5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Depot Campus

UConn’s Depot Campus is a gem in the rough. Most students only hear rumors of its existence, but it’s got a lot to offer.

1. The Depot Campus boasts a large lacrosse field which is often unused, but always well maintained. The Depot Field is used for practice by the lacrosse teams, rugby teams, as well as for a variety of intramural and club sports. More often than not, though, it sits manicured and unused. It’s the perfect place for pick-up games of Frisbee or soccer. There is free parking, sets of bleachers, and a bus line that stops on the half hour.
2. The UConn Surplus Public Store opens once per month to resell old university equipment to the public. Their stock is eclectic, boasting anything from computers and cell phones, to sports equipment and clothing. You might find office supplies and dorm furniture one month, only to have it replaced by auditorium speakers and lab equipment the next month. The prices are reasonable, but beware the stampede of local deal seekers when the doors open in the morning.
3. The Depot Campus is home to the Ballard Puppet Workshop where all the creations dreamed up by the students in UConn’s Puppetry major are formed, painted, and stored. While the Ballard Museum has officially moved to Storrs Center, the workshop remains an interesting site to visit, and retains the bulk of the Museum’s off-display collection. There is no shortage of marionettes, hand puppets, and shadow fingers if you’re inclined to make the short journey.
4. As the cold grip of another Storrs winter is finally being pried from the campus the desire to enjoy the warmth is reaching fever pitch. Whether sunbathing, throwing down a blanket and picnicking, or simply stretching out with a good book, Depot Campus has all the open space you could ask for. Further, given its secluded nature and distance from the traffic of main campus, you could go hours without seeing another human.
5. The Depot Campus was operated as an asylum under the name The Mansfield Training School from 1860 until 1993, when lawsuits concerning the treatment of patients and the condition of the facilities became too much to handle. As you can imagine, the rumors of hauntings and paranormal activity are prominent. Though UConn has recently fenced off direct access to most of the buildings, the air of creepiness still pervades, and it is certainly worth a visit. Just make sure not to stay past sundown…