Govs in 10: Our favorite Instagram Worthy Spots

Is your phone charged? Make sure you have enough bars when on campus because you’ll find the perfect Instagram shot lurking behind behind every oak tree or historic archway you pass. You’re not really a Gov until you’ve taken a pic at one of Austin Peay’s top Instagram-worthy spots.

Hanging upside down is inadvisable but it makes for a dope photo op.

1. The Grove

This mini forest – which turns into a small lake during the wet season – is the designated hammock area on campus. Relax, enjoy a bit of nature, and get a great pic.

Hammock information and station locations Request information

There are multiple hammock stations located in the Grove to take a nap or study in.

Situated right off the Housing Quad in front of the Ellington buliding, the Be A Gov sign is hard to miss on campus.

2. Be A Gov Sign

This iconic sculpture is located in front of one of the most scenic spots at Austin Peay – the Quad. Show your school spirit by snapping a selfie with you and The Gov.

Office of Admissions Request information

The sign makes for a great photo op during Family Weekend.

Tailgate Alley opens during the football season, and is one of the best places to show off your Austin Peay pride.

3. Fortera Stadium

There’s so much to capture here, from cheering crowds at football games to students playing cornhole in Tailgate Alley. If you want to capture the excitement of an autumn Saturday at Austin Peay, head to The Fort!

Request information

The APSU Cheer Team makes sure to liven up every event throughout the year.

The Harned bowl makes for a great place to study.

4. The Campus Bowls

If you ask a geology professor, they’ll tell you how Clarksville sits atop a karst landscape that’s prone to make sinkholes. Austin Peay has embraced the dips that have opened on campus over the years, with our “bowls” a prominent feature of the school’s grounds. They're a great place to stop and eat lunch or study and a great location to convince your professors to host class at when the fall and spring weather is nice. Just make sure not to walk on the AP logo in the Harned bowl or else legend has it that you won't graduate on time.

Request information

It's fairly easy to spot the Onion Rings from most points inside the Art and Design building.

5. The Onion Rings

There’s plenty to admire inside APSU’s Art + Design Building, from student work to exhibit from nationally-renowned artists. But it’s the circular light fixtures above the main entrance – dubbed The Onion Rings – that get the most love on social media.

Department of Art and Design APSU Visiting Artist Information Request information

The main lobby where the Onion Rings are housed is frequently used for other additional art installations.

The plaza's swing gives a great view of campus, facing the Morgan University Center to the right and Woodward Library to the left.

6. Morgan University Center Plaza

Something’s always going on in the plaza, from study groups to lunch dates to First Fridays to pep rallies. And if you don’t mind the squeaking, there’s a lovely swinging bench where you can relax and capture plenty of photos.

First Friday information Request information

First Friday is a great way to learn about all the different student organizations across campus.

The main entrance also serves as a gateway to Downtown Clarksville, right across College Street.

7. The Main Entrance

The first thing most people notice about campus are the brick and iron entrance gates on College Street, directly in front of the Browning Building. They’ve been around awhile (behind those metal plaques, etched in stone, are the words Austin Peay State College), and when you graduate, you have to get a picture in your cap and gown making your final descent as a student down those steps.

Request information

Visit the entrance after spring break and you'll see spring semester graduates taking graduate photos.

The Science complex is one of the best places on campus to be surrounded by multiple art pieces.

8. Sundquist Murals

There’s plenty of art to enjoy inside the Sundquist Science Complex. On the first floor, campus buildings are distorted into circular planets, and in the atrium, a visual history of campus wraps around the stainless-steel staircase. But make sure you hit the third floor, where visiting artists Wendy DesChene and Jeff Schmuki, also known as PlantBot Genetics,  installed a crazy, amazing mural of moth wings.

Request information

The main spiral staircase has a perimeter of art detailing the history of Austin Peay State University.

Maybe invest in a water proof phone case before heading over to Maynard.

9. Campus Fountains

If you’re reading this in the summer, those fountains will look pretty appealing. The Sundquist Fountain and reflector pool are always a nice place to sit, catch-up or ask your professor to have class outside. Keep going east and you’ll find the dancing fountain in front of the Maynard Mathematics and Computer Science Building. Just don’t get your phone wet.

Request information

The Sundquist fountain looks especially inviting on hot summer days.

The Green Man is an inviting statue standing as a watchful protector for the campus. 

10. The Sentinel (The Green Man)

In the early 1980s, the artist and APSU professor Olen Bryant unveiled his newest sculpture, “The Sentinel,” and a campus staple was born. Most people know him as “The Green Man,” and you’ll find him sitting regally in the center of campus. A photo of him is a must…just don’t try to sit in his lap.  

Request information

The Green Man sits with arms wide open, welcoming any and all students who come to campus.

Interested in learning more about the University? Let us know!