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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
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The Ohio State University is a sprawling campus of more than 1,700 acres and 400-some buildings. Established in 1870, it was known as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. Now it's one of the nation's largest colleges with more than 50,000 students and ranked in the top 20 among public universities by U.S. News & World Report.

The university is located three miles north of downtown Columbus with entrances off High Street. At the heart of campus is The Oval, a parklike setting of pathways designed by Central Park architect Frederick Law Olmsted. At one end of The Oval is the Main Library with an esteemed statue of former university president William Oxley Thompson. At the other end of the Oval, at 15th and High, is the Wexner Center for the Arts, an internationally acclaimed contemporary arts center presenting exhibitions, music, film and dance. It also has a gift shop worth browsing and a café. (Campus Oval Tours can be arranged for six or more persons by calling 614-292-3030 at least one month in advance for reservations.)

Of course, Ohio State Athletics are a hot topic in Columbus and beyond. The revered 105,000-seat Ohio Stadium sits along the Olentangy River on the western part of campus. An athletic complex consisting of the Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center (fondly known as "The Schott"; home of basketball and hockey), the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium (track & field and lacrosse), Bill Davis Stadium (baseball) and the Woody Hayes Athletic Facility (training) is located next to St. Rte. 315 just north of Lane Avenue. Another highlight of the athletic complex is the Jack Nicklaus Museum, a fascinating tribute to the Ohio State graduate and Columbus native.

The newest part of campus is an area along High Street called South Campus Gateway. Established as a way to improve the vitality of the neighborhood adjacent to the university, decaying buildings were demolished. In its place is a modern entertainment, shopping and dining complex. The Gateway Drexel movie theater shows indie films and Hollywood hits. A two-story Barnes & Noble serves as a campus bookstore with textbooks and plenty of OSU apparel. Restaurants and nightclubs are tucked between shops. Don't miss The Happy Greek with live music and belly dancing every Saturday night, or Eddie George's Grille 27, which is part-owned by the former Buckeye, Heisman Trophy winner and NFL star.