mansions to tour in ohio

Everyone In Ohio Should Visit These 13 Homes For Their Incredible History

April is the Ohio staff writer for Only in Your State. She is an Ohio native with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. With more than 10 years of writing experience and a background in news reporting for Ohio newspapers, she's published pieces in multiple print and online publications. When she's not on deadline or chasing after her toddler, she's hunting for hidden gems in Ohio or getting lost in a good book.

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Ohio is home to several historic homes that once housed individuals who significantly influenced the course of history—for both our state and nation. The following homes are worth a day trip for visitors  to tour and temporarily travel back in time.

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Sometimes, we can find history literally down the street from us. Which of these historical homes have you seen?

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Historic Ohio Homes, Villages, Farms, and Castles

Enjoy Ohio’s living history and historical reenactments at famous homes, villages, farms, and castles. See how Presidents and inventors lived. Learn about the past from tour guides in the period clothing.

Free historic ohio homes, villages, farms, and castles, amish country in southwest ohio, carriage hill farm, follett house museum, frazee house, freshwater farms of ohio, garfield birth site, monument & historic site, hardin county historical museums, hubbard house, land of the cross tipped churches, lane hooven house, manor house, marmon valley farm, mcguffey museum, millionaires row, old stone house museum, robbins-hunter museum, historic roscoe village, rose hill museum, slate run historical farm, squire’s castle, stearns homestead, the 1810 house, toledo historic old west end, william howard taft national historic site, yesteryear is here, yoder’s amish home, young’s jersey dairy, more things to do this month in ohio, historic ohio homes, villages, farms, and castles worth the price of admission, adena mansion & gardens, blue rock station, carillon historical park, century village museum, edison birthplace museum, frostville museum, grant’s boyhood home & schoolhouse, hale farm & village, hanby house, harding presidential sites, harriet beecher stowe house, hawthorn hill – orville wright’s mansion, hayes presidential library & museums, historic lyme village, historic schoenbrunn village, cathedral basilica of the assumption, jefferson depot village, johnson-humrickhouse museum, john rankin house, john p. parker house, johnston farm & indian agency, lake metroparks farmpark, loveland castle, little cities of black diamonds, maria stein shrine of the holy relics, marietta castle, mccook house civil war museum, moore house museum, niederman family farm, ohio village, piatt castle mac-a-cheek, punderson manor, ravenwood castle, sauder village, staley mill farm & distillery, stan hywet hall & gardens, sunwatch indian village, thurber house, westcott house, zoar village.

• Appalachian Ohio
• Cambridge/Guernsey County VCB
• Discover Mohican
• Explore Hocking Hills
• Explore Scioto
• Greater Grand Lake Region
• Hocking Valley Scenic Railway
• Lehman’s
• Marietta/Washington County CVB
• Miami County VCB
• Millers Furniture & Bakery
• Ohio Amish Country
• Ohio Caverns
• Ohio Festivals & Events Assoc.
• Sandusky County Visitors Bureau
• Travel Tuscarawas County
• Visit Belmont County
• Visit Chillicothe
• Visit Coshocton
• Visit Greater Lima
• Visit Grove City
• Visit Marion Ohio
• Visit Medina County
• Visit Sidney Ohio
• Visit Steubenville
• Yoder’s Bakery & Furniture

Admission to Adena Mansion & Gardens Historic Site is approx. $12/person

• Open: April – October Wednesday thru Saturday 9am – 5pm, and Sunday from 12 – 5pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 847 Adena Road in Chillicothe, Ohio
• Phone:  740-772-1500 or 800-319-7248
• Web:  click here

Adena Mansion & Gardens Historic Site was the 2000-acre estate of Thomas Worthington (1773-1827), the sixth governor of Ohio and one of the state’s first United States Senators. The mansion house, completed in 1806-1807, has been restored to look much as it did when the Worthington family lived there, including many original Worthington family furnishings. The house is one of only three designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe still standing in the country. Latrobe is considered the first professional American architect and served as the architect of the U.S. Capitol under President Thomas Jefferson.

Five outbuildings and formal gardens are situated on the 300 remaining acres of the original home place. The gardens have undergone a major renovation. Visitors may stroll through three terraces of flowers and vegetables and the shrubs and trees in the grove. Looking east from the north lawn of the mansion, one can see across the Scioto River Valley to the Logan Range. This view inspired the Great Seal of the State of Ohio.

Blue Rock Station in Philo, Ohio requires reservations.

• Call for hours
• Location: ( Map It ) 1190 Virginia Ridge Rd., Philo, Ohio
• Phone: 740-674-4300
• Web: www.bluerockstation.com

Blue Rock Station in Philo, Ohio:  This 38-acre sustainability project is home to Ohio’s first “Earthship”, a unique 2200 sq. ft. “living” home, built from used auto tires, cans, bottles, and strawbales. Farm buildings incorporate time-honored building techniques such as thermal mass (using the earth to help heat the house), passive solar (the sun’s rays), and adobe construction (using mud and straw) to create a comfortable and attractive place to live. In addition, visitors can take a tour of the buildings, sign up for a workshop, walk with the llamas (trekking) or enjoy high tea in a peaceful setting.  Tour themes include sustainable agriculture practices, cooking with the sun, and alternative building techniques.  Call for hours or to set up a tour. Blue Rock Station is located just 20 minutes south of I-70 Zanesville.

Admission to Carillon Historical Park is approx. $14/person (less for kids).

• Open Monday – Saturday from 9:30am to 5pm, Sunday from 12 – 5pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 1000 Carillon Blvd. in Dayton, Ohio
• Phone: 937-293-2841
• Web: click here

Carillon Historical Park in Dayton is a 65-acre campus with dozens of museums and countless artifacts showcasing the power of Dayton’s ingenuity and impact on the world in areas of mechanical flight and other industrial innovations. One of the stops in Carillon Historical Park is the Wright Brothers Aviation Center, where more Wright artifacts are on display than anywhere in the world. It features the 1905 Wright Flyer III —the only airplane designated a National Historic Landmark, the world’s first practical flying machine, and what the Wright brothers considered their most important aircraft. Learn how Dayton earned its reputation as a city of creativity and innovation.

Admission to the Century Village Museum varies.

• Open: Weekends from Mid-April – November
• Location: ( Map It ) 14653 East Park St. in Burton, Ohio
• Phone: 440-834-1492

The Century Village Museum:  An engaging museum depicting a Western Reserve Village with over twenty-two historically authentic buildings that house over 20,000 museum artifacts.  On the museum, grounds are a general store for purchases, a one-room schoolhouse, Marshall’s Office, library, church, train depot, and many more fascinating historical experiences! Open for public and private tours as well as a myriad of festivals and events.

Admission to Edison Birthplace Museum is approx. $17/person (less for kids).  

• Open: Hours and days vary throughout the week and year. Closed January, Mondays, and major holidays
• Location: ( Map It ) 9 Edison Drive in Milan, Ohio (near Exit 118 of the Ohio Turnpike)
• Phone: 419-499-2135

The Edison Birthplace and Museum in Milan, Ohio:  Thomas Alva Edison was one of America’s most famous inventors. He is most renowned for inventing the incandescent light bulb, but his shop is also responsible for creating the phonograph and many other inventions. Edison’s story began with his birth in Milan, Ohio, in 1847. This birthplace/museum has many artifacts, inventions, precious documents, and other mementos. Guided tours may be arranged. The Edison Birthplace Museum provides insight into the historic inventor’s life.

Admission to the Frostville Museum is nominal.

• Open: Usually from Memorial Day – October on Saturday from 9am – 1pm, and special events.
• Location: ( Map It ) 24101 Cedar Point Rd. at Rocky River Reservation in North Olmsted, Ohio
• Phone: 440-734-5231

The Frostville Museum highlights the local 19th Century history and features several landmarks. The Brigg’s Homestead built in 1836, the Jenkin’s Cabin built in the early 1800s, the John Carpenter House built in 1840 and the Prechtel House built in 1874 are some of the featured buildings at this site. Each structure displays museum items that reflect the day and times of pioneer life, rural Victorian American life, and other historic artifacts.

Admission to President Grant’s Boyhood Home & Schoolhouse is $5/person.

• Open: Wednesday – Sunday, May – October, from 12 – 5pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) Boyhood Home is located at 219 East Grant Ave. in Georgetown, Ohio
• Phone: 937-378-3087 or 877-372-8177

President Grant’s Boyhood Home & Schoolhouse:  See the humble beginnings of Ulysses S. Grant. Jesse Grant (Ulysses’ father) built the home in 1823. Ulysses lived in Georgetown longer than anywhere else in his life.  He was born at Point Pleasant, Ohio in 1822 and the family moved to Georgetown when he was less than a year old. The schoolhouse was originally a one-room structure built in 1829. The home is a restored white colonial.

Admission to Hale Farm & Village is approx. $15/person (less for kids).

• Open:  June – October, usually on Wednesday to Sunday from 10am – 4pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 2686 Oak Hill Road in Bath, Ohio (May need to use Peninsula, Ohio for GPS)
• Phone: 877-HALE-FARM or 330-666-3711

Hale Farm & Village, located in the Cuyahoga Valley, is an outdoor living history museum. Mid-19th century life is depicted through 32 historic structures, farm animals, heritage gardens, cooking, and early American craft and trade demonstrations such as blacksmithing, pottery, and glassblowing. Shop for handcrafted at Hale and Ohio-made items in the MarketPlace or online in our Etsy store. Visit for a signature event or workshop, or plan your special event on the property. Take the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to the farm and enjoy a day in the National Park.

Admission to the Hanby House is nominal.

• Open: Usually from May through September on Saturday & Sunday, from 1-4pm.
• Location:( Map It ) 160 W. Main St., Westerville, Ohio
• Phone: 614-891-6289 or 1-800-600-6843

The Hanby House in Westerville:  Benjamin Hanby left Westerville a rich tradition in music. The Hanby House is Ohio’s first memorial to a composer. Hanby wrote over 80 folk songs and hymns, including “Darling Nelly Grey,” a popular song of the Civil War, and “Up on the Housetop,” still sung by children worldwide. The Hanby House contains five rooms of original antiques from the Civil War era, including some of Ben’s original instruments, musical scores, and artifacts. The Hanby House was also a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Admission to Harding Presidential Sites is approx. $16/adult (less for kids).

• Open: Thursday – Saturday, from 9am – 5pm, and Sunday from 12 – 5pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 380 Mt. Vernon Ave., Marion, Ohio
• Phone: 800-600-6894

The Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites features the home and Presidential Library of Warren G. Harding. Collections encompass more than 5,000 original items, including 300 from the White House. Because most of what you’ll see in the home is original, you’ll get the feeling that Warren G. and Florence Harding have just stepped into the next room.

The Harding Home, the residence of Warren G. and Florence Harding from 1891 to 1921, has been open continuously as a museum since 1926. The museum opened just three years after President Harding died from a heart attack in 1923. Mrs. Harding died 15 months later from kidney disease. In her will, she made arrangements for the home and the bulk of the contents to go into the hands of the Harding Memorial Association (HMA).

The HMA formed just after President Harding’s death on Aug. 2, 1923 to oversee fundraising to construct the Harding Memorial. They owned the 10-acre Memorial site and the Harding Home until 1978, when both sites were turned over to the State of Ohio. The sites today are administered by the Ohio History Connection with the help of local manager Marion Technical College.

When the museum opened in February 1926, visitors could view just the first four rooms of the residence – the reception hall, parlor, library and dining room. The rooms were not presented as they were when the Hardings lived there; instead, all of the rooms featured glass display cases of objects. Photos and framed documents covered the walls. The on-site caretakers lived upstairs.

In 1965, the HMA completed a restoration of the Home, showcasing it for the first time as a house museum. The group chose 1900 as the year it wanted to depict, choosing wallpapers that reflected that year. The caretakers continued to perform the maintenance and lead tours but now lived off-site.

Admission to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House is approx. $5/person.

• Open:  February – April on Saturday from 10am – 4pm, and Sunday from 12 – 4pm (last entry at 3pm).
• Location: ( Map It ) 2950 Gilbert Avenue (State Route 3, U.S. 22) in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Phone: 513-751-0651

The Harriet Beecher Stowe House:  Harriet Beecher Stowe is the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin . Stowe was inspired to write this historic book when she learned of the evils of slavery.  Built in 1833 by Lane Seminary, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House served as the residence for the institution’s president. In 1832, Harriet Beecher moved to Cincinnati from Connecticut with her father, Dr. Lyman Beecher, who was appointed seminary president.

Admission to Orville Wright’s Hawthorn Hill Mansion is approx. $16/person.

• Open: Call in advance to schedule a tour for Wednesday or Saturday at 10am or 12:30pm

Orville Wright’s Hawthorn Hill Mansion in Dayton, Ohio, has recently been opened for public tours. You’ll see Orville Wright’s various inventions, from his reading chair to his shower. The sprawling grounds once had droves of people chanting outside for Orville’s house guest, Charles Lindbergh. The house was to be a joint residence of Wilbur and Orville, but Wilbur died before its completion. However, Orville’s sister and father lived in the residence. The estate was nicknamed Hawthorn Hill because it has over a hundred Hawthorn trees, and the mansion sits on top of a hill. Tours last approximately one and a half hours long (limit of 10 people per tour).

• Open: Days and hours vary throughout the year, but usually Thursday – Saturday, from 9am – 5pm, and Sunday from 12 – 5pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio
• Phone: 419-332-2081
• Web: https://www.rbhayes.org/

The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums consists of two buildings, the Hayes Home and Hayes Museum/Library. Visitors can opt to tour one building or both. There is a reduced rate for both. The museum was started by the president’s second son, Col. Webb Cook Hayes, and his siblings shortly after the turn of the last century. Major additions in 1922 and 1968 increased the galleries and library to 52,640 square feet. In keeping with the museum’s mission, there are 13,000 artifacts depicting the Hayes family. As president, Hayes contended with the aftermath of Reconstruction in the South, especially as related to Black citizens and the plight of the Native Americans. He fought against the controversial Chinese Immigration Exclusion Act and promoted Civil Service Reform. The Hayes Library at the Center is impressive, offering Hayes’ 12,000-volume personal library along with material from his military and political careers. The Hayes Presidential Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays and holidays from Noon to 5 p.m. (The library is closed on Sundays.)

Admission to the Historic Lyme Village is approx. $12/person (less for kids).

• Open: June – August on Wednesday – Saturday from 11am –  5:00 pm (last tour starts at 4pm).
• Location: ( Map It ) 5001 State Route 4 in Bellevue, Ohio (four miles south of Ohio Turnpike Exit 110)
• Phone: 419-483-4949

Historic Lyme Village In Bellevue:  Relive the past as you tour this 19th-century village.  Historic Lyme Village includes the John Wright Mansion an 1880 Second Empire Victorian Mansion, an 1824 post office, an 1836 family home, log homes, a one-room school, log church, general store, and 10 other 19th century buildings.  The village is also home to the National Postmark Museum and Research Center, which has limited hours.

• Open: Memorial Day – Labor Day on Wednesday-Saturday from 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12 – 5pm. September and October: Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12 – 5pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 1984 E. High St. in New Philadelphia, Ohio
• Phone: 330-808-4815 or 800-752-2711

Historic Schoenbrunn Village became the first white settlement in Ohio and west of the Ohio River at the start of the American Revolution when Ohio was the Western frontier of the colonies. It was a unique meeting of two cultures: the Moravian Missionaries and the Delaware Native Americans. Today, Schoenbrunn offers 16 reconstructed log cabins, a museum, and a gift shop. 

Southwest Ohio Amish Country’s heart is the Wheat Ridge Amish Community in Adams County.  It features two authentic Amish stores:  Keim Family Market, and Miller’s Furniture, Bakery & Bulk Foods.

Yoder’s Bakery & Furniture (Formerly Keim Family Market) ( Map It ) 2621 Burnt Cabin Road in Seaman, Ohio Phone: 937-386-9995 Web: click here

Miller’s Furniture, Miller’s Bakery & Miller’s Bulk Foods ( Map It ) 960 Wheat Ridge Road in West Union, Ohio Phone: 937-544-4520 Web: www.wheatridgeamish.com

Southwestern Ohio Amish Country was first settled in 1975. Amish families moved from the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country in Holmes County and settled in rural Adams County. Amish began selling baked goods alongside Route 32. From there, the Miller and Yoder/Keim family businesses grew from their humble beginnings to Amish superstores selling baked goods, bulk foods, full line delis with meat and cheese selections, and almost anything you can imagine being made from wood. full line deli with cheese and meat selections, and bulk food selection that includes spices and baking ingredients plus an enormous variety of canned goods, sugar-free foods, and candies. Their indoor and outdoor furniture lines include hutches, bedroom sets, chairs, and gliders. In addition, they hand-build gazebos, children’s playsets, footbridges, and even buildings.

The Amish merchants are very friendly but do not like their pictures to be taken. They provide credit card processing, UPS delivery, catalogs for their products, and superb customer service.

Admission to Carriage Hill Farm and Metropark is usually free.

• Open: Usually April – October on Thursday – Saturday (hours vary), and during special events.
• Location: ( Map It ) 7800 East Shull Road in Dayton, Ohio
• Phone: 937-275-7275

The Historical Farm at Carriage Hill MetroPark is part of the Dayton Metroparks. Visitors will see what working on a farm in the 1880s was like. It has restored buildings that include a blacksmith shop, summer kitchen, woodshop, and barns with various animals. There are also hands-on displays for children. Household chores and farming are demonstrated as they were more than 100 years ago. There are also scenic views of woodlands, meadows, a lake, and a pond.

Admission to Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption is fee for self-guided tours (guided tours at a nominal fee).

• Open: Monday- Friday from 9am – 3pm, Saturday from 10am – 4pm, and Sunday 11:30am – 4pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 1140 Madison Avenue (near downtown Cincinnati, Ohio) in Covington, KY
• Phone: 859-431-2060

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption:  See the largest stained glass window in the world and only one of 31 basilicas in the U.S. The window measures 67 feet by 24 feet. The cathedral also touches the senses with more than 80 additional stained glass windows and its French Gothic design with gargoyles and flying buttresses.

Admission to the Follett House Museum is free.

• Open: Saturday from 1 – 4pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 404 Wayne Street in Sandusky, Ohio
• Phone: 419-625-3834

The Follett House Museum has an extensive collection of archival materials chronicling the Sandusky and Erie County region. It includes several artifacts from the Underground Railroad. The museum is a branch of the Sandusky Library. Oran Follett built the 1827 mansion in Greek-Revival style. Follett was a businessman and one of the founders of the Republican Party. The museum’s Civil War collection includes items from the Confederate officers’ prison on Johnson Island. Other fine artifacts in the museum are diaries, letters, drawings, and photographs from the Johnson Island Prison. It also displays books, maps, and manuscripts. When you visit, take in the panoramic view of Sandusky, Cedar Point and Johnson’s Island from the mansion’s widow’s walk. The Follett House Museum is listed in the National Register of Historic Landmarks.

Admission to the Frazee House is normally free.

• Open: Call for hours
• Location: ( Map It ) 7733 Canal Road in Valley View, Ohio
• Phone: 216-524-2497

The Stephen Frazee House was built in the mid-1820s. This was the time of the construction of the northern portion of the Ohio and Erie Canals. The home exhibits excellent examples of Western Reserve architectural style and construction techniques used at the time.

Admission to Freshwater Farms of Ohio is free except for group tours.

• Open: Monday – Saturday from 10am – 6pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 2624 U.S. 68 in Urbana, Ohio
• Phone: 800-634-7434 or 937-652-3701
• Web: https://fwfarms.com/

Freshwater Farms of Ohio is the state’s largest indoor fish hatchery. The fish farm is open for public self-guided tours and for-fee large group tours and includes family activities such as trout-feeding, displays of native fishes, and a sturgeon petting zoo. The Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival is held at the farm every third Saturday in September. Producer of wholesome rainbow trout fillets and smoked trout, the fish are raised from egg to adult in solar-heated barns using clean water and feeds.  Their products are made with all-natural ingredients and contain no artificial preservatives, specializing in hand-cut boneless fillets and smoked trout products, seasoned trout patties, marinated and pre-seasoned fillets, and bulk seasonings made from scratch.

Admission to the President James A. Garfield Memorial Cabin and Birth Site, Monument, and Historic Site is free.

• Open: Call for days and hours.
• Location: ( Map It ) Moreland Hills, Ohio
• Phone: 440-248-1188

Please note that this is President James A. Garfield’s birth site, not the historic site in Mentor, Ohio. Here, you will see a replica memorial cabin like that, which was built by Garfield’s father in 1829.

James A. Garfield Monument:

• Location: ( Map It ) Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio
• Phone: 216-421-2665

President Garfield is buried in Lake View Cemetery in University Circle, east of downtown Cleveland. As you enter Lake View Cemetery at the Euclid or Mayfield Gate, follow the signs leading to the monument.  Garfield (1831-1881) was the 20th President of the United States and was elected to office in 1880.  He was assassinated in 1881, four months after his inauguration by Charles Guiteau.

James A. Garfield National Historic Site National Park Service:

• Location: ( Map It ) 8095 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, OH 44060
• Phone: 440-255-8722

James A. Garfield National Historic Site commemorates and interprets the life, family, and career of James Abram Garfield, college professor and principal, Civil War general, member of Congress, and 20th President of the United States.  This eight-acre property includes the Garfield home (purchased in 1876; expanded in 1880 and 1885-86), memorial library, 1880 presidential campaign office, and several outbuildings.  The grounds are free; access to museum exhibits, film, and guided house tours is at a nominal fee.  The site regularly hosts several expanded tours, including a “Behind the Scenes” tour and a special tour for kids. Numerous programs and special events throughout the year further interpret James A. Garfield’s legacy and important role in American history.

Admission to the Hardin County Historical Museums is normally free. Donations accepted.

• Open: Tuesday – Thursday from 1 – 4pm or by appointment.
• Location: ( Map It ) 223 N. Main in Kenton, Ohio
• Phone: 419-673-7147

The Hardin County Historical Museums: Also known as the Sullivan-Johnson Museum, exhibits include the world-famous Kenton Cast Iron Toys, Fred Machetanz Gallery, Jacob Parrott, and much more. Kenton Toy Collectors meet at the museum every other month. The Toy Collectors are available for appraisal of toys.  They also buy, sell, and trade. The Hardin Historic Village and Farm are open by appointment only. The Heritage Farm is a turn-of-the-century farmstead featuring many farming instruments and pioneer architecture. The museum/village highlights include the Stadt Log House and Dunkirk Jailhouse.

Admission to the Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum is free (donations accepted).

• Open: Memorial Day – Labor Day on Saturday and Sunday, tours at 1 and 3pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 1603 Walnut Blvd. in Ashtabula, Ohio
• Phone: 440-964-8168

Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum in Ashtabula:  Once a stop along the Underground Railroad, this 1840s house was built by William and Catherine Hubbard and served as a refuge for escaped slaves. Its displays include old maps and photographs and Civil War items. It is furnished according to the appropriate period and style to reflect the home’s history. The home itself is listed in the Department of Interior’s National Historic Register.

• Open from June – September (Tour guides in period attire on Saturday  &  Sunday from  1 – 4pm ,  Monday  &  Thursday   10am – 4pm  (Interpreters in buildings for 12 or more).
• Location: ( Map It ) Jefferson Depot Village at 147 E. Jefferson St. in Jefferson, Ohio
• Phone: 440-344-0167

Jefferson Depot Village is the best-kept secret in Ashtabula County. This hidden 19th-century preserved “living history” village is in Jefferson, Ohio. Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Ohio, the Jefferson Depot Village volunteers saved and restored the 1872 Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Station (on the National Register of Historic Places) just 2 weeks before its scheduled demolition.  Then, they moved 15 original 19th-century buildings from Ashtabula County to the depot.  Each contains original artifacts and furnishings.

As you tour through the restored buildings, “Live a day in the 1890s”, work at the train station, attend church in the 1848 “Church in the Wildwood,” go to school in the 1838 Spafford One-Room Schoolhouse with its original music staff painted on the blackboard, pick up your mail at the 1845 Sheffield Post Office, get medicines from the 1860 Ashtabula Pharmacy or stroll thru the medicinal herb garden.  Everyone meets at Hohn’s General Store with its marble-topped cabinets full of goods.  The 1888 Victorian House is filled with authentic antiques.  Don’t miss the Church Barn, Blacksmith Shop, Girl’s and Boy’s Outhouses, the Carriage House, Old Tavern, PRR Caboose, and the Library/Welcome Center.

Admission to the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is approx. $5/person.

• Open: Memorial to Labor Day from 12pm – 4pm , and Tuesday – Sunday the rest of the year except January & February (Fri – Sun)
• Location: ( Map It ) 300 North Whitewoman Street in Coshocton, Ohio  43812 (Located in Historic Roscoe Village)
• Phone: 740-622-8710

Click to Read COLLECTING A LEGACY …AND CONTROVERSY

The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is nationally accredited. As you behold their remarkable collections, it will dispel notions of a “small town” museum.  Four of their galleries house permanent displays of American Indian (pre-historic Tools and Points and one of the finest collections of Indian basketry in the US), Historic Ohio, Euro-American Decorative Arts(Textiles, lacework, porcelain, glassware, sculpture, china, and dolls) and Asian (Chinese and Japanese artifacts, lacquer, jade, theater masks, and Samurai armor and swords).  A fifth gallery offers temporary exhibits from fine art and craft to local history and world culture. 

Visitors travel from all parts of the world to the JHM to see their collections of national significance, including its Chinese lacquerware, carvings, and ceramics, and American Indian basketry and beadwork.  The museum is also well known for its collection of Ohio prehistoric Indian points and tools. A popular exhibit is the Newark Holy Stones, controversial artifacts uncovered in prehistoric Indian Mounds in the 1860s that are inscribed in Hebrew. 

JHM is handicapped accessible and offers a gift shop with collection-related books, fine crafts, jewelry, and decorative items.

Admission to the John Rankin House is approx. $8/person (less for kids).

• Open: early April through October from Wednesday – Sunday from 10am – 5pm (Sunday 12-5). Tours on the hour.
• Location: ( Map It ) 6152 Rankin Hill Road in Ripley, Ohio
• Phone: 800-752-2705

The John Rankin House in Ripley, Ohio, is a National Historic Landmark and a famous station on the Underground Railroad.

The brick home was built in 1825 by Reverand John Rankin and sits high atop Freedom Hill overlooking the small river town of Ripley, Ohio. It features extraordinary tales of bravery and fantastic views of the Ohio River and its meandering bends between the Appalachian foothills of southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.

Rankin began his 44-year ministry at Ripley’s Presbyterian church in 1822. He and his wife and 13 children were ardent abolitionists. They dedicated their lives to helping their fellow human beings. Reverend John Rankin was one of the most active “conductors” of the Underground Railroad. His family never lost a “passenger” along their trek of the line. Over the years, more than 2,000 “passengers” stayed at the Rankin House. At times, up to a dozen runaway slaves lived in the humble brick home in addition to the 15 family members. It only took one encounter for slave owners and hunters to learn not to try and seize escaped slaves from the Rankins. Family members always stood armed and watchful.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin cites a true story of a lady pushing her child across the thin ice on the Ohio River, desperate to cross to the Rankin House. When a slave hunter met her on the other side, he was so moved by watching her determination that he let her pass through to the home on the hill, shining its candle in the window at night to guide her and so many other escaped slaves to potential freedom.

Merely crossing the Ohio River didn’t bring freedom, even though Ohio was a free state. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 meant runaway slaves could be apprehended in free states and returned to slavery. The Underground Railroad had to get its “passengers” into Canada. Making it to the Rankin House was a milestone, to be sure, but the final trek from southern Ohio to northern Ohio and ultimately out of the United States still had many obstacles to maneuver.

The modest home has received more than $1 million in renovations to return it to an authentic representation of how it was when the Rankin family lived there. It is quite a time capsule.

The floorboards are original and in great shape. Several original family items, such as the family’s Bible, remain. Well-informed guides give tours. They learn vital information to share but are encouraged to do some research to develop additional points of interest to further make the Rankin House story come alive for its visitors. In her research, a young tour guide named Niya found that her fourth-generation grandfather was at the Rankin’s house in the 1840s.

This little place in the middle of nowhere attracts many visitors and has a large parking lot. The tour takes about 30 minutes. Another 30 minutes can be spent taking in the incredible scenery of the forested hills and Ohio River stretching east and west as far as the eyes can see.

The John Rankin House is one of those little stops you always remember.

Admission to the John P. Parker House is approx. $8/person.

• Open: May through October on Friday & Saturday from 10am – 5pm, and Sunday from 1 – 5 p.m.
• Location: ( Map It ) 300 N. Front Street in Ripley, Ohio
• Phone: 937-392-4188 or email [email protected]

If you stand on the northern shore of the Ohio River in downtown Ripley, you understand why John P. Parker once stood near this very same spot in the mid-1800s and decided to build a home and open his machine shop and foundry in this bustling rivertown.

Parker was a freed slave who would become a successful businessman and inventor, and from about 1850 until the end of the Civil War; he was one of the most active conductors on the Underground Railroad. At great risk to his own life and freedom, he repeatedly crossed into Kentucky to help enslaved brothers and sisters escape across the river in wooden boats.

The John P. Parker National Historic Landmark features exhibits, a display center of Parker’s products, and guided tours enlightening visitors about his adventurous, daring life. It is a travel destination for families eager to experience a compelling episode in American history when the Ohio River was the line between bondage and freedom.

Johnston Farm & Indian Agency admission is approx. $10/person (less for kids).

• Open: June – August on Thursday & Friday from 10am – 5pm, and Saturday & Sunday from 12 – 5pm. April, May, September, & October on Monday – Friday from 9am – 2pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 9845 North Hardin Road in Piqua, Ohio (Miami County)
• Phone: (937) 773-2522 or 1-800-752-2619

Johnston Farm & Indian Agency in Piqua, Ohio:  See how it was in the early 1800s when Colonel John Johnston lived here as a working farmer, a Federal Indian Agent, and a community leader who facilitated canal building. See the oldest log barn in Ohio, learn about Woodland Indians, and ride the “General Harrison” on a restored canal segment. Costumed interpreters and craft demonstrators combine for a realistic visit to the first half of the 19 th century.

Admission to Lake Metroparks Farmpark is approx. $10/person.

• Open: Tuesday – Sunday from 9am – 5pm
• Location: ( Map It ) 8800 Chardon Road in Kirtland, Ohio
• Phone: 800-366-FARM (3276) or 440-256-2122
• Web: click here 

Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland houses a wide range of farm animals and offers visitors a chance to gain hands-on experience with those animals.  Visitors can participate in the daily activities on a farm, such as learning how to milk animals by hand or machine, feeding livestock, sorting grain, and making syrups and jams.  The park also features a cornfield maze that visitors can enter.  There are demonstrations on doing other farm activities such as herding sheep—the farmhouses over fifty breeds of livestock with a dozen endangered animals.  The farm also holds many gardens, orchards, and vineyards that can be visited.

Admission to the Loveland Castle is approx. $5/person.

• Open: Daily from 11am to 5pm
• Location: ( Map It ) 12025 Shore Rd. in Loveland, Ohio
• Phone: 513-683-4686
• Web: https://lovelandcastle.com/

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The Loveland Castle & Museum is a real castle much as you’d see in the old country. It is a smaller replica (5,000 sq. ft.) of France’s 10th-century Chateau La Roche. It comes complete with a princess room, towers and terraces, and a dungeon! It is open daily for tours and can be rented for weddings. In addition, overnight stays and group parties are available. Don’t miss the haunted tours around Halloween.

Little Cities of Black Diamonds By Robert Carpenter 

Excerpt from a past edition of OhioTraveler

Have you ever wanted to go down into a coal mine—not to work—just for the adventure?  The lives of the hard-working men who slog like moles hundreds of feet beneath, and sometimes miles back under the earth’s surface have always seemed intriguing as well as personifying the American spirit.

So, you would think that a material equated to gemstones would be applauded for its key role in the industrialization that made this the greatest nation on the planet. Instead, coal and mining, which currently gain news prominence only after a disaster, are almost viewed as antisocial.

Although more than half of the power consumed in our country is still generated by coal, the “greenies” would like to eliminate its use altogether. And due to nearly complete removal from home use, knowledge by later generations of the fossil fuel known as “black diamonds” is limited to its extraction by hazardous, gritty labor, far removed from, and seemingly unrelated to the sanitized information age.

But there is an organization that does not want you to forget the vital function that coal has played in one of the most inventive and ingenious chapters of our history.

The nonprofit organization labeled “Little Cities of Black Diamonds” refers to the old “played out” coal mining communities in Hocking, Perry, and Athens counties of southeast Ohio. “Cities” denotes that during the boom years when coal was king (approximately 1850 to 1925) these communities, although small—were indeed city-like, providing every amenity that society had to offer.

And it wasn’t just coal that created prosperity in the region. There was oil, clay and iron ore, but the production and use of those resources was only possible due to energy from coal and its derivative coke that created power and fired the kilns and furnaces.

The Black Diamonds’ organization feels that the story of coal and its influence should not be forgotten because it so accurately defines an era and the character of this part of the country.

One of my warmest memories of childhood is of those winter mornings hearing my father rattle the grate in the furnace and bank the fire. The expanding cast-iron jacket would soon begin to crackle and pop, echoing up through the ducts, and heat from the coal flames boiling through the registers would transform a cold house to comfort within minutes.

When snow and ice turned our inclined driveway into a sled run, my father would spread the ashes and clinkers (incompletely burned impurities) in the tire tracks, and then drive up the hill like it was summer.

But coal furnaces, like steam locomotives, were not destined for the modern age.  Although, even with the glory days gone, coal heat extended its popularity into the ‘70’s, and current industrial use persists because compared to alternatives, it is cheap, plentiful and reliable.

Of course coal has its drawbacks, as anyone old enough to remember hosing the soot off a porch floor would know.  Then we became aware of black lung disease, and acid rain due to the high sulfur content of coal found in the Appalachian basin. It was the latter that put a kink in the pipeline of southeastern Ohio coal production that it has never recovered from, even following the implementation of scrubbers on smoke stacks that clean up most of the pollution.

Considering coal’s demise, there is still much to be celebrated in the southern tri-county region and more history than you may be able to absorb in one trip.  There are literally dozens of worked-out mines and related hamlets in the “black diamonds” area—some with little reason for existing other than displaying remnants of a vaunted past. But the organization has plotted thirteen specific destinations with enough varied interests to satisfy most anyone.

There are group tours for organized parties of 12-15 people. For $50 per person per day, one or two-day excursions are available that include transportation by van, lunch and a professional guide. But most people will probably prefer to tour at their own pace and curiosity since there is enough interest at single sites to hold you for an entire day.

The best starting point is at the Wayne Forest Visitors Center located on Rt. 33 between Nelsonville and Athens. The coal tipple-style building is headquarters for Ohio’s only national forest and they provide a driving tour map and brochure of the little cities and other novelties of the region.  Some examples are:

Robinson’s Cave (mine) in New Straitsville is the unofficial birthplace of United Mine Workers Union, and the nearby museum relates the history of the town and mining in general.

Shawnee is the best original example of boomtowns still standing in Ohio, and some say in the eastern U. S.  Its Victorian architecture presents shopping, restaurants, museums and two opera houses. It’s one of the places where you’ll want a camera.

Haydenville is billed as Ohio’s last company-owned town. Industrialist Peter Hayden who dealt in iron, clay and coal, built the town using houses, stores and churches to display his products. One of the houses is now a museum.

Nelsonville was at one time the gateway to the “little cities” area due to its location on both the Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad and the Hocking Canal. It was, and remains the most prosperous of the rollicking cities that sprung up in the mining period, cresting at more than 8,000 residents. It’s also the present boarding point for the Hocking Valley Scenic Railroad that runs passenger cars up and down the valley during summer and fall. Call them at 800-967-7834 for more details.

Rendville stands out because it was a social experiment. Founder William P. Rend recruited blacks to work his mines, but with his blessings they also held the leadership positions of the town such as mayor, postmaster, physician, ministers, and labor union bosses. The original Baptist Church is now The Rendville Art Works, which is open every day but Sunday.

In addition to the historical sites, the area offers hiking trails, swimming, boating and fishing. Burr Oak State Park is said to be Ohio’s most remote and picturesque state park. Another bonus is the drive up SR 78 East from Bishopville. It’s known as the “Rim of The World.” The views are spectacular—especially at this time of the year.

But whatever you’re viewing, you’ll be aware that it was coal that developed this area, and its decline, perhaps, that has let it down—a useful cue that nothing is forever—that change is inevitable, and hopefully for the best.

The house I grew up in was eventually converted to electric, but regardless of the cleanliness, convenience and thermometer reading, we all agreed that it was somehow never as comfortable as coal-fired heat.

In recent times there are mornings when in that semi-conscious state, I hear that old coal furnace crackling and popping. At first the ghostly quality was frightening. There is nothing in my present house that can possible make that noise, yet I clearly hear it even when I’m awake enough to know I’m not dreaming. But I’ve learned to welcome the sound because when it ceases I get up; I’m warm, I’m comforted, and all seems to be right with the world.

Go to LittleCitiesofBlackDiamonds.org or call 800-394-3011 or (local) 740-394-3011 for more information.

Welcome to the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics.

• Open: Friday & Saturday from 9:30am – 4pm, Sunday from 12 – 4pm, and Monday – Thursday from 9:30am – 6pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 2291 St. Johns Road in Maria Stein, Ohio
• Web: https://mariasteinshrine.org/

The Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics is situated on nearly 30 acres of beautifully landscaped, peaceful rolling grounds in rural Maria Stein, Ohio. The grounds of the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics include many unique opportunities for walking, reflection, and prayer in a peaceful environment. The Shrine’s religious, genealogical, cultural, and architectural history interests visitors worldwide.

Pilgrims are encouraged to explore the grounds, appreciate the beautiful architecture, stroll along sacred paths, and enjoy an environment of serenity and solitude. Prayers are available to accompany your journey. There is no better place to deepen your spirituality than the Shrine, rich in holiness and history.

Some of the Shrine’s notable features include a beautiful courtyard featuring Stations of the Cross, an Angel Garden, a Statue Garden, the original tower entrance and the original bell from the former Convent built in 1860, a spring-fed, hand-dug well, Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, the Chapel in the Woods, and so much more!

Admission to the Marietta Castle is approx. $10/person.

• Open: Tours are from April – December. Spring and fall hours are Monday, Thursday, & Friday from 10am – 4pm, and Saturday & Sunday from 1 – 4pm. Summer (June – August) hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday from 10am – 4pm, and Sunday 1 – 4pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 418 Fourth Street in Marietta, Ohio
• Phone: 740-373-4180
• Web: https://mariettacastle.org/

The Marietta Castle is an 1855 home of several cities and state notables. The Castle is an outstanding example of Gothic Revival architecture open for regular guided tours, periodic exhibits of art and artifacts important to the region, and concerts, workshops, children’s programs, teas, and other special activities.

Admission to the McCook House Civil War Museum is nominal.

• Open: Memorial Day – early October on Friday & Saturday from 10am – 5pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 15 South Lisbon Street in Carrollton, Ohio
• Phone: 1-800-600-7172 or 330-627-3345

Welcome to the McCook House Civil War Museum. Excerpt from a past edition of OhioTraveler

The Fighting McCooks

The McCook clan was not known as a cantankerous bunch, but no one questioned their courage or fierce defense of the Union cause. When the War Between the States broke out, they volunteered. All fifteen of them.

The Civil War was personal. What kind of men rush into a conflict knowing they might have to fight their neighbors or relatives? What goes through a man’s mind who encourages his brother and sons to join the fight knowing the odds are that some, maybe all of them will fail to return? It has been said that it is “the passion of fools and the most foolish of passions.” Patriotism.

To whatever instincts were embedded in the genetic code, it was definitely a passionate response by the McCooks—the fighting McCooks, as they became known.

Recollection of American history frequently summons heroic names from both sides such as Sherman, Grant, Jackson and Lee. However, from schoolbooks, the McCook name barely jingles a distant bell, but it should chime with clarity. There was hardly a Civil War battle, north or south of the Mason-Dixon line, without the participation of a McCook.

But now you can discover what academia left out. The saga of the McCooks is related through chronicled accounts and memorabilia displayed at the antebellum McCook House Museum in Carrollton. The house is owned by the Ohio Historical Society and managed by the Carroll County Historical Society.

The house recently reopened after a $300,000 renovation kept it shuttered for the past six months. It’s easy to recognize. It’s the large building on the southwest corner of the Carrollton town square. It is notable for its Federalist architecture—a two-story red-brick box-like structure with prominent chimneys on either side, no porch or portico, and numerous windows.  The house was built by Daniel McCook, a Carrollton attorney, in 1837 and occupied by his family that included eight sons and three daughters until 1848.  The other part of the clan was Daniel’s brother John and his five sons, hailing from Steubenville (as did President Lincoln’s Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.)

You may explore the house at leisure, but guided tours are more rewarding, especially for Civil War buffs. Downstairs you will see the parlor, Daniel’s law office, dining room (now a Civil War display) and the original small kitchen. Then head upstairs to view the four large bedrooms.

Manager and tour guide Shirley Anderson says, “People are always surprised at the number of items displayed here.” There are five Civil War swords belonging to the McCook sons; Daniel’s Henry rifle; GAR medals, period furniture; and a large set of china purchased in Paris in the 1860s. There’s also a large painting of Daniel and his sons (a copy of the original hanging in the Statehouse in Columbus).

When the war began, Daniel McCook was 63 years old—elderly by the standards of that era—but he volunteered as a nurse. Early in the conflict, he was present at the battle of Bull Run, where his son Alexander commanded the 1 st Ohio regiment, and his eighteen-year-old son Charles fought in another regiment.

Outnumbered, it was a humiliating defeat for the Union and Charles joined his father who was tending the wounded. When Johnny-Rebs overran the field hospital, Charles set off to rejoin his company, dispatching the first Reb with a well- placed shot, but was quickly surrounded and ordered to surrender. Seeing the futility, Daniel called upon the boy to submit, but Charles refused, calling back, “Father, I can never surrender to a Rebel. I will never surrender to a traitor.” At that point, he was shot in the back.

Word of the young man’s brave resistance traveled fast—told and retold hundreds, possibly thousands of times, plus the various accounts in print, but the premise never deviated.  Charles McCook became the cause celebre —his death the resulting harmony among those irrational impulses driving the war.

John McCook and his five sons, all officers, were in for the duration, fighting every battle that came their way, and safely returned home. Daniel and his sons—five of whom were generals—possibly because of displaying extraordinary valor, did not fare as well.

Daniel’s son, General Robert McCook, was seriously wounded but returned to the battlefield while still debilitated and issued orders from an ambulance wagon. When Rebels attacked the ambulance, he was unable to defend himself and was killed.

In 1863 Daniel who was not a cavalryman, but by then an aged paymaster, spontaneously seized a vacant command and led an advance party in an attempt to intercept marauders who had crossed the river near Cincinnati, and died in the skirmish.

A quote by an unknown officer of the time exemplifies the McCooks: “They were born leaders; they were all men of noble bearing, such man as would naturally be selected in conflict requiring valor, judgment, and influence with men. “

Nothing more epitomizes that statement than the actions of Dan McCook Jr. Perhaps in a lapse of judgment, General William Tecumseh Sherman in his march across Georgia, ordered a near-suicidal assault on a Confederate stronghold atop Kennesaw Mountain. Colonel McCook, leading one of the three prongs of attack, quoted to his men inspirational historic verse about “how better to die than against fearful odds,” before making the charge up the mountain where he fell.

Displayed in the museum are two original military commissions for Alexander McDowell McCook. One has the signature of Abraham Lincoln—the other usually found more interesting—and is signed in 1854 by Jefferson Davis, at the time Secretary of War. Of course, Davis was later President of the Confederacy, against which commissioned officers were sworn to fight. It was a deliberative and confusing time.

Much has been said about the present understanding of honor and responsibility compared with the concept a century and a half ago. Today’s willingness to fight one’s neighbors and relatives, even over the most serious of disagreements, seems like a distortion of duty. But through all the mistakes, it can be said that they did what they thought was right. Where the McCooks were concerned, the simplest explanation may be that they just didn’t know when to quit.

By Robert A. Carpenter

• Location: Auglaize and Mercer Counties, as well as portions of northern Darke and Shelby Counties
• Phone: 800-860-4726

Land of the Cross Tipped Churches:  In July 1979, over sixty buildings representing the German Catholic settlements of southern Auglaize and Mercer Counties, as well as portions of northern Darke and Shelby Counties, were placed on a National Register of Historic Places. Named The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches , these buildings consist of churches, schools, rectories and convents, this grouping is symbolic of the culture and historic uniqueness of the region. Today, most of these structures remain to remind us of the hard work and dedication of these early settlers as they built the Miami-Erie Canal and forged a new life on the area’s rich and productive farmland. A drive along this Ohio Scenic Byway through the rural countryside follows the quaint churches with their cross tipped “spires to heaven” and includes stops at the focal points of the region: the former convent at Maria Stein, St. Augustine Church – the original Mother Church of the area, and the magnificent and impressive former seminary at Carthagena.

Admission to the Lane Hooven House is free.

• Open Mondays – Fridays from 9am – 4pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 319 N. 3rd St. in Hamilton, Ohio
• Phone: 513-863-1389

The Lane Hooven House was built in 1863 by industrialist Clark Lane and later restored. This octagonal Victorian Gothic Revival style brick home has a unique spiral staircase to the third-floor turret, a stain-glass entrance, and some period furnishings. The main floor is enriched with butternut and white walnut woodwork.

Admission to the Manor House in the Toledo Wildwood Preserve Metroparks is normally free.

• Open: April – September on Wed – Fri & Sun (call for holiday-season hours as they vary).
• Location: ( Map It ) 5100 W. Central Ave. in Toledo, Ohio, at Wildwood Preserve Metroparks
• Phone: 419-407-9790

The Manor House in the Toledo Wildwood Preserve Metroparks is a Georgian colonial mansion built in 1938 for Robert Stranahan, cofounder of the Champion Spark Plug Company. It has 35 primary rooms, 17 bathrooms, and 16 fireplaces. Most of the rooms have been refurbished with period-appropriate pieces. The estate grounds also have the former riding stables, a limousine garage, and symmetrical formal gardens next to brick walls with wrought iron gazebos.

• Open: Tuesday – Saturday from 9am – 5pm, and Sunday from  1 – 5pm)
• Location: ( Map It ) 7754 State Route 292 South in Zanesfield, Ohio
• Phone: 937-593-8000
• Web: https://marmonvalley.com/

Marmon Valley Farm offers a farm experience to the public. Gentle farm animals and cuddly barn cats will gladly be your tour guides as you explore the grounds. It won’t take long for the kids to find the Playbarn, a one-of-a-kind playground styled after a big red barn. They’ll love the twisty silo slide and the John Deere tractor for little farmers to climb on. The outdoor farm fun is practically endless.

With 150 gentle horses and ponies, The Farm specializes in trail rides ($) through the wooded hills and ravines surrounding their many barns and animal pens. Experienced trail guides take riders of all sizes (starting at age 6) and abilities out on the scenic trails for riders. We offer pony rides in the riding arena for the youngest cowhands in your gang!

Admission to the William Holmes McGuffey Museum is free.

• Open: Thursday – Saturday from 1 – 5pm
• Location: ( Map It ) 401 East Spring Street at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
• Phone: 513-529-8380

The William Holmes McGuffey Museum is on the Miami University, Oxford, Ohio campus.  It is registered as a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as a house museum that includes campus and community history.  This was the home of William Holmes McGuffey, Professor of Ancient Languages and Moral Philosophy at Miami University from 1826 to 1836.  The museum/home honors McGuffey and his Eclectic Readers, a series of books that educated five generations of Americans and are said to be the most widely published books in the U.S., second to the Holy Bible.

Free self-guided tour of Cleveland’s Millionaires Row on Euclid Avenue.

• Location: Euclid Avenue near downtown Cleveland, Ohio

Millionaires Row on Cleveland’s Euclid Avenue:  What was once known as “the most beautiful street in America” is now a distant memory over a century later. Cleveland’s Euclid Avenue, otherwise known as Millionaires Row, was once the residential street of some of the most influential families in American history and their lavish estates. These monstrous mansions with broad sweeping lawns, ornate architecture and wondrous landscapes used to be home to industrial tycoons and celebrated philanthropists like Rockefeller, Mather, Wade, Severance, Gund, Stone, Brush and Everett and political figures such as John Hay, Tom Johnson and Leonard Hanna. Now, only 10 homes remain on the once famed avenue. And most of those are hidden from view by the byproduct of their industrial architects – buildings.  However, you can still take a stroll down memory lane and see what’s left but do so at your own risk because this isn’t exactly Rockefeller’s neighborhood anymore.

The homes that remain in whole or in part include the following:

• Luther Allen House (7609 Euclid Avenue)
• Morris Bradley Carriage House  (7217 Euclid Avenue)
• John Henry Devereaux (3226 Euclid Avenue)
• Francis Drury House (8625 Euclid Avenue)
• Hall-Sullivan House (7218 Euclid Avenue)
• Howe Residence (2248 Euclid Avenue)
• Samuel Mather Residence (2605 Euclid Avenue)
• Stager-Beckwith House (3813 Euclid Avenue)
• Lyman Treadway House (8917 Euclid Avenue)
• H.W. White Residence (8937 Euclid Avenue)

These homes were once stunning monuments to America’s growing prosperity. Those remaining sit like relics releasing a hint of what once was “the most beautiful street in America.”

Source: The Ohio Preservation Alliance

Admission to the Old Stone House Museum in Lakewood is free.

• Open: Wednesday and Sunday from 1-4pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 14710 Lake Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio
• Phone: 216-221-7343

The Old Stone House Museum in Lakewood:  This 1838 “old stone house” was originally the residence of a Scottish immigrant and later served as a post office, shoe repair shop, grocery store, doctor’s office, and barbershop. Now, as a museum, it looks at the city’s pioneer past with displays of furniture, household items, clothing, tools, books, toys, dolls, and a spinning wheel. The home has a sick room with old-fashioned equipment to care for the ill. Also displayed are roped beds, cooking fireplace, four-harness loom, furnished parlor, handmade linens and more. The Old Stone House has a cousin linked to it – Nicholson House. This 1835 home is an example of early Western Reserve architecture. Both homes are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Admission to Robbins-Hunter Museum is free.

• Open: April – December on Wednesday – Saturdays from 1 – 4pm (garden open daily from dawn to dusk).
• Location: ( Map It ) 221 E. Broadway in Granville, Ohio
• Phone: 740-587-0430

The Robbins-Hunter Museum in Granville:  This museum house was built in 1842 and has 27 rooms. The rooms are furnished with fine examples of 19th-century American antiques, with a special emphasis on Ohio. Antiques at Avery House currently operates in the shop that Robbins Hunter ran. The museum hosts special exhibitions and programs.

Admission to Historic Roscoe Village is free. However, living history tours are approx. $13/person.

• Open: Hours of operation and tours vary by season, type, and days of the week.
• Location: ( Map It ) 600 North Whitewoman Street, Coshocton, Ohio
• Phone: 740-622-9310
• Web: www.roscoevillage.com

Historic Roscoe Village is a restored 1800s canal town. Guests experience life during the Canal Era on the Canal Town Journey tour, during which they are guided through historical buildings staffed with costumed interpreters and enjoy hands-on activities at the Visitor Center. Afterward, they may stroll the lush gardens, take a horse-drawn canal boat ride, browse the numerous quaint shops, and enjoy casual family dining.

Excerpt from a past edition of OhioTraveler  

Roscoe Village was a vibrant center of commerce along the legendary Ohio & Erie Canal. Forty years ago, it was brought back to life. Today, visitors can ride the canal just like their traveling counterparts back in the 1830s on their way to the streets of a vibrant canal town and all its dressings.

The famous port town is now known as Historic Roscoe Village. As its guests step onto the red brick ways, they are pulled in different directions. Some come just to relax in the beautiful gardens, some enjoy the living history journey back in time, others thrive on the original shops, and everyone marvels at the dining atmosphere and specialty dishes. Roscoe Village is a fully functional town that basks in its history yet entertains today’s interests. Special events fill the calendar, hands-on activities abound, and for those that want to get lost in relaxation and Yesteryear, there’s a variety of lodging accommodations.

Throughout the town, you see trendy shoppers and costumed canal-era interpreters mingling along the streets and in the shops. Bicyclists frequent the streetscapes, stopping for ice cream or a shade tree—tour groups snake in and out of historic buildings for hands-on experiences. Roscoe Village has always had a charm that attracts children, seniors, and young women on a girls’ day out. There’s that much to see, do, and enjoy.

The journey begins for most at the visitors’ center. It is there that sleeves are rolled up, and work begins. All ages are welcome to try their hand at candle dipping, making rope, punching tin, and crafting other bygone creations. A guide in period dress provides insight into the forgotten lifestyles of the town during the era long past. They demonstrate their skill at the workstations and provide punchy presentations filled with information, wit, and personality.

Through the gardens and down the road past a few historical homes is a blacksmith’s shop. The rather large, rickety, old, red barn is dark inside, but the blacksmith’s tools and workstation are strangely illuminated perfectly by the window light. Let the pounding begin. The blacksmith on duty will hammer and bend iron into just about anything the mind can imagine.

A few shops down, there’s a building where brooms are made. A demonstration shows the strange old machines and techniques for making one of the most used tools of the 1800s. The tour guide may have a little-known tale, such as coaxing a spectator to jump over the broomstick on the floor followed by a bellowing – “Now we’re married.” Details are explained on-site.

All aspects of life are explored, including the doctor’s office where an exam is given, another stop is made to make a bucket, and a little house with huge looms goes into action weaving. One of the more fun, interactive moments comes in the old schoolhouse where kids of all ages experience something they know – school. Don’t misbehave, or you’ll experience something unknown in today’s classrooms – a ruler on the knuckles!

Around lunchtime and dinner, too, the streets lure the hungry into the historic brick-and-stone eateries and fine dining houses. One of which is The Warehouse Steak n Stein. This architectural gem is smack in the middle of the village and, in the 1830s, was the Mill Store and main docking point for the village along the canal. Its lower level is P.R. Nyes Lock Twenty-Seven, accented by the canal’s original stone walls.

An after-dinner glass of wine or cup of coffee can be had at Uncorked Wine & Coffee Bar. With over 200 different types of wine, it’s a full-service bar with hot and cold gourmet coffees. Many find a great place to relax: on the patio, in the shade, listening to jazz or blues music.

Walking off a bite to eat is an easy thing to do in Roscoe Village. The charming shops are diverse and unique. Visitors often hit them all because it’s so convenient to walk from one to the next, marveling at the façade and gazing at the merchandise.

The wares made by the village blacksmith, broom squire, weaver, and woodworker are available at the Village Crafter’s Shop, located in the Visitor Center.

The Roscoe General Store is a throwback to historic community general stores. It offers everything from antiques to collectible bears and pottery to unusual toys for kids. Its candy bouquet temps with Lindt’s truffles, jelly beans, lollipops and gourmet chocolates.

The shopping list goes on. River Ridge Leather tans leather the old-fashioned way and hand stitches leather handbags, belts, harnesses, and more. Visitors are invited to see a live demonstration of the old art and the trade’s original tools dating back to the 1800s.

Over at Garden Gate, visitors find novel gardening gifts, herbs, flowers, fountains, and other accessories. The House of G.A. Fisher is known for one-of-a-kind jewels and keepsakes, Lenox, clocks, and watches. Liberty House has a fashionable collection of purses, scarves, wraps, and whimsical styles of women’s clothing. Wildwood Music is happy to hook you up with a handmade stringed instrument like a dulcimer, mandolin, banjo, or guitar. And the Village Soap & Candle Shop has lotions, soaps and powders that are primitive and homespun.

Although walking around town may be like a living history museum outdoors and in, there is an actual museum to boot – The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum. This nationally accredited museum has incredible collections in several galleries, including the American Indian Gallery, Historical Ohio Gallery, Decorative Arts Gallery, Oriental Gallery, and a Special Exhibits Gallery that features a variety of collections throughout the year.

Roscoe Village is never more alive than during its special events. Annual favorites include the October Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival and the December annual Christmas Candlelighting.

When the day winds down, Historic Roscoe Village offers beautifully landscaped gardens to take a load off and melt into the scene on a park bench. Perhaps the favorite leisure-time activity is a 45-minute canal boat ride tugged by horses walking along the towpath along the canal banks. An overnight stay may be better instead of packing the plentiful activities into one day. Various lodging options are nearby and include bed and breakfasts, inns, cabins, guest houses, motels, campgrounds, and a lodge.

Admission to Rose Hill Museum is usually free.

• Open:  Hours vary.
• Location: ( Map It ) 27715 Lake Road in Bay Village, Ohio
• Phone: 440-871-7338

The Rose Hill Museum in Bay Village:  This museum home was built in 1818 as a private residence and once served as the town’s library. The three-story structure has furnishings from the Colonial and Victorian periods. The grounds also house a cabin replica and a Smoke House.

Admission to Slate Run Historical Farm is free.

• Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 9am – 6pm, and Friday & Saturday from 9am – 7pm. (Oct – Mar, closes at 5pm).
• Location: ( Map It ) 1375 Winchester Southern Rd in Canal Winchester, Ohio
• Phone: 614-833-1880

The Slate Run Historical Farm: Hey, kids, are you afraid to get your hands dirty? I didn’t think so. Well, roll up your sleeves and join in the farm life – 1800s style at Slate Run Historical Farm. It’s fully operational year-round as a living historical farm – not just a museum. Chores change with the seasons just like real life and the staff dresses the part. So, step back into early farm and family life and watch chores carried out with the tools, equipment, and methods used in the old-fashioned days without electricity and other modern conveniences.

Admission to Squire’s Castle is free.

• Open from Dawn – Dusk.
• Location: ( Map It ) 2844 River Road in Willoughby Hills, Ohio at North Chagrin Reservation of Cleveland Metroparks
• Phone: 216-635-3200

Squire’s Castle at Cleveland Metroparks in Willoughby Hills:  This stone building was known as Squire’s Castle” isn’t a castle. Rather, it is the caretaker’s house for a lavish mansion that was never built. The stone castle-like home was built in the 1890s by Feargus Squire, one of the founders of Standard Oil Company. He had planned a summer estate in the Cleveland countryside. His plans changed when his wife died. And the mansion never left the drawing board.  However, the Squire Castle is still a nice place to visit although it has been stripped of its glass windows, interior walls and furnishings and had the basement filled for fear of vandals. Still, wandering this stone home is interesting. It will leave the mind to wonder what if… Bring a picnic basket and spend the afternoon in the forest by this century-old architecture.

• Open: May – October on Saturday from 11am – 2pm
• Location: ( Map It ) 6975 Ridge Road in Parma, Ohio
• Phone: email [email protected]  or call 440-845-9770

Stearns Homestead in Parma:  This 48-acre historical farm includes the 1855 Stearns House, 1920 Gibbs House, country store, meeting cabin, outbuildings, barn, and farm animals. Both of the houses are museums with period-appropriate displays and furnishings.

Admission to The 1810 House is free.

• Open: June – November on Sunday from 1 – 3pm or by appointment.
• Location: ( Map It ) 1926 Waller Street in Portsmouth, Ohio
• Phone: 740-353-1116
• Web: www.1810house.org/ 

The 1810 House in Portsmouth is the Aaron and Mary Kinney Homestead:  This former two-story brick farm homestead turned museum houses many pioneer artifacts. There are eight rooms that visitors may tour and view 19th and 20th-century furnishings, house-wares, and clothing. See what families did in their living rooms for activities and entertainment as well as what sort of items children of the time played with. Teachers will want to see the Old Schoolroom and its desks, books, and teaching tools of the past. The kitchen is well stocked with china, utensils, and more, including a cast iron.

Free self-guided tours of the Old West End in Toledo’s Historic District.

• Location: See addresses below … ( Map It ) Toledo, Ohio
• Phone: 567-698-7969
• Web: http://www.toledooldwestend.com/

Old West End in Toledo’s Historic District is a vintage neighborhood that features one of the oldest and largest collections of Victorian and Edwardian homes in the nation. Visit Toledo and take a walk through this well-kept time capsule that showcases a myriad of architectural beauty. The homes are found at the following addresses:

• The Edward Drummond Libbey House (2008 Scottwood)
• The Julius G. Lamson House (2056 Scottwood)
• John Barber Home (2271 Scottwood)
• Moses G. Block House (2272 Scottwood)
• The Wright – Wilmington House (2320 Scottwood)
• Edward F. Brucker House (2055 Robinwood)
• Michael Henahan House (2052 Robinwood)
• Albin B. Tillighast House (2210 Robinwood)
• Frederick O. Paddock House (2233 Robinwood)
• The Julius H. Tyler House (2251 Robinwood)
• The William H. Currier House (2611 Robinwood)
• The Stranahan-Rothschild House (2104 Parkwood)
• The Leeper-Geddes House (2116 Parkwood)
• John Waite House (2256 Collingwood)

Admission to the William Howard Taft National Historic Site is free.

• Open: Daily from Mid-February to Mid-November from 8:30am – 4:45pm (Winter hours are Thrs – Sun from 9am – 4pm).
• Location: ( Map It ) 2038 Auburn Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Phone: 513-684-3262

The William Howard Taft National Historic Site:  President William Howard Taft (1857 – 1930) was elected the 27th President of the United States in 1909. Visitors to his birthplace and boyhood home can play with old-fashioned toys, as did the former President. Also, visitors can play dress-up with clothes of the time.

By Rocco Satullo, your tour guide to fun !

All history is local. If you are traveling the modern streets of Rome, look to one side or another and you may see over a railing down to an excavation revealing what the community looked like thousands of years ago. The contrast is such that you lose yourself for a moment in wonder. So too is it – albeit on a smaller scale – when you drive through a small town in America and suddenly there’s a downtown within a downtown, both hundreds of years apart.

With globalization we have learned so much about so many things on a grand scale, we yearn for new discoveries. Adventurous minds have made remarkable finds in the nooks and crannies of history, often unearthing a vein of gold in the form of fascinating stories that capture the imagination at a local level.   ….Read More….

Click here to read the rest of the story

Admission to Yoder’s Amish Home is approx. $15/adult’s package and $10/kid’s package.

• Open: Thursday – Saturday from 10am – 5pm from Spring to Fall.
• Location: ( Map It ) 6050 State Route 515 in Millersburg, Ohio
• Phone: 330-893-2541
• Web:  https://yodersamishhome.com/

Yoders Amish Home is an authentic Amish farm.  The farm includes 116 acres of land.  While touring the farm visitors have a chance to see two houses, a barn that was built in 1885, and also a one-room schoolhouse.  Visitors can also take buggy rides and see and pet the animals living on the farm.  Guests can also purchase freshly baked goods and presents, such as dolls and quilts.

Admission to Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs is free to see the cows and other areas, but there are fees for other activities.

• Hours vary depending on the season and attractions at Young’s (call ahead)
• Location: ( Map It ) 6880 Springfield Xenia Road in Yellow Springs, Ohio
• Phone: 937-325-0629
• Web: https://youngsdairy.com/

Young’s Jersey Dairy features homemade cheese and ice cream in their ice cream shop and cheese store. Get a full meal in their restaurant. For dessert, check out the bakery.

Before or after filling your tummy with deliciousness, enjoy all of the entertainment featuring miniature golf, driving range, batting cages, kiddie corral, fast slide, barrel train rides, and petting farm area.

Visit their website above to see the calendar of special events offered every season throughout the year.

There are plenty of cows, goats, and other farm animals:  The farm was started in 1869 and is still owned and operated by the Young Family!  Young’s hosts over one million guests each year.

Young’s Jersey Dairy is a working dairy farm with two restaurants (one is a large dairy bar and quick-serve food restaurant, the other is a sit-down, home-cooked, table service restaurant), two gift shops, two miniature golf courses, batting cages, golf driving range, the best homemade ice cream in the region,  friendly service, great food, family fun activities, group & company picnics, off-site catering, and FUN!

Admission to the Moore House Museum is approx $8/person.  

• Open: Tours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10am – 3pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 309 West 5th St. in Lorain, Ohio
• Phone: 440-245-2563

The Moore House Museum and Lorain County Historical Society illustrate history from the early nineteenth century through the twentieth century. Its many displays and exhibits feature maps, clocks, time-saving devices, tools, clothing, toys, jewelry, photographs, historical documents, and many other artifacts of local interest.

Admission to the Niederman Family Farm varies according to the event.

• Open: Seasonal events, activities, and tours
• Location: ( Map It ) 5110 LeSourdsville-WestChester Drive in Liberty Township, Ohio
• Phone: 513-779-6184

The Niederman family planted hybrid crops of tradition and tourism to save their rural culture

Ever-expanding suburbs have been squeezing farmland out for generations. Mostly gone are the amber waves of grain that used to grow in vast seas just outside major population centers. Where seeds once soaked up the sun and rain are now streets named for what they paved over Strawberry Fields Avenue, Hunting Meadows Road, Vineyard Circle, and so on. Since this transformation of America’s heartland, a generation of children can’t think past their local grocer when it comes to where food originates.

Much like mom’s apple pie, the American farm is fast becoming more fable than reality. But the Niederman family is trying to change that! … READ MORE …

Click here for the rest of the story

Admission to the Ohio Village is approx. $16/person.

• Open: Seasonal (call for days/hours)
• Location: ( Map It ) 800 E 17th Ave in Columbus, Ohio adjacent to the Ohio History Center
• Phone: 800-686-6124 or 614-297-2300 for museum and 614-297-2663 for group tours

The Ohio Village at Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio:  Step back in time to a 19th-century county-seat town in Ohio about the time of the Civil War. Meet the villagers and learn their stories. Tour the buildings and homes. Partaking in activities from the 1890s. Perhaps even see the Ohio Village Muffins play baseball by 19th-century rules.

Admission to the Piatt Castle Mac-A-Cheek is approx. $15/person (less for kids).

• Open: Late April through October from 10am – 4pm
• Location: ( Map It ) 10051 Twp Rd 47, West Liberty, Ohio 43357
• Phone: 937-465-2821
• Web: https://piattcastle.org/

Piatt Castle Mac-A-Cheek in West Liberty, Ohio, provides self-guided tours of this remarkable 19th-century residence. Its a glimpse into the past life of wealth in Ohio featuring great architecture, a secret tunnel, a rather large dog house, exhibits, photographs and more. It’s a stunning place to host a wedding.

Some people avoid “haunted” hotels and lodges. Others flock to them. Those in the latter category will find esoteric thrills galore at the Punderson Manor State Park Lodge in northeast Ohio’s Punderson State Park. And it doesn’t have to be Halloween, or even a dark and stormy night, to bring on the action.

Some employees have heard the sound of children’s laughter when there are no children around. Fires go out. Pencils fly across a room. Doors open and shut of their own volition. Faucets turn off and on with no one near. Televisions turn on by themselves – or off. Usually at inconvenient times.

It’s enough to make a housekeeper cry, “Stop!” and sometimes these strange occurrences do. For example, guests sometimes hear loud noises coming from rooms next to them, which are in fact unoccupied or, in one case, from the room above (except that guest was on the top floor).  Most of these happenings are just annoying – or entertaining, depending on how open the guest is to experiencing such strange events.

But at least one event was pretty grisly: The specter of a lumberjack was seen hanging from a beam in the lounge for nearly three hours. Many staff members saw it. This was the only really scary event of dozens reported since the elegant 31-room manor opened in northern Ohio in the 1950s.

The land was originally settled by Lemuel Punderson and his wife, Sybal who operated a grist mill and distillery. After their deaths, the family sold it to W.B. Cleveland, whose heirs sold it to Detroit millionaire Karl Long in 1929.

Historians believe the 29-room mansion (with 14 baths) was being built for Long’s wife.  Rumor has it, she disliked Detroit while others say it was just a vacation home for the Longs. But Long never completed the home as he lost his fortune during the Great Depression and died before the home was completed. The property reverted back to its original owners, the Cleveland family, and eventually to the state of Ohio.

The state finally completed construction on the mansion in 1956, turning it into a resort with both lodging and dining. It added 26 two-bedroom cabins and by the 1970s it was a popular getaway for Clevelanders as well as a stop for other travelers. It was about then that resort employees began reporting the strange goings-on.

A self-proclaimed psychic spent some time on the property and says she spoke with a ghost who said he would continue to haunt the manor “until his rocking chair was returned.” Some think that the chair to which he refers is the rocking chair that belonged to Sybal Punderson, which was inherited by Cleveland and ended up in a historic collection.

Few clues can be found to explain the other happenings. No children ever lived at the manor, and there were no suspicious or tragic deaths there, as far as anyone can tell. The manor, however, was built across the lake from the old Wales Hotel, which burned in 1885 and where some children died in the fire.

Most guests don’t experience, or even seek out, these ghostly occurrences. They’re too busy playing golf on an 18-hole championship course, playing tennis or basketball, swimming in the pool, and boating or fishing at the nearby lake. There’s also great hiking in the summer and sledding, snowmobiling or cross-country skiing in winter.

The resort is managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts and is open year round. To make reservations at the Punderson Manor State Park Lodge, call 1-800-282-7275 or visit pundersonmanorstateparklodge.com/.

To reserve rooms in these state parks or for more information, visit the individual web sites or ohiostateparklodges.com. Xanterra also operates the marina and facilities at Geneva Marina State Park in Geneva-on-the-Lake in northeastern Ohio.

Welcome to Ravenwood Castle and its medieval flair.

• Open: Year-round
• Location: ( Map It ) 65666 Bethel Road, New Plymouth, Ohio
• Phone: 740-596-2606

Ravenwood Castle, nestled in the woods of scenic Hocking Hills, provides a charming setting with a medieval flair. Whether you are planning a romantic trip for two or a unique getaway for family and friends, Ravenwood Castle makes for an unforgettable destination. They pride themselves on being an unplugged destination where technology isn’t all-pervasive. The common areas of the Castle (Pub, Library, Great Hall) and Castle rooms have access to Wi-Fi. The Castle offers a variety of on-site scavenger hunts, a board game library of 100+ games for guest use, and hiking trails for you to warm up on before tackling some of the most popular Hocking Hills destinations like Old Man’s Cave or Ash Cave – both just a short drive from the Castle! Grab a bite at the Raven’s Roost Pub and game the night away on the patio or Library.

Admission to Sauder Village is approx. $25/person.

• Open: Summer hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 10am – 5pm (call or see link below for spring and fall hours).
• Location: ( Map It ) 22611 St. Rte. 2 in Archbold, Ohio
• Phone: 800-590-9755 or 419-446-2541
• Web: saudervillage.org

Historic Sauder Village is a living history museum and farm in Archbold, Ohio. It provides a chance to travel back in time to see how settlers lived in northwest Ohio from 1803 until 1910. Sauder Village is a non-profit living history museum and educational complex with more than 40 buildings showing rural life in Ohio during the 19th century. Visit with costumed interpreters and watch artisans demonstrate glass blowing, pottery, spinning, weaving, broom making, woodworking, basket making, printing, and quilting. On-site is the Doughbox Bakery, which offers various cookies, apple dumplings, fritters, delectable pies, bread, and pre-mixed cookie dough. The Barn Restaurant hosts many special holiday events accompanying the delicious home-cooked food. The beautiful Sauder Heritage Inn has 98 guest rooms, an indoor pool with waterfall, game and exercise rooms, a 25-foot tall “Great Oak Tree” with gathering space underneath, complimentary breakfast, and more. The Village also has an 87-site Campground with a Splash Pad, fishing, bike trail, playground, and other great amenities. Sauder Village is a destination that all ages will enjoy!

Welcome to Staley Mill Farm & Indian Creek Distillery where Joe and Missy Duer invite you to step back in time.

After Elias’ death in 1866, sons Andrew, Simon, and John continued the distilling operation.  During their lifetimes, the grist mill was expanded, a two-story warehouse was built, and the construction of a 1500 gallon mash tub enabling them to increase production.  At times, there were 100 barrels aging in the Bond House and the distillery ran 24 hours a day.

Simon’s son, George Washington Staley continued to operate the distillery after the death of his father and two uncles.  It was his sad duty to close the doors of the family’s profitable whiskey distillery when Prohibition was made the law of the land in 1920.  With great foresight, George hid the old stills and associated distilling equipment from the government agents on the top floor of the warehouse.  He also recorded the mash bill or recipe that the family had used for 100 years.

After George passed away, two generations came and went with only memories of whiskey-making times at The Staley Mill Farm.   But the past met the present when the next generation (Joe and Missy) resurrected history.

Today, a new artisan farm distillery has been built, and once again Staley Rye Whiskey is flowing from the still house.  The distillery represents the legacy of early farm distilling:  past, present, and future.  It’s the only family-owned historic artisan farm distillery in the United States using the old-fashioned double copper distilling method. Whiskey is distilled using the original copper pot stills that Missy’s great-great-great-grandfather Elias used in 1820, the same mash bill, and the same water source (spring water).

A “true sip of history”, these whiskeys are uniquely small batch where art and science meet in the middle to produce a spirit like no other.  Award-winning, old-fashioned frontier whiskeys are created with a passionate dedication to authenticity using the Early American Distilling Method.   Produced by the 6th generation, these historic artisans, keepers of the past, fan the flames of the future…  The spirit of America in a bottle!

A visit to Indian Creek Distillery will transport you to the “Old Northwest Territory” where the Frontier was wild and whiskey was king!

So come to the farm where it all began two centuries ago. Learn about upcoming events.  Sample and purchase Early American Rye Whiskeys and shop for flasks, glasses, t-shirts, and more in the retail shop. The tasting room features the family’s historic photos and artifacts, some dating back to the early 1800s when Staley’s whiskey-making legacy began.

Hours are Thursday – Saturday from 10-5.  Still House tours are scheduled Saturdays at 12:00, 2:00 & 4:00. For additional information, click here .

Admission to Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens tours range from approx.  $15 – 30/person.

• Open: April – December (days and hours vary).
• Location: ( Map It ) 714 North Portage Path in Akron, Ohio
• Phone: 330-836-5533

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival architecture in America. The 65-room country estate sits on 70 acres of manicured gardens and grounds. It was built between 1912 and 1915 by Goodyear co-founder F.A. Seiberling and his wife, Gertrude. The mansion was designed for their large family and a lavish lifestyle. The Manor House is filled with treasures from around the globe. The house contains 21,000 panes of glass, 23 fireplaces, and hard-carved paneling of oak, sandalwood, and black walnut. On the grounds is The Gate Lodge, which opened in 2004. It represents the birth of Alcoholics Anonymous and the millions of people helped by the program worldwide. Events are planned well; please call to get the year’s schedule. Varied group plans are available. Discounts for groups of 10 or more may be arranged.

Admission to SunWatch Indian Village & Archaeological Park is approx. $7/person.

• Open: Saturday & Sunday from 10am – 4pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 2301 West River Road in Dayton, Ohio
• Phone: 937-268-8199

SunWatch Indian Village & Archaeological Park in Dayton is a partially reconstructed Fort Ancient period American Indian village along the Great Miami River.  Excavations at this 13th-century village exposed a planned, stockaded village with astronomical alignments that were likely occupied for about 20 years. Due to its significance, the site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1990. The interpretive center and reconstructed village include displays discussing the excavation and reconstruction of the site and the lives of the villagers who resided there.  Activities include guided group tours, festivals, overnight programs, and more.

Admission to Thurber House in Columbus is approx. $5/person.

• Open:  Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 – 4pm.
• Location: ( Map It ) 77 Jefferson Avenue in Columbus, Ohio
• Phone: 614-464-1032
• Web: www.thurberhouse.org

James Thurber used this home’s characteristics in many of his stories. The home has since been restored to represent the early teens of the 20th century. And of course, visitors will see Thurber memorabilia, including original drawings, manuscripts and first editions of his books. In addition, his typewriter, briefcase, family photographs, and more are on display.

The Night The Ghost Got In

The Ohio Lunatic Asylum burned down, killing seven people on November 17, 1868. Those grounds in downtown Columbus later included a house at 77 Jefferson Avenue. And from 1913-1917, the Thurber family rented it. On the 47th anniversary of the fire, two Thurber brothers were home alone upstairs when they heard footsteps circling the dining table below. When they investigated, standing at the top of the stairs, the sound faded. A rushing, pounding of feet leaped the steps two at a time with a dead bead for the two young men. But the young men did not see anybody there. Nonetheless, they frantically scurried into nearby rooms slamming doors behind.

Later, James Thurber, one of the two brothers (attending Ohio State University at the time of the incident), penned “The Night the Ghost Got In.” Thurber went on to become a famous author, humorist, and cartoonist. As for the house at 77 Jefferson Avenue, it’s still there. And open for tours as a living museum.

Visitors and residents at Thurber House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, have also reported strange encounters with the unknown. The dining footsteps have reoccurred over the years, as have opening and closing doors, books flying off shelves, and a citing of a mysterious silhouette of a hefty, stooped figure moving about near a window. Another figure was reported in someone’s bedroom sitting in a rocking chair in the corner of the room, hunched, watching and then disappeared.

In 1984, the house opened as a literary arts center and museum of Thurber remnants. It is furnished in the style of the 1913-1917 period in which James Thurber lived there with his parents and two brothers. The first two floors are open daily for tours. At the direction of the Thurber family, unlike typical museums, visitors are encouraged to sit on chairs, play the piano, and otherwise act as guests to the home. Tours are daily (except holidays). Self-guided tours are free Monday through Saturday. Guided tours are offered on Sunday.

In addition, The Thurber House hosts many writing workshops, special events, a conference center next door, a Reading Garden (between the historic house and conference center), a gallery, and a museum shop. More information is available at www.thurberhouse.org , including detailed accounts of haunting witnessed over the decades.

James Thurber died from pneumonia on November 2, 1961. He is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.

“I have lived in the East for nearly thirty years now, but many of my books prove that I am never very far from Ohio in my thoughts and that the clocks that strike in my dreams are often the clocks of Columbus.” – James Thurber

• Open: Call to schedule docent-guided tours only
• Location: ( Map It ) 1340 East High Street in Springfield, Ohio
• Phone: 937-327-9291

Westcott House is Frank Lloyd Wright’s only Prairie Style home in Ohio.  The Westcott House has recently undergone an inch-by-inch $5.3 million restoration and has been restored to its 1908 appearance. Furniture has been rebuilt according to Wright’s specifications, and the gardens have been re-landscaped in keeping with the time. Take a guided tour and learn about this Prairie Style home by industrialist Burton J. Westcott and his family. The admission fee includes a forty-five-minute house tour plus an eight-minute movie on Frank Lloyd Wright and the Westcott House restoration process.

Admission/tour at Historic Zoar Village is approx. $12/person (less for kids).

• Location: ( Map It ) Zoar Store and Visitor Center is at 198 Main St. in Zoar, Ohio
• Open: April – October on Saturday & Sunday from about 11am – 4pm (Noon on Sunday), and June – September open Wed – Sun.
• Phone: 330-874-3011 or 800-262-6195
• Web: https://historiczoarvillage.com/

Historic Zoar Village is the Zen of Ohio. Founded in 1817 by a group of about 200 German Separatists seeking escape from religious persecution in their homeland. Today, Zoar is a community of approximately 75 families living in homes built from 1817 to the present. Many of the original homes have been preserved or restored, as have the many buildings and museums that the Ohio History Connection maintains.  Historic Zoar Village is a quaint German village where you can spend the day walking through the museums and beautiful gardens. Take a step back in time and enjoy a meal, beverage, or snack at one of the local restaurants. Shop at the Zoar Store for unique and eclectic items, gifts, tour tickets, and information. You can also rent bicycles to tour the town. If you are looking for an easy and relaxing hike or bike ride, one of the Ohio Towpath trailheads is at Zoar. The village is open to the public from early April through December.  Tours are available throughout the year. The Zoar Community Association graciously provides some of the buildings and the picture-perfect gardens for rent to the public. Zoar Village is a beautiful location for your wedding or other celebration.

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Adena mansion & gardens.

The hilltop home of Thomas Worthington, father of Ohio statehood, and Ohio’s sixth governor is a National Historic Landmark and was designed by America’s first architect, Benjamin Latrobe. Construction was completed in 1807. Explore the gardens, grounds and outbuildings and tour the education and visitor center where you can learn more about the site. Average visit time: Allow 2+ hours

The dramatic stone mansion on a hill north of Chillicothe, Ohio, was the home of Thomas and Eleanor Swearingen Worthington and their 10 children. Thomas Worthington (1773–1827) was one of Ohio’s first U.S. senators (1803–1807) and there he lobbied for Ohio’s statehood. He served in the Ohio statehouse from 1807–1808, and again in the U.S. Senate from 1811–1814. He served as the sixth governor of Ohio (1814–1818). In 1818, Worthington stepped away from politics for a time and reinvested his energies in his numerous business enterprises, including farming, milling, land surveying, river shipping and construction of river canals.

The Worthingtons planted extensive gardens around the home including a fruit tree orchard, grape vines and plots for vegetables. Once the grounds served as a dramatic setting for outdoor walks and soirees. The gardens have undergone major renovations and give you a view into early-19th-century life. Stroll through three terraces of flowers and vegetables and see trees in the grove.

Adena Mansion & Gardens is managed locally by the  Adena Mansion & Gardens Society .

• Audiences: K-5th Grade Students, 6-8th Grade Students, 9-12th Grade Students, Higher Education Students, Educators, Families, Government, Specialists, Tourists, Community Groups, History Enthusiasts & Sports Fans
• Historical Topics: American Indian History, The Arts, Presidents & Politics & Settlement & Statehood
• Regions: Southwest Ohio
• Site Activities: Self-Guided & Guided Tours
• Museum & Site Type: Geocaching Site, Blue Star Site & Ohio History Connection Site

Upcoming Events at Adena Mansion & Gardens

A Servants View with Beverly Gray

Join local historian Beverly Gray on Sunday, May 19, for a discussion about the servants who worked at Adena. Admission to this event is free. For more information, please visit our website www.adenamansion.com, email [email protected] , or call (740) 772-1500.

“Base Ball” Adena Worthingtons vs Ohio Village Muffins

Play ball! The Adena Worthingtons will challenge The Ohio Village Muffins in a doubleheader exhibition of vintage base ball played by 19th-century rules. The game begins at 11 a.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please email [email protected] or call (740).772.1500.

Children’s Nature Scavenger Hunt

Adena Mansion and Gardens will become the place for little explorers to use their skills to hunt different items in nature. Children will get to explore the Worthington estate while learning about nature. Admission for this event is free, and children ages 5 and up are welcome and must have a parent or chaperone accompany […]

The Impact of World Heritage in Our Community with Melody Young

What impact will the World Heritage designation of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks have on our community? Join the executive director of the Chillicothe Visitor’s Bureau, Melody Young, as she discusses this. Admission to this event is free. For more information, please email [email protected] or call (740).772.1500.

19th Century Independence Day Celebration

Celebrate Independence Day as they did in the 19th Century by transporting back to the 1800s. Witness a reading of a portion of the Declaration of Independence, a reading of patriotic poems, a presentation of the flag and a toast to George Washington. This event will be under the picnic pavilion behind the Visitor’s Center […]

Children’s Mosaic Flag Craft

Have your child celebrate Independence Day with a patriotic craft! You and your child can join us on Sunday, July 7, to craft a mosaic flag. Admission to this event is free, and we will provide the supplies. Children ages five and up are welcome and must have a parent or chaperone accompany them. For […]

Ladies of the House with Mary Anne Brown

Join local Worthington family historian Mary Anne Brown on Sunday, July 14, for a discussion about the ladies of Adena. Admission to this event is free. For more information, please visit our website www.adenamansion.com, email [email protected] , or call 740. 772.1500.

Children’s Birdhouse Decorating

Does your child have an interest in birds? From watching them to learning more about them? Join us on Sunday, August 4, for a birdhouse decorating event. Children can use their creativity to decorate a birdhouse they can set up at home for birdwatching. Children ages five and up are welcome and must have a […]

The Story of Ohio’s Canals: An Engineering Endeavor that Can Still Be Traced in Ohio’s Landscape

Join Tom O’Grady on Sunday, August 11, as he discusses the construction of the canals and how they opened up Ohio to world commerce. Admission to this event is free. For more information, please email [email protected] or call (740) 772-1500.

Murder Mystery Dinner

September 13, 14 and 15, guests are invited to Adena Mansion and Gardens to put their crime-solving skills to the test with an entertaining atmosphere, great food, and mystery. “Trial by Jury” is this year’s all-new original production written and directed by Delmar Burkitt. The grounds will open at 5:30 pm, and the mystery will […]

Autumn Equinox Harvest Dinner: A Farm-to-Table Experience

The Autumn Equinox is a time of balance and transition. It occurs when the Earth’s axis is not tilted toward or away from the sun. On this day, we get nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness. This year, the autumn equinox is on September 22. It is a time of balance, change and preparation […]

Pumpkin Painting with Steve Patrick

Join us and Steve Patrick as we continue to honor Skip Hathaway’s love for art and storytelling with a children’s pumpkin painting event. Children ages five and up are 2welcome and must have a parent or chaperone accompany them. Admission to this event is free. Due to limited supplies, registration opens on Sunday, September 1, […]

Fall Scrapbooking Crop

A call to all crafters! Are you someone who loves to craft but can’t find the time to do so? Adena Mansion and Gardens has the solution for you! Join us for a weekend of 31 peaceful hours of crafting. This weekend retreat will be on November 1, 2, and 3, 2024, in Adena Mansion […]

Fall Craft and Crop for a Cause

Come join us at Adena Mansion & Gardens for a day filled with creativity and community! This in-person event is perfect for craft enthusiasts of all levels. Bring your supplies and projects to work on while enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the mansion and gardens. Whether you’re into scrapbooking, knitting or any other craft, this […]

Holidays at Adena

Celebrate the holidays at Holidays at Adena! Join us as we re-open for the holidays for two weekends only during winter. With Adena Mansion and Gardens decorated in yuletide splendor, it will put you in the holiday spirit! Tour the beautifully decorated mansion and see how they celebrated the holiday season, with tours every half […]

Wreath Workshop

It’s the holiday season, a time to celebrate! What better way to celebrate than by decorating a wreath? Join us on Saturday, December 7, Sunday, December 8, and Saturday, December 14, to decorate your wreath. Evergreen wreaths and natural materials gathered from the grounds of Adena Mansion and Gardens will be available. You may also […]

Holidays at Adena: Children’s Weekend

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Days left of A Carillon Christmas

Carillon Historical Park is a 65-acre open-air history museum that serves as the main campus for Dayton History. We share the amazing stories of how Dayton changed the world!

Mon - Sat: 9:30am - 5:00pm Sun: 12:00pm - 5:00pm 937-293-2841

1000 Carillon Boulevard Dayton, Ohio 45409

What will you discover?

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  Hawthorn Hill Tours Wednesdays & Saturdays: 10:00am, 12:30pm Advance Pre-Paid Admission Required. Access to the site is via shuttle van from Carillon Historical Park. Space is limited. Call for availability.

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$26 per person (Includes Carillon Historical Park & Hawthorn Hill!)

Hawthorn Hill Tours

Hawthorn Hill & Carillon Park Ticket Combo

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1000 Carillon Blvd. Dayton, Ohio 45409

(937) 293-2841

Hawthorn Hill is Orville Wright’s success mansion. Join the ranks of Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison as visitors to the world’s first pilot’s last home.

With its white pillars and twin porches, Hawthorn Hill has long been synonymous with Orville Wright and the Wright family. After purchasing property at the corner of Salem Avenue and Harvard Boulevard in Dayton, the Wright brothers’ younger sister, Katharine Wright, soon cajoled her world famous brothers to move construction to Oakwood’s rolling, idyllic hills. Although both Orville and Wilbur were involved in planning the home, Wilbur died of typhoid fever on May 30, 1912, at age 45.

Upon completion in 1914, Hawthorn Hill became the residence of Orville, Katharine, and their elderly father, Bishop Milton Wright. Over the next 34 years, the mansion welcomed Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and other luminaries.

When Orville died on January 30, 1948, Hawthorn Hill was purchased by National Cash Register (NCR) for use as a corporate guest house. For 58 years, the historic home was wonderfully preserved, but only open intermittently. Many regional residents long wondered what sat inside Orville’s mysterious mansion high upon an Oakwood hilltop.

But in August 2006, at the suggestion of Congressman Mike Turner, NCR gifted Hawthorn Hill to the Wright Family Foundation. Managed by the Wright brothers’ great-grandniece, Amanda Wright Lane, and great-grandnephew, Stephen Wright, the Wright Family Foundation asked Dayton History to manage and interpret the home.

In March 2009, Hawthorn Hill became part of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. In June 2013, ownership was officially transferred to Dayton History. It is now open to the public, and though NCR remodeled the Colonial Revival home, they meticulously photographed Orville’s original décor. Dayton History is busy bringing the property back to its original appearance.

Private Event Rental Information

Hawthorn Hill is available for exclusive events year round! Please contact the Carillon Historical Park Facilities Rental Department at (937) 293-2841 or events@daytonhistory.org.

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Welcome to the kelton house, the cornerstone landmark in columbus, ohio. part of the  east town street historic district .

Step back in time and immerse yourself in the Victorian Era through the eyes of the Kelton family. Built in 1852, this historic landmark incorporates elements of the Greek Revival and Italianate styles and was part of the Underground Railroad. Rooms are decorated to display the style and materials that were available during this time period; most of the furnishings that visitors see were owned by the Kelton family. The gardens feature statuary, lattice work, hedges and diverse plant specimens that demonstrate a Victorian sensibility.

Today, the Kelton House Museum & Garden offers  house tours ,  educational opportunities , or a unique experience for your next  event .

Join us for a whimsical wonderland where fantasy meets fundraising at our Wonderland-themed extravaganza! On Friday, May 31, a night of enchantment, entertainment, and excitement as we raise funds for the Kelton House Museum & Garden.  Click below to grab your tickets today.

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Journey Through Central Ohio’s Rich History One Historic Home At A Time

I’ve spent most of my life living here in Columbus, but I still find myself discovering new and interesting about Central Ohio every day.

There’s a lot of history here, and even though we don’t always learn about it all in school, that doesn’t mean we can’t keep educating ourselves about our local lore. We also have a bad habit of tearing down historic properties around here.

Luckily, we have some gorgeous and important houses that have stood the test of time. From Presidential sites to the home of one of the most famous US Generals, be prepared to go out and learn a little more about some of Central Ohio’s most iconic homes.

Thurber House

Sherman House

Kelton House

Bryn Du Mansion

The Harding Home

Adena Mansion

Chelsea Wiley

Chelsea Wiley, first of her name, Queen of the Seven Andals... wait. That's not right. Joking aside, Chelsea is a writer and photographer born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. She is an avid reader and a lover of animals.

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Visiting Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, Ohio

A National Historic Landmark With Gardens

Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, Ohio is a National Historic Landmark. The 65-room Tudor-style mansion was built in 1912 by Goodyear Rubber Company founder, F.A. Seiberling and his wife Gertrude. Today, the gracious mansion and elaborate gardens are open to the public. The site also hosts a variety of special events throughout the year.

History of Stan Hywet Hall

Stan Hywet is named for the Old English words for "hewn stone," not a person as commonly believed. The 65-room Tudor Revival mansion was designed by Cleveland architect, Charles Sumner Schneider after several mansions in Britain. The manor house took four years to complete at a cost of $150,000.

The Manor House

The 65-room Tudor Revival mansion exudes an old world elegance. As you enter the home, you'll see carved above the doorway: "Not for us Alone." It was the Seiberling's motto and they opened their home to dignitaries from government, entertainment, and business. The house is noted for its intricate paneling, made from American oak, rosewood, and chestnut. Innovations in the home include a built-in vacuum system and a 37-station telephone/intercom system.

The Gardens

The extensive gardens at Stan Hywet Hall once encompassed over 1000 acres and were designed by renowned American landscape architect, Warren Manning. Today, 70 acres accompany the estate, including a formal English garden, a wildflower meadow, and a manicured Japanese garden. Careful planning ensures that something is always blooming at Stan Hywet.

The Seiberling Family

F.A. Seiberling and his wife, Gertrude had six children, although most of them were grown when they built Stan Hywet Hall. Mostly, it was the grandchildren who enjoyed the many attractions of the estate. The Seiberling's eldest son, John Frederick (later a US Congressman) and his wife, Henrietta lived at the Gate House. It was here that Henrietta introduced Bill W. and Dr. Bob Smith and encouraged them in their efforts to help alcoholics, a group that became A.A.

Visiting Stan Hywet Hall

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens is located in Akron, about 45 minutes from downtown Cleveland . Visitors can tour the manor house, explore the 70 acres of manicured gardens, or visit the conservatory (greenhouse). A variety of self-guided and organized tours are available. The original carriage house has been converted into a restaurant and gift shop.

Events and Functions at Stan Hywet Hall

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens host a full schedule of events each year, including the popular annual antique Car Show. The site is also an ideal spot for a party, wedding, or other event. Stan Hywet has an on-site caterer and can assist in making all the arrangements for a perfect event.

Check the website for hours and admission information. It is located at 714 N. Portage Path, Akron, OH.

Hotels Near Stan Hywet Hall

A charming place to stay, in keeping with the ​19th-century ambiance of Stan Hywet Hall, is the Inn at Brandywine, located within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park . This restored century home, turned Bed and Breakfast Inn, features unique accommodations and gracious service. For more modern lodgings, try the Residence Inn or the Doubletree at I-77 and Market Sts. in Fairlawn.

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Historic Home Museums in Los Angeles

May 9, 2024

• Year overview

Open Properties

Operating schedule is subject to change

The Breakers

The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial pre-eminence in the Gilded Age.

Marble House

William Vanderbilt built Marble House as a 39th birthday present for his wife, Alva. It was a social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport's subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent Gilded Age mansions.

The Elms was modeled after an 18th-century French chateau but featured the latest technology of the Gilded Age. It houses an outstanding collection of paintings, statuary and tapestries, and its landscape features formal gardens, terraces, pavilions and fountains.

Rosecliff was built for Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs, who used it to host many fabulous Gilded Age entertainments. Architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles.

Chateau-sur-Mer

Chateau-sur-Mer epitomizes High Victorian architecture, furniture, wallpapers, ceramics and stenciling. It was the most palatial residence in Newport until the appearance of the Gilded Age Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s.

Kingscote is a landmark of the Gothic Revival style in American architecture. Its appearance in Newport marked the beginning of the “cottage boom” that would distinguish the town as a veritable laboratory for the design of picturesque houses throughout the 19th century.

Isaac Bell House

Isaac Bell House is one of the best surviving examples of shingle-style architecture in the country. Its architects and designers drew from a mix of international and American influences to create a unique Gilded Age style.

Green Animals Topiary Garden

Home to more than 80 topiary animals and other figures for more than a century, Green Animals also blazes with colorful flowers from May until October. The 7-acre property overlooks Narragansett Bay.

Hunter House

Hunter House (c. 1748) is one of the finest examples of Colonial architecture in Newport. The house was owned by wealthy merchants who furnished it with decorative arts produced by expert craftsmen. Such a luxurious lifestyle depended on the labor of enslaved people of African descent. Recent research by the Preservation Society has identified at least 13 enslaved individuals who lived and worked at Hunter House. Today's Hunter House honors their perseverance and incalculable contributions to Newport’s past. Guide-led tours only, advance reservations required

Chepstow is highly evocative of the taste and collections of a descendant of one of America's founding families, placed in the context of a contemporary Newport summer home. Guide-led tours only, advance reservations required

The Breakers Stable & Carriage House

Tours, events and exhibitions, beneath the breakers tour, daily 10:30 am.

Explore the underground systems that made this great house a marvel of technology for its time.

Servant Life Tour

Daily starting april 1, 10:30 am and 2:30 pm*.

See and hear how the other half lived. This tour will highlight the stories of some of the men and women who worked to service the social whirl of Newport during the Gilded Age. * May 11-May 31, tour will be offered daily at 10:30 am & 3:30 pm. June 1-Aug. 31, 10:30 am, 2 pm & 3:30 pm. Sept. 1-Oct. 14, 10:30 & 3:30. Oct. 15-Jan. 1, 2025, 10:30 & 2:30.

Gilded Age Newport in Color

March 15 – june 30, 2024 10:00am – 3:00pm.

This exhibition explores a largely unknown but important chapter in American history: the experience of a thriving African heritage community in Newport.

Open Properties and Events

Updated April 2, 2024. Schedule is subject to change.

April 1 – May 10, 2024

Please note: Advance reservations are required for all guide-led tours

Open daily 10 am – 4 pm for self-guided tours

House & grounds close one hour after last tour admission

Beneath The Breakers Tour – Guide-led tours daily at 10:30 am

The Elms Servant Life Tour – Guide-led tours daily at 10:30 am & 2:30 pm

Open daily 10 am – 3 pm for self-guided tours

May 11 – may 31, 2024, open daily 10 am – 5 pm for self-guided tours.

The Elms Servant Life Tour – Guide-led tours daily at 10:30 am & 3:30 pm

Grounds close one hour after last tour admission

June 1 – August 31, 2024

The Breakers Children’s Cottage will be open to tour daily July 1 – August 17, 10 am – 4 pm

The Elms Servant Life Tour – Guide-led tours daily at 10:30 am, 2 pm & 3:30 pm

Rosecliff (through June 30)

Open daily 10 am – 3 pm for self-guided tours*.

*Rosecliff will be closed to tours June 19 – June 24; open to Newport Flower Show ticket holders only

Rosecliff (July and August)

Free admission at rosecliff, first floor only.

July 1 – July 9:  Rosecliff closed for exhibition deinstallation.

July 10 – 26* Rosecliff open daily 10 am – 3 pm for first-floor viewing only. Free admission. *Rosecliff will close at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 19

July 27 – August 18 Rosecliff open Saturdays & Sundays 10 am – 3 pm for first-floor viewing only. Free admission.

August 19 – 29: Rosecliff closed for exhibition installation.

Starting August 30 Open daily 10 am – 3 pm with new exhibition, “Wild Imagination.”

Open Sundays through Thursdays, 10 am – 5 pm for self-guided tours

Open fridays & saturdays, 10 am – 5 pm for guide-led tours, open fridays & saturdays, july 1-31, 10 am – 4 pm.

Closes one hour after last tour admission

September 1 – September 30, 2024

*Rosecliff will be closed to tours September 19 – 23; open to Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival ticket holders only

Open weekends & holidays 10 am – 5 pm for self-guided tours

October 1 – october 14, 2024, october 15 – october 31, 2024, november 1 – november 22, 2024, open daily 10 am – 4 pm for self-guided tours*.

*The Breakers will close at 3 p.m. on Friday, November 22

*Rosecliff will be closed November 22 – December 8 for “The Newport Nutcracker”

November 23, 2024 – January 1, 2025

Holidays at the newport mansions.

All houses closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

All houses close at 2 p.m. on December 24

Get the Newport Mansions app

Download our tour app before your visit and bring your earbuds.

Do you want to visit multiple houses?

With the Duo and Trio tickets, you can tour multiple mansions and gardens at a discounted price. These tickets can be used on different days and they do not expire.

Plan your visit

See tour options, frequently asked questions, information on our policies and everything else you need to know.

• Visitor Info
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Additional Visitor Info

Map & parking info.

Parking is free onsite at all properties except for Hunter House and The Breakers Stable & Carriage House, where street parking is available.

Answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

Mansions & Gardens

Explore the 11 properties under the stewardship of the Preservation Society and open as historic house museums.

Partners in Preservation

Glendower Historic Mansion and Arboretum

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Old West End Self-Guided Historic House Tour

Take a self-guided tour of the Historic Old West End of Toledo! This neighborhood is one of the best kept secrets in the country with 25 city blocks making up one of the largest collections of late Victorian homes left standing in the United States. Frank Lloyd Wright studied this area in his planning of his Oak Park Project in Illinois. Pristine examples of Colonial, Georgian, Italian Renaissance, Queen Ann, Dutch Colonial, French Second Empire and Arts and Crafts homes fill these streets. We invite you to experience our rich and glorious history and architecture. For more details, visit  www.toledooldwestend.com .

Collingwood Boulevard

Rudolph Bartley House 1855 Collingwood Blvd. (1905) This is Toledo’s only intact Chateau style structure designed after a 16th Century French Renaissance Chateau. This mansion was appropriately built with massive hand-carved sandstone and roofed with red clay tile.

Reynolds - Secor House 2035 Collingwood Blvd. (1887) Characteristic features of this Queen Anne style house include numerous gables, multi-planed roof and wrap-around porch bee. Victorian ornamentation showcased with sunbursts, scroll tile, various window treatments and a dragon on the southern pitch of the roof. Pillars and spindles in the balustrade resemble furniture legs.

Hopkins - Berdan House 2038-40 Collingwood Blvd. (1892) This house is one of the best examples of the shingle style in the Old West End. Although originally built as a twinplex, the exterior is asymmetric, having a northern tower with conical cap and battlement windows. Note also the gabled dormers and roof.

Edward Ford House 2205 Collingwood Blvd. (1901) Designed by George S. Mills, this house is an original interpretation of Renaissance Revival design and decoration. The yellow brick is a striking contrast to the red terra-cotta moldings and ornaments. Bowed windows on the exterior are repeated in the unusual elliptical dining room.

John Waite House 2256 Collingwood Blvd. (1892) The Italian Renaissance style of this house is reflected in its rectangular design with composite columns, brick walls and sandstone trim. A large selection of carved stone and zink panels is displayed above the windows on the soffit area, on the two-story bay and on the porch.

Christian Gerber House (Collingwood Arts Center) 2413 Collingwood Blvd. (1872) Some of the most prominent Second Empire features of this house are the mansard roof with arched dormers which lie under the central tower, as well as a tower which is bracketed with large piers. The upward vertical thrust of the facade is affected by the alignment of the windows and brackets.

Gerald James “Jimmy” Hayes House 2709 Collingwood Blvd. (1926-27) Designed by Harry Wachter, the exterior of this house is an eclectic assemblage of styles. Tudor influence is seen in the half-timbering, while the rounded arches and extensive use of patterned ceramic tiles on the front porch indicates a Spanish influence. Hayes was the reputed king-pin of Toledo gambling in the ‘20s/early ’30s.

Fred E. McCaskey House 2717 Collingwood Blvd. (1899) The expansive full porch of this house has Doric column supports and the double central door is flanked by fluted Ionic columns. The original carriage house can be seen at the rear of the property.

Thomas Marlow House 2729 Collingwood Blvd. (1904) This Gothic Revival style house includes wood siding, shingles and brick. The second story lancet window is flanked by bays with carved verges, dental work, large support brackets and diamond panes. Over the doorways and windows are Gothic arches with carved spandrels. The brick porch has ceramic tile inserts.

Thomas A. Devilbiss House 3015 Collingwood Blvd. (1902) The most striking aspect of this house is the imposing front entry featuring a two story, flat roofed portico highlighted by enormous full length Corinthian fluted columns with acanthus leaf caps. Over the entrance is a large gambrel dormer which is flanked by dormers with Roman arched windows. At the corners of the house are Corinthian capped pilasters.

Parkwood Avenue

Edson Baumgardner House 2015 Parkwood Ave. (1884) The cost of building this house in 1884 was $10,000. Historic records label this house as anywhere from Georgian Colonial Revival to Neoclassical. Features include three window dormers, window trimmed with double Ionic columns, Gothic tracery in the upper casements and dentillated dormers and cornices. 

Harry Wachter House 2020 Parkwood Ave. (1910) Formerly located at 650 Lincoln Street behind the museum, this house is an excellent example of English Cottage Craftsman style. Designed by Harry Wachter in 1910 as his own residence, this house exhibits a large central brick chimney with stone accents, deep recesses supported by Doric columns, and a steep mansard roof.

William A. Brigham House 2049 Parkwood Ave. (1887-88) A beautiful Queen Anne style house was built for $6000. It features an octagonal tower, large attic gables, turned and carved ornamental woodwork and stained glass windows. Frank D. Stranahan House  2104 Parkwood Ave. (1892, altered in 1918) Originally built for $14,000, this house once had a large, full-width front porch. In 1918 this Georgian Revival house’s front porch was removed and a one story side wing enclosed for a sunroom was added.

Clarence A. Leeper / Frank L. Geddes House 2116 Parkwood Ave. (1926-27) One of the most palatial homes in the Old West End, this house is a very ornamental  Classic Revival mansion. The colossal Corinthian pilasters and veranda with the bowed porch element reflect late Italian Renaissance architecture.

Irving B. Hiett House 2255 Parkwood Ave. (1887) Moved from 2241 Collingwood, this house exhibits window treatments, a wraparound porch, carved panels and galleries which characterize the varied and decoratively rich Queen Anne style.

Rollin C. Inglesby House 2404 Parkwood Avenue (1910) This distinctive and charming cottage is a treasure chest of beauty. Unlike the pure English Cottage style, the abundance of windows gives the illusion of expansive wall space which complements the Tudor styling influence. Also, note the terrace style front porch.

Charles A. Tiedke House 2460 Parkwood Avenue (1915) The Four-Square, Arts and Crafts outside construction on this house is contrasted to its classical interior featuring brown cherry wood. Built for Charles A. Tiedtke, of the Tiedtke Department store, this house has many exposed rafter beams and contains a 2 lane bowling alley. The original carriage house can be seen at the rear of the property.

Virginia Street

George H. Nort House 630 Virginia Street (1875) The original farmhouse on this land, as well as the first house on the Virginia St. addition, makes this home precious to the neighborhood. The most unusual feature is the vertical panel between each set of upstairs and downstairs windows.

Acklin Avenue

Aaron Chesborough House 634 Acklin Avenue (1900) Located on one of the small side streets, the green shingles of this house are nicely contrasted by the varying shades of green in the shrubs and trees. Note especially the Queen Anne style of the front and side views and the turret.

Scottwood Avenue Clarence Brown House 2007 Scottwood Avenue (1883/1903) This circa 1903 Tudor style mansion was designed by Norval Bacon and built at a cost of $4,200 replacing the fire-damaged original.

Edward Drummond Libbey House (National Historic Landmark) 2008 Scottwood Avenue (1895) This structure combines the irregularity of the Shingle style and the symmetry of the Classical. The attic gables, granite foundation, wrap-around porch and bow windows are contrasted by the Classical style used in the unpatterned upper walls and delicate 18th century details.

Herman Dick House 2040 Scottwood Avenue (1892) This massive 9733 sq. ft. brick home was built in the Eclectic style with Dutch influence in the gables and Ionic fluted columns on the porch and second floor.

Harry T. Dunn / James Blair House 2049 Scottwood Avenue (1915) The exterior of this house was copied from Edward Luytens’ addition Temple Dynsley in Hertfordshire, England. The overall symmetrical design and the acanthus leaf scroll, a part of the front door decoration, are common features of the Georgian Revival style.

William H. Boshart House 2055 Scottwood Avenue This elegant stucco Arts & Crafts style house has grand proportions. Two matching gables are predominate to the exterior. The front porch is supported by large Tuscan style columns. 

Julius G. Lamson House 2056 Scottwood Avenue (1905) The classical balance and symmetry reflect this David L. Stine designed Georgian style home which is well balanced by the front porch and side porte-cochere, in addition to the third floor dormers and widow’s walk.

Arthur Sieben House 2109 Scottwood Avenue (1902) This Queen Anne style house also has touches and details common to the French Chateau style. The turrets on the sides of the house and finials around the windows give it that element found in the chalets of France. The stone porch has scrolled wood arches and carved exterior applique.

Ann Manor Condos 2200 Scottwood Avenue (1929) Built originally for Sam Davis as a 59 unit apartment building in the English Tudor style. Third floor units include diamond shaped leaded glass windows with cathedral ceilings. There is also an interior courtyard with a fish pond. Ann Manor was converted to condominiums in 1996.

Dean V.R. Manley House 2260 Scottwood Avenue (1897) This Colonial Revival home has a gambrel roof and a large front porch complete with bowed front steps.

John J. Barber House 2271 Scottwood Avenue (1897) A synthesizing of the classic and medieval idioms are highlighted in this home. Designed by Davis L. Stine, this carved woodwork design, has foliated tracery above the windows and the frieze under the eaves distinguish this Colonial Revival style home.

Moses G. Bloch House 2272 Scottwood Avenue (1909) One is reminded of the open plains of the Midwest when viewing this house. This adaptation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style exhibits a low pitched hip roof, wide eaves, stucco and brick walls featuring bands of casement windows.

Albert G. Wright House 2320 Scottwood Avenue (1895) Although there are many examples of Queen Anne style, there are few built with rose brick and mortar. Of particular interest are the multi-paned hip-on gabled roof, attic dormers and a broad and circling veranda with porch bee.

Harold Arms Terrace 2367-2405 Scottwood Ave. (1907) One of the first examples of inner city multi-family living is this cluster of row houses. The lavish historical detail shown in this building is French Renaissance style. Of particular interest are the very decorative parapet dormers and arched sandstone porch entrance.

William W. Bolles, Jr. House 2428 Scottwood Avenue (1910) Characteristics of this Dutch Colonial Revival style house are the pavilion windows on the side, dormers with pilasters, large pilasters around the house, gambrel roof and the Dutch door.

Edward G. Shawaker House 2487 Scottwood Avenue (1905) Where to look first truly reflects the flavor of this brick house. The roof line has an original flair and the straight linear line of the wrap-around porch is offset just enough to draw the eye to the eyebrow dormer on the third floor. Note the placement of the turret and the steeple.

Robinwood Avenue

Charles A. Russell House 2027 Robinwood Avenue (1891) This Queen Anne style house boasts seven gables, a domed turret, ginger-bread ornamentation, tracery on the peaks and columns which resemble furniture legs.

Michael Henahan House  2052 Robinwood Avenue (1894) Comparable to Henry Hobson Richardson’s Trinity Church in Boston, Massachusetts, the Romanesque style of this house is characterized by a straightforward treatment of stone with its effect dependent on mass and volume rather than Victorian ornateness.

Albert E. Overmyer House  2061 Robinwood Avenue (1903) This house is a mixture of Classical Revival and Colonial Revival styles. Classic columns, pilasters, and pediments along with side porches and sun rooms are incorporated in this house.

Johanna, John & Peter Murray House 2105 Robinwood Avenue (1900) The shingle exterior of this house, the trim and detail, the frequent use of large rounded bays and the decorative third floor dormers were English in origin. This was combined with the impressive rough-cut American fieldstone on the porch area. John N. Willys House  2210 Robinwood Avenue (1901) Vast proportions, medieval detail and the Tillinghast coat-of-arms with a motto carved in stone, combined with a half-timbered Tudor style, a French mansard roof and French Gothic dormers make this house one of the most pretentious of the Old West End mansions.

Frederick Paddock House  2233 Robinwood Avenue (1892) The lavish use of sandstone, brick and cut shingles on this 9,500 square foot house is unusual. The rambling asymmetrical designs are of the Shingle style, accentuated by the prominent tower, and a generous curving veranda. Built for $30,000 for grain merchant Frederick Paddock, it became the second largest home in the Old West End. George Storer Jr. House  2243 Robinwood Avenue (1892) Though originally built in the late 1800s for $9000 as a Queen Anne style, this house was extensively remodeled in 1920 by prominent architect David L. Stine for George Storer Jr. and his wife Mabel. The current formal design reflects the Tudor, or more correctly, Jacobethan Revival which flourished in America in the 1920s.

Julian H. & Lillie Tyler House  2251 Robinwood Avenue (1897) This is a reproduction of a Roxbury, Mass. house, which includes coupled columns, a second story balcony and an elliptical fan-light over the door. The widow’s walk and portico, with the free standing columns, are distinguishing Georgian Revival features.

Frank C. Hoehler House   2256 Robinwood Avenue (1920) The well balanced symmetry of this Italian Renaissance style house is emphasized by the arched sandstone entry, flanked by pavilion windows, well spaced second story windows and a centered dormer window. The original house on this site was a Victorian style that burned in 1919.

Emerson Apartments 2308 Robinwood Avenue (1913) Symmetry is the keynote feature of this building which contains the first residential elevator in the city. Each floor is a single flat. The Ionic pillars give an upward sweep that draws the eye to the bowhead windows in the low structured towers.

Horton Clifford Rorick House   2313 Robinwood Avenue (1899) This house typifies a similar version of late Victorian architecture. The asymmetric placement of the second story bay window helps to emphasize the symmetry of columns on the full front porch and the three third floor dormers. The north side is set off by a beautiful stained glass window.

Edwin J. Marshall House   2347 Robinwood Avenue (1899) Called “The Chalet” by neighbors, this house is unique in the area with its fancy brackets and eaves, numerous window panes and a lovely wrought iron fence.

Jay C. Lockwood House 2461 Robinwood Avenue (1910) This Spanish Colonial Revival style house shares many elements of Mission Revival and Pueblo styles of the southwest. Features include smooth plaster, stucco walls and chimney finishes and a low pitched clay tile roof. The deep overhangs match those on the garage and its sideway placement on the lot sets this house apart from its late Victorian neighbors.

Fred R. Gibson House 2611 Robinwood Avenue (1910) The Italian style of this house is most apparent on the south side which has an unusual flat tile roof, stucco extension walls and arched windows on the second floor. Gabled dormers and fan windows face the front and side. French doors lead to a large veranda. Basket arches surround the front windows and door.

Glenwood Avenue

Thomas Van Stone House 2103 Glenwood Avenue (1892) This Colonial Revival house has matching 2nd story front bay windows and unique multi-columned front porch with a rounded end. Large double cornice brackets add interest to the double bay wall on the north side of the house.

Jacob J. Freeman House 2274 Glenwood Avenue (1896) A mix of irregular Queen Anne and symmetrical Colonial Revival makes this house unique. Three dormer roofs resemble witches’ hats and a large turret in front has shingles and clapboard siding.

John Winfield House 2351 Glenwood Avenue (1907) This Arts & Crafts Four Square was built of New York yellow brick which gets its distinctive color from a high iron content. The handsome exterior is accented with sandstone trim. Square brick pillars with sandstone coping support the porch roof.

J. Heywood House 2528 Glenwood Avenue (1915) This 3-story, 12-room Georgian Revival was designed by Bernard Becker. Gray stucco walls are complimented by red shutters, more than 100 French-hung windows, and the massive cypress pillars of the main portico. A beautiful carriage house with chauffeur’s apartment compliments the property.

Charles H. Whitaker House 2546 Glenwood Avenue (1915) This Shingle style with Georgian influence was designed by Landgon and Hohly. The beautiful front entrance has built-in benches and a large Dutch door. Situated on a large lot surrounded by century old trees is typical of many Old West End properties.

Allan H. Emerson House 2561 Glenwood Avenue (1912) The exterior of this house is Arts & Crafts with a blended influence of English Country style. The barrel tile roof and stucco walls along with a unique attached drive-thru garage in the back help to make this house unusual.

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Ohio’s Historical Homes You Should Visit This Holiday Season

Getting ready to decorate your home for the holidays?  Need a few inspirational ideas Why not take what I like to call “The Ultimate Holiday Home Tour.”   Below I have listed six historic homes that are well worth a visit this holiday season. Staff, as well as many volunteers work countless hours decorating these beautiful historic homes for the holidays.

The Arms Family Museum in Youngstown is decorated in the theme of Memories of Christmas Past.  “Holiday in Bloom” can be found at The Hower House Museum in Akron.  Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, also in Akron is Decking the Halls this holiday season.  Step back in time at the Reeves Victorian Home in Dover.  Enjoy a Victorian Christmas Tour at The Castle in Marietta, and a Candlelight Holiday Tour at Louis Bromfield’s Big House at Malabar Farms. This years theme at the Victorian House Museum in Millersburg is “A Child’s Storybook Christmas”.

These homes are beautiful all year, but during the holiday season they shine even brighter.

Arms Family Museum – Memories of Christmas Past

Dates: November 18  – December 31, 2023 Tour Times: This year’s exhibit will take place November 18 – December 31, 2023. Museum hours are Tuesday-Sunday, noon-4:00pm. On Twilight Thursdays, the exhibit is open until 7:00pm. The Museum is closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Da Location:  648 Wick Ave, Youngstown.. Phone: 330-743-2589 |  website

To learn even more about the 2023 holiday exhibit- CLICK HERE .

For local visitor bureau information visit Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Hower House Museum – “Holiday in Bloom”

Dates: Holiday Hours 2023 November 10th – December 30th Friday & Saturdays 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Sunday 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Tours start on the hour. Last tour starts one hour before closing.| Group tours by appointment. Location: The University of Akron 60 Fir Hill, Akron, OH  44325 330.972.6909 | website

This 28-room Victorian Mansion located on the grounds of the University of Akron, is one of the city’s often overlooked treasures. The home was completed in 1871, by John Henry Hower, a leading Akron industrialist who was active in the milling, reaping, and cereal industries. Well-known Akron architect Jacob Snyder designed the house in the Second Empire Italianate style.

Allow time to visit the Cellar Door Boutique. Tea items, holiday ornaments and unique gifts can be found among the shelves. There is even a cross stitch pattern of the home for sale.

Deck the Hall Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

Dates: November 24-26, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1-3, 7-23, 26-30, 2023 Tour Times: 3-8pm. Last entry/admission at 8pm; grounds stay open until 9pm. Admissions closes at 8pm. Estate is open until 9pm. Location:  714 North Portage Path, Akron, Ohio 330-836-5533 |  website

2023 Tickets: Monday-Thursday: $20 adults (18+); $9 youth (3-17) Friday-Sunday: $24 adults (18+); $11 youth (3-17) Children 2 & under are free all days. College students with valid ID get a youth price.

MUST DO: Don’t let the holidays slip by without planning a tour of this former home of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company co-founder F.A. Seiberling and his family. Stan Hywet is the largest historic home in Ohio and sixth largest in the U.S.

There are 20 rooms and 26 Christmas trees decorated in beautiful holiday “Deck the Hall” fashion throughout the Manor House.  Highlights include the “Reindeer Flight Academy”. Santa and Mrs. Claus on a date night sleigh ride, a Santa made of LEGO® bricks, “The Year without Santa Claus” and more. And if that was not enough the estate and Great Garden is illuminated with 1.2 million holiday lights. The Dazzle light show features lights choreographed to favorite holiday songs of the season.

ALLOW TIME to visit the Corbin Conservatory, where you will find more holiday displays and the giant poinsettia tree. Bring cash. You are going to want to purchase one of their many-colored poinsettias for sale.

DON’T FORGET to make a stop after your tour at Molly’s Courtyard Café’ where you can purchase one of those famous warm gingerbread cookies and a cup of hot chocolate. Beer, wine & giant pretzels are also available.

SHOP & SUPPORT: Find unique gifts, holiday décor’, Stan Hywet ornaments and more in Molly’s Shop. A gift membership (starting at $55) to Stan Hywet may be the perfect gift for someone on your list.

VISIT THE MAN IN THE RED SUIT: Just outside Molly’s Shop is where you will find Santa himslef and two animated shop windows, including my favorite “The Gingerbread Bakeshop”.

Featured article image:  Master Bedroom | Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. 

Christmas at the Reeves Home

Date: November 12 – December 22 & December 27-30, 2023 Closed Thanksgiving Day | December 10, 2023 (Open House) ​Time: Wednesdays – Sundays, 1-7 pm Location: J. E. Reeves Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum 325 East Iron Avenue, Dover, OH Phone:   330.343.7040 | 800.815.2794 website

(Photo courtesy of J.E. Reeves Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum.)

Candlelight Holiday Tour – Malabar Farms

Candlelight Tours at Malabar Farms

Dates/times: December 1, 2, 8-9: 5-8pm | December 3 & 10, 2023 : 1pm-4pm Location:  Malabar Farm State Park, 4050 Bromfield Rd, Lucas, OH 44843 419.892.2784 |  website Admission:  $6.00 for adults (ages 18+) | $4.00 for youth Tour Louis Bromfield’s Big House all decked out for the holiday! Enjoy freshly baked cookies, hot cider; and special entertainment. Purchase tickets at the Visitor Center gift shop before walking to the Big House

(photo credit: Malabar Farm State Park)

VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS TOURS 

General Admission Days Dates: December 7, 14 & 16, 2023 Times: December 7 & 14 – 7pm – 8pm | December 16 – 7pm to 8:30pm Location: The Castle 418 4th St., Marietta, OH 45750 Phone: 740.373.4180 | mariettacastle.org

Bring the family to enjoy the Christmas decorations of a Victorian home while learning the history and legends tied to many of our modern holiday traditions and decorations during this special evening tour. We’ll take a look at how the Davis family celebrated Christmas in 1888, brought to life through the stories of knowledgeable tour guides, displays, and an art installation, all based on historical research. The Castle will also have a whimsical winter feel made possible by artistic snowflakes provided by local schools and community groups on display throughout the tour. Get your tickets today!

$12 Adults; $9 Kids (age 13 and under); Ages 5 and under free Castle Members: $10 Adults; $7 Kids (age 13 and under); Ages 5 and under free

A Child’s Storybook Christmas Victorian House Museum

Dates: Nov. 18 -Dec. 31, 2023

OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY NOV. 18 4:00-8:00 pm Regular Holiday Tours – Nov. 18 – Dec. 31 Sun. – Thurs. 1:00-4:00 pm and Fri.-Sat. 1:00-8:00 pm Location: 484 Wooster Rd. Millersburg, OH 44654 330.674.0022 | holmeshistory.com

NARRATIVE: OPEN HOUSE – Once again the Victorian House Museum in Millersburg will be transformed into a holiday treat with this year’s theme “A Child’s Storybook Christmas” Each room will be themed to a children’s holiday book with elements from the book used in the decorations. Each set of designers will add their creative abilities to each room. Our volunteer staff, with some external help, spend hours coming up with a theme. We will kick off the season with a FREE open house from 4:00-8:00 pm on Sat. Nov. 18. To make the books come alive we also will be having a visit from Santa plus our third-floor ballroom will take on elements of “The Nutcracker”. Holmes Center for the Arts will be providing various dancers during the evening performing some of the classic songs from the book. After touring the house you can relax in our Castle Club for cookies and beverages. This is a great way to kick off your family holiday traditions. Come and get in the spirit, see the books come alive, visit with Santa, and catch a glimpse of the performers in the ballroom. One other request since the open house is free we would like to ask instead of a paid admission you bring a children’s book or two, new or slightly used for us to donate to Share A Christmas. We would like to get as many books as we can to place in the family baskets this year. Join us and Happy Holidays!

NARRATIVE: SEASONAL TOURS – The Victorian House will be open daily the following hours for general holiday tours. Sun. – Thur. 1:00-4:00 pm and Fri.- Sat. 1:00-8:00 pm. There are 28 rooms and 4 floors decorated from top to bottom, inside and out. Each room has designated volunteers that each year work tirelessly to transform the house into a holiday spectacular. General admission is $10.00 for adults $9.00 for seniors 60+ and children under 12 free.

This years theme is “A Child’s Storybook Christmas” Each room will take on a theme of a holiday book with decorating elements taken from the book. The mansion is 28 rooms and four floors . It is listed on the National Historic Registry.

(photo courtesy of the Victorian House Museum)

LAKE COUNTY HISTORY CENTER – Deck the Halls 

Dates: Dec. 1 & 2, with special Group Days on Nov. 30th, Dec. 7 & 14. There will be chances to have Breakfast or Lunch with Santa (Dec. 3, 9, 10, 16 & 17). Location: 415 Riverside Dr., Painesville, OH 440.639.2945 |   TICKETS

*Enjoy a tour of our Christmas decorations *Hear the holiday music of the Magical Musical Machines from our unique music box display. *Take home delicious baked goods and candy from our Peppermint Lane Sweet Shop. *Choose a special item from the North Pole Novelties gently used gifts. Tickets: Members – $8; Non-Members – $10; Ages 3-12 – $5; Children under 3 are free. Call 440-639-2945 for more information or ticket assistance. There are no refunds but a credit to a future event will be offered.

Article and photos, unless noted by: D. Rock, MyOhioFun.com

Diane Rock is the owner and editor of MyOhioFun.com. She is an avid baker, gardener, Little Free Library owner, who loves to read and travel.  She spends most of her days sharing her love of things to do in Ohio, as well as creating destinations and itineraries for group tours and individual travelers.

Editor’s note:  This list started in 2020 and is continually updated for the current year.  The dates and additional events have been updated for the 2023 season. Any use of the above article or images without prior permission, will be in violation of copyright laws.

***Disclosure:  My Ohio Fun receives compensation from advertising banners.  As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

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Stark11: 11 Historic Homes in Massillon

Jan 18, 2021

These 11 historic homes in Massillon, tell the story of architecture and a community through pictures and history! Want to learn more? Visit Spring Hill Historic Home, take a Fourth Street Tour, or go on a walking tour or the Massillon Cemetery.

Historic Fourth Street in Northeast Massillon is lined with residences respresenting architectural styles spanning an entire century, 1830 to 1938. The seven listed below join many others along the brick street that formed Massillon’s most prestigious homes in decades past. Downtown walking tours will be scheduled later this summer.

1. Five Oaks (210 Fourth Street, N.E.)

Located on historic Fourth Street, the gem of Massillon’s architecture -- Five Oaks -- was designed by Cleveland architect Charles F. Schweinfurth, for industrialist J. Walter McClymonds and his wife Flora. Completed in 1894, it took master craftsmen two years and more than $200,000 to construct. The stone Richardson Romanesque mansion features Tiffany windows and lighting fixtures, intricately carved woodwork, a billiards room of Moroccan leather, and lovely exterior Corinthian columns and stone sculptures. In 1924, it became the home of Massillon Woman’s Club. Five Oaks is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Check five-oaks.org for a summer tour schedule or massillonwomansclub.weebly.com for a holiday schedule of public events.

2. Thomas H. Russell House (107 Fourth Street, N.E.)

Built in 1882, this large Eastlake residence on historic Fourth Street has undergone minimal aesthetic alterations since it was built for steam engine manufacturer Thomas H. Russell and his wife Ellen. The carriage house is enchanting as the mansion.

3. The Nahum and Esther Russell House (120 Fourth Street, N.E.)

Better known as the Library Apartments, the Italianate home of the first president of Russell & Co.—Massillon’s most important factory in the late 1800s—was built about 1860. After the death of their parents, Annie Russell McClymonds and Flora Russell McClymonds gave their family home to become Massillon’s first public library. It opened in 1899 and remained in this residence until 1937, when the library moved to the James Duncan home downtown. The Russell home is now an apartment building.

4. The Lillian Gish House (315 Fourth Street, N.E.)

The tiniest house on historic Fourth Street dates to the 1840s. Its most famous owners were the Gish sisters, actresses who sometimes summered in Massillon. The girls and their mother were all stage actresses in the early 19th century. When one of the little girls did not have a gig, she would be sent to Massillon to stay with their Aunt Emily, for whom Dorothy purchased the house in the mid-1950s. She and Lillian visited there occasionally. Dorothy’s will passed the house on to Lillian in 1968. It continues to be a private residence.

5. The Hiram Wellman Home (414 Fourth Street, N.E.)

One of the earliest houses on historic Fourth Street, the Hiram Wellman residence was started about 1830, intended to reflect the architecture of Mount Vernon, but the financial panic of 1837 caused it to be completed more modestly. Wellman, with his brother Marshall, built a warehouse along the Ohio and Erie Canal in the late 1820s, offering cash for wheat. Because of their entrepreneurship, Massillon was known as “The Wheat City” until the arrival of the railroad in 1852. The next resident, David K. Cartter, is remembered as the orator who turned the tide toward Abraham Lincoln during the 1860 Republican convention. Presidents McKinley and Garfield both visited this home, which remains a single-family private residence.

6. The Atwater House (220/222 Fourth Street, N.E.)

Also one of the oldest homes in Massillon’s National Register District, the Atwater house, is actually two side-by-side homes divided by a brick wall. Twins, Joshua and David Atwater, purchased and operated the Wellman warehouse when those brothers left town. Henry Yesler, one of the pioneer industrialists and politicians of Seattle in the mid-1850s, designed and built the Atwater edifice. Both sides of this massive building have been divided into apartments.

7. The James and Amelia Pocock House (308 Fourth Street, N.E.)

Both sides of the Pococks’ family were Massillon coal mine moguls. They built their Fourth Street home by 1875, but during the last decade of the century, they hired architect Charles F. Schweinfurth to enhance it. Abundant cherubs and Biblical inscriptions appeared in the stunning woodwork; four bay windows, a three-story corner tower, a double front portico, and a port-cochere were added. President and Mrs. McKinley danced in the cherry-paneled third-floor ballroom. The home remains in private hands.

8. Massillon Cemetery Superintendent’s Residence

Massillon Cemetery, founded in 1846, is the final resting place of nearly 25,000 souls. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Massillon Cemetery superintendent’s residence was constructed in 1879 of locally quarried stone. It served for a century as both the sexton’s family residence and the cemetery office; now only the office.

9. James Duncan Home (208 Lincoln Way East)

Massillon Public LIbrary’s local history (south) wing was originally the 1835 home of Massillon’s founder James Duncan, who faced his Federal style brick home to the west so he could overlook his town and the canal that made it blossom. A century later, the center Neoclassical rotunda and the reflecting wing were added and the building opened with the Massillon Museum in the Duncan House and Massillon Public Library in the new sections. The Museum moved to its current location, 121 Lincoln Way East, in 1995/1996, and the Library now occupies the entire edifice.

10. The Bahney House (316 Lincoln Way East)

The Second Empire style residence best remembered as the home of the E.F. Bahney family is now a destination antiques and collectibles emporium: Becky’s Obsession Antiques. In the interim, the building housed the Massillon Automobile Club and the Ohio Society of Military Society. Mr. Bahney operated a bookstore in downtown Massillon from 1894 to 1926. Find the antique shop at facebook.com/beckycasperlincolnway .

11. Spring Hill Historic Home (1401 Spring Hill Lane, N.E.)

Spring Hill Historic Home, constructed in 1821, was the home of Thomas and Charity Rotch, founders of the village of Kendal, which is now part of Northeast Massillon. The rural home was a stop on the Underground Railroad, reflecting the Quaker beliefs of its residents. Three generations of the Wales family succeeded the Rotches until 1973, when the residence opened to the public as a historic site. It was Massillon’s first National Register site and has been named to the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Find more information at springhillhistorichome.org or call 330.833.6749.

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1401 Spring Hill Lane NE Massillon, Ohio 44646 (330) 833-6749 Website

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210 Fourth St. NE Massillon, Ohio 44646 (330) 833-4896 Website

Five Oaks Historic Home - Massillon Woman's Club 210 Fourth St. NE Massillon, Ohio 44646

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418 4th Street • Marietta, Ohio 45750 • 740.373.4180

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We want you to be a part of our museum! Experience the history of our beautifully preserved, 1855 Gothic-Revival house by touring our site. Learn about fascinating stories from the local history of one of the oldest regions in the Northwest Territory. Engage in history presented in new ways through our innovative programming. The Castle offers something for everyone. You can be a part of what we do by signing up as a volunteer, joining as a member, or making a donation.

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What our visitors are saying about their experience at Marietta’s Castle

Everyone liked it. If it wasn’t for you that day wouldn’t be as fun. If I could go back in time I would go to the exact day. I love the Castle. A. G. (Local 4th Grader)

I highly recommend a great tour of the Victorian home and all its year round activities for all ages to come and enjoy. Many are open to the entire community to experience. James D. W.

Beautiful decorations and architecture. Interesting history. Tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. Missy C.

Wonderful place to get a real feel for the history of a wonderful town. Period furniture fixtures give you a true glimpse at the daily life of residential living. Beautiful well maintained gardens and walks give a sense of peace to visitors. Tim G.

This is an interesting historic site and worth the low cost of admission. I wish you were allowed to see more of the house but what you do get to see is quite intriguing and it’s a good look into how the 1% lived in that era. Jeff S.

Outstanding living museum of the gothic revival style. Michael P.

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Historical Homes

• Apr 7, 2020

Take A Tour of Sorg Mansion The 1887 Ohio Castle That Cost 1 Million To Build

Updated: Dec 7, 2020

The Sorg Mansion is located at 206 South Main Street, Middletown, Ohio. Middletown's first millionaire, Paul John Sorg, built the $1 million mansion (Over $24,000,000 today!) in 1887 which is now part of Middletown's South Main Street District. The Ohio Historical Society says Sorg's "Romanesque castle," built in 1887, includes "a $100,000 addition added in 1902 that comprised of a north wing with a ballroom, a front porch and turrets, a large carriage house and an imposing stone and iron fence around the five-acre property."

Paul J. Sorg Background:

Paul John Sorg (September 23, 1840 – May 28, 1902) was a businessman and member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio .

He was born in Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) on September 23, 1840. He attended public school. He was the youngest son of Henry and Elizabeth Sorg, immigrants from Hesse-Darmstadt (or Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel), Germany . Paul Sorg moved with his parents and siblings to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1852 where he was apprenticed as an iron molder. He attended night school in Cincinnati.

He served in the Union Army during the Civil War .

In 1864 Paul J. Sorg met John Auer, a German-born tobacco roller in Cincinnati. Auer could make tobacco, but he couldn't keep books; for his part, Sorg knew nothing about tobacco, but he was a good bookkeeper. These two men organized a firm for the manufacture of tobaccos, starting a plant in Cincinnati. In 1869 they partnered with another tobacco firm in Cincinnati. One of the new partners lived in Middletown, Ohio and urged the newly formed company, Wilson, Sorg and Company, to relocate there and a new plant was constructed.

Sorg and Auer soon sold their share of the business and immediately formed another company, P. J. Sorg Tobacco Co., to manufacture cut filler and plug tobacco. One of their brand names was "Biggest and Best." This new firm they built up to become one of the largest of its type in the world and Sorg became Middletown's first multi-millionaire.

The Mansion

The main house comprises of over 13,000 sq foot, with 35 rooms and each bedroom having it's own fireplace. The tiled vestibule opens to a large grand hall with the main staircase.

Grand Staircase when house was on the market - 2012 via OldHouseDreams.com

The Sorg Mansion was converted into apartments in the 1930's, and eventually was used as commercial space and steadily declined until hitting the market in 2012 for $500,000.

Dining Room of House in 1997

Stained Glass & A Bedroom

As of 2014, The property is currently undergoing renovations to be opened as an owner occupied Bed & Breakfast. In 2018 the home was open for one of the first times since the 1930's and attracted more than 1,000 guests. Since 2014, the slate roof has been restored, the stone has been cleaned, and many of the interior features have been restored.

Exterior Views:

Porch ceiling:

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I would love to live there and learn more of the craft and crafted what. Exquisite home.

I wish the Sorg would make a comeback. My parents were lucky enough to get to live in this cool place back when it was an apartment. I only get to hear stories and see pictures. It‘d be a dream just to tour this place. I wouldn’t suggest making it an apartment again, or even a hotel though. You can’t trust others not to trash it. I wish it would be turned into a historical building that is open to regular tours. I’m sure even a Sorg themed gift shop could be added for the tours. I know so many people who would love to tour here and who would love some Sorg merchandise. It’s sad that nothing is done…

Oh my goodness, I had no idea! Thank you for this information! Is there a way to keep an eye on when the tours will be?

I hope someone buys and saves this house...could be a destination asset for Middletown, Ohio...

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Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum

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“This is one of the most incredible house museums we have visited. It is so well preserved and well-appointed, decorated beautifully and accurately. The docents are so knowledgeable and excitedly promote the history of the house. We go back over and over again.”

Peak into the past inside the Victorian Era Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum. Twenty-six rooms filled with period decorations await you inside our Romanesque Revival-style mansion, which was originally completed in the late 1800s.

History of the Museum

The Victorian Mansion Museum construction began in 1888 and was completed in 1893. It was designed in the Romanesque Revival style. The house stayed in the possession of private families until the 1960s when it was purchased by the Belmont County Historical Society and restored to become the Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum.

Affordably travel back in time through touring 26 rooms of victorian historical elegance.

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Tours & Amish Experiences

Find a new way of being., don’t watch and learn. live and learn. .

We approach life a little differently, and the best way to learn about that is to join in! Tour an Amish home if you wonder how a typical Old Order Amish bedroom looks. Book a backroads tour if you want to locate those home-run businesses along our country lanes. Tours provide you the chance to reserve dinner in an Amish home or grab a bite where the locals go--and that’s any area restaurant. No one’s on display here.

Be our guest!

When you visit Ohio Amish Country, you will be guests in our community. And we don’t invite our friends over without showing hospitality. Want to see women quilting? We will show you. Wondering about Amish weddings? We can tell you. Curious about canning? We’ve got some experience in that. From tours to workshops, we’d love to show you around.  

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So Much to Do

Discover new ways to experience Ohio Amish Country and explore our communities like a local!.     We have curated a number of multi-stop, self-guided activities and experiences that highlight various things to do in Ohio Amish Country. These recommendations are a resource to assist you in planing your visit to the region.

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• 11 Most Inviting Towns in Ohio

Brave the winding rivers of a state named from the Iroquois term "ohi-yo," translating to "great river." While there are numerous destinations to enjoy in Buckeye State, such as the cities of Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, the most inviting towns in Ohio have many features and enticements that will give you an excellent river rafting tour of the land. Dive into the immersive majesties of Chagrin Falls and Yellow Springs for a rejuvenating escape. Revisit the past in history-preserving locales like Marietta, Mount Vernon, and Loveland. Sample the riveting culture of Put-In-Bay, Athens, and Ashtabula. But most of all, cherish all the invaluable and unprecedented moments you will experience in the most inviting towns in Ohio.

Yellow Springs

Summer comes alive in the vivacious town of Yellow Springs. Only around 30 minutes from Dayton, visitors can brave the woodland trails of the Glen Helen Nature Preserve or down the 752-acre limestone gorge of John Bryan State Park. From there, you can capture scenic moments of the Little Miami River and even spot some hikers and bikers along the Little Miami Bike Trails. At the Clifton Mill, you can be treated to history lessons on grist mills and their importance to the community, and on April 20, celebrate the annual Earth Day by harvesting as many fruits as possible. For those who need a place to stay to sample some of your scrumptious harvest, the Mills Park Hotel, The Owl’s Roost, and Jailhouse Suites are some of the many lodgings you can savor Yellow Springs’ delicacies.

Chagrin Falls

Approximately 40 miles from the city of Cleveland, Chagrin Falls is not the kind of place to feel chagrined. Indeed, the waterfalls in the Chagrin River Park are among the many attractions that will surely keep you elated in town. There are also the glass-blown exhibits and masterpieces at the Glass Asylum, whereas the Chagrin Falls Historical Society & Museum the town’s turbulent inception from 1833 to the modern milieu. The historic Popcorn Shop, the oldest sweet shop in town, is a perfect place to purchase a taste of the past. And when it comes to accommodations, the Inn of Chagrin is one of the finest establishments you can call a temporary home.

Since 1788, Marietta has remained the oldest settlement in Ohio along the confluence of the Ohio River and Muskingum River. It was first a settlement of the Adena and Hopewell Native Americans before early pioneers occupied the territory. The remnants of these great Native Americans can be found among the burial mounds, embankments, and passageways the pre-pioneer tribes left behind—there are even Native American earthenware at the Mound Cemetery or Marietta Earthworks. Marietta is notably mentioned in The Pioneers, a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough about Westward expansion. You can explore for yourself the arboreal beauty of Marietta at the Gunlock Park, Kroger Wetland, and the Wayne National Forest. There is more to see and experience in Marietta, and opulent lodgings like the Lafayette Hotel and the Hackett Hotel have a number of necessities to keep you staying.

Around 33 miles from Columbus, Granville is a grand location to admire the Native American history of Ohio. Infirmary Mound, located in the aptly named Infirmary Mound Park, is one of many Native American mounds that the Hopewell people created. More can be found in Salt Run Park, while an early Hopewell settlement can be explored in the Raccoon Valley Park. Additionally, Newark Earthworks can be gleaned at the Licking County Area. You can better understand the Hopewell tribe and other Native Americans in the area at the Circle Museum. Meanwhile, the Robbins Hunter Museum, Bryn Du Mansion, and Granville Inn are living museums that reveal what pioneer life was like. For accommodations, look to the Broadway Guest House, the Porch House Bed & Breakfast, or the Historic Buxton Inn for your daily needs.

Put in your free time by visiting Put-In-Bay, the “Key West of the North.” As a premier resort village on South Bass Island in Lake Erie , Put-In-Bay commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812 with Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. The Lake Erie Islands Historical Museum exhibits many martial and maritime memorabilia during the war, whereas the Benson Ford Ship House shows the former forecastle of a huge cargo ship which Henry Ford ’s company owned. Enjoy the flight of butterflies at the Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center, or ride on vintage horses at Kimberley’s Carousel. Every year from May 5 - 6, Put-In-Bay celebrates the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony. And if you require a place to spend your evenings, you can always find safety and comfort at the Commodore Resort, Victory Station Hotel, or Bird’s Nest Resort.

Nearly 24 miles from the city of Cincinnati, Loveland invites travelers with a bevy of beautiful delights. Being the "Sweetheart of Ohio” means upholding a standard of attraction, and Loveland’s ties with the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trails has designated it as a Buckeye Trail Town suitable for bikers and hikers. To learn the town’s background, tour the Loveland Historical Society & Museum. To appreciate the modern culture and heritage of Loveland, watch live performances at the Loveland Stage Company and the Loveland Art Studios on Main. And if you really want to fall in love with Loveland, then travel to the medieval-looking castles of Loveland Castle, aka Chateau Laroche, or Castle Skateland. Should you want a place to stay, you can book a room at the Loveland Lofts.

Mount Vernon

Sing along the Kokosing River towards the town of Mount Vernon. Named after George Washington ’s former plantation house , Mount Vernon contains the Woodward Opera House, the oldest known “free-standing opera house in the United States. It is also the birthplace of Daniel Decatur Emmette, the composer of the music genre known as “Dixie”, and Mary Ann Bickerdyke, a military nurse during the American Civil War . Close to these cultural attractions is the Kokosing Gap Trail, a 14-mile trail replete with leisurely trails and treks. In August, you can attend the wonderful Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival, while on July you can watch the Knox County Fair. Lastly, Mount Vernon Grand Hotel, the Mount Vernon Inn, and the Coleman Family Gallerie Suite are among the many establishments you can refreshen and recharge in Mount Vernon.

As cultural aesthetic as Milan in Italy , the inviting town of Milan in Ohio on the Huron River is the birthplace of the great American inventor, Thomas Alva Edison . One can tour his childhood home—a redbrick house on Edison Drive. In addition, visitors can explore the Sayles House inside the Milan Historical Museum, which illustrates the town’s conception in 1804 thanks to Moravian missionaries from the Czech Republic. The Sayles House is, oddly enough, a toy and doll museum as well as a blacksmith’s workstation. Only about 36 miles from Put-In-Bay, stay a while in pristine accommodations such as the White Dog Bed & Breakfast, Alto Inn, or Milan Inn-tiques.

As culturally refined as the Greek acropolis of Athens , the town of Athens in Ohio along the Hocking River is home to the prestigious Ohio University. Many of the state’s students and the townsfolk gain clarity and exercise when traipsing through the Wayne National Forest. They also peace and satisfaction when exploring Lake Hope State Park in addition to the charming Zaleski State Forest. Being a sophisticated locus of Ohio’s class and culture, Athens embodies the aesthetic appeals of humanity with artworks found in the OHIO Museum Complex, the Kennedy Museum of Art, and the Dairy Barn Arts Center. Once the societal marvels of Athens hook you into staying, you ought to purchase a room at either the Athens Central Hotel, Ohio University Inn, or Hometown Inn.

On the shores of Lake Erie sits the humble town of Ashtabula. Travelers can go fishing at Walnut Beach Park and Ashtabula River Trail along Lake Erie, considering the town was named after the Algonquian phrase for “river of many fishes”. When it comes to history, the Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum is filled with victories and sacrifices of the abolitionist movement . In the rural areas of Ashtabula, make sure to visit one of the 30 wineries in the fertile Grand River Valley, where you can sample the finest wine in Ohio. Indeed, Ashtabula contributes 50% of Ohio’s aggregate grapes specifically in the wineries of the Grand River Valley. Come explore this astonishing town only 53 miles from Cleveland.

Hailed as the “Little Switzerland of Ohio,” Sugarcreek is a 53-minute away getaway from the satellite town of Akron . The town is also a gateway to Ohio’s Amish Country, where small cheese factories and industries dominate the region due to the dedication of the descendants of Swiss and German immigrants. Amidst the alpine- and Swiss-architecture of Sugarcreek awaits the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock in the main square, built in 1972 and measuring 23 feet tall and 24 feet wide. The Age of Steam Roundhouse serves as a museum preserving many of the locomotives that improved American lives in Ohio. And every year since 1952, the jolly folk of Sugarcreek celebrate their heritage with the Ohio Swiss Festival, soon to occur on September this 2024. Say cheese in your photos while tasting the exquisite cheese of Sugarcreek, and do not forget to find accommodations at the Weaver Barns, Sugarcreek Village Inn, or Carlisle Inn Sugarcreek.

In Conclusion

Ohio embodies many qualities that are welcoming and enticing, especially in the most inviting towns in a state filled with great rivers. From resplendent abodes and settlements such as Yellow Springs, Sugarcreek, and Put-in-Bay to locations continuing to both preserve and honor the past like Milan and Granville, these small towns of the Buckeye State have numerous qualities in high quantity. It is not enough to simply hear about these towns—you ought to visit these awesome dwellings for yourself. Because in a state where many American presidents—like Rutherford B. Hayes , William Henry Harrison , and Ulysses S. Grant —were born, and where Orville and Wilbur Wright perfected aviation, you will be soaring down many great rivers to a handful of the hometowns great men and women once called home.

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You are cordially invited to an exclusive event in partnership with the Buckeye Club and The Ohio State University Department of Athletics on Tuesday, May 14 in Toledo, Ohio! Each ticket includes a hosted cocktail hour and dinner while hearing from leadership of both athletics and the alumni association. Guest speakers will include 2024 Women's Ice Hockey National Champion Coach Nadine Muzerall, Head Men's Basketball Coach Jake Diebler and more! There will also be drawings for exclusive Ohio State prizes. Attire for the event is Buckeye Casual.  

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