sky — which is welcome to everyone in the central Ohio community, including children — since 1967.
Depending on the weather, the planetarium’s programming can also extend to its rooftop, where a high-tech telescope can be used to view the night sky.
The Arne Slettebak Planetarium offers free programming to the public, but also welcomes donations. Additional fees may be applied for those who wish to book private events at the planetarium.
Further details about the planetarium’s current programs, including how to join the waitlist for any upcoming events, are available on its website. For more information on booking private events at the planetarium, visit the website’s “private groups” section.
The Ohio State University Archives (2700 Kenny Road)
In addition to roughly two million photographic images that chronicle university life from 1870 to now, the Ohio State University Archives also houses carefully preserved documents, records, manuscripts and mementos, all of which are available for anyone to view on an appointment basis.
The archives include football team photos and rosters from 1890 to present, as well as an entire collection of papers, photographs and artifacts dedicated to track and field legend Jesse Owens’ athletic career, business interests, philanthropic activities and personal life.
The archivists are likewise known for publishing “From Woody’s Couch,” a blog that shares stories surrounding some of the more unassuming artifacts — or, as the archivists call them, “treasures” — preserved by the facility because of their historical significance.
The Ohio State Archives are free to visit Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. by appointment. To make an appointment or request a list of items from the archives, email [email protected] or call 614-292-2409.
Bricker Hall (190 N. Oval Mall, Building 001)
Opened in 1924, Bricker Hall was originally used as an administrative building for the university registrar. The building’s third floor, according to Ohio State’s website, was also home to the Faculty Club until it moved to its current location in 1940.
According to Ohio State’s website, it wasn’t until 1983 that the building was officially named after former U.S. senator and Ohio governor John Bricker, who received his bachelor’s degree from the university in 1916 and went on to spend 21 years as a member of the Board of Trustees.
Bricker Hall — located at 190 N. Oval Mall in building 001 — at Ohio State’s Columbus campus. Credit: Samantha Harden | Arts & Life Editor
But the legacy of Bricker Hall doesn’t lie solely with its namesake. Another member of the Board of Trustees, Herbert Atkinson, had one wish before he died in 1952. According to Ohio State’s website, Atkinson told then-Ohio State President Howard L. Bevis that he never wanted to leave campus, and he meant it.
When Atkinson passed away, he was cremated and his ashes were sealed in one of the walls inside Bricker Hall. A plaque is hung on the hall just outside the Board of Trustees meeting room, beside the main staircase. Moreover, the lights are left on all day and night in his honor.
Bricker Hall is open to the public Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Parker Dairy Store (2015 Fyffe Road)
Ohio State even makes its own ice cream. Ohio State Parker Dairy Pilot Plant ice cream, made right on campus in the Parker Food Science and Technology Building, is available at two on-campus dining locations: the Union Market in the Ohio Union and Parker Cafe, also known as Parker Dairy Store, which is located in the Parker Food Science and Technology Building.
According to the plant’s website, two Ohio State professors who worked at the Parker Food Science and Technology Building came up with the idea to coat the inside of an ice cream cone with chocolate in order to keep the cone from getting soggy, thus contributing to the creation of the Drumstick frozen ice cream treat.
The Parker Food Science and Technology Building and the Parker Dairy Store are open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Parker Dairy Store products can be purchased by the public or by using dining dollars included in Ohio State students’ meal plans.
