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| Reviews and photos of Ohio attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Ohio sightseeing. Map |
 | Ohio Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 170 |  |
Mount Vernon, Ohio, is historic, beautiful, architectually vibrant, & tree-lined. It was named an All-American City in 1965 & named Ohio's Most Livable Community" in 1994 by Ohio Magazine.
Downtown Mount Vernon has a tall civil war era monument where the soldier is looking to the south in honor of those on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. The streets are tree lined; there are many quaint little shoppes, antiques stores, as well as quilt shoppes.
There is the Knox County Historical Museum where visitors can see memorabilia of two Knox County performing artists: Dan Emmett who composed "Turkey in the Straw", "Blue Tail Fly, & "Dixie" and Paul Lynde, comedian. The place includes artifacts from all aspects of Knox County history
There is the unrestored Woodward Opera House which is America's Oldest Authentic 19th Century Theater. Townspeople are trying to raise funds to restore this once beautiful gem. Currently, architects and historians are visiting to discover its "look" in its heyday
The shopping is good in Mount Vernon & is called the Heritage Centre Shopping District
For outdoor lovers, there is the Kokosing Gap Trail & the Mohican Valley Trail. People are able to hike or bike from Mount Vernon to Brinkhaven. There are also places to camp or canoe nearby.
I personally found the historic homes quite interesting. There are three: East Gambier (20 examples of Mount Vernon's significant architecture), East High (Greek Revival Queen Anne styles), and North Main Streets (Greek Revival, High Italianate, & Second Empire styles). Literature says that "these 3 streets are ranked among the most beautiful residential areas in Ohio." All 3 districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can take walking tours; obtain information from the Visitor's Bureau. We toured these & found them exquisite.
Hal Holbrook once said, "Anyone who wants to discover what America is all about should go to Mount Vernon." Leave a Comment Address: Downtown Mount Vernon, Ohio
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One of the most fascinating experiences of our Ohio trip was a visit to Warthers of Dover, Ohio. It's an 8-acre park surrounding the original home of Ernest & Freida Warther. It is a museum, a knife-making company, a button exhibit, Swiss-style gardens, & a gift shoppe.
It is a swiss chalet-style museum with an incredible "state-of-the-art facility that showcases the 64 ebony, ivory, & walnut train carvings created by Ernest "Mooney" Warther." The Smithsonian Institution has proclaimed these carvings as "Priceless works of art.". Ernest & Freida were never into making money, so they never sold any of their works. Thank goodness; now we have a historic record of this incredible work. The 2nd, 3rd, & 4th generation family members run this museum & work in the Cutlery (which is how they make their money) still today.
Ernest Warther was, indeed, a Worlds Master Carver. And here at the museum, we learned his life story; saw his carvings; enjoyed Freida's Button House (a collection of 73,000 buttons arranged in wonderful designs on the ceiling & walls. (There is even a button from Mrs. Lincoln's inaugural dress)
My favorite carvings were the Lincoln Funeral Train, the "Pliers Tree", & the Ivory Train. The famous Pliers Tree has 511 interconnected working pliers, and when opened, it becomes a Pliers Tree!
Even though Ernest only went to school until the 2nd grade, he was a math genius & worked out all the necessary "cuts" in his head. His carvings were not limited to steam trains. He carved a working replica of a steel mill where he once worked & canes for famous people.
Ernest was unable to find carving knives of quality so he made his own. For his mom, he made a paring knife that would keep its sharp edge. Today, the Warther family are in their 4th generation of knife makers...we saw this shop & we purchased a knives. By the way, the Warther's fine gift shop is the exclusive home of Warther Cutlery. Leave a Comment Phone: 330-343-7513Directions: Off of Interstate 77, Exit 83, U.S. 250, U. S. 21.
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About four miles east of Mount Vernon, Ohio, is the small town of Gambier. This town is the location of a private college called Kenyon College. You might have heard of Kenyon because it is where Paul Newman went to college. We learned that Newman has been very generous with donations to Kenyon as has his wife, Joanne Woodward.
The first Episcopal Bishop of Ohio, Philander Chase, named the college after Lord Kenyon and the village after Lord Gambier. Kenyon is Ohio's oldest private liberal arts college (1824). There are 50 major buildings, which are quite beautiful.
Kenyon is a beautiful campus with ivy-covered buildings, expansive lawns, and impressive architecture. In the 1820s, Kenyon College was built by English stonemasons. Even the newer buildings seem to blend in because they have been kept in the same style and made of similar stone.
We especially admired the Statue called "Renaissance Man and Woman" by Charles Eugen Gagnon. It was presented "for the Present and Future Generations of Kenyon Men and Women From All Graduates of Kenyon" (See Photo)
The other photos include church, college building, student celebration, and graveyard.
There was an old cemetery that we walked through right on campus. On the day we were there, (in early May), the campus was having a "Summer Sendoff" celebration. We went into the library to find out some information, and we were so impressed by the young man who helped us. (Incidentally, he is an English major!) Leave a Comment Address: 4 miles east of Mount Vernon, Ohio
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We noticed that this small town seems to be more affluent than most. Granville, Ohio, has been called, "Virtually a museum of yesteryear". It has historic inns, quaint shops, historic museums, an expansive recreational trail, and beautiful Denison University.
Granville is home to interesting museums. For instance, The Granville Historical Museum at 115 East Broadway. This museum (1816) features a collection of early furniture, hand tools, and household tools from the original settlers and their descendants who came from Granville, Massachusetts and Granby, Connecticul in 1805.
Granville Life-Style Museum at 121 South Main Street is an 1869 house that remains in the life-style of the Robinsons from 1918-1981. There is mostly late-Victorian furniture. They have clever tours called: Victorian Undergarments or Victorian Flirts.
Robbins-Hunter Museum is a Greek Revival Style Museum with several period rooms of antiques, paintings, pianos, oriental rugs, clocks, & others decorative arts from the mid-1800s.
Webb House Museum is the house of Arts and Crafts design. It uses lots of different woods and is furnished with antiques and family heirlooms. But, it is the gardens that are spectacular, especially the perennials and roses.
If you are a lover of architecture, museums, and quaint shops,you will love GRANVILLE. Leave a Comment
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PLEASE CLICK ON ALL FIVE PHOTOS; 2 PHOTOS FOR EACH
Newark is the largest city in Licking County, and we went there to see all the interesting sights. First, we visited the Greater Licking County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 29 South 2nd St. in Newark. There is a beautiful Courthouse with a lovely park where a bench says,"Remember Our Fathers The Grand Army of the Republic" and was done for the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865.
We loved a scupture of two older women seated on a park bench...realistic and humorous. Just when we thought we couldn't see anything better, we see he scupture of three darling children holding hands. Next, we see theMidland Theatre, a renovated historic theatre where there are local and national touring acts performing. In front of the theatre is a scupture called "Mark Twain" by Gary Price that was placed there in honor of HAL HOLBROOK who does shows as Mark Twain to preserve his memory.
Next, we saw The Works, an interactive complex which contains a historical industrial museum; art, digital, & glass blowing studios, art galleries, & a restored interurban car.
We also saw the former site (1894) of the Soldiers' & Sailors' Memorial Building (destroyed by fire); today it's the Licking County Foundation. 7 delightful children are saluting the flag (art scupture) in front of the building. Leave a Comment
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If you want a full account of the National Road's history, you need to go to the National Road/Zane Grey Museum, which is located on the National Road (Rt 40). You will be able to learn about The National Road, about novelist Zane Grey, and about the area's ceramic heritage.
This museum commemorates U.S. 40, the National Road, because it was America's first federal highway. It was begun in 1806 to expand the U.S. territory beyond the Appalachians.. Today, most people use I-70, which parallels U.S. 40. The difference is that I-70 bypasses all the interesting towns: whereas, U.S. 40 cuts through many main streets in small towns.
Zane Grey Wing of the museum is a tribute to Grey (who was born in Zanesville). He is quite famous for his stories about the Western frontier. He did write about Ohio, but few people have read those stories.
There is also a collection of area art pottery to commemorate all the pottery factories in the area.
Jill and I were so looking forward to seeing this museum; when we arrived, the place was temporarily closed. This summer a big celebration is planned along all of The National Road, and the Museum is doing lots of work in preparation of that event.
The museum is supposed to be open:
March-April: Wed-Sat 9:30-5 Sun noon-5
May-Sept : Mon-Sat 9:30-5 Sun & holidays noon-5
Oct-Nov: Wed-Sat 9:30-5
$5.00 adults, $4 seniors, $1.25 children 6-12
Plan for 1-2 hours) Leave a Comment Address: 8850 E. Pike, Norwich, OhioPhone: 740/752-2602 or 800/752-2602Directions: 10 miles east of Zanesville
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Even though Jill and I were not able to do all the things in Newark that we wanted to do because of time restrictions, I think that they are worth mentioning so that perhaps you could decide to see them:
The Dawes Arboretum It is 1,660 acres with 8 miles of hiking trail or a 4-mile auto tour of gardens and natural areas. There are more than 15,000 living plants, and each season brings a different view. There is also Daweswood House Museum (19th and 20th century antiques, collectibles, and photographs. It was once the Dawes family's country home.
Newark Earthworks, a 2,000-year-old complex that at one time covered 4 square miles. It's the largest geometric earthworks ever created. Remaining are the Great Circle Earthworks, the Wright Earthworks, and the Octagon Earthworks
The National Heisey Glass Museum is a museum in Newark that houses more than 4,500 pieces of glassware produced by the A.H. Heisey & Company in Newark from 1896-1957.
So, if you decide to visit Newark, make sure you have plenty of time to see it all! Leave a Comment
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Perhaps the most remarkable sight that we saw on our trip to Ohio was The Longaberger Home Office Building. Drivers almost wreck their cars when they see it. The building is a replica of the company's Medium Market Basket, only it's 160 times that size. It can be seen for miles. To make it more realistic, at the top of the building, two basket handles are attached with replica copper and wooden rivets. Also two Longaberger 725-pound gold leaf painted tags are attached to the sides of the building! The windows are so cool! (Enlarge the photo to see how incredible it really is).
The facility can be toured seven days a week. Offices are situated around a seven-story, 30,000-square foot atrium; it is flooded with natural light because of the huge skylight.
Jill and I laughed so much when we saw this architectual wonder. Most people said that this could not be done, but we saw it with our own eyes!It was the idea of Dave Longaberger. His two daughter carry on his leadership of the company now. Longaberger baskets are made in Ohio and can only be purchased by Home Consultants.
You can go to Dresden Ohio to the birthplace of Dave Longaberger. The town celebrates basketmaking heritage (1896) with the largest picnic basket. There are lots of shopping opportunities here as well as seeing the Homestead.
You can experience handmade basketmaking with a quarter-mile self-guided tour within the factory located in Frazeysburg, Ohio.
Or you can stay at The Place Off the Square in Newark, Ohio. It is a hotel with a restaurant called The Cafe. There's an indoor pool as well.
All of these are quite close to each other. Leave a Comment
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Originally, Jill really wanted to visit Canton, Ohio, because of a special quilt shop; however, she found out it was not open to the public; thus, I did some homework and discovered that The First Ladies National Historic Site was located there. We are both quite interested in history, especially women of importance historically.
Most people visit Canton, Ohio, to visit the The Professional Football Hall of Fame, and that's also a good reason to visit.
If you enjoy good food, Benders Tavern would be a perfect reason to go there.
Other interesting place to investigate in Canton are The McKinley National Memorial, the Hoover Price Planetarium, Discover World (collections of fossils, rocks, and live animals).
I have a friend whose husband once lived there, and she asked me why in the world I would ever want to go there....after my visit, I can now give her some good answers! Leave a Comment
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By accident, Jill and I found the Round Hill Estate while driving the historic districts in Mount Vernon, Ohio. We had no idea what the place was; so we pretended that it was Miss Havisham's estate from Charles Dicken's novel, Great Expectations. Once I returned home, I looked up Mount Vernon and discovered that this old estate is listed on the National Register.
It was the estate of The Honorable Henry B. Curtis who built nearly fifty homes in Mount Vernon. His favorite style was the Italianate style. Most feel that Round Hill was his "masterpiece". It was built originally for his daughter; however, it was occupied mainly by Curtis himself.
Today, Round Hill is privately owned. These owners are conducting restorations, which is an ongoing process. Thus, you are not able to visit the inside of this estate. But, you are able to take photographs of the outside as we did. Leave a Comment Address: 500 North McKenzie Street
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on May 10, 2006
