Marshall University sits in the heart of Huntington and is the city's most prominent institution. The campus is compact and walkable, with a mix of historic brick buildings and more recent additions. The Visual Arts Center, housed in a converted department store on Fifth Avenue, is worth a look for its galleries and rotating exhibitions.
For most visitors, Marshall's significance is inseparable from the 1970 plane crash that killed the entire football team. The Memorial Fountain on the main plaza is the most visited spot on campus — a simple and affecting memorial. The university's history with grief, loss, and renewal is told through the 2006 film We Are Marshall, which brought the story to wider attention.