One Saturday afternoon K and I were watching our weekend staple- Aerial America- and we came across the episode featuring Ohio. We were excited to recognize almost all the landmarks, but it got us thinking about the place we’ve never been in this great state. I suggested an Ohio bucket list for us to work on over the course of our lives (because let’s be real- we’ll probably live here forever) and K agreed! A while back I shared some Midwest weekending ideas so you’ll see them show up here, too.
(I want to note that K and I have different definitions of “fun” so we probably won’t go to all these places together. He doesn’t like amusements parks or caves like I do so some of these will be explored with friends or family!)
Alright, here is our list of must-visit Ohio landmarks, museums, festivals, and tourist traps!
American Sign Museum (Cincinnati, OH)
Ashtabula County Bridges drive in the corvette
Belamere Suites Hotel [stay]
Brandywine Falls in the fall
Cedar Point
The Cleveland Arcade/Hyatt [stay]
Cleveland Cavaliers at the Q
Cleveland Indians game at Progressive Field
Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Cleveland Orchestra outside at Blossom Music Center
Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
COSI
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Franklin Park Conservatory
German Village (Columbus)
Gervasi Vineyard [stay]
Great Serpent Mound (Adams County)
Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Hocking Hills State Park
Hot Air Balloon Festival (Jackson Twp. or Marysville)
Kings Island
Lakeside
Marblehead Lighthouse
Melt [eat]
Mohican Treehouses
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Ohio Caverns (West Liberty)
Ohio State Reformatory
Pine Tree Barn [eat]
Play: Cle
Put-in-Bay
Ravenwood Castle [stay]
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
Stockport Mill Inn [stay]
Sweet Carrot (Columbus) [eat]
Taste of Belgium (Cincinnati) [eat]
Toledo Museum of Art
Troy Strawberry Festival
West Side Market (Cleveland)
The Wilds [stay]
Zoar Village (near Bolivar, OH)
(And Surrounding Areas…)
Fallingwater (PA)
Mammoth National Park (KY)
Mackinac Island (MI)
National Corvette Museum (KY)
If you pop over to the new OHIO tab on the blog you can see which ones we’ve already been to! I opted to leave this list unmarked in case you wanted to snag it for your next Buckeye State adventure! I have a feeling that we will alter and add to this list as cool things cross our radar. Also, when we have kids I imagine our list was expand. 🙂
Tell me, have you ever been to these places? Where would you go first??
Life as Louise 
This is an excellent idea!
I think only time we see new things is when we have company in town-so I’d really love to make a list like this of places we could visit that aren’t too far from us and then maybe we’d do it more often.
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Thank you! I think we can get to anywhere in Ohio within 4 hours. I feel like we should take advantage of that! 😀
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Such a smart idea. I remember when I moved from Minneapolis to LA, all of a sudden I found all these interesting neighborhoods and places that I’d never heard of before and wanted to visit but was … you know … moving in two weeks. We so often want to explore other places, naturally, that we don’t always notice what’s right in front of us. I’ve never been to Ohio but it looks like there are plenty of things to see and do! I’m with K on amusement parks but I’d join you on a cave adventure!
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Come to Ohio & we’ll go on a cave adventure!!
I was visiting my brother and we had to decide between going to the Columbus art museum or the botanical gardens. When we picked the museum I thought, ‘I need to put that conservatory on my bucket list!’
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What a great idea! There’s so much at our fingertips, no matter where we live, but sometimes we don’t fully realize all the things we’d like to do until we sit down and make a list.
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When we were watching Aerial America we were like, “We’ve been there! And there! And th- wait! We’ve never been there!” lol. Then our list was born 😉
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I’m not in or from Ohio but it’s within driving distance for weekend trips. I love Cedar Point and can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to enjoy it also. I’ve also been to Fallingwater (we went in the spring years ago, but I want to see it again in autumn), Mammoth National Park and Put-in-bay and they are all fabulous.
I haven’t been to Mackinac Island but it’s high on my list.
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I love Cedar Point 🙂 I went to Fallingwater a loooooong time ago. I was also a kid so I didn’t appreciate any of it, LOL.
I’m hoping Mackinac Island happens soon. It looks so relaxing and fun!
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I love this idea. I live in KY but it’s right outside Cincinnati, Ohio. I still haven’t been to the American Sign Museum but I want too! I love King’s Island – my family all have season passes and I’ve gone once already (it opened a week ago). I went to COSI in grade school but I’d really like to go again. I think bringing my nieces and nephew someday would be a lot of fun. I’ve been IN the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and their gift shop, but I’ve never gone through it. My sister used to work there though (and the Cincinnati Museum Center). And oh gosh, the Taste of Belgium is amazing. Best chicken and waffles ever. If you ever come to Cincy, I will happily “tour” with you. Oh, and there is a Taste of Belgium right by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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I’ve been to Kings Island once, COSI once, and Fallingwater once…. but I don’t really remember any of it. I was pretty young.
I looove waffles. I am definitely wanting to try Taste of Belgium!!!
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We should meet up at Kings Island 😉 … though I dont ride rides so I’d be no fun – but more time to TALK 🙂 haha
Mammoth Cave. That’s where Ricky’s family all lives. COUNTRRRRRRY folk!!!
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I think I went to Mammoth Cave when I was super young- like 7 or 8? I don’t really remember it. I’ve been to Kings Island once, too, but it was ages ago! And when we eventually make it down there we should TOTALLY meet up! Maybe we find a local coffee shop 😉
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A few years ago for Christmas I gave my husband a passport to Delaware that was filled with all the things he said he wanted to do. I haven’t been tracking progress but it was a good way to think about the things we have to do here.
I am actually, seriously contemplating taking a trip to the Rock and Roll HOF this summer. It’s part of my American to-do list (I don’t like the term “bucket list”)
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Dang… I should’ve turned this into a gift for Kyle. Hahahahahaha! Maybe I’ll make us passports 😉
If you end up at the Rock and Roll HOF and you want to meet up let me know! Cleveland’s just over an hour from my town!
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YESSS!!! You know I love this and I have so many on my own Ohio bucket list. I’m hoping to do the American Sign Museum at some point this spring or summer. I also haven’t been to the Newport Aquarium, though that’s technically Kentucky 🙂
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Oooh, I didn’t think about the Newport Aquarium but I’ve heard good things about it! We were actually JUST in Dayton this past week! Lol. We were at UD Arena for the percussion competition.
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The only place I’ve ever been in Ohio is Steubenville, where I went for a church retreat when I was in high school! These places all sound like more fun though! 🙂
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Oh man……… Steubenville is definitely not the best representation of Ohio. LOL I hope you had a good time, though! Haha!! I’ve only been through Steubenville a few times- and probably in their hs stadium for football games.
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We drove through Ohio, and only visited Zanesville. haha we were on a huge road trip. We went to the Zane Grey museum. I’d like to go back someday. I looooved Mackinac Island! Swoon! I should make a Kansas one. 🙂 XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
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My husband used to work in Zanesville for Pepsi. He’d make the hour drive down and back every single day. There’s a place called Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl (I think?) in Zanesville that draws a pretty good crowd. Next time you’re in Ohio we’ll knock one of these things off my list.
Or, better yet, we can just meet up on Mackinac Island 😉 Lol!!
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Wow! So many fun things to do in Ohio! I think we should plan in a visit there someday. 🙂 In the meantime I should make a Colorado bucket list.
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You definitely should plan a visit here!! And we can meet up at one of the sites or restaurants! Lol!
K and I want to explore Colorado, too. I love the mountains and we have some family in Denver!
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Oh I LOVE this! Being a proud lover of Columbus, you hit a lot of the great spots and gave us some new ideas outside of this great Capital city!
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Thank you!
Columbus has A LOT to offer. It’s exciting to discover new things so close to home to explore!
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