Explore Ohio’s past at Ohio History Center: Ohio Village weekends, carnival, and more

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. The Village is closed in winter.

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.

Ohio History Center

Ohio History Center is open Wednesdays–Sundays from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., in addition to special events.

Admission is $13/Adult, $11/age 60+ or college student with ID, $7/ages 4–12, and Free/age 3 & under. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. Select special events may require additional fee.

Pre-purchase tickets are available but not required. Walk-up admission is available anytime during open hours at the Ohio History Center front desk.

Read below for some of the upcoming events at Ohio History Center.

Exploring Ohio Village

Visit a reimagined 19th century community full of 1890s fun from Spring through late Fall.

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

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: Saturdays/Sundays for Spring 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. 

See ohiohistory.org/ohiovillage for additional ticketing information. 

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

Events at Ohio Village

Spring Ohio Village Weekends

Saturdays & Sundays, April 2-May 22, 2022 • 10a.m.-5p.m. Come experience life in the 1890’s! Spring has sprung in our recreated 19th-century community, where William McKinley is president and Gibson Girl-style shirtwaists are trending. Explore Ohio Village on weekends through May 15, included with Ohio History Center museum admission.

Ohio Village Opening Weekend-Carnival

Sat., & Sun., May 21 and May 22, 10a.m.-5p.m. Bring the entire family and experience a day at a Victorian Carnival!  

Learn about the popular entertainment of the 1890s, attend exciting performances, have your fortune told and much more. Explore Ohio Village homes and businesses, get to know the residents and play old-fashioned games on the village green.

Some features include: 

Programming will include

• Sideshow Marvels from Faire Wynds Entertainment: Includes fire-eating, laying on a bed of nails, and similar tricks.
• Victorian Storytelling
• Professor Wurst’s Amazing Flea Circus (Sunday only)
• Petting Zoo
• Sly Huntly the Monster Hunter: A brief lecture from Sly Huntly, a traveling monster hunter who will share stories and evidence from creatures he’s seen all across Ohio, from Lake Erie’s Bessy to the mysterious Skyfoogle!
• The Mysterious Magnetic Lady
• Wild West Show  (Saturday only)
• Carnival Games. Take a shot at numerous classic games of skill, including a ball toss, ring cane, and hooplah!

And so much more! Regular admission applies. Purchase in advance or at the door.

Pleasures of the Cup at Ohio Village

Tip your cup like they did in the 19th century with Pleasures of the Cup cocktail parties at Ohio Village.  These progressive historic cocktail parties pair authentic adult beverages with stories, characters and the experience of days gone by. Read more about these here!

Tickets are $40 for adults, or $35 for Ohio History Connection Members. Advanced tickets required; must be over age 21. Alcohol is included with admission. Guests will receive a sample glass with admission.

• Drinks of the Speakeasy: May 7, 2022
• Mad for Martinis: August 13, 2022

Storybook Village 

Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, 2022 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. 

Columbus Member Advantage Program

If you’re a member of select Central Ohio attractions, you can save $3 on general admission to Ohio History Center and Ohio Village and other attractions through the Columbus Member Advantage program. No coupon is necessary. Simply show your valid participating membership card when you visit! Limited to 4 discounts per membership per day; can’t be combined with other discounts.  

Member Advantage partners for 2022 include:

• Columbus Museum of Art and Pizzuti Collection (see our article)
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (see our article)
• Dawes Arboretum (see our article)
• Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (see our article)
• LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Columbus (see our article)
• National Veterans Memorial and Museum (see our article)
• Ohio History Center & Ohio Village (see our article)
• Wexner Center for the Arts (see our article)
• COSI (advanced tickets required)
• The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology (also qualifies for ASTC reciprocal admission) 

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

Special weekends at Ohio Village

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

Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival

Sat. & Sun., Sept tba 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

tba for 2022

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.

photo: Ohio Village

Dickens of a Christmas 

Saturdays, tba for 2022• 5:30-9 p.m.
Sundays, tba for 2022• 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.

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.    

MLK Jr. Day Celebration

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

Enjoy 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.

Seeds of Caring MLK Day of Service

January 17, 2022 at 12 pm, 1 pm, and 2 pm
Celebrate MLK Day as a “day on, not a day off” through 5 different service stations as part of the larger MLK Day Open House Celebration. Program is for ages 2-12; adults must accompany children. Siblings of participants outside this age range are welcome, but may find the event to be less meaningful and fulfilling.

Seeds of Caring will provide 5 youth service stations as part of the larger MLK Open House Celebration. Activities will include making posters with Pint Size Protesters, assembling personal care kits for neighbors in need, decorating and packing snack bags for unhoused neighbors, designing bookmarks promoting diversity in literature with Harper’s Corner, and creating take-home art inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Learn more and register here.

Day of Service runs in conjunction with The MLK Open House Celebration, which is from 12-4pm with free admission. In addition to the service activities, you will find art activities, education, and live theatrical and musical performances honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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.

Black History Month with Ohio History Connection

Ohio History Connection is made up of the Ohio History Center and more than 50 historic sites throughout Ohio.

The Ohio History Connection celebrates Black History month with events at the Ohio History Center (listed below), and more at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center.

They offer a robust series of Black history programs including curator talks, discussions and interactive experiences. Some are virtual, so you can participate and enjoy from anywhere. 

See registration and full offerings on the website.

The Tea Room

Saturday, February 19, 2022 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
In-person; $15/Participant, $10/Ohio History Connection member

The Tea Room is a contemporary version of the African American Tea Ceremony which began in the mid 19th century. Annually held on February 15, enslaved people were given the left over teas, food and china from Valentine’s Day celebrations. This tradition evolved into gatherings held at churches and later black owned tea houses.

Designed to create an environment of fellowship and empowerment, the Tea Room will be a forum for participants to network and learn about the achievements of African Americans in Ohio. 

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.

Vanishing Communities: Preserving Cultural Heritage Through Photography

Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Hear a discussion with local photographers Shellee Fisher, T. Graves and James Reid about the changing dynamics of the inner city due to urban renewal. They will talk about the importance of documentation and how photography is one method to preserve the important stories of these communities. 

Night at the Museum

Sat. & Sun. February 26 & 27, 2022 from 7–9 p.m.

Find out what goes on at the Ohio History Center museum after hours. Do the exhibits really come to life? Dozens of different characters will be roaming the museum, and you can learn all about their unique place in Ohio history. Grab an autograph book (provided) and collect the signatures from your favorites! Several hands-on activities are available for kids. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase.  This family event is so fun for all ages!

Spring Thaw Ice Age Themed Programming

March 26–April 24, 2022, Wednesdays through Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed April 17

Celebrate the end of winter with special Ice Age-themed programming during Spring Break. Try hands-on activities, examine fossils of Ice Age mammals and discover what Ohio was like 11,000 years ago. Enjoy tours and can pick up a Museum Quest scavenger hunt from the front desk. There are special guest talks listed on the website. Event is included with museum admission. 

Earth Day Celebration at Ohio History Center

Saturday, April 23, 2022, 11 a. m. – 3 p.m.
Seeds of Caring’s Kids as Planet Protectors: An Earth Day Celebration at the Ohio History Center is FREE!

Kids are invited to participate in multiple projects, helping them to connect with our natural history, take action to protect our environment, and invest in our planet’s future. Indoor and outdoor activities will be geared toward kids ages 4-12 and will include educational scavenger hunts, litter clean-up, reduce and reuse activities, gardening, and more.

Families are also invited to explore the Ohio History Center for FREE during the event.
Families can get more information and register at https://www.seedsofcaring.org

History After Hours: Night in the 90s!

Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 7-10 p.m.
$25/Adult, $20/Member adult

Relive the 90s at the Ohio History Center! Jam to classic hits provided by our DJ, play popular games of the era, enjoy classic beverages from the 90s, and more. More details coming!

Victorian Tea Time

Saturday, April 30, 2022 from 11 am – noon. 
Adult – $13, Senior (60+) – $11, Youth (4-12) – $7Child, (3 & under) – FREE
Ohio History Connection Member – FREE, College Students (with school ID) – $11

Drinking tea with your pinky up might not be as fancy as you think! Stop by to learn more about Victorian tea etiquette and see how to properly prepare, pour and drink tea with an Ohio Village character.