Top 10 History Museums in Ohio, United States

September 29, 2021 Myesha Cogley

If you are looking for an active place to stay with world-class attractions, Ohio’s major cities can satisfy any vacation desire. Each offers its own distinct flavor of fun, from professional sports – Bengals (Cincinnati), Cavaliers (Cleveland) and Indians (Cleveland again) – to museums, outdoor activities and more. One of the most famous is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. If football is your thing, don’t miss the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. For the science-minded, visit the meat eaters at the Carnivore Conservation Center in the Wilds near Cambridge, dedicated to the breeding and scientific study of endangered mid-sized carnivores. Kids will also love Planet Snoopy in Sandusky or the Columbus Zoo’s Zoombezi Bay Waterpark and Jack’s Landing rides.
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1. Garst Museum

205 N Broadway St, Greenville, OH 45331-2222 +1 937-548-5250 [email protected] http://www.garstmuseum.org
Excellent
81%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 90 reviews

Garst Museum

The Garst Museum, a historical museum with roots in the American experience, houses over 300,000 artifacts on display in 35,000 square feet of exhibit space within six major and two minor venues. The Garst House, which earlier served as an inn, has six additional building wings. The house was donated to the Darke County Historical Society in 1946 by the Garst family. MUSEUM HOURS Tuesday thru Saturday 10 AM - 4 PM Sunday 1- 4PM Closed Mondays Closed: Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. The Museum is closed the month of January

Reviewed By BuckyBadgeragogo

We spent a couple hours enjoying the contents of this museum. The museum contains several rooms of exhibits. They have a special section dealing with Annie Oakley also a section devoted to Lowel Thomas. Besides these two, we found numerous other exhibits dealing with topics of Native American, military history, and many examples from area history. All in all, we highly recommend adding this to your museum visit list!

2. Wood County Museum

13660 County Home Rd, Bowling Green, OH 43402-9281 +1 419-352-0967 [email protected] http://woodcountyhistory.org/
Excellent
80%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
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5.0 based on 44 reviews

Wood County Museum

The Wood County Museum is the site of the former County Infirmary, which operated from 1869-1971. The building was repurposed into a Museum, which re-opened in 1975. The Museum has public events throughout the year and the Museum is open daily with the feature exhibit "For Comfort & Convenience". This exhibit features documentary photography coupled with interpretive information about all 88 county poor farms in Ohio, up until the 1930s when public charity transitioned into the modern ideas of social work. This exhibit was made possible by the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Humanities. Photography by Jeffrey Hall. #WoodCountyMuseum

Reviewed By bmreno580

With my 10 year old granddaughter and I taking two hours to see this wonderful museum, the out buildings, and thousands of photos covering over 100 years of history, this is a great place to stop and explore. Staff were very helpful in explaining the different rooms full of history. Just a small suggestion - create wax figures of some of the people that either lived there or worked there would be a good addition especially for children to see and/or relate to.

3. Robbins Hunter Museum

221 Broadway E, Granville, OH 43023-1305 +1 740-587-0430 http://www.robbinshunter.org
Excellent
85%
Good
8%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
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Terrible
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 13 reviews

Robbins Hunter Museum

4. Greene County Historical Society Museum

74 W Church St, Xenia, OH 45385-2902 +1 937-372-4606 [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/Greene-County-Ohio-Historical-Society-250788375827
Excellent
80%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
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5.0 based on 5 reviews

Greene County Historical Society Museum

5. Mansfield Fire Museum And Educational Center

1265 W 4th St, Mansfield, OH 44906-1827 +1 419-529-2573 http://MansfieldFireMuseum.com
Excellent
80%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
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5.0 based on 5 reviews

Mansfield Fire Museum And Educational Center

Reviewed By mcollar - East Brady, United States

I called and got an appointment to surprise my husband with a tour as he’s been a volunteer fireman for 30 years. We met with Bobby Shook and he gave us the best tour we could of ever asked for! He was so informative and funny. There are some really cool older fire trucks that all came with a great story. I can’t thank Bobby enough for the time he took to show us around and share his knowledge with us!! My husband was like a little kid, listening to stories and checking out all the cool stuff. Even though this isn’t a huge museum, they had a nice variety of older fire trucks and equipment. It is definitely worth a visit! They continue to grow and if we are ever back in the area, we will be stopping back in!

6. Mason Historical Society Alverta Green Museum

207 W Church St, Mason, OH 45040-1607 +1 513-398-6750 http://Www.masonhistoricalsociety.org
Excellent
100%
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Mason Historical Society Alverta Green Museum

7. Cincinnati Museum Center

1301 Western Ave Union Terminal, Cincinnati, OH 45203-1138 +1 513-287-7000 [email protected] http://www.cincymuseum.org
Excellent
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4.5 based on 1,811 reviews

Cincinnati Museum Center

Visit cincymuseum.org for details on updates regarding the museums, programs, events, hours and more!

Reviewed By jwrw919

What do you like to see at a this is not a artist display per say but there is art here too. There are nature displays past and present. There are historical displays some years to long ago Natural science to modern science. There is a cave area with dinasaurs and the ice age There are special displays too. The kids area has climbing,water play and crafts too. Yes there is food too. And don't forget the 360 movies

8. Ohio History Center

800 E 17th Ave, Columbus, OH 43211-2497 +1 614-297-2300 [email protected] http://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/ohio-history-center
Excellent
58%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
3%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 242 reviews

Ohio History Center

The history of Ohio from the Ice Age to the present is chronicled inside this architecturally interesting concrete and glass structure, housing a vast collection of artifacts, exhibits on everything from ancient Indian cultures to industrial progress and archives documenting early settlers' daily lives. Current Exhibits Ohio–Champion of Sports 1950s: Building the American Dream Ohio Through Time World War I Era Display The Great Collections Experiment Follow the Flag Following in Ancient Footsteps Buildings, Places & Spaces The Nature of Ohio

Reviewed By S8954QBbarbarab - Columbus, United States

We were thrilled to partake in another Civil War weekend at the Ohio Village. Re -enactors set up camp and interacted with visitors, sutlers sold period toys and clothes, and a battle was held. There were some scheduled talks as well. They do this event I believe just every other year now so check it out the next opportunity as it is great for all ages.

9. Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums

Spiegel Grove, Fremont, OH 43420-2701 +1 419-332-2081 [email protected] http://www.rbhayes.org
Excellent
77%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
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4.5 based on 350 reviews

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums

The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is dedicated to 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes and First Lady Lucy Hayes. The site houses their 25-acre wooded estate, known as Spiegel Grove; their 31-room Victorian mansion; the presidential library; a museum; the tomb; and a mile of paved walking trails. There are fees to tour the museum and the home. Use of the presidential library, which has a massive genealogy and local history collections, is free. The museum was renovated in early 2016 and includes interactive exhibits that tell the story of Rutherford and Lucy, the issues they faced and what they thought about those issues. Sit at a replica of the Resolute Desk - the original was given to President Hayes and still sits in the Oval Office of the White House - try on a Civil War soldier's haversack and more. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is America's first presidential library and the forerunner for the federal presidential library system.

Reviewed By shanewaters08 - Marion, United States

This is a must see place, the property is big and a great place to walk around. Lots of sites to see here, including a museum, library, house tour, and you’re able to visit the resting place of the previous US President.

10. Western Reserve Historical Society

10825 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106-1703 +1 216-721-5722 [email protected] http://www.wrhs.org/
Excellent
61%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 133 reviews

Western Reserve Historical Society

We are pleased to reopen for public visits beginning July 24th for WRHS Members only and for all general admission guests July 25th. Hours and days of operation are currently limited. Please note that face masks will be required. For full list of COVID-19 policies and procedures please visit: https://www.wrhs.org/plan-your-visit-chc/ The Cleveland History Center (CHC) headquarters for Western Reserve Historical Society, houses exhibits that tell the story of Northeast Ohio through items, documents and artifacts from a variety of collections. Through the use of its vast and varied collections in the areas of family history, community history, entrepreneurship, and technological innovation, Cleveland History Center provides the public with a much-needed sense of place in today’s mobile society, and a base for learning about invention and ingenuity that can be transferred into modern economic expansion.

Reviewed By ilovescones

This museum has a permanent display of dozens of historic and classic cars. A beautifully restored working carrousel from Euclid Park charms adults and entertains the kids. The other side of the museum is a grand old mansion converted into a display for antique fashion and also local artists. Just a 2 minute walk from the Natural History Museum so a great way to break things up or to plan a whole morning/afternoon.

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