Ohio Union - Campus Living Room

Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Ohio State University Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

This is the busiest building on campus for students between classes. The current Ohio Union opened in 2010, and students helped choose its colors, furniture and design. It earned LEED Silver certification for green building, and inside you will find several dining spots, a campus bookstore, lounges and meeting rooms for the hundreds of student organizations.

Ohio State has a long history with student unions. The first one, which you will see at the next stop, was the first student union at a state university in the country. A second union opened on this site in 1951, largely paid for by students. It was demolished in 2006 to make way for the building in front of you, and the university donated useful parts of it to Habitat for Humanity.

If you are visiting as a prospective student, this is a good place for a snack and a feel for daily life. Look for the bronze bust of Edward S. Drake, who managed the earlier union for 33 years.

Getting here: Walk south along High Street for about 5 minutes to the corner of 12th Avenue; the Ohio Union is on the west side of the street.

Did you know?: When the 1951 union came down, much of it got a second life: Ohio State gave usable parts of the building to Habitat for Humanity.

Photo op: Cross to the east side of High Street for a straight-on view of the Union's long facade, framed by the bustle of the street.

Ohio Union - Campus Living Room

Stops on this tour