Explore Ohio’s past at Ohio Village and Ohio History Center

Ohio History Center and Ohio Village are the perfect places to visit for some historical fun in Columbus.

Ohio Village is a full-scale 1890’s village, with characters ready to tell you about life in the 1890’s as you explore the buildings, homes, and participate in traditional activities. 

Your visit at Ohio History Center features interactive exhibits exploring everything from life in the 1950s to extinct and endangered Ohio species to an exquisite collection of restored Civil War battle flags.

Read below for some of the upcoming events!

Exploring Ohio Village

Visit a reimagined 19th century community full of 1890s fun! 

Set in the 1890s, Ohio Village features an era that represents a fascinating time in history, one in which technology, politics and everyday life was changing at a rapid pace. 

Explore the community and meet and interact with citizens of Ohio Village; see our NEW villagers and hear their stories. Visit the bicycle shop and discover cycling, the latest craze. Experience storytelling, food preparations and demonstrations with vintage recipe cards. You can feed and tend to the chickens, play traditional games like croquet–an 1890s favorite–on the village green, and watch a vintage 19th century baseball game played by the Ohio Village Muffins. 

photo courtesy of Ohio History Connection

Doc Film Friday

Fridays from Oct. 1 – Jan. 28, 2022 • Showings at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Every Friday through January 2022, catch a Smithsonian documentary film at Ohio History Center. Showings are at 11 am and 1 pm, and are included with museum admission or membership.

Each film will be shown on 4 Fridays. Masks are required to be worn in indoor locations in the Ohio History Center & Ohio Village, until further notice. 

Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth
Friday Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26
 
The story of Pocahontas has been passed down through the centuries. Her relationship with John Smith has been characterized as a romance that united two cultures and created lasting peace. However, the life of this American Indian princess was anything but a fairytale. Join us as we look beyond the fiction and reveal the real story of Pocahontas, a tale of kidnapping, conflict, starvation, ocean journeys, and the future of an entire civilization.

Drinks, Crime and Prohibition
Friday Dec. 3, 17 Jan. 14, 28 
 
The legacy of Prohibition is one of failure. Instead of making a more sober America, it weakened the nation’s respect for the rule of law, enabled the expansion of organized crime, and turned city streets into battlefields. But it was also an era of great consequence, prompting federal criminal law enforcement and the expansion of the U.S. prison system. Revisit this defining moment in American history to see how it shaped the course of the 20th century and how its impact still reverberates to this day.

The Day We Walked On the Moon
Friday Dec. 10, 31, Jan. 7, 21
 
On July 16, 1969, hundreds of thousands of spectators and an army of reporters gathered at Cape Kennedy to witness one of the great spectacles of the century: the launch of Apollo 11. Over the next few days, the world watched on with wonder and rapture as humankind prepared for its “one giant leap” onto the moon–and into history. Witness this incredible day, presented through stunning, remastered footage and interviews that takes you behind-the-scenes and inside the spacecraft, Mission Control, and the homes of the astronaut’s families.

photo: Ohio Village

Dickens of a Christmas 

Saturdays, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, 11 & 18, 2021 • 5:30-9 p.m.
Sundays, Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 12 & 19, 2021 • Noon-5 p.m.

Ohio Village celebrates a Victorian Christmas with Dickens of a Christmas, inspired by the stories of Charles Dickens. 

Wander the Village and visit with characters from Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” and the residents of Ohio Village. Enjoy cooking demonstrations, hands-on crafts, decorations, caroling, readings by candlelight, and many more Victorian holiday traditions.

Join the villagers in music, dancing, and activities of the era.

Advanced registration required, see more details here.

Food and Drink

The Ohio Village Emporium now offers a selection of grab-n-go foods and cold beverages every  day from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy your purchase at nearby picnic tables and other outdoor seating in Ohio Village, or bring your blanket for an old-fashioned picnic. Ohio History Connection members save 10%. 

Ohio Village Admission details

Open to the Public: Weds.–Sun., July 7–Oct. 31 • 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Admission: $13/Adults, $7/Children ages 4–12, $11/60+ or College student with ID, Free/Ohio  History Connection member or age 3 and under. Parking is free. 

Timed Tickets 

To ensure a safe experience for all, masks and social distancing are recommended on Ohio Village grounds and required indoors. All visitors, including Ohio History Connection members, must have timed tickets. 

See ohiohistory.org/ohiovillage for additional ticketing information. 

800 E. 17th Ave. (I-71 and 17th) in Columbus

Kwanzaa – A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture 

The Ohio History Center is hosting a Kwanzaa celebration from December 26-January 1, 2022 from 4-8 pm. 

Kwanzaa, which means first fruits or harvest in Swahili, is a celebration honoring African American culture. Based on the Seven Principles of Nguzo Saba, the event will showcase high energy and engaging performances of African drumming, dance, poetry, theatre and storytelling.  

Presenters for the event include: 

TAWI Family Village, founded in the 1970’s, is an establishment of systems based on the ancient Egyptian concepts of Ma’at (truth, balance, order, harmony, righteousness, morality, and justice) and the seven principles of Nguzo Saba (Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, Imani, Kugichagalia and Umoja). The organizational structure is designed to identify, develop, restore, promote and protect Afrikan people, values and cultures.    

Aziza and Tony West, Master Drummer and Dancer (of the Imani Dancers)

Elder Phyllis Ransom

Akwaaba – female drumming group led by Babaritah

Lawrence Lemon, Nomel Dance Ministries

See Ohio History Center website for more information.

MLK Jr. Day Celebration

Monday, January 17, 2022 • 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ohio History Center, Columbus

Join us for a day of celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and take part in activities and programs that focus on serving and engaging with the community!

Special Film Screening: The Green Book: Guide to Freedom
10:30 a.m. & 3 p.m.

In the 1930s, a black postal carrier from Harlem named Victor Green published a book that was part travel guide and part survival guide. It was called The Negro Motorist Green Book, and it helped African-Americans navigate safe passage across America well into the 1960s. Explore some of the segregated nation’s safe havens and notorious “sundown towns” and witness stories of struggle and indignity as well as opportunity and triumph.

Wild Ohio Weekend

Saturday & Sunday, February 5 & 6, 2022 • 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Ohio History Center, Columbus
Included with museum admission.

Join the Ohio History Center for a weekend full of natural history programing and learn more about the plants and animals that call Ohio their home! Check out the list of activities you can expect; more will be added.

Presidents Day 2022

Monday, February 21, 2022
Ohio History Center, Columbus
All programs included with museum admission. 

Enjoy a day of Presidential history at the Ohio History Center

See the list of timed programs and activities for the day:

Documentary Screening: The Story of Warren G. Harding
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
The Ohio Channel and Ohio History Connection commemorate the 100th anniversary of Harding’s inauguration in a new documentary that recounts the successes and scandals of his public life.

Documentary Screening: America’s Hidden Stories: Madam President 
Noon – 1 p.m.

Two Ohioans in the White House: Rutherford B. Hayes & William Howard Taft 
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Documentary Screening: The Story of Warren G. Harding
3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

More details about the programming here. 

Learn at Home

Want to Learn at Home with Ohio History Connection? Check out more details about the learn learning resource for all ages at this link. 

Learn at Home with Ohio History Connection

Archives and Library Access

If Franklin County remains at a Level 2 or lower, the Archives and Library will begin accepting in person appointments on Sept 16 through an online registration.

Ohio History Center 
800 E. 17th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43211

Annual events at Ohio Village

Storybook Village 

Sat. & Sun., Aug. 14 & 15 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 

At Storybook Village, see your favorite storybook characters magically come to life! Bring your little ones to meet classic characters and popular favorites from PBS including Pete the Cat and Elephant & Piggie. Ask Rapunzel to let down her hair, help Prince Charming in his quest, and visit with Cinderella! This special event is made possible through a partnership with Columbus Metropolitan Library, Franklin Park Conservatory and WOSU Public Media. A sensory-safe room with the Autism Society of Central Ohio will be available.

Special weekends at Ohio Village

July 3 & 4–Independence Day/Sugar Social (for members only)
July 10 & 11–Sugar Social 
July 31 & Aug. 1–Busting Victorian Myths 
Aug. 28 & 29–Crime & Corruption 
Sept. 11 & 12–Victorian Sci Fi & Invention 

Each themed weekend will feature hands-on, thematically immersive activities.  

The Ohio Village photographed Saturday, May 8, 2021 at the Ohio History Connection in Columbus, Ohio. (© James DeCamp Photography | Tom Dukes Photo | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival

Sat. & Sun., Sept. 4 & 5 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Celebrate the end of summer with us at Ohio Village. More than 25 teams from across the nation will come to Ohio Village experience 1860s-style base ball with you and compete for the Ohio Cup. Special activities all day for kids, including historic games and sports and a chance to try your hand at 1860s-style base ball with our own vintage team, the Ohio Village Muffins. Free for Ohio History Connection members or with museum admission. Learn more HERE. 

Echoes in Time Drive-in Series

Details TBA for 2021

Ohio History Center is taking Echoes in Time out of the theatre and into the parking lot! Each show will feature enjoy three back-to-back live performances from the safety and comfort of your car. Performers at Echoes in Time Drive-in will share Ohio-based stories set to a specific theme transmitted to your car via radio FM signal. Tickets are $10 per car.

All Hallows’ Eve Sleepy Hollow at Ohio Village

Saturdays, October 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, 2021

Enjoy a traditional 19th Century Halloween with family-friendly haunted events in the village. Activities include pumpkin carving, fortune telling, crafts, games, and Halloween traditions from the 1890’s. But beware… the Headless Horseman will visit during a bonfire reading of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow each night. 

Join in the 19th century masquerade party, meet the strange characters roaming the Village, and explore the funeral parlor to learn about 19th century funeral practices. 

Special event requires tickets for members and non-members. Purchase on the website.