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 the original Bob Evans Farm, Restaurant, and Homestead is free (Fee for additional activities). 

• Open daily from April 1 through December 23 from 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Location: (Map It) 791 Farmview Road in Rio Grande, Ohio
• Phone: 740-245-5305
• Web: click here

The original Bob Evans Farm, Restaurant, Homestead, and Museum are in Rio Grande, Ohio. Make your pilgrimage to where it all began “down on the farm.” Yes, the original 1,000-acre Bob Evans farm, including dozens of horses.  Begin your tour with Bob’s first restaurant, The Sausage Shop, and continue to the Homestead Museum, log cabin village, small animal barnyard, quilt barn, and much more. For a fee, you can also take part in many weekend events, such as the annual Bob Evans Farm Festival. The “Homestead” is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is where Bob and his wife, Jewell, raised their six children. It used to be a stagecoach stop and inn.

Admission to Carriage Hill Farm and Metropark is free.

• Open April – October Tuesday through Saturday from 10am – 5pm and Sunday from Noon – 5pm. And November – March Tuesday – Sunday from Noon – 4:45pm
• Location: (Map It) 7800 East Shull Road in Dayton, Ohio
• Phone: 937-278-2609
• Web: click here

The Historical Farm at Carriage Hill MetroPark is part of the Dayton Metroparks. Visitors will see what it was like to work on a farm in the 1880s. It has restored buildings that include a blacksmith shop, summer kitchen, woodshop, and barns with a variety of 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 the Follett House Museum is free.

• Open: by appointment
• Location: (Map It) 404 Wayne Street in Sandusky, Ohio
• Phone: 419-625-3834
• Web: Click here

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. The 1827 mansion was built by Oran Follett 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’s possession 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 free.

• Open weekdays only May 1 through October 31 from 10am – 5pm and closed the rest of the year
• Location: (Map It) 7733 Canal Road in Valley View, Ohio
• Phone: 216-524-1497
• Web: click here

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 year-round Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Closed Sunday)
• 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 as well as 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 as well as smoked trout products, seasoned trout patties, marinated and pre-seasoned fillets, and bulk seasonings made from scratch.

Admission to the Frostville Museum is free.

• Open Memorial Day through October on Sundays from 1 – 4pm.
• Location: (Map It) 24101 Cedar Point Rd. at Rocky River Reservation in North Olmsted, Ohio
• Phone: 440 779-0280 or email frostvillecindy@gmail.com
• Web: click here

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

• Open June – September on Saturdays from 10am – 1pm.
• 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, which is 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:

• Open April 1 – November 19 from 9am – 4pm daily
• Location: (Map It) Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio
• Phone: 216-421-2665

President Garfield is buried in Lake View Cemetery, located 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:

• Open May 1 – October 31 from 10am – 5pm (closed Sun & Mon) and open Nov 1 – Apr 30 from 12-5pm on Saturday
• Location: (Map It) 8095 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, OH 44060
• Phone: 440-255-8722
• Web: click here

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 $5.00 /person for anyone 16 and older.  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 Heritage Farm is free.

• Open by appointment from May – September
• Location: (Map It) 223 N. Main St. in Kenton, Ohio
• Phone: 419-673-7147
• Web: click here

Hardin County Heritage Farm:  This turn-of-the-century farmstead features many farming instruments and pioneer architecture. Highlights of the museum/village include the Stadt Log House and Dunkirk Jailhouse.

Admission to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House is free.

• Open:  Saturday 10am – 4pm, Sunday 12-4pm, and by appointment on Thursday and Friday
• Location: (Map It) 2950 Gilbert Avenue (State Route 3, U.S. 22) in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Phone: 513-751-0651
• Web: click here

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 president of the seminary.

Welcome to the Land of the Cross Tipped Churches in western Ohio.

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

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 running up to the third-floor turret, a stain-glass entrance and some period furnishings throughout. The main floor is enriched with butternut and white walnut woodwork.

Admission to the Log House Museum is free.

• Open Memorial Day through September on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Closed holidays
• Location: (Map It) 10 East Park Avenue in Columbiana, Ohio
• Phone: 330-482-0946

The Log House Museum was built in the 1820s by Jacob Nessly and is now used by The Historical Society of Columbiana-Fairfield Township. The museum features quilts and coverlets from the 1830s, pioneer items and on a more interesting note: a set of 10,000 year-old Mastodon bones found by a nearby farm. Also, you will see Civil War artifacts and more. Please note that photos are allowed, even with a flash. You can park for free on an adjacent church property.

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

• Open: Tours are on Sundays from 11am – 5pm
• Location: (Map It) 5100 W. Central Ave. in Toledo, Ohio at Wildwood Preserve Metroparks
• Phone: 419-407-9790
• Web: click here

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. The Manor House has 35 primary rooms, 17 bathrooms, and 16 fireplaces. Most of the rooms are refurbished with period-appropriate pieces. The estate grounds also have the former riding stables, limousine garage, and symmetrical formal gardens next to brick walls with wrought iron gazebos.

Admission to Marmon Valley Farm is free! See the website for details on paid activities.

• Open: daily from 9am – 5pm (Sunday 1:30 – 5pm)
• Location: (Map It) 7754 State Route 292 South in Zanesfield, Ohio
• Phone: 937-356-3124
• 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 on hand, 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. For the youngest cowhands in your gang, we offer pony rides in the riding arena!

Admission to the William Holmes McGuffey Museum is free. Parking meters are approx. $1.

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

The William Holmes McGuffey Museum is on the campus of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.  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:

1. Luther Allen House (7609 Euclid Avenue)
2. Morris Bradley Carriage House  (7217 Euclid Avenue)
3. John Henry Devereaux (3226 Euclid Avenue)
4. Francis Drury House (8625 Euclid Avenue)
5. Hall-Sullivan House (7218 Euclid Avenue)
6. Howe Residence (2248 Euclid Avenue)
7. Samuel Mather Residence (2605 Euclid Avenue)
8. Stager-Beckwith House (3813 Euclid Avenue)
9. Lyman Treadway House (8917 Euclid Avenue)
10. 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: Monday – Friday from 10am – 4pm
• Location: (Map It) 14710 Lake Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio
• Phone: 216-221-7343
• Web: click here

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, doctors office, and barbershop. Now, as a museum, it provides a look at the city’s pioneer past with displays of furniture, household items, clothing, tools, books, toys, dolls and a spinning wheel. The home comes complete with a sickroom with old-fashioned equipment to care for the ill. Also on display 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.

Welcome to Quailcrest Farm in Wooster, Ohio.

• Open: April thru June  Monday – Saturday from 9am – 5pm and Sunday from 11am – 4pm
• Location: (Map It) 2810 Armstrong Rd. in Wooster, Ohio
• Phone: 330-345-6722
• Web: http://quailcrest.com/

Quailcrest Farm in Wooster is a magical place in the countryside. Located just on the edge of Ohio’s Amish country, this family business was begun as a perennial nursery in 1975. Quailcrest is well known throughout the state for its herbs, perennials, old roses, flowering shrubs, and scented geraniums for the serious and hobby gardener. It offers a wealth of gardening information and ideas as well as eclectic shopping in the gift shop, 25 relaxing display gardens, woods to wander, an assortment of dogs and cats, sunshine, and fresh air!

Admission to Robbins-Hunter Museum is free.

• Open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (garden open daily dawn to dusk)
• Location: (Map It) 221 E. Broadway in Granville, Ohio
• Phone: 740-587-0430
• Web: www.robbinshunter.org/

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. $10/adult and $5/student.

• 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 choose to 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 soon as its guests step foot onto the red brick ways, they are pulled in different directions. Some come just to relax in the many 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 the interests of today. Special events fill the calendar, hands-on activities abound, and for those that really 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 about it 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 tools of the blacksmith and his 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 or two 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.

Moving on, 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 go into action weaving. One of the more fun, interactive moments comes in the old schoolhouse where kids of all ages get to 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, which is 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 more than 200 different types of wine, it’s a full-service bar and features hot and cold gourmet coffees. Many find a great place to relax is on the patio, in 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 see the original tools of the trade 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 December annual Christmas Candlelighting.

When the day winds down, Historic Roscoe Village offers several gardens beautifully landscaped 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 tow path along the canal banks. Instead of packing the plentiful activities into one day, an overnight stay may be better. A variety of lodging options are nearby and include bed and breakfasts, inns, cabins, guest houses, motels, campgrounds and a lodge.

For more information to plan a trip to Historic Roscoe Village and learn about its operating schedule, fees and admissions, different tours, canal boat rides, lodging and special events, visit www.roscoevillage.com or call 1-800-877-1830.

Admission to Rose Hill Museum is free.

• Open Sundays from 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. only.
• Location: (Map It) 27715 Lake Road in Bay Village, Ohio
• Phone: 440-871-7338
• Web: click here

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 Smoke House.

Admission to Slate Run Historical Farm is free.

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

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 – 1800’s style at Slate Run Historical Farm. It’s in full operation 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
• Web: click here

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.

Admission to Stearns Homestead is free.

• Open: mid-May to mid-October from 11am – 2pm
• Location: (Map It) 6975 Ridge Road in Parma, Ohio
• Phone: email stearnshomestead@gmail.com  or call 440-845-9770
• Web: click here

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: Sunday 2 – 4pm 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.

Admission to Thurber House in Columbus is free for self-guided tours anytime while open. Guided tours are offered on Sundays for $4/adult and $2/student or senior.

• 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

Thurber House in Columbus is a restored nineteenth-century home where author, humorist, cartoonist, and playwright James Thurber lived during his college days with his parents.

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.

Excerpt from a past edition of OhioTraveler

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. Until a rushing, the 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, 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

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

• Open: daily from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Location: (Map It) 2038 Auburn Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Phone: 513-684-3262
• Web: click here

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.

Admission to Yoder’s Amish Home is $13/adult’s package and $9/kid’s package.

• Open: Monday through Saturday 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.

Welcome to Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs.

• Hours vary depending on 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.

Oh, and 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!