Best Places to Visit in Ohio
Sometimes you just want to get out and explore. We try to strike a good balance of places that you will really enjoy. Finding ideas for family friendly outings, or interesting places to go in Ohio with your friends, both are at your fingertips here with America Top 10. We aim to give you plenty of ideas without you having to do all the research. That way you can easily decide if you want to explore Ohio sites or check out the sites in another state.
You have also heard how it is becoming a lot more popular to have staycations (where you stay home instead of going to far off places) and discover new and interesting places in the near vicinity. We try to make that easier for you. Check out the sites in Ohio that have become local favorites easily with our site.
We hope that we have provided you plenty of choices in Ohio whether this is a new area for you or your own back yard. Something a little different from the typical amusement park. If you really loved somewhere but don’t see them on our list let us know, we are always looking to improve our lists and we can only do that with your help.
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati, OH
The Cincinnati Art Museum features a diverse, encyclopedic art collection of more than 67,000 works spanning 6,000 years. In addition to displaying its own broad collection, the museum also hosts several national and international traveling exhibitions each year. Visitors can enjoy the exhibitions or participate in the museum’s wide range of art-related programs, activities and special events. General admission is always free for all. Museum members receive additional benefits.
National Museum of the Great Lakes
Toledo, OH
The National Museum of the Great Lakes tells the incredible story of our Great Lakes through over 300 genuine artifacts, a number of powerful audiovisual displays and 40 hands-on interactive exhibits including the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship. The tales told here span hundreds of years, from the fur traders in the 1600’s to the Underground Railroad operators in the 1800’s, the rum runners in the 1900’s, to the sailors on the thousand-footers sailling today.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Cincinnati, OH
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a museum of conscience, an education center, a convener of dialogue, and a beacon of light for inclusive freedom around the globe. Since opening in 2004, they have filled a substantial void in our nation’s cultural heritage. Rooted in the stories of the Underground Railroad, they illuminate the true meaning of inclusive freedom by presenting permanent and special exhibits that inspire, public programming that provoke dialogue and action, and educational resources that equip modern abolitionists.
America’s Packard Museum
Dayton, OH
America’s Packard Museum was founded in 1992 by Dayton attorney and long-time car collector Bob Signom. The museum has become a popular destination for travelers and residents alike. The museum’s neighborhood has been named Dayton’s Motorcar District.
Cleveland Botanical Garden
Cleveland, OH
When you visit Cleveland Botanical Garden, you’ll find inspiration and enrichment through fabulous gardens, an exotic Glasshouse and enchanting events. Beyond the memorable experiences it offers at its home in University Circle, the Garden makes the community greener and healthier by growing young lives and restoring land throughout the city. Garden guests enjoy delightful surprises, quiet moments and lots of fun as they explore 10 acres of beautiful outdoor gardens and the 18,000-square-foot Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse. Open all year, the Garden offers guests extra opportunities to celebrate the seasons with special events.
Scioto Mile
Columbus, OH
The Scioto Mile is an urban oasis comprised of more than 175 acres of lush parkland. Stretching along the riverfront from the vibrant Arena District to the natural beauty of the Whittier Peninsula, the Scioto Mile reconnects downtown to the Scioto River through an integrated system of parks, boulevards, bikeways and pedestrian paths. Fostering some of the City’s most celebrated features, a stunning 15,000 square-foot interactive fountain, the country’s largest free outdoor climbing wall, and the tranquil beauty of the 120-acre Scioto Audubon, a magnet for shore birds and birds of prey, the Scioto Mile has something for everyone.
Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Cleveland, OH
Charleston Falls Preserve
Tipp City, OH
Charleston Falls Preserve has over 216 acres of prairie and forests and nearly 4 miles of trails. It’s the perfect place to hike and view wildlife. The most unusual feature of this preserve is the unique waterfall.
Kelton House Museum and Garden
Columbus, OH
Built by Fernando Cortez Kelton, a prosperous wholesaler of dry goods and pharmaceuticals, the Kelton House incorporates elements of the Greek Revival and Italianate styles. The garden features hedges, statuary, diverse plant specimens, lattice work and mixed perennial borders that demonstrate a Victorian sensibility. The simple beauty of the mansion’s façade, however, housed dangerous politics (for the time). Your visit to this historic building will immerse you in the Victorian experience through the eyes of the Kelton family whose continuous 120 year residence and original belongings left a discernable imprint.
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
Cincinnati, OH
The Zoological Society of Cincinnati was founded in 1873 and officially opened its doors in 1875, making the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden the second oldest Zoo in the United States. The Zoo’s original animal collection was very small, originally consisting of just eight monkeys, two grizzly bears, three deer, six raccoons, two elk, a buffalo, a hyena, a tiger, an alligator, a circus elephant, and over four hundred birds, including a talking crow. The Zoo was founded on 65 acres in the middle of the city, and since then has acquired some of the surrounding blocks and several reserves in Cincinnati’s suburbs
