Celebrating National Ohio Day with a List of Must-See Places to Visit Across Ohio Year Round

Nov 2, 2024

Although the cooler weather has us wanting to cozy-up at home and get ready for the holidays, there’s nothing that says we can’t get excited about next year’s road trip season! Plus, there will be plenty of opportunities to explore different cities and states as we visit friends and family for the holidays. So, we thought it would be a great idea to celebrate National Ohio Day with a list of fun things to do all across the state. From festive holiday venues to nature walks to shopping and historical museums, you’ll find no shortage of fun, entertainment, and educational tourism on today’s blog!

The House from a Christmas Story is located in Cleveland, and allows visitors to travel back in time to the classic holiday film set! The tour begins in the gift shop, and takes you through the museum, past the Bumpus’ house, and through the iconic family home! You can even book a stay at the Bumpus House for a little seasonal family fun. Children 5 and under are free, everyone else is $20 per person general admission.

West Side Market is located in Cleveland, and is the city’s largest and oldest continuously operating public market. You’ll find a plethora of fresh, locally grown produce, hand-carved meats and butcher shop offerings, local and regional dairy delights, prepared foods, and so much more. It’s open year round with 70+ local vendors to peruse! It’s officially on the NAtional REgister of Historic Places, having opened way back in November of 1912!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame chronicles the history of the Rock and Roll genre, offers a comprehensive music library and archives, features a curated collection of memorabilia and archival instruments, offers live performances, community outreach, and more!

Ohio Amish Country is located in Holmes County, and offers numerous artisan markets, small shops, local farms, and historic downtown areas to shop and tour. We highly recommend checking out the Warther Museum, Reeves Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum, Historic Zoar Village, and Historic Roscoe Village if you’d like to take a step back to yesteryear. Enjoy plenty of shopping and fine handcrafted goods at shops like The Pottery Niche, Swiss Country Lawn & Crafts, Helping HAnds Quilt Shop, and Wendell August Forge. Catch a show or presentation at the Ohio Star Theater, Amish Country Theater, or the Tuscarawas Philharmonic. You can easily spend a weekend away in the area and still not cover all it has to offer. It’s a perfect family vacation destination.

Castle Noel is located in Medina and is America’s Largest Indoor Year-Round Christmas attraction! It features the world’s largest privately owned collection of Hollywood Christmas Movie props and costumes, curated items from famous holiday window displays, and a fully immersive tour in all things holiday entertainment. It’ll have you in the festive spirit no matter what season you’re in, but makes a particularly exciting visit during the November/December/January holiday season.

The Wilds is located in Cumberland, and offers an open air Safari Experience as well as plenty of outdoor adventures. You can camp several ways through a luxury yurt or opt for the “Outpost” destination to rough-it in the great outdoors! Take a sunset safari tour, exhilarating zipline adventure, dine in the rooftop Terrace Grill restaurant, test your skills with some mountain biking, and more. Funds from your admission from the zoo’s excursions, camping, dining, and etcetera all help support the Zoo’s conservation efforts and wildlife research.

Ash Cave is located inside Hocking Hills State Park in Bloomingville. This enormous natural cavern offers stunning seasonal waterfalls and sandstone cliffs. The cave area is also mostly wheelchair-friendly, offering a great opportunity to travel with family members and friends who require mobility aids. This is one of the largest rock formations in the entirety of Hocking Hills State Park, though the rest of the park is vast and truly worth exploring over the course of a day or two as well! You’ll have the opportunity to walk right up to the cave walls, traverse accessible boardwalks and walking paths, and take some spectacular nature photos. It’s well worth it for all ages of travelers to make some magical memories.

The American Sign Museum in Cincinnati features nearly 20,000 square feet of museum space dedicated to this classic piece of Americana! It’s a really unique experience. From antique electric signs to hand-painted and gold-leafed neons, and modern signage with plastic and LEDs. There is also a permanent collection of more than 1,000 sign-related books and research material in the Sign Museum Library (by appointment only, and is free with admission!)