Day Trips in Ohio

1. Cleveland

• Where is Cleveland located?
  • Cleveland is a beautiful Ohio city located along the southern shores of Lake Erie, originally founded in 1796 and named in honor of General Moses Cleaveland.
• What is Cleveland known for?
  • Today, the city is Ohio's second-largest city, known for its stunning historic architecture, which is considered to be an exemplary instance of works pertaining to the City Beautiful movement.
• What attractions can visitors explore in Cleveland on a day trip?
  • Visitors can explore the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducts seminal figures in rock and popular music each year, or see performances at the city's Playhouse Square, the second-largest performing arts complex in the United States behind New York City's famed Lincoln Center.
  • Other attractions include the renowned Cleveland Orchestra, the acclaimed Cleveland Museum of Art, and the lovely green chain of the Cleveland Metroparks system.

2. Columbus

• What is Columbus known for?
  • Columbus is the state capital of Ohio, best known as the home of the renowned Ohio State University, one of the United States' largest public universities.
• What sports events can visitors attend in Columbus?
  • Visitors can attend prestigious sports games at the university, including home games by the acclaimed Ohio State Buckeyes collegiate football team, widely considered to be one of the nation's best college football programs.
• What cultural and educational attractions are in Columbus?
  • The renowned COSI Science Center offers learning experiences for visitors of all ages, while the Columbus Museum of Art is home to seminal American and European paintings and sculptures.
• What other attractions can be found in Columbus?
  • Other attractions include the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, ranked as the nation's best zoo by USA Travel Guide.
• What annual events take place in Columbus?
  • Annual special events in the city include the Ohio State Fair, one of the nation's largest state fairs, and the Rock on the Range music festival, which hosts top acts such as Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

3. Athens

• What is Athens best known for?
  • Athens is best known as the home of Ohio University, located approximately 65 miles southeast of Columbus along the banks of the beautiful Hocking River.
• What events and nightlife can visitors enjoy in Athens?
  • The lively, progressive city is known for its vibrant college events and nightlife, including its massive, internationally-recognized Halloween Block Party, which draws more than 30,000 partygoers each year.
• What dining and entertainment options are available in Athens?
  • Hip restaurants, coffee shops, bars, concert venues, and movie theaters line Court Street, which is filled with students and tourists alike late into the evening hours.
• What cultural attractions can be found in Athens?
  • Museums and theaters include the Dairy Barn Arts Center, the Kennedy Museum of Art, and the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery children's museum.
• What outdoor activities are available in Athens?
  • The designated Tree City USA is also home to a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities at sites such as nearby Strouds Run State Park and Sells Park, which feature trails connected to the Athens Trail Network multi-use trail system.

4. Canton, Ohio

• What is Canton best known for?
  • Canton is one of northeast Ohio's most vibrant cities, best known as the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to the greatest players of the National Football League throughout the years.
• What can visitors experience at the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
  • Visitors can peruse permanent and traveling exhibitions related to the creation of the National Football League at the Hall of Fame, which hosts an annual induction ceremony with public festivities.
• What historical sites are located in Canton?
  • The city is also known as the home of 25th United States President William McKinley, who is honored at the McKinley National Memorial and the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum.
• How has Canton changed in recent years?
  • Over the past decade, the city has experienced a major urban renaissance thanks to programming by arts organizations such as the Canton Museum of Art, which hosts events such as the monthly First Friday art crawl celebration.

5. Cedar Point Amusement Park

• What makes Cedar Point Amusement Park special?
  • Cedar Point Amusement Park is frequently considered to be the greatest amusement park in the world, home to a world-record 72 rides, including 17 record-breaking one-of-a-kind roller coasters.
• Where is Cedar Point located?
  • The 364-acre amusement park, which is located on a peninsula jutting into scenic Lake Erie, was originally opened to the public in 1870.
• When does Cedar Point operate?
  • Today, it operates daily between May and September, with extended autumn hours during the park's HalloWeekends celebration.
• What are some of Cedar Point's most famous rides?
  • World-renowned rides such as Maverick, Magnum XL-200, Millennium Force, and Top Thrill Dragster earn the park a designation as the only amusement park in the world to feature rides in all four coaster height classifications.
• What other attractions are available at Cedar Point?
  • Other attractions at the park include the outdoor Cedar Point Shores waterpark, the luxurious Hotel Breakers, and a one-mile stretch of public white sand beach along the Lake Erie coastline.

Cedar Point Amusement Park, 1 Cedar Point Dr, Sandusky, OH 44870, Phone: 419-627-2350

6. Chagrin Falls

• What is Chagrin Falls known for?
  • Chagrin Falls is a lovely village in Ohio's Cuyahoga County, named in honor of its beautiful waterfall of the same name, which is located along the Chagrin River in the city's downtown district.
• When was Chagrin Falls established?
  • The charming village was established in 1844 and is known for its National Register of Historic Places-listed 19th-century buildings in its downtown district.
• What can visitors do in downtown Chagrin Falls?
  • The downtown district showcases vibrant shopping, dining, and entertainment options.
• What cultural attractions are available in Chagrin Falls?
  • Visitors can catch plays at the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, one of the United States' oldest community theaters, or explore local history at the Chagrin Falls Historical Society's public museum.
• What major events take place in Chagrin Falls?
  • Major annual special events include the Art By the Falls art show, hosted each year in the city's downtown district in June.

Map

7. Cincinnati

• Why is Cincinnati considered the first fully American city?
  • Cincinnati is considered to be the first fully American city, as it was the first city to be founded in the nation following the American Revolution.
• What is Cincinnati known for today?
  • Today, the vibrant southwestern Ohio metropolis is home to more than two million residents, known throughout the nation for world-class sporting teams like the Cincinnati Bengals football team and the Cincinnati Reds baseball team.
• What cultural attractions can visitors explore in Cincinnati?
  • Visitors can soak in the city's lively arts and culture scene at attractions such as the Art Deco-style Cincinnati Museum Center, the historic Findlay Market, and the nationally-recognized Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
• What makes Over-the-Rhine a unique neighborhood?
  • The hip neighborhood Over-the-Rhine is noted for its historic architecture, craft microbreweries, and annual festivals.
• What is unique about Cincinnati’s culinary scene?
  • The city's culinary scene is noted as one of the most unique in the nation, home to renowned regional chains like the Greek-style Skyline Chili and the French pot-style ice cream parlor Graeter's.

8. COSI

• What is COSI?
  • COSI, formally known as the Center of Science and Industry, is a nationally-renowned family science museum in Columbus that has been named the nation's best science center by Parent Magazine.
• When was COSI founded?
  • The museum was originally opened to the public in 1964 and relocated in 1999 to a state-of-the-art 320,000-square-foot facility along the banks of the Scioto River.
• What exhibits does COSI feature?
  • Today, it showcases more than 300 interactive exhibits throughout seven exhibit areas dedicated to nature, outer space, technology, and human life and biology.
• What special attractions are available at COSI?
  • A planetarium facility showcases outer space-themed presentations, while a Dinosaur Gallery operates in conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History.
• What outreach programs does COSI offer?
  • Nearly 30 million visitors have been served by the museum's outreach programming, which focuses on camp-in experiences for Girl and Boy Scouts.

333 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215, Phone: 614-228-2674, Map

9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park

• What is Cuyahoga Valley National Park?
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park is Ohio's only national park, spanning more than 32,000 acres along the majestic Cuyahoga River between the cities of Cleveland and Akron.
• When was Cuyahoga Valley National Park established?
  • The lovely national park was originally established as a National Recreation Area in 1974 and remains the only recreation area to be redesignated as a national park today.
• What makes Cuyahoga Valley National Park unique?
  • It is one of America's most unusual national parks due to its proximity to major urban areas and its many privately-owned visitor attractions.
• What historical sites can visitors explore in the park?
  • Visitors can explore the restored Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail or view exhibits on the region's canals at the Canal Exploration Center.
• What natural attractions are found within the park?
  • Beautiful natural attractions within the park include the picturesque Brandywine Falls, northeast Ohio's tallest waterfall, which can be accessed via the park's extensive trail system.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park , 15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville, OH 44141, Phone: 330-657-2752

10. Dayton

• Where is Dayton located?
  • Dayton is one of Ohio's largest and most cultural cities, located in Montgomery and Greene Counties north of Cincinnati within the lovely Miami Valley region.
• Who are some notable figures from Dayton?
  • The city is best known as the birthplace of aviation pioneer Orville Wright, poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, and entrepreneur John H. Patterson.
• What historical attractions can visitors explore in Dayton?
  • Its long history of innovation can be explored at Carillon Historical Park, which showcases an authentic Wright Brothers airplane and exhibits related to many of the city's turn-of-the-century inventors and patents.
• What is featured at the National Museum of the United States Air Force?
  • The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, showcasing significant collections of historic and modern military aircraft.
• What performing arts opportunities are available in Dayton?
  • Performing arts organizations such as the Schuster Performing Arts Center and the Victoria Theater make the city one of the top mid-sized arts destinations, showcasing touring Broadway and professional theater and dance productions.