Fantastic Tours and Demonstrations


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Free Ohio Tours and Demonstrations

The Arcade

D. Picking Copper Kettle

Mosser Glass

Appalachian Discovery & Birding Trail

Garretts Mill

Murphy's Lighthouses

Anthony Thomas Candy Company

Harveysburg Free Black School

Ohio Agricultural Research Center

Barn Quilt Tour - Adams County

Jungle Jim's International Market

Old Stone Church

Barn Quilt Tour - Miami County

King's Glass Engraving

Old Woman Creek

Bear's Mill

KitchenAid™ Experience

Playhouse Square Center

Boyd's Crystal Art Glass

Lafferty Funeral Collection

Quaker Square

BratWorks

Lee Middleton Original Dolls

Romanoff Jewelers

The Canal Experience

Longaberger Museum and Factory

Severance Hall - Cleveland Orchestra

Clifton Mill & Gorge

Middlefield Cheese House

The J.M. Smucker Company Store & Cafe

Cooper's Cider Mill

Mieir's Wine Cellars

The West Side Market

Crystal Traditions

 

 

 

 

 

More Tours Worth the Price of Admission

A Christmas Story House

Creegan Company

Ohio Caverns

American Whistle Corporation

 EarthShip at Blue Rock

Perkins Observatory

Amish Culture Backroad Tours

GoodTime III

Warther Carvings & Gardens 

BIBLEWALK

 Mansfield Reformatory Hist+Ghost Tour

 

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Your Guide to Ohio Tours and Demonstrations


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A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE
Admission:
$7 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger. Group discounts are available.
The price of admission includes a guided tour of the house and yard and admittance into the museum.

The house used in the popular holiday classic “A Christmas Story” has been restored to its original 1983 movie appearance. Purchased and renovated by Brian Jones, a true fan of the movie who sells leg lamps for a living, the house takes visitors on a nostalgic journey to the sights and scenes where Ralphie Parker dreams of nothing but receiving a genuine Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle for Christmas. In addition to A Christmas Story House, visitors can explore the museum where items from the movie are on display, more than 100 behind-the-scenes photos are featured and movie-related memorabilia can be purchased. A Christmas Story House is located just five minutes from downtown Cleveland at 3159 W. 11th Street in the Tremont neighborhood. For more information or for directions, visit www.AChristmasStoryHouse.com.

Printout: A Christmas Story House

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AMERICAN WHISTLE CORPORATION
(Tours cost $4 per person)
 

Have you ever wondered how the ball gets inside a whistle?  Take a personally guided tour of the only whistle factory in the United States where metal whistles are made.  For approximately 45 minutes, you will see a thriving, small, American manufacturing plant and be entertained with interesting information about whistles and fascinating machinery – some state of the art, some dating back to the beginning of the company.  Best of all – everyone leaves with a shiny new “American Classic” whistle! 

Printout: American Whistle Corporation 

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AMISH CULTURE BACKROAD TOURS 

Have you wondered why the Amish still live a life apart from society as we know it?  Let  expert tour guides explain the culture as it is in Holmes County. The tours could include stops at buggy makers, blind broom makers, quilters, meals in Amish homes, basket makers and candle makers.  Buggy rides are available April - October. Tours are taken in a comfortable 25-passenger mini tour bus or a 12-passenger Sprinter High Top Sightseeing van.

Tour costs and highlights:

2 hour Tour ~$25.00 pp, includes stops at Amish businesses. Departs from the Holmes County Amish Flea Market Thurs, Fri, Sat. 10:00 ~ 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM 

Artisans, Buggies and Culture Tour ~ $55. 00 ages 14 and over Includes  admission to tour 2 former lived in Amish homes, buggy rides, One room Amish school house tour, back road tour with stops at an Amish Basket Maker, ladies who sell quilts from their home, Amish "Wal-Mart" and detailed narration on Amish Culture.

Country Cooking' & Back Road Tour ~ $75.00 pp ages 14 and over  Includes all of the above in addition to a meal in a private Amish home.

12 hour progressive Meal Tour ~ $129.00 pp   All-day tour with 3 meals in Amish homes Group and Children’s rate available.

Visitors may also make candles and baskets with an Amish lady, have a private meal in an Amish home, help with chores at a private Amish home and more!

Printout: Amish Culture Tours

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APPALACHIAN DISCOVERY BIRDING & HERITAGE TRAIL
(Admission is Free)

 

Welcome to Southern Ohio’s driving trail featuring wildlife in flight and historical sites across the rural countryside at the foothills of Appalachia. The forested landscape stretches some 200 miles.

The trail is intended to be a weekend excursion for visitors to see the region’s most productive birding hotspots, nestle up at quality lodges or cabins, and eat at a number of great dining facilities, and do some sightseeing at the unique historical attractions dotting the countryside. This year-round tour features the springtime migration, breeding season, autumn’s rich palette of colors and winter’s white ground coat making it a snap to see eagles, hawks and ducks. During summertime, Adams County has its specialties for birding such as blue grosbeak, chuck-will’s-widow, and prairie, yellow-throated and worm-eating warblers. The trip is perfect for those looking to spend a couple of days in the slow-lane of life and take in the natural splendor that is increasingly hard to find. For a complete map of the Appalachian Discovery Birding & Heritage Trail, visit http://www.adamscountytravel.org/AppalachianBirdingHeritageTrail.htm or call Toll free 1-888-223-5454.

Printout: Appalachian Discovery Birding & Heritage Trail

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ANTHONY THOMAS CANDY COMPANY

(Admission is Free)

 

Have you ever fantasized about visiting Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Well, in about an hour’s time, you can almost taste it. Visitors can walk along a glass-enclosed suspended catwalk to see candy made at this 152,000 square-foot state-of-the-art candy factory. In one shift, 25,000 pounds of chocolate are produced. Even Augustus Loof would be left satisfied (sorry, no chocolate river here).  

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THE ARCADE

(Admission is Free)

 

The Arcade provides shopping but is simply a picturesque architectural gem. It was built in 1890, financed by John D. Rockefeller (among others) and was the first building in Cleveland to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is flanked by two 9-story towers and features a 5-story glass sky lighted atrium with extremely ornate brass-filled interior and gargoyles peering down from the uppermost level.

Printout: The Arcade

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ADAMS COUNTY BARN QUILT TOUR

(Admission is Free)

 

In Adams County, 20th Century ‘Mail Pouch’ ads adorning Ohio barns are being snuffed out by a 21st Century phenomenon – Barn Quilt Squares. 

The painted Barn Quilt Squares began when Donna Sue Groves wanted to create something to honor her mother’s passion, quilting, and did so with a large painting on the side of their barn. This sparked a movement that has swept Adams County. Adding to the serenity and charm of a lazy rural drive amidst the foothills of Appalachia, the “clothesline” of quilts highlights the adventure with its colorful display of unique artistry dotting the countryside.

For details about Barn Quilt Squares and how to find them, contact Adams County Travel & Visitors Bureau at 937-544-5454 or visit www.adamscountytravel.org. You may also email info@adamscountytravel.org to request a map of the Quilt Barn Trail.

Printout: Barn Quilt Squares

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MIAMI COUNTY BARN QUILT TOUR
Sponsored by the Miami County Visitors Bureau
(Admission is Free) 

The Miami County Visitors Bureau offers an exciting new trend for the heritage traveler… the Miami County Barn Quilt Tour! True folk art renditions of traditional quilt squares, hand painted on numerous barns, decorate the scenic landscape. This colorful array of Barn Quilts connects the scenic countryside with our lovely historic downtown communities while promoting and celebrating the unique rural and agricultural experience in the area. Visitors will enjoy the beauty and simple elegance of the landscapes as they make their way from town to town to view over 56 barn quilts!

After your first day of touring the barn quilts, relax in comfort at one of the area hotels offering special discounts valid for Thursday, Friday, or Saturday stays and subject to availability. Be sure to ask for the Miami County Barn Quilt rate.  Contact the Miami County Visitors Bureau or visit www.visitmiamicounty.org for participating hotels.

Printout: Barn Quilt Tour

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BEAR’S MILL
(Admission is free and guided tours available for a fee during business hours.
Tour arrangements can be made for a fee during non-business hours.) 

Built in 1849, Bear's Mill is an authentic example of a stonegrinding flourmill of its time. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, it is still in use today to grind cornmeal, whole wheat flour, rye flour, and pancake mixes. The mill and the buhr stones are powered by water. Visitors are welcome to take a free self-guided tour of the 4 story structure and to take a walk in the scenic woods surrounding the mill. On the first floor is the Mill Store where the mill flours as well as other gourmet sundries and giftware are available for purchase. The mill offers a line of gift boxes and custom baskets. A special feature of the store is handmade stoneware and raku pottery by the Bear's Mill potters.

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BIBLEWALK
(Admission: Tours range from $2.75/pp – 4.50/pp.
Family and group discounts. Kids 5 and under FREE)
 

Ohio's only life-size wax museum features four tours that become treasured memories of the heart highlighting 70 scenes and over 300 wax figures. Experience the Holy Bible come to life with the Miracles of the Old Testament and Life of Christ, two sixty minute tours that feature life-sized dioramas of beloved Biblical stories.  Two additional thirty-
minute tours, Museum of Christian Martyrs and Heart of the Reformation, provide an insight into the hearts of men and women as they willingly gave their lives for the Word of God.  Each scene is underscored by original music and narration. BIBLEWALK also features a collection of rare and Braille Bibles, American votive folk-art, Religious wood carvings, a snack bar and gift shop. The Christian Dinner Theater will open Summer of 2006.

Printout: BIBLEWALK

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BOYD’S CRYSTAL ART GLASS

(Admission is Free)

 

The people at Boyd’s offer an open invitation for anyone to stop by and see glassmaking up close. Boyd’s is a family operated business that produce several hundred glass pieces daily, including many collectible figurines and ornamental pieces.  

Printout: Boyd's Crystal Art Glass

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BRATWORKS

(Admission is Free)

 

Ever have a BratWorks? You’ll know if you had because they “make the best wurst!” This family-owned and operated business treats its visitors to the tastiest brats this side of Germany. Not only do guests get the royal treatment, they get plenty of sausage to clot an artery on the spot. The folks at BratWorks allow guests to get up-close and personal to see the meat mixed and squirted out of a huge machine hundreds of links at a time. Ann and Dean Fagan began the operation in 1987 by serving a special blend sausage seasoned to perfection at state fairs and festivals. Today, they are a manufacturer that distributes to many retail outlets. And for those in town, there’s a drive-thru window to get a sausage sandwich fix year-round.

Printout: Bratworks

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THE CANAL EXPERIENCE
At Providence Metropark
 

Travel back in time to the days when the smoothest way to go long distances was aboard boats towed by mules along manmade waterways. Board an authentic, mule-drawn canal boat named The Volunteer to experience what life was like during the canal era. Historical reenactors operate the boat, staying in character on the first half of the 45-minute cruise to spin tales of life in mid-1800s Ohio. Then tour an authentic, 1800s saw and gristmill where interpreters demonstrate how water power was used to saw wood and grind flour.

Printout: The Canal Experience

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CLIFTON MILL & GORGE

(Admission is Free)

 

Built two hundred years ago in 1802, this is still one of the largest water-powered gristmills still around in the U.S. Visitors can tour all five floors of the mill and learn how it operated and what took place on each floor. In addition, a scenic hike is accessible nearby and provides panoramic views of the Little Miami River and overlooks to the gorge.   

Printout: Clifton Mill and Gorge

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COOPER'S CIDER MILL

(Admission is Free)

 

Hop over to Cooper’s Cider Mill and see apples and berries go from the vine to spread. Cooper’s apple butter and jellies are sold far and wide. But David Cooper isn’t lying when he says, “it’s just like grandma used to make,” because it is. David learned to make apple butter at his grandma’s farm. Later, he bought a stirring pot and began making his own. Demand grew and a business was formed to handle the requests. For years the mixing was done by hand – David’s father-in-law’s hands – out in the yard. Today, the Cooper’s offer a complete behind-the-scenes tour of the entire production process and visitors get to witness the freshness, quality and care that go into every jar. Afterward, David’s wife Miriam has plenty of tasting stations set up for sampling throughout the country store next to the production plant. Inside, a new generation of Cooper’s is introducing another treat – fudge. The Cooper’s son started experimenting with making fudge for the fair and now has his own fudge station inside the family store.

Printout: Cooper's Cider Mill

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CREEGAN COMPANY

(Admission: $1 per person)

 

See the magic of the world of animation at the nation’s largest manufacturer of animated and costumed characters at this small town family-owned factory. One of their elite list of clientele includes Walt Disney so not only are they big, but they are good. See them at their craft up close and personal as they design, sculpt and decorate animated creatures of all kinds. You can even see the “guts” of electronic figures and see how they work. Don’t be alarmed if you see body parts strewn about the place on your tour – it’s not real, or is it?  

Printout: Creegan Company

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CRYSTAL TRADITIONS

(Admission is Free)

 

It’s fascinating to see the art of glass blowing as a molten blob is transformed into fine art before your very eyes. This tour demonstrates glass blowing and hand cutting crystal into a beautiful piece to display. During the time there, visitors will hear tales of glass making from its ancient roots through to the modern age. Enjoy!  

Printout: Crystal Traditions

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D. PICKING & COMPANY
Handmade Copper Kettles

(Admission is Free)

 

The D. Picking & Company is the last of the old copper shops in America that still makes its original products by hand. The tour of the craftsmen at work is fascinating, but the building is a visual treat from nook to cranny as it is more than 130 years old and has character unique unto itself.  The walls, furniture, floors, furnaces and workbenches all show more than a century of service. The place can easily double as a copper kettle museum of historic proportions. Many relics are on display including an antique rocking horse Mr. Picking got before his son was born. Venture into this old-world of American manufacturing and hear the harmony of tapping, pounding and other clamoring noises ringing from room to room. The tour begins the same place as the copper – by the double doors. The copper is worked into kettles, ladles, skillets and other custom forms as it progresses through the shops five rooms. Each craftsman takes his time to hammer out perfection, often striking up conversation as they work. D. Picking & Company, to no surprise, gets orders from around the world resulting in some cases, up to 1,874 patterns. Tours and catalogs are available by calling 419-562-6891.

Printout: D. Picking & Company

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EARTHSHIP
(Admission: $4.50 per adult and $3 for children age 14 and under)

Blue Rock Station Sustainable Living Center is home to Ohio's first Earthship - a cozy home made of tires, cans, bottles, straw bales, plus loads of other recycled materials. The tour includes other buildings made of sustainable materials, feeding rare breed chickens and working with the llamas or speaking French with the recycled French-speaking dog Rosie. Take a workshop on cottage gardening, constructing a plastic bottle greenhouse or how to make garden walls out of tires. There’s fun for everyone.

Printout: Blue Rock Station Earthship

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GARRETTS MILL

(Admission is Free)

 

The Olde Mill Restaurant/Brewpub is located inside Garretts Mill. Guests can tour of the grist mill anytime.

This historic building was built in 1804 and still operates as a gristmill, restaurant and micro-brewery. See grain ground to flour by 3,000-pound millstones, move to different floors via conveyer belt and finally sifted and bagged.  

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GOODTIME III
(Admission: Adults-$15, Seniors-$14, Children (2 - 11 years) - $9 

"For courtesy, comfort and just plain fun, you cannot match the experience of a cruise on the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie aboard Cleveland's largest sight-seeing vessel. The GOODTIME III is the largest quadruple-deck 1,000 passenger luxury ship on the Great Lakes, which offers plenty of room and you are not confined to your seats. This sight-seeing trip is unequaled and perfect for individuals, families and groups, large and small.  You'll enjoy the fast changing panorama of Cleveland's skyline and the exciting Flats area as you listen to Larry Morrow point out the many sights and little known historical facts about this All-American City. By far, the BEST way to see Cleveland! This company is proud to be family-owned & operated since 1958.

Printout: GoodTime III

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HARVEYSBURG FREE BLACK SCHOOL

(Admission is Free)

 

Welcome to the very first free school in Ohio for black (African-American) children. The town was a once renowned stop along the Underground Railroad. The one-room schoolhouse was founded in the 1830’s by the Quakers and was recently restored to reflect its former self as a nineteenth-century classroom.  In addition to providing education to young freed slaves, the school also taught to Native-American children in the area.  

Printout: Harveysburg Free Black School

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JUNGLE JIM’S INTERNATIONAL MARKET

(Self-guided tour is Free - Formal basic group tours cost $1 per person)

 

Six acres of food under one roof – it's not a supermarket, it's a zoo-permarket!  An international mecca, Jungle Jim's offers thousands of imported and national brand groceries: 10,000 wines, 1,000 beers, 1,600 cheeses, 1,000 kinds of hot sauce, one full acre of produce (including organic and international). If it's edible, you'll find it here!   Jungle Jim's is truly a Food Lover's Paradise! 

Featuring:
The Jungle Scene complete with waterfall and wildlife.
The General Mills Big G Cereal Bowl Band perched on the S.S. Minnow
Singing Creatures.
The Brain (a pesky know-it-all employee).
The Giant Mushroom rising above the one-acre produce department.
European gourmet village.
The Cake Canopy, International Elephant Gates and more.  

Printout: Jungle Jim's Farmers Market

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KING’S GLASS ENGRAVING

(Admission is Free)

 

Daily demonstrations of glass engraving are made available to visitors. Engraved glass includes fluted champagne glasses, crystal bells and more.  

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KITCHENAID™ EXPERIENCE & FACTORY TOURS

Proclaimed to be more than a store, it’s a mixing, blending, slicing, juicing culinary adventure!

 

Learn new cooking skills by attending the many cooking classes offered that promise to stir up fun in eight interactive areas. Each class allows you to roll up your sleeves and use the KitchenAid™ products, learn various techniques and more. Free Live! Cooking Shows weekdays at 2:30, weekends at 12:30 -  no reservations needed.

Factory Outlet shopping is avialbale downstairs where the heritage exhibits are displayed. These authentic KitchenAid™ artifacts are used to tell the history of an ever-evolving iconic American company. It explains how products were improved and refined over the years since 1919 when the first stand mixer was introduced. An original Model H KitchenAid™ stand mixer is also exhibited.  

Tour the nearby mixing factory and see firsthand how the entire manufacturing process works. The tour enables visitors to see a stand mixer move to the final stage of assembly by peeking over the shoulder of an assembly line worker.  

Printout: KitchenAid Experience & Tours

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LAFFERTY FUNERAL COLLECTION
(Call for admission information) 

See antique hearses and other funeral service vehicles spanning the horse-drawn era from 1848 to motorization. The Lafferty family funeral business preserved their own carriages and vehicles through the years and acquired more to build onto this one-of-a-kind collection.

Printout: Lafferty Funeral Collection

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LEE MIDDLETON ORIGINAL DOLLS

(Admission is Free)

 

Tour a living interactive dollhouse at the Belpre, Ohio Home Store. Take a tour through the Legacy Dollhouse Museum. Explore the unique showroom filled with life-like limited edition collectible dolls as well as the Middleton Playbabies. Middleton doll looks forward to growing up with your little girl. As she grows, they will be ready for her next stage of play with a doll that is just right for her. The beautiful dolls will become a treasure for your little girl to cherish for years to come. Not only that but visit the Newborn Nursery where you can actually select one of the baby 's to take home with you. A "Nurse" will help your little one fill out "official" papers. Your baby will be powdered and placed in your arms for a picture of your special event. Come and make a memory and discover the joy and wonder of Middleton Doll. The problem is, if you bring your daughter, she may never want to leave.  

Printout: Lee Middleton Original Dolls

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LONGABERGER MUSEUM AND FACTORY

(Admission is Free)

 

Longaberger headquarters is inside the world’s largest basket as the entire building’s architecture is shaped like a giant basket including the handles. A visit to the Homestead will treat everyone to a comprehensive gallery, plant tours and basket-making demonstrations. And there is also a theatre where visitors can view the history of the Longaberger company. One of the more interesting aspects of the museum and tour is the Mezzanine where guests can gaze down at the 250,000 square-foot weaving floor where all the activity is. 

Printout: Longaberger Museum and Factory

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MANSFIELD REFORMATORY HISTORICAL SITE TOURS
(Admission varies on the type of tour) 

This museum offers a variety of tours in the intermediate state prison that was known as the Ohio State Reformatory.  This is also the site of the movie “Shawshank Redemption” and the museum offers a Hollywood tour involving many of the most famous sites from the movie including the tunnel Andy Dufresne escaped out of.  The old prison is also said to be haunted, and the museum offers ghosts hunts with the help of professional ghost hunters.

Printout: Mansfield Reformatory Historical and Ghost Tours

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MIDDLEFIELD CHEESE HOUSE

(Admission is Free)

 

Who stole my cheese? Located in the fourth largest Amish community in the country, the Middlefield Cheese House has been serving award winning Swiss cheese for several generations. Visitors will learn what’s involved in the cheese-making process and see cheese carvings, antique cheese production equipment and more. Don’t forget to sample the cheese before you leave.  

Printout: Middlefield Cheese House

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MEIER’S WINE CELLARS, Inc.
and JOHN C. MEIER JUICE CO.
(Admission is Free)

 

This is the oldest and largest winery in the state dating back more than 100 years. Award winning table wines, dessert wines, vermouth, sparkling wines, and sparkling non-alcoholic grape juice.  

Printout: Meier's Wine Cellars

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MOSSER GLASS

(Admission is Free)

 

Learn about the glass-making business while visiting and touring the facilities at Glosser Glass. The tour begins where glass-making does – with sand. And then goes on to include other steps in the process such as heating the ingredients at 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The finished products include just about anything from water pitchers to ashtrays.  

Printout: Mosser Glass

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MURPHY’S LIGHTHOUSES

(Admission is Free)

 

Making models is one thing but the making of Murphy’s lighthouses is in a league of its own. Terry “Murphy” Murray doesn’t just make model and garden lighthouses, he researches down to the last detail, every intricacy of the original for which the replica is modeled. This includes a person visit to the real lighthouse. He’s been at it for 40 years and has quiet a following, including the world of the rich and famous – i.e. Katherine Hepburn. Come - watch the master at work.   

Printout: Murphy's Lighthouses

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OHIO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER

(Admission is Free)

 

What a beautiful place to relax and take in the surroundings – at the 85-acre Secrest Arboretum. Continue onto the greenhouse conservatory and complete a very fulfilling guided-tour with a visit to the historical museum on site. The purpose of the OARDC is to research food, agriculture, family and environment and help produce safe and healthy food and agricultural products.

Printout: Ohio Agricultural Research and Development

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OHIO CAVERNS
"America's Most Colorful Caverns"

Visitors are conducted through the Caverns on guided tours at frequent intervals. There is an admission fee for the forty-five minute, mile long tour. Ohio Caverns was recently listed in Parade Magazine as one of the top six caves in America! Ohio Caverns is the largest and one of the most beautiful of all Ohio caves. Its exquisite crystal-white stalactite and stalagmite formations are nowhere to be found in greater profusion or artistic settings. The diversity of formations and unexcelled coloring are all the more interesting because the formations are still in the process of development. Still photography is welcome to capture your memories. No matter how far you travel, you will find your visit to Ohio Caverns provides you with rich memories of its great beauty and educational value.

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OLD STONE CHURCH

(Admission is Free)

 

If walls could talk, the sandstone of this Romanesque style church would have about 150 years of history to share. If you like beautiful architecture, take a self-guided tour of this house of worship. It is peculiarly set in a corner of Cleveland’s public square neighboring skyscrapers all around.   

Printout: Old Stone Church

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OLD WOMAN CREEK NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE
(Admission is Free)  

This is a thoroughly educational opportunity to learn about the precious ecosystems that surround us.  Old Woman Creek is the smallest reserve in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and is the only Great Lakes freshwater estuary in the national system. It provides multimedia presentations, hands-on field education, guided-tours and a visitor center featuring exhibits on estuary ecology, wetland research, and watershed stewardship.  The Reserve also offers trail access to view a variety of habitats including freshwater marsh, swamp forest, barrier beach, upland forest, estuarine waters, stream, and near shore Lake Erie. 

Printout: Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve

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PERKINS OBSERVATORY

(Admission Fees Apply)

 

Perkins Observatory is owned and operated by the Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. It offers astronomy programs for the public most Friday and Saturday nights (with some exceptions) throughout the year.  The programs are held rain or shine and have limited ticket availability. The programs usually consist of an astronomy talk and a tour of the observatory. Observing through the 32-inch telescope occurs only if it is clear enough and dark enough to do so. Advance tickets prices are $6 adults, $4 for children seventeen and under. Seniors price is also $4. On the day of the program or at-the-door, tickets (if available) are $1 more for each ticket. Groups of ten or more must pre-arrange their tickets at least two weeks in advance. Special weekday, evening, and daytime programs are also offered.

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PLAYHOUSE SQUARE CENTER

(Admission is Free)

 

Did you ever think you could actually go to the theater and get backstage passes in casual clothes for free? Well, you can if you tour the historic Allen, Ohio, State and Palace theaters. The Playhouse Square theater district is the largest performing arts complex in the United States except for New York City. And it attracts more than 1 million people annually. After nearly being forgotten and destroyed, the theaters were reclaimed in the largest theater restoration project in the world. Today, they are radiant and provide for a very worthwhile visit. The tour is about an hour and a half and includes the lobbies, lavish auditoriums and backstage areas.  

Printout: Playhouse Square Center

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QUAKER SQUARE

(Admission is Free)

 

What was once the original Quaker Oats Company is now home to a unique-looking retail complex providing shopping, restaurants, hotel and entertainment center. The buildings, known as silos, are unique and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The company’s rich history is told with historic advertising memorabilia and includes accounts of how Ferdinand Schumacher originally attempted to sell his breakfast oats as well as how a fire nearly destroyed everything.  

Printout: Quaker Square

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ROMANOFF JEWELERS

(Admission is Free)

 

At Romanoff Jewelers, small groups get an amazing tour of how jewelry is made from scratch. The tour begins with wax, which is used as a mold between rubber to create or replicate a certain design. The wax piece is added to a wax tree accompanying other pieces that will be cast from the same mix of gold. The tree is encased with a cement-type mixture and placed in a kiln where the wax melts to nothing leaving a cavern. The cavern is filled with heated liquefied gold, cooled and dismantled. Everything in the factory is recycled to recover gold dust, shavings and particles that over time add up to quiet a bit of money. There is even a special filter to catch gold that would have literally gone down the drain when employees wash their hands. The tour has many interesting tidbits that go into the entire jewelry making process and covers other intricate stages of the process including the polishing and setting of gemstones.

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SEVERANCE HALL
Home of The Cleveland Orchestra
(Free Tours)
 


The Cleveland Orchestra has announced the schedule for free public tours of Severance Hall, the Orchestra’s home in University Circle. Each one-hour tour is led by a volunteer tour guide who shares Severance Hall’s history and legends as patrons visit the Concert Hall, Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer, Smith Lobby, Organ Loft, Green Room, Ong & Lerner Galleries, and Reinberger Chamber Hall. Patrons will have the opportunity to see the Christoph von Dohnányi stage and the 6,025-pipe Norton Memorial Organ, sit in Box Number One, and, in the Grand Foyer, see the Elsa Vick Shaw murals and the famous brass screw that is embedded in the terrazzo floor.

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THE J.M. SMUCKER COMPANY STORE AND CAFÉ

With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good. ® And nowhere is this more true than at The J.M. Smucker Company Store and Café. Located in Orrville, Ohio, The J.M. Smucker Company Store and Café originally opened in 1999 and was recently expanded and renovated. Now twice its original size, the store retains its classic timber frame barn structure and is the premier showcase for The J.M. Smucker Company’s entire family of brands, including Smucker’s®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Hungry Jack® and more. 

The fabulous new café serves up fresh, tasty treats made with the company’s own branded ingredients, delicious pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven and mouthwatering sundaes topped with heavenly Smucker’s toppings. The store is packed with exclusive branded merchandise and one-of-a-kind gifts, including the Gift Basket Design Center, where you can create your own custom gift basket – the perfect gift for any occasion. 

You’ll also want to take a journey from 1897 to the present day at The J.M. Smucker Company museum, where you’ll experience how the company started and how it continues to evolve today. 

Finally, be sure to visit smuckers.com for a schedule of special events at the store, including classes, concerts and celebrity guests.

Printout: The J.M. Smucker Company Store and Café

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WARTHER CARVINGS & GARDENS

(Admission: $11.50 adults & $6.00 children 7-17)
 

This world class facility is a fitting tribute to Ernest “Mooney” Warther, World’s Master Carver. Warther created a collection of steam locomotives carved of ebony and ivory which have been appraised as priceless by the Smithsonian Institution. The carvings are displayed in a beautiful Swiss chalet which includes a new theater handcrafted of solid curly maple. You will also experience new displays, and the expanded knife making & wood shop. Freida Warther’s Button House is still a sight to see and in the summer the Swiss gardens are magnificent.  

The original Warther Carving Museum opened three generations ago and has blossomed into an attraction which draws visitors from all over the world. The amazing Warther story is presented by knowledgeable guides and enhanced by films that include family photos and movies of Mooney carving in his shop. Some of the new displays show his traveling years, his love of reading, and commando knives made during World War II.    

Dave Warther, Mooney’s son, or grandson Mark are usually in the lobby greeting visitors and carving souvenir wooden pliers for children. Mooney made the pliers famous by placing 10 interconnecting cuts into a block of wood. Another grandson, Dale, makes the handcrafted kitchen knives. From the knife shop viewing area, you can observe the cutlery and knife blocks being created. The Warther gift shop is operated by Dave’s wife, Joanne, and his daughter Carol. It is the exclusive home of Warther Cutlery. 

Printout: Warther Carvings and Gardens

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THE WEST SIDE MARKET

(Admission is Free)

 

Take a self-guided tour of this 1912 multi-cultural historical landmark. It is produce shopping old-world style and features more than 100 ethnic vendors selling first-rate vegetables, meats, fresh-fish, pastries and a lot more. There is a viewing area high above the main-market floor, which provides tourists with a panoramic view of the hustle and bustle going on below.

Printout: The West Side Market

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