It opened as the Ohio Center on September 10, 1980,[2] and although sometimes considered a white elephant because of its small size and seating capacity[3][4][5][6][7] (concert fans usually found themselves driving to Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum, Indianapolis Market Square Arena, Detroit Joe Louis Arena, Cleveland Richfield Coliseum or Pittsburgh Mellon Arena),[8] it has been used for a variety of events, including concerts (Conway Twitty,[9] Devo,[10] Elvis Costello & The Attractions,[11] The Stray Cats,[12] Rick Springfield,[13] Kiss (2/19/84), Culture Club,[14] Ratt,[15] The Pointer Sisters,[16] Cyndi Lauper,[17] Billy Idol,[18] Billy Ocean,[19] Richard Marx,[20] Queensrÿche),[21] trade shows, and sporting events such as the 1993 and 1994 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournaments.

The exhibit hall was also the home of professional wrestling cards from the early 1980s to mid-1990s with monthly visits from the WWE and the occasional WCW event.

The first entertainment event at the facility was comedian Rodney Dangerfield and special guest McGuffey Lane on September 20, 1980 attended by 6,677 persons.

[22] Battelle Hall was also home to the Columbus Quest from 1996-1998, where the team won both championships in the now-defunct American Basketball League.

Former players include Katie Smith, Sonja Tate, Tonya Edwards, Andrea Lloyd, Valerie Still, Shannon Johnson, and Nikki McCray.