Built in 1896, Herron Gymnasium is an architecturally and historically significant structure located on the campus of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Designed by the prominent Columbus architect Frank L. Packard, the building is an outstanding example of Romanesque Revival collegiate architecture. It features a robust red brick exterior, a raised stone foundation, heavy stone detailing, and distinctive round-arched window openings that characterize the style. Constructed during a period of rapid modernization and physical expansion for the university, the gymnasium's monumental design reflected the growing national emphasis on physical education and collegiate athletics at the turn of the twentieth century.

Historically, the building is highly significant for its association with the development of physical education and athletic programs at Miami University, an institution later famed as the "Cradle of Coaches." Named in honor of influential university trustee John W. Herron, the gymnasium served as the university's first dedicated indoor athletic facility, hosting early basketball games, gymnastics, and track training. In later decades, as men's athletics moved to larger venues, the facility was repurposed to support the women's physical education program, reflecting the evolving educational paradigms and commitment to coeducational physical fitness on campus. The building stands as a monument to the early history of collegiate sports in Ohio and the architectural evolution of Miami University's historic campus.