Auburn University Opens $72 Million Recreation Center

Auburn University, Auburn, AL, welcomed students back to campus with the grand opening of its 240,000-square-foot Recreation and Wellness Center last month.

The $72 million facility features a hot tub shaped like a tiger paw designed to hold up to 45 people, a five-story rock climbing wall and a one-third mile indoor track, which the university says is the longest in the country.

"This facility is uniquely Auburn," Jennifer Jarvis, director of campus recreation, said in a statement. "We are excited to open our doors for the first time and give our students a world-class facility that will serve their fitness needs."

The center complies with LEED standards and includes strength and cardio training areas, group exercise studios, and six basketball courts as well as a golf simulator room and a game room. The Recreation and Wellness Center also offers outdoor recreation activities, such as kayaking and canoeing, and a pool and leisure area with a climbing wall.

Construction on the facility began in 2011 after Auburn students voted in 2009 to raise their fees to help fund the project. According to Auburn's campus recreation website, more than 50,000 students, faculty and staff members have visited the facility since it opened.