With a campus as big as Ohio State's, there are so many different places to study and hang out with friends. There are also so many places that people don't know exist that are so beautiful or just a good place to study.
1. The Wexner Center for the Arts and Heirloom Cafe
While the Wexner is a fairly well-known place on campus and in the Columbus area, a lot of people don't know that students can get in for free and that the exhibits rotate every semester. The attached cafe serves unique and healthier foods than most places on campus; however, they don't accept the OSU meal plan.
2. Orton Hall
This unsuspecting building not only houses the bells but it is also home to the geology museum and library. This rarely visited place on campus has full fossils of a couple animals, not just gemstones.
3. Sullivant Hall
Home to both the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum and the Barnett Theatre that hosts dance performances, Sullivant Hall has a ton of great opportunities to see the arts in action. In addition to these two attractions, there are also great study spots, and it is fairly empty most of the time.
4. The Ohio Union Study Rooms
Everyone knows where the Union is, but there are a ton of rooms that many people don't know exist, like the study area near the Resource Room and the study lounge on the third floor. Sure, it's one of the most populated places on campus, but there are places where it can seem more private
5. Basement of SEL
Even people who frequently study in SEL don't know that the basement exists. There are classrooms made especially for studying, and there are also a lot of tables that make it a good meeting spot on campus.
6. The Drake Performance Center
This building is out on west campus near the towers, and if you're not a theatre major/minor, odds are you've never felt the need to spend time there. However, the main floor looks out over the Olentangy, and the Department of Theatre puts on most of their shows there.
7. Fine Arts Library
Tucked back in the Wexner Center for the Arts area, unless you're an art major, you probably have never visited it. If you can find it, then you can have space essentially all to yourself.
8. Eleventh Floor of Thompson
While it's not so hidden, the eleventh floor of Thompson is one of the places that have the best view of campus. It's a good place to study and a way to see campus from a new angle.
9. Buckeye Grove
A good place to hang out on West Campus when the weather is nice, it's also the way that the Heisman trophy winners of Ohio State are honored on campus.
10. Chadwick Arboretum
A part of Agriculture campus, the arboretum is not only a beautiful place on campus, but it also teaches students about the different types of trees and plants on campus.
11. Curl Market's Upstairs Dining Room
Sometimes you don't want to study in a library, but you also don't want to eat in a place like Scott where they are a ton of people and noise. Curl's Dining Room has floor to ceiling windows, and it normally pretty empty and reasonably quiet.
12. Biological Sciences Library
If you're looking for a library that is practically always empty, Bio Sciences is for you. It's located on Med campus, so there are fewer people there in general, and there are very few that are studying there all the time.
13. The Columbus Coffee Trail
Near campus up and down High Street, there are tons of coffees shops, so many so that they made it a game to try and visit every single one. Sure, you probably have your favorite, but there are so many in the area and they all have their own charm.
14. Olentangy River Trail
Right out behind the Towers, there is a trail that gives you a chance to get off campus, while still staying close. It's a way to spend time outside and exploring a new part of campus.
15. The Planetarium
The Planetarium is housed in one of the classroom buildings, Smith Lab, and there are different shows about the night sky. It is a wonderful resource on campus but one that not many people know about.
16. The North Market
While it's far from campus, North Market is a good place to visit if you want to try something new or have a large group of people who don't know what they want to eat. It is one of my favorite places to eat in Columbus, and it's not too terribly far from campus.
17. The Younkin Success Center
While this isn't one of the most fun places on this list, it is one of the most important to students. Not only is this a quiet place to study, there are also so many resources housed here, like student counseling and resume review. There are so many ways to take advantage of the resources on campus.