Explore Ohio’s rich natural history through the themes of plants, animals, geology, geography and climate. In this exhibit you will find artefacts ranging from rocks and minerals to taxidermy mounts of locally extinct animals. Look for the massive Conway, a reconstructed Ice age mastodon skeleton, at the entrance of the exhibit!
View conserved battle flags carried by Ohioans during the Civil War and learn more about the conflict that split the country apart from 1861-1865. Artefacts you will also see in this exhibit include photographs, weapons and other items carried by soldiers during the war.
Fully immerse yourself in mid-century American life! 1950s – Building the American Dream features a fully furnished, reconstructed Lustron home that you can explore and investigate. When you are done exploring the Lustron house you can learn more about the 1950s through videos and panels featuring the recollections of Ohioans who grew up in the era.
Ohio–Champion of Sports features more than 70 stories and 35 oral histories covering more than 25 sports ranging from baseball, football and basketball to roller derby, skateboarding and e-gaming. The exhibit showcases the Ohio athletes, coaches, owners and fans at the center of the action and explores sports through the themes of character, adversity, identity, tradition and victory.
Historic preservation is about protecting, promoting and using historic places. It's also about the power of place—places that matter because they help tell the story of our state and our nation, of who we are and where we come from. Learn the history of the preservation movement in the United States and Ohio, and how the State Historic Preservation Office works with people throughout our state to identify and protect Ohio’s historic places.
Learn more about some of Ohio’s extensive history in this varied gallery. Collections in Ohio Through Time include an open storage display of kitchenware items, early transportation and farming in the state, a World War I era collections display and Creative Ohio, an exhibit dedicated to four different Ohio artists.
Gallery 2 presents a stunning visual display of beautifully crafted furniture and unique pottery and glassware pieces. These artefacts are arranged in an open storage setting, which allows visitors to see more of the collection compared to a typical museum exhibit!
It's not an exhibit—it's an experiment! Traditional museum exhibits only display a small portion of a museum’s collection. In our Great Collections Experiment we're trying out new ways of displaying and sharing more of the amazing and sometimes quirky objects in our vast collection. While conventional exhibits usually tell a story about an event or a time period, this gallery focuses on displaying beautiful and intriguing objects and leave the storytelling up to you.
Download the Ohio History Center Map or click the dots on the graphic to explore what you can find at the Ohio History Center. Please note: our elevator is currently under repair and is unavailable. Stairs are available to all public levels, and staff will be happy to assist with alternative areas for eating on our first floor. If you would like assistance with purchasing café items, please contact our front desk staff.
A new exhibit, Indigenous Wonders of Our World, opens Spring 2022.
See what's happening this weekend at the Ohio History Center!
Wondering about your family tree? Make an appointment for the research room, and learn more about our genealogy, print, audio and video resources.
Check out our resources for preserving homes and communities at our State Historic Preservation Office.
Hey, educators! Interested in bringing your class to the Ohio History Center or Ohio Village? Field trips to the Ohio History Center are offered year-round, with seasonal offerings for Ohio Village.
The Ohio History Connection is committed to providing our visitors, volunteers and staff an environment free from intimidation, harassment, and discrimination with respect to admission and access to our sites, programs and activities. The Ohio History Connection does not permit harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or partnership status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship status or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law. The Ohio History Connection is committed to maintaining a non-discriminatory environment free from intimidation, harassment or bias based on these grounds.
The Ohio History Connection welcomes all to discover Ohio’s stories. We strive to create a safe, accessible and friendly environment to explore our sites and collections. Our core value of inclusivity challenges us to constantly seek out and remove barriers to participation, empower underserved audiences and improve how we deliver our services. Learn more about our Accessibility efforts.
The Ohio History Connection and the media frequently take photos/videos of visitors which may be used by the Ohio History Connection and/or its designees in future promotional materials in any media (such as websites, brochures, flyers, blogs, and social media sites). If you are photographed, the photo may be used without your prior consent and without compensation. If you do not want your image used, please avoid the photographer or inform them that you do not wish to be photographed.
Masks are optional at the Ohio History Center & Ohio Village
We will continue to follow guidelines provided by our local, county and state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
