The 5 Best Museums in Springfield, Ohio (OH)

The Westcott House was built in 1908 for Burton J. And Orpha L. Westcott. The Westcott property is the only Prairie style house designed by Wright in the state of Ohio. The grounds include the main house and a garage with pony stable connected by an extensive pergola. In 1946, due to the housing crisis following World War II, the house was divided into multiple apartments. The house no longer reflected the vision of its architect. The original furniture and most of the original light fixtures and other details were removed from the house. Lack of resources led to an extreme deterioration of the structure. The house has recently undergone a multi-million restoration. Each of its features - from art glass to original hardware and hand-decorated encaustic walls to massive urns - has been returned to its 1908 appearance. Furniture has been rebuilt according to Wright's specifications and gardens re-landscaped in keeping with the time. The house is now managed by a non-profit organization.

The Heritage Center is the home of the Clark County Historical Society museum & archives, which helps preserve, share, & showcase generations of history!

Built in 1839, the Pennsylvania House was a popular and respected inn along the National Road. The 7000 square foot Federal-style structure was built using tenon and mortise construction. The Pennsylvania House has been included on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. The first floor houses one of America's finest button collections. A gift of Lagonda Chapter member Grace Porter upon her death in 1948, the collection of 100,000 buttons offers a historic showcase of one of fashion's favorite forms of adornment and status. The recent restoration saw the re-interpretation of several rooms to reflect the house's use and function as an inn and tavern from 1839 to 1869. This can be seen in the recreation of the tap room, general store, ladies parlor or formal dining room, and the drovers' room. The first floor assembly room offers a pictorial timeline showing the house's place within local and national history. It is accompanied by a display of artifacts from the entire lifespan of the house discovered during the basement's excavation. The second floor children's room spotlights a fully furnished, twelve-room Federal dollhouse donated by Lagonda Chapter member Ruth Bayley. It contains period furniture in black walnut and cherry handcrafted by John Kunkel. In the 1870s, Drs. Samuel and Ada Adams rented space in the house for their joint medical practice. A second floor room in the 1850s wing has been furnished with medical equipment of the period including Dr. Samuel Adams' electroschock therapy kit.

Situated in beautiful Cliff Park along Buck Creek, Springfield Museum of Art (SMoA) mounts a broad array of changing exhibits featuring outstanding creations from both established and emerging artists, balanced with galleries that showcase works from the Museum’s superb permanent collections, including significant work by Ohio and self-taught artists. The Museum boasts a remarkable permanent collection of American art from the late 1700s to the present. The seven exhibit galleries surprise and delight visitors with artwork from the familiar to the fantastic. Visitors can explore a wide variety of changing exhibitions, walk the Sculpture Trail and engage in activities in the Chakeres Interactive Art Lab. Partnerships with community organizations bring art classes, concerts, and artist talks to the Museum.