Marion, Ohio, is a destination worth discovering, and you’re invited to explore all that makes it special!
Most think diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but in Marion, train enthusiasts and rail fans can appreciate Union Station’s diamonds. Built in 1902, the station is bordered by tracks creating eight “diamonds” that have served both passenger and freight trains through the years. Now serving as a museum, guests can enjoy train watching, a trip up to the watch tower, and a tour of the station with marble walls, original oak woodwork, a fabulous stained-glass skylight, and beautifully patterned mosaic tile floors.
The historic Marion Palace Theatre offers a full schedule of musical groups, theatrical performances, and films; all while transporting guests to another place and time. Created by renowned theatre architect John Eberson, the Palace was built in 1928 and warmly welcomes guests to experience the arts surrounded by a Spanish motif complete with vine-covered stucco walls, authentic statuary, terra cotta detailing, and balconies, and a domed midnight blue “sky” with floating clouds and twinkling stars.
Three presidential sites and a museum touting the accomplishments of local 1920s machinery entrepreneurs also establish Marion as a unique destination.
Marion is home to Warren G. Harding, the 29th President of the United States. Visitors can tour the Hardings’ home, where the famous front porch speech took place. Just across the backyard is the Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum, which offers memorabilia of Harding’s days in the White House. Just blocks away is the magnificent Harding Memorial. This stately, white marble monument marks the site of President and Mrs. Harding’s final resting place.
The Huber Machinery Museum holds a collection of inventions and tells the story of Edward Huber’s accomplishments, including his Huber Hayrake in 1865. Huber was the father of Huber Manufacturing, which later grew into Marion Power Shovel. Two Space Crawlers were built in the 1960s and remain in use today at Kennedy Space Center. Explore more than two dozen antique tractors and other Huber-related machinery.
Not every community can boast a record number of antique popcorn carts, a telephone museum, and being home to Mary Ellen Withrow, the first woman treasurer of the United States, but Marion can. Guests will learn about these stories and more under one roof at Heritage Hall, home to the Marion County Historical Society and Wyandot Popcorn Museum.
Marion offers a popular public art display, The Cardinal Project, featuring 17 individually designed and hand-painted cardinal statues. A routed walking map is available to guide visitors to a thriving downtown with locally owned shops, activities, eateries, and drinkeries.
For those seeking outdoor adventures in a destination, Marion’s Tallgrass Trail offers a paved 12.4-mile biking/walking trail, beautiful wildlife, and scenic sunsets. Quarry Park is home to a challenging mountain bike trail with stunning views of the Quarry.
Make Lawrence Orchards your destination for a date-day outing or a family weekend getaway. Offering Harvest Saturdays and Applefest, this pick-your-own orchard is a fun location for people of all ages. Shop the market for pumpkins and gourds, fresh-pressed apple cider, Amish foods and baked goods, candies, and more.
You’ll find all of this and more in Marion. That’s what makes Marion so unique and worth the trip. Stay for a day or stay for the weekend. Encounter, experience, and explore all that Marion County, Ohio, offers!
