Exploring the empty, iconic Longaberger basket building

Andrew King

Tan brick building with two large metal arches on its roof forming an M; a plaque reads Longaberger, set against a clear blue sky with green trees in the foreground. — The fascinating Longaberger Basket Building, which has been vacant for a decade. Photos: Andrew King/Axios

As a Central Ohio native, I have been fascinated by the Longaberger Basket Building for decades. I finally got a tour inside, and it felt like a pilgrimage.

Why it matters: Long vacant and recently for sale once more, the basket is perhaps Ohio's most well-known oddity.

I left thinking of it as a completely unnecessary extravagance, but also an incredible work of passion and craftsmanship.

What's inside: It's difficult to describe the feeling of walking into the basket, built in 1997.

It's equal parts funny, awe-inspiring, anachronistic and, eventually, a bit creepy in its current state.

The front doors open into an incredible 30,000-square-foot atrium that sets the tone for the building.

The entire ceiling is skylight, pouring natural light inside.
The atrium space is 17% of the entire building — a beautiful and audacious design choice that feels like it would never be made today.

A GIF view of the Longaberger basket atrium — The 30,000-square-foot atrium is a marvel. GIF: Andrew King/Axios

The basket has technically only been vacant for 10 years, but you can tell it's been longer since many rooms were used.

I caught myself feeling like an archaeologist exploring its dimly lit hallways and offices.
Some spaces could host a meeting today. Others with outdated electronics, furniture and decor hearken back to a pre-smartphone era.
A still-functioning elevator took me up to the seventh-floor executive suites, complete with full bathrooms.

Empty auditorium with rows of gray upholstered seats facing a distant stage. Brown paneled walls, a grid ceiling with vents and hanging black speakers, warm stage lighting. — The first-floor theater seats 142.

Large empty living room with beige carpet, dark wood trim, and recessed lights. A big window shows green trees outside; built-in wooden shelves line the back wall, and a doorway leads to a tiled room. — Executive suites on the top floor include full bathrooms.

The vibe: I was surprised by the building's condition.

A decade is a long time to sit vacant, but the basket isn't moldy, water-damaged, smelly or decaying.
It's just ... empty.

Centered warm-glow flush-mount ceiling light with a frosted glass bowl in a curved ceiling recess. Dark wood cabinets with glass doors flank a large window showing trees outside; patterned carpet covers the floor. — Many of the building's board rooms, offices and entryways are beautifully built.

Long wood conference table with upholstered chairs in a wood-paneled meeting room. White curved ceiling lights hang above, flanked by dark carpet and wall panels, creating a formal office setting. — A surprising amount of furniture remains, and much of the building is still lit.

Whiteboard wall with blue marker text reading "Very Important" on the right; a faint red box diagram along the bottom left; beige walls and a ceiling beam overhead. — This whiteboard was a bit more foreboding than much of the remaining decor.

Recently, after seeing the smash hit "Backrooms," I asked readers where in Columbus I could find similar liminal spaces — the empty, abandoned and unnerving settings of the film.

I'm convinced it's possible to slip into another dimension somewhere inside.

An empty office/meeting room with beige striped walls, a single wooden desk in the center, and a window with peach drapes. The drop ceiling shows missing tiles and exposed ducts. — Many of the basket's rooms are dying for a post-apocalyptic photo shoot.

Empty rectangular office space with brown walls, blue-gray carpet, and a white drop ceiling showing missing tiles. A single chair sits in the center; cabinets line the far wall. — Rooms containing a single creepy chair became a theme of my visit.

Dim hallway with a damaged drop ceiling; many tiles missing, exposing ducts and wires. Beige walls, patterned carpet, doors along both sides, and a distant exit sign. — It's very easy to get lost in the basket.

The big picture: I was also allowed roof access, which really put the 9,000-ton basket and its surrounding 21.5-acre campus into perspective.

Underneath the massive handles, the roof and its flexible floor were unnerving — a bird flew out and terrified me.

Clear blue sky over a rooftop with massive curved beige metal arches; sun glare at the top right; industrial buildings along the lower edge; a small flying object in the distance. — The towering basket handles are an intimidating sight from the roof.

Plus: I took the 15-minute trip over to the Longaberger Village in Frazeysburg, a miniature town with the world's largest apple basket.

A large checkered black-and-white basket sculpture filled with red apples hangs overhead in a park, framed by green trees and a bright blue sky; lamp posts and paved walkways surround the scene. — The world's largest apple basket feels like a mirage.

Sunny street scene with a vintage street lamp in the foreground, brick townhouse buildings on the right, and tree-lined sidewalk; blue sky and yellow-green leaves overhead. — Today, the Longaberger Village sits well-maintained, but is empty.

The bottom line: Companies seem to no longer focus on aesthetics like this — even ultra-profitable tech startups aren't designing unique, beautiful buildings.

The basket started as a labor of love, became an iconic part of our history, and remains a special place. I hope it finds a new purpose.

Go deeper: The Longaberger Basket Building's history and future

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Exploring the empty, iconic Longaberger basket building

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