CLEVELAND, Ohio – Floating tents in Troy, a new presidential library in Marion, and art, golf, and Italian food road trips – fill up on gas, it’s time to explore Ohio again.
After a year without travel, the Ohio (and almost everywhere else) tourism industry is hoping we are in the vacation mood this summer.
And while the profit margins of most industries have been destroyed by the pandemic, there is a surprising amount of capital investment in the summer season.
Every region of Ohio offers something new and different – from a new river boat ride at Cedar Point in Sandusky to a new football stadium in Columbus.
The Ohio travel season kicks off earlier this year with the NFL Draft in Cleveland this month. It will conclude with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland in late October.
And in between: Successive induction ceremonies at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, with two award-winning classes, 2020 and 2021, being celebrated on a blockbuster weekend from August 5th to 9th.
Here is a list of more than a dozen new Ohio attractions and events this year. We also included a handful of locations that opened last year that didn’t get much attention due to the pandemic. And please note that we will update this list as we learn more about places of interest.
Floating tents
Why camp on firm ground when you can sleep in a tent on the water? Float Troy has 10 floating anchored tents in the Great Miami River available for overnight stay this summer. Manufactured by Smithfly in Troy, the tents can accommodate up to 4 people and are located in front of Treasure Island Park in downtown Troy, 20 miles north of Dayton. There are toilets (but no showers) in the park.
A watercraft – kayak or raft – is included in the tent rental. Promotional material recommends: “Please plan to get wet during your stay.” The tents are $ 85 a night. Information: float-troy.com.
A night on the Great Miami River in Troy, Ohio.
The new Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum will open in May.
Warren G. Harding Presidential Library & Museum
Warren G. Harding’s Presidential Facility in Marion, including a new Presidential Library and Museum, will reopen next month after extensive expansion and renovation. The locations, which have been closed since the end of 2017, were due to reopen last year on the centenary of Harding’s election to the White House in 1920. However, the pandemic forced a delay.
The site now houses a presidential library and museum, a repository for Harding documents, and exhibits about his life, including his three years as commander-in-chief (he died in 1923). The new center was built next to the 1890s Harding Home, which was restored in 1920 when Harding launched its Marion porch campaign. The website is planning a soft opening in mid-May. Information: hardingpresidentialsites.org
John Glenn’s youth home in New Concord, Ohio is now the John and Annie Glenn Museum. (Thomas Ondrey / The Plain Dealer)The simple trader
John Glenn Centennial
The Cambridge and New Concord parishes of southeast Ohio are celebrating their favorite son, John Glenn, on his 100th birthday this summer (he died in 2016). The celebration includes a Friendship 7 Parade, a race between the two cities, free tours of the John & Annie Glenn Museum in New Concord, and other events. Glenn was born in Cambridge on July 18, 1921. When he was a baby, his family moved to nearby New Concord. The event will take place from July 16th to 18th. For information: visitguernseycounty.com
The new Columbus Crew Stadium is expected to open in early July.
Columbus Crew Stadium
Ohio’s Major League Soccer team, the Columbus Crew, is getting a new home this summer – a 20,000-seat, $ 314 million stadium under construction in the city’s Arena district. The crew, 2020 MLS Cup winners, will face New England on the facility’s expected debut on July 3rd. Information: columbuscrewsc.com
Cedar Point
Cedar Point’s 150th anniversary last year was postponed due to COVID. Most of the fun is available for this year, however, including a new ride, the Snake River Expedition, in the area where paddlewheel excursions once entertained riders. Also new: the Celebrate 150 Spectacular Parade and the night party. The parade runs from June 26th to August 26th. fifteen; The Snake River Expedition debuts May 29th. The park will open for the season on May 14th. Information: cedarpoint.com.
The Snake River Expedition debuts at Cedar Point in May.
An aerial view of Kings Island Camp Cedar, which opens in June.
Kings Island
If you skipped Kings Island Last year you missed the debut of Orion, the park’s massive new steel roller coaster with a 287-foot first hill. Rest assured, the coaster is going nowhere and will be available to seekers in 2021. New this year: Kings Island Camp Cedar, a luxury camping resort with 184 full-service RV sites and 73 well-appointed cottages. The resort, which opens in June, is north of the park. Amenities include multiple restaurants, pools for families and adults only, hiking trails, and more. Information: visitcampcedar.com.
Malabar Farm, the former home of the author Louis Bromfield, is a stop on the Ohio Literary Trail.The simple trader
A road trip for every interest
Looking for a new themed road trip? TourismOhio has added several new options to its portfolio of drivable Ohio trails:
* The new Art road trip offers a dozen destinations full of traditional and bohemian art. On This Tour: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Columbus African American Sculpture Tour, Belmont County’s Historic Murals, and more.
* The Ohio Professional Golf Trail Six professional golf tournaments will be featured in the state this year, including the Memorial Golf Tournament in Columbus, the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship in Akron, the LPGA Classic Marathon in Sylvania, and the Jack Nicklaus Museum in Columbus. The trail offers places to stay, eat, and other attractions in the area.
The Ohio Literary Trail Founded last year by the Ohioana Library Association, it features public spaces across the state that celebrate Ohio’s rich history with words. Sights include the Nancy Drew exhibit in the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, the Thurber House Museum in Columbus, and the Malabar Farm in Lucas. The local author Betty Weibel recently published a companion guide for the trail: “The Ohio Literary Trail: A Guide”.
Trumbull County, with its deeply rooted Italian roots, continues to develop Italian food trail, which now has 60 different stops in Warren, Girard, Cortland and the surrounding communities. Among the stops featured: Enzo’s, the Sunrise Inn, Just Pizzelles, and Country Porch Winery. New this year: a free mobile phone pass with discounts for participation. Information: italianfoodtrail.com
Wild Asia at Akron Zoo opens in late May.
What’s new in the zoos?
Akron Zoo will debut in Wild Asia, a new area that recreates Asian jungles and Himalayan forests, in late May. Sumatran tigers, red pandas, and white-cheeked gibbons will be seen in the area. Information: akronzoo.org.
Columbus Zoo opened its new Adventure Cove area last summer, which features a 60-foot underwater tunnel that allows you to get up close and personal with the park’s dozen sea lions. Also part of Adventure Cove: Seals, Stingray Bay and Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters Village. Information: columbuszoo.org.
Hiking aid
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently unveiled DETOUR, a new app that contains a database of hundreds of trails across the state, searchable by region, difficulty, distance, and other attributes. Inventory includes: State Park trails managed by ODNR, as well as many others including those in the Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Lake Metroparks, Summit Metro Parks, and others. The trail inventory will continue to grow. Download the app for free or visit Detours.ohiodnr.gov.
“Primitive Gateways” by Jeannette Perez consists of five gateways that are connected by a circular stone path. on display at the Ohio Air Art Museum in Holmes County.
Holmes County Open Air Art Museum
The Open air art museum at the Inn at Honey Run continues to grow, now with eight installations of original artwork displayed along a 1.5-mile trail. The newest, primitive gateway from Jeannette Perez consists of a series of five gateways made from cedar logs connected by a circular path. “Our museum is a living museum with works of art that have merged with nature so that it is constantly alive, growing and changing,” says innkeeper Jason Nies. It’s free and open to the public in daylight.
Historic Sauder Village
Sauder Village, the recreated historic village in Archbold, recently opened 1920s Main Street, an interactive exhibit designed to bring out the charm of small American town a century ago. Part of Sauder’s Walk Through Time experience, the street includes a soda fountain, fire station, movie theater, candy story, and speakeasy. Information: saudervillage.org
