The Auditorium belongs to a complex that was once an insane asylum. The Athens Mental Health Center. We felt it was the appropriate setting for our wedding reception. According to the OU website, the auditorium, originally the Amusement building, was built in 1900 and was used for chapel services, meetings, movies, activity therapy, and recreation purposes for the patients of the hospital. Today, the auditorium is used for College of Fine Arts performances, plays, concerts, recitals, lectures and various functions.
Parking is available in the three lots near the Auditorium.
Despite the presence of ghosts, both real and legendary, the Ridges is a beautiful place. Perched on a high ridge overlooking Athens and the Hocking River Valley, the Ridges offer both OU students and Athens residents convenient access to hiking and biking trails. Ohio University now owns the land, and the main administrative building, Lin Hall , is home to the Kennedy Museum of American Art . The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday. At its peak, the asylum occupied over 1,000 acres, and cared for over 1,800 patients.