The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce.

Ohio has a huge variety of museums and historic structures to offer history buffs, students and anyone who would like to learn more about our state’s history. Visiting a museum is also a great way to spend a winter day when it’s cold outside.

According to Ohiohistory.org, there are more than 50 historical sites and museums operated by or in partnership with the State of Ohio. This list focuses on these state-run museums and does not include sites operated by private owners or non-profit organizations or those run solely by federal, county or municipal entities.

Adena Mansion & Gardens – The stately 1807 hilltop home and gardens of Thomas Worthington, Ohio’s sixth governor and one of Ohio’s first U.S. senators. 847 Adena Road, Chillicothe (800) 319-7248.

Armstrong Air & Space Museum – Museum chronicles the achievements of Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to step onto the moon, and Ohio’s contributions to the aerospace industry. 500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta (800) 860-0142.

Campus Martius Museum – Learn about Campus Martius, a civilian stockade built in 1788 as the first organized American settlement in the Northwest Territory. 601 Second St., Marietta (800) 860-3750.

Cooke-Dorn House – Gain an appreciation for the “comforts of home” in a small town in the 1850s in the home of local industrialist Randolph Dorn and his wife, Estelle, built in 1844. 1415 Columbus Ave., Sandusky (877) 734-0640.

Fort Laurens – View the place where in 1778, Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort once stood, and see the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution. 11067 Fort Laurens Road NW, Bolivar (800) 283-8914.

Fort Meigs – Discover the War of 1812 at one of America’s largest reconstructed log forts. 29100 W. River Road, Perrysburg (800) 283-8914.

Fort Recovery – Explore the site of two 1790s battles between the U.S. Army and an alliance of American Indian tribes. Includes a reconstructed stockade and blockhouses plus a museum and nearby monument. Fort Site Street, Fort Recovery (800) 283-8920.

Hanby House – Tour the family home of composer Benjamin Hanby (1833–1867), who wrote “Up on the Housetop” and “Darling Nelly Gray.” 160 W. Main St., Westerville (800) 600-6843.

Harriet Beecher Stowe House – Visit the Cincinnati home where Harriet Beecher Stowe, later author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin lived from 1832–1836, and discover its history as the Edgemont Inn listed in the Green Book. 2950 Gilbert Ave., Cincinnati (800) 847-6507.

Hayes Presidential Library & Museum – Visit the home and presidential library of the 19th president of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes. Spiegel Grove, Fremont (800) 998-7737.

Indian Mill – Visit a museum in an 1861 mill and learn about the history of milling from ancient times to the present. 7417 County Road 47, Upper Sandusky (800) 600-7147.

John & Annie Glenn House – Tour the childhood home of Astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn and learn about small-town life during the Great Depression and World War II. 72 W. Main St., New Concord (740) 826-3305.

John Rankin House – Visit one of Ohio’s best-documented and most active Underground Railroad “stations.” 6152 Rankin Hill Road, Ripley (800) 752-2705.

Johnston Farm & Indian Agency – From ancient mounds to Ohio’s 19th-century canals, explore 2,000 years of history at this peaceful 250-acre site. 9845 N. Hardin Road, Piqua (800) 752-2619.

McCook House – Tour the McCook House, home of Daniel McCook, now a museum honoring the Ohio family known as the Civil War’s “Fighting McCooks.” 15 S. Lisbon St., Carrollton (800) 600-7172.

Museum of Ceramics – Learn about East Liverpool’s heyday as a center of the ceramics industry from 1840 to 1930 and see a great collection of locally made wares. 400 E. Fifth St., East Liverpool (800) 600-7180.

National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center – The museum is the permanent home of one of the nation’s largest collections of Afro-American materials, with over 9,000 artifacts and artwork, 350 manuscript collections, and thousands of photographs. 1350 Brush Row Road, Wilberforce (800) 752-2603.

National Road and Zane Grey Museum – Explore the story of the National Road, early America’s busiest route West, and learn about locally-born author of Western novels Zane Grey. 8850 East Pike, Norwich (800) 752-2602.

Ohio History Center – The state’s primary history museum, with both standard and changing exhibits showcasing Ohio’s history from the prehistoric era to modern times. 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus (800) 686-6124.

Ohio River Museum – This unique look at Ohio River history allows you to step aboard the W.P. Snyder Jr., the nation’s last intact steam-powered, stern-wheeled towboat. 601 Front St., Marietta (800) 860-0145.

Ohio Village – Ohio Village, a collection of buildings displaying small-town life in the 1850s-60s with costumed interpreters, has been closed for major renovations, with reopening planned in 2026. 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus.

Our House Tavern – Tour a restored 1819 tavern that hosted many famous visitors, including French Gen. Marquis de Lafayette when he visited French-settled Gallipolis, Ohio, in 1825. 432 First Ave., Gallipolis (800) 752-2618.

Paul Lawrence Dunbar House – Restored home of Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906), acclaimed writer, poet and voice for equality for African Americans. 219 N. Paul Lawrence Dunbar St., Dayton (800) 860-0148.

Quaker Yearly Meeting House – The first Quaker yearly meeting house west of the Alleghenies. Built in 1814, it is a National Historic Landmark associated with the antislavery movement. 298 Market St., Mt. Pleasant (800) 752-2631.

Schoenbrunn Village – Schoenbrunn was a village founded in 1772 as a Christian Moravian mission among the Delaware tribe. The village is near the site of the Gnadenhutten Massacre in 1782, where a group of non-combatant Christian Native Americans were brutally killed by American militia. 1984 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia (800) 752-2711.

Shaker Historical Museum – Discover the story of the 19th-century North Union Shakers and the 20th-century planned suburban community of Shaker Heights. 16740 S. Park Blvd., Shaker Heights (800) 860-6078.

Tallmadge Church – An 1825 church that is an architectural landmark and a reminder of northeast Ohio’s New England heritage. 115 Tallmadge Circle, Tallmadge (844) 288-0855.

U.S. Grant Birthplace – The birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant, the leading Union Civil War general and two-term president of the United States (1869-1877). 1551 State Route 232, Moscow (Pt. Pleasant) (513) 497-0492.

U.S. Grant Boyhood Home & Schoolhouse – See where the Civil War general and president of the United States lived from 1823–1839, then visit the school he attended. 219 E. Grant Ave., Georgetown (877) 372-8177.

Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites – Explore the Harding Home, Presidential Library & Museum and Harding Memorial of the 29th president of the U.S. 380 Mt. Vernon Ave. (home), Marion (800) 600-6894.

Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor – Learn about the steel industry that dominated Youngstown in the 20th century and the people who were important in that history. 151 W. Wood St., Youngstown (330) 941-1314.

Zoar Village – Explore a one-of-a-kind village, home from 1819 to 1898 of a communal society of German religious dissenters. 198 Main St., Zoar (800) 262-6195.

All rights reserved, copyright Dusty Tires (dusty-tires.com), 2025.