Ohio Village
Take a trip to Civil War-era Ohio
A trip to historic Ohio Village in Columbus proved eventful for my modern-day children, accustomed to playing games on iPads and watching movies on Netflix.
Ohio Village is a make-believe, Civil War-era town, where costumed performers play the parts of the residents. Visitors can roam the town and learn what it was like to live in the late 19th century through their interpretations and by participating in activities.
My two children and I visited on a sunny Sunday. Rosie, 7, and Max, 5, quickly got into character, pretending they lived in the town. I played the part of a horse, pulling them in a wagon.
We played on old-fashioned swings and a teeter-totter. Rosie enjoyed visiting the schoolhouse, where she sat at a wooden desk and wrote her name with white chalk on a black slate.
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A husband and wife team demonstrated old-fashioned cooking techniques in a farmhouse, and a blacksmith shaped tools in a shed. We also visited a toy shop, a doctor’s home, an undertaker’s office, a pharmacy, a general store, a hotel and a church.
The best part was just relaxing in the town square. A flock of chickens skittered back and forth, and children ran sack races to the tune of a brass band.
Ohio Village is an attraction of the Ohio History Center Museum, 800 E. 17th Ave.
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, Ohio Village is open during regular museum hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; and noon-5 p.m., Sunday.
Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, and free for children ages 5 and younger.
The Ohio History Center Museum is the flagship museum of the Ohio History Connection, formerly known as the Ohio Historical Society. Founded in 1885, the nonprofit organization has nearly 2 million artifacts in its collection and partners with 58 historic sites around Ohio.
For information about programs and events, call 614-297-2300 or 800-686-6124 or visit www.ohiohistory.org.
