Memorial Gateway
Each year, hundreds of new students join Capital University by entering Memorial Gateway on Main Street in Bexley, a symbolic entry into the University community – the “CapFam.” They become part of a proud partnership between our Capital Family and our Bexley neighbors, sharing a beautiful campus and welcoming residential community within sight of Columbus’s vibrant downtown and all the urban amenities of Ohio’s largest city. Whether you live around the corner or across the state, come experience what a Capital education really means – inspired learning, sharpened critical-thinking, lifelong connections and purposeful opportunities that make a difference.
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Blackmore Library
Named after Capital’s 12th president and well-known legal scholar, Blackmore Library was constructed in 1969 and underwent a renovation in 2012. In addition to more than 300,000 pieces of media, the library includes many articles and much of the University's historic data, in addition to a large collection of music and a vinyl section. Computers are located on the first three floors for student use. The fourth floor is home to The Schumacher Gallery, which houses a large and diverse art collection consisting of more than 2,500 works encompassing 2,000 years of cultural history.
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Blackmore Library has four levels. Use the stairs or or the links below to see more:
Convergent Media Center
Opened in 2017, Capital’s Convergent Media Center is a collaborative environment for faculty and students from areas of study ranging from communication and music, to electronic media, film, creative writing, sociology and more. Its diverse mix of majors organically mingle and positively impact one another. Features such as active learning classrooms extend the site’s benefits to additional areas of study, including those that have traditionally relied on a lecture-based approach. The building houses Cap TV, WXCU Radio, The Chimes student newspaper, and state-of-the-art music recording studios, as well as conference rooms and classrooms. The original hardwood floor of Loy Gym, the building that formerly occupied that location, was repurposed into tables and other features in the new building.
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When visiting the CMC, be sure to visit:
The Conservatory of Music
Founded in 1918, Capital’s Department of Music quickly grew in number of students and prestige. Mees Hall, its permanent home, opened in 1928. For generations, Capital University has encouraged students and faculty to pursue meaningful, creative lives and to honor artistic excellence. The Conservatory of Music underwent a $6.4 million renovation in 1991-92, providing a state-of-the-art environment for the study of music, as well as outstanding performance facilities for Central Ohio. The Conservatory’s on-campus equipment includes a full complement of instruments and computers, an electronic music studio, an electronic piano/computer room, a music education curriculum laboratory and several rooms with practice pipe organs. In fall 2005, the Paul W. and Ella D. Hugus Memorial Pipe organ was dedicated in Mees Hall Auditorium. The three-manual, 70-rank organ boasts more than 4,000 pipes and was designed and constructed especially for the hall and the requirements of a pipe organ within an academic environment.
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While at the Conservatory, be sure to visit:
Kerns Religious Life Center
The cornerstone for Kerns Religious Life Center was laid in 1914 to serve as Rudolf Library and become the heart of the University. A new wing was added in 1938 and included a main reading room. Seminary students donated four art glass windows showing the emblems of the four evangelists. A lack of space, lack of reading rooms, and inadequate office spaces for staff led to the construction of Blackmore Library and the transition of Rudolf Library to the Kerns Religious Life Center in 1982. Today, Kerns houses the center of University worship in its chapel, the Stegemoeller reception room (named after Capital’s 11th president), religion classrooms and faculty offices, and hosts worship services throughout the week. The east side of the building includes a large terrarium entrance, and the west side of the building is marked by a 60-foot cross, symbolizing Capital’s roots in the Lutheran Church and its mission based on Christian principles.
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Reflections Fountains
Dedicated in 2009, Reflections fountain has become a central gathering location and hallmark of the Capital University campus. Located on the Mound Street Plaza, this water feature was the result of a significant gift from former University trustee and Columbus developer Robert J. Weiler. Through the years, it has become a popular site for campus-wide celebrations, concerts, studying, alumni gatherings, and numerous engagements of Capital sweethearts! In celebration of the holiday season, the fountains are surrounded with purple lights. In front of the fountains, the Plaza showcases hundreds of engraved bricks marking special occasions in the lives of Capital Family.
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Saylor-Ackermann Hall
Ackermann Hall, the first residence hall built at Capital for women, was dedicated in 1928, a decade after the initial admission of women to the University. Additional housing for women was built adjacent to Ackermann Hall and designed Saylor Hall upon its completion in 1955. A co-ed hall today, Saylor-Ackermann Hall houses 250 upperclass residents (sophomores, juniors, and seniors). Most rooms are doubles, but some triple rooms are available, and each floor has a community space. Individual rooms have wireless internet access and data ports that include cable TV and Ethernet. There are coin-free washers and dryers located on the ground level and a computer lounge with a community printer. Capital Grounds, a coffee shop operated by the University’s food service provider, overlooks the University’s picturesque quad and features fair-trade coffee and specialty drinks.
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Harry C. Moores Student Union
Originally opened in 1967, Capital’s a focal point of campus life underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation during the summer of 2013. Today, the first floor of the Harry C. Moores Student Union contains a commuter student lounge, the University’s Barnes & Noble bookstore, and One Main Café, which features flatbread pizzas, burgers, salads and Starbucks beverages. The second floor of the Student Union houses the Main Dining Room, which overlooks the campus and features all-you-care-to-eat dining services from several stations. Officially known as Capital Court, it offers a wide variety of entrees, ethnically inspired foods, vegetarian selections and much more, including an allergy-free zone. The Student Union also houses the Cabaret Theatre, the University’s Mail Services, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Student and Community Engagement, an ATM, student computers, meeting rooms and student organization offices. The third floor of the Student Union underwent renovations and reopened in 2017 with a new workout area available to all students, faculty and staff.
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Harry C. Moores Student Union is home to these areas:
Ruff Memorial Learning Center
Ruff Memorial Learning Center opened in 1969, allowing for more classroom and office space for the growing University. One of the attractive features is the Metee Bridge of Learning, which physically connects the second floor of the Learning Center to the second floor of Battelle Hall of Science and Nursing and transformed an inflexible and dated facility into a showcase customized for classroom learning, multimedia presentations, and guest lectures. The space now is a 120-seat auditorium enhanced with the latest audio/visual technology. As Capital’s largest classroom, its flexible seating facilitates lecture-style classroom teaching, as well as collaborative learning among student groups. Modern finishes, sloped seating and sophisticated visual equipment, including five projection screens, enhance the teaching and learning experience, and support accessibility.
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The Capital Center
The Capital Center is a 126,000-square-foot recreational and athletic complex. Opened in 2001, it includes the 2,100-seat Performance Arena; 3,000-seat Bernlohr Stadium; 51,000-square-foot Multipurpose Forum; 5,000-square-foot fitness center; and a multitude of offices, classrooms and hospitality areas. Functionality and usability are the key in the multipurpose forum, as the infield of the NCAA-regulation indoor track has four courts with lines for basketball, volleyball and tennis. Suspended from the ceiling is netting that can split the area into a multitude of configurations for a variety of events, as well as a pair of hitting cages for baseball, softball and golf. Part of the forum includes fitness centers with cardiovascular and weight-training areas. The Cap Center is home to the Health and Sport Sciences Department, with a complete sports medicine and athletic training center, sports science laboratory, classrooms and space for activity classes. The Athletic Department also has an office suite with administrative work areas. The flexibility of the Multipurpose Forum allows the University to host large conferences, as well as its own special events and Commencement ceremonies.
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At the Capital Center, be sure to see these areas:
Huber Spielman
Since its opening in 1959, Huber-Spielman Hall has housed Capital’s speech and fine arts classes, including both art studios for drawing, sculpting and painting, and classroom spaces. Communication, drama, art history, arts education, arts administration and public relations are some of the majors and classes that are taught from Huber-Spielman. Art therapy majors also learn in this building, combining classes from an artist’s understanding of creative expression with classes that teach a therapist’s understanding of personal dynamics.
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Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University
In 1830, the church founded the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary in Ohio to educate pastors in the region, which later resulted in the charter of Capital University in 1850. Students seek maximum involvement in the various dimensions of the Seminary experience: academics, common meals, worship, ministry in context, community life and special programs. Trinity students follow their call through the Seminary’s four degree programs: Master of Divinity; Master of Theological Studies; Master of Arts in Youth and Family Ministry; and Master of Sacred Theology. There are opportunities to participate in daily worship and fellowship; liturgical choirs; interactive small groups; community service partnerships; and Life Together, an organization entrusted with non-academic aspects of Seminary life. The campus includes classrooms, faculty offices, gathering spaces such as the Koinonia Center, and the beautiful Gloria Dei Worship Center. Hamma Library houses a collection of nearly 142,000 books and bound periodicals, and offers more than 19,000 e-journals and 250,000 e-books.
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The power of creation through art and nature
Powerful examples of liturgical art can be found inside and outside Trinity Lutheran Seminary, including the “Promise for Life” sculpture at the corner of College Avenue and East Main Street. Created by Holocaust survivor and sculptor Alfred Tibor, this “living sculpture” depicts a dramatic bronze flame rising through and above a huddled group of men, women, and children surrounded by barbed wire. At the top of the flame stand a mother and father lifting up their newborn child, offering continuing inspiration for interfaith dialogue and understanding. Additional outdoor spaces, such as the Fred Meuser Courtyard, are open to anyone seeking areas for peaceful reflection.