Wexner Center for the Arts: Galleries, 1st Thursdays, Halloween Movies, and Día de los Muertos

Wexner Center for the Arts, located on campus at Ohio State, is a multidisciplinary research laboratory for the arts with programming featuring performing arts, exhibitions, and media arts.

The Wexner Center is a great place to get lost inside for a few hours by yourself, with friends, or with the family. In addition to exhibitions, once they can open fully, they’ll offer tons of events, including talks, films, music and more at the center during the month. 

First Thursdays 2025

Return to the Wex each on the first Thursday of each month to explore contemporary art and culture through talks, film screenings, and performances (ticketed separately).

We’re open late so you can also stop by the galleries and explore our fall exhibitions, grab a snack and beverage in Heirloom Café, and peruse the Wexner Center Store. Ohio State students get an additional 20% off in the store during First Thursday events. Scan your BuckID and get the most out of the Wex. 

• September 4
• October 2
• November 6
• December 4

See calendar for special features of each month.

Día de los Muertos 2025 at the Wex

Friday, October 24 starting at 4 pm

Join us at this all-ages event for reflections about our muertos, personal ofrendas (offerings or altars), a short reading and book signing, performances, and a hands-on art-making session.

While you’re here, enjoy free refreshments including tamales, hot chocolate, and traditional pan de muerto (Mexican bread of the dead).

All are welcome to celebrate departed loved ones and participate in this vibrant Latinx tradition with Mesoamerican Indigenous roots. Stay tuned for the full program schedule! Get free tickets here. 

Double feature Halloween! Interview with the Vampire | Horror of Dracula

Friday, October 31, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Wexner Center for the Arts hosts a special Interview with the Vampire + Horror of Dracula double feature, bringing together two iconic films for a perfect Halloween night at the movies.

One ticket gets you access to both films. There will be free Halloween candy for all!

• $8 members 
• $12 general public
• $9 adults 55 and over
• $6 students
• Free for Ohio State students

Details/tickets here.

Visiting the Wexner Center

Free and discounted admission to The Wexner Center

Gallery admission is free for all audiences during regular hours thanks to the generous support of American Electric Power Foundation, Bill and Sheila Lambert, Adam Flatto, CoverMyMeds, and the PNC Foundation.

Films and special events are a separate admission

Columbus Member Advantage Program

If you’re a member of select Central Ohio attractions, you can save $3 on general admission to other attractions through the Columbus Member Advantage program. No coupon is necessary. Simply show your valid participating membership card when you visit! Limited to 4 discounts per membership per day; can’t be combined with other discounts.  

Member Advantage partners for 2025 include:

• Columbus Museum of Art and Pizzuti Collection (see our article)
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (see our article)
• Dawes Arboretum (see our article)
• Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (see our article)
• LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Columbus (see our article)
• National Veterans Memorial and Museum (see our article)
• Ohio History Center & Ohio Village (see our article)
• Wexner Center for the Arts (see our article)
• COSI (advanced tickets required)
• The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology (also qualifies for ASTC reciprocal admission) 

Gallery Hours (see website for updates)
Sunday: 10AM–5PM
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10AM–6PM
Wednesday: 10AM–6PM
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 10AM–8PM
Saturday: 10AM–8PM

Wexner Center for the Arts
1871 N High St
Columbus, OH 43201

Films for Families at the Wexner Center

Saturdays through June 2025
These four films offer big-scale storytelling that requires a movie screen and not a tablet. Tickets are just $3. Details. 

Sat, Jun 7, 2025: Hugo (Martin Scorsese, 2011) Ages 8 and up
Sat, Jun 14, 2025: Big Hero 6 (Don Hall and Chris Williams, 2014) Ages 7 and up
Sun, Jun 22, 2025, 1:00 PM: Christopher Robin (Marc Foster, 2018) Ages 8 and up
Sat, Jun 28, 2025, 1:00 PM: Good Morning (Yasujiro Ozu, 1959) Ages 8 and up

Free or Cheap Summer Movies for Families

Screams at the Wex: International Horror Series

From July 10 through August 14, the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University invites curious audiences to experience horror as a global language with International Horror, a summer screening series spotlighting six decades of chilling cinema from around the world.

Each film in the series opens a door to a different cultural perspective on fear and suspense, from Mario Bava’s lush Italian Gothic Black Sunday to Claire Denis’s transgressive French body horror Trouble Every Day and the haunting Japanese techno-terror of Pulse. Screenings feature 35mm and DCP presentations, some with introductions from Columbus film voices.

Admission is free for current Ohio State students. Series passes are $40 for the general public, $32 for Wex members and adults 55 and over, and just $24 for students. Each pass includes a Wex swag bag, a checklist to track your screenings, and a chance to win a prize from series sponsor Seventh Son Brewing. Details here. 

Wex Open House 2025

August 25, 2025 at 4 pm

Join The Wex for music, gallery experiences with educators, hands-on art making, and a screening of short films from the most recent Sundance Film Festival—just a taste of what we offer year-round.

Hang out and relax with some free snacks and beverages. Stop by the Learning and Public Programs department’s welcome table to learn about the day’s offerings, enter a giveaway for books and swag, and hear more about what else the Wex offers throughout the year. Details here. Details here. 

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC)

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) is back for its 11th year, running September 18–21, 2025. The citywide festival celebrates cartoon art, comics, animation, and storytelling. Some events require tickets, but many are free!

📍 All events take place at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43210.
👉 More details and tickets are available at wexarts.org.