The 8 Best Museums in Ohio
Inspiration and entertainment await at these Ohio museums. No matter if you’re looking for guided museum tours or self-directed exploration, a visit to an outpost on the Underground Railroad or a walk through a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, Ohio museums offer it all.
Tour this house-turned-museum designed by America’s most influential modern architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. The Westcott House is the only Wright-designed Prairie style home in Ohio and masterfully reflects his unique approach to design. Plan to linger over the exquisite architectural details like hand-decorated walls and the original art glass skylight. And don’t miss the unique pergola that connects a detached garage to the main home, a Prairie Style element found in only a few other Wright-designed houses.
This is no average rock collection. This nationally recognized visionary art environment comprises more than 200 fascinating sculptures and objects hand-built between 1932 and 1944 by artist Ben Hartman. Take note of his skilled use of diverse materials — everything from concrete, metal and glass to stone and wood.
With an architectural design inspired by Renaissance palazzos and a hilltop location overlooking downtown Dayton, the Dayton Art Institute is a masterpiece in and of itself. The 27,000-item collection includes household names such as Rembrandt and Chihuly, as well as one of the country’s premier Asian art collections. Don’t miss a stroll through the two open-air cloisters on the upper level.
Black abolitionists George and Sarah Gammon owned this 1850s-era building, using it as an important stop on the Underground Railroad by adding secret passages to the attic and creating tunnels in the basement. The Gammon House is one of only three existing Underground Railroad stops in Ohio owned by free people of color.
Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westcott House
As the only art museum in the state affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute, the Springfield Museum of Art is one of the best museums in Ohio. Eight galleries boast rotating exhibits of contemporary artists and a permanent collection of American Art from the 1700s to today.
Stroll through the galleries of this large museum to learn about America’s Heartland and its relationship to the larger national history. Spanning an entire block and housed in the historic 1890 City Building & Market, the Heritage Center Museum is one of Ohio’s hidden treasures.
View an array of works by Ohio natives, including the wood carver Elijah Pierce, mixed media artist Aminah Robinson and the realist painter George Bellows. With the museum’s playful, participatory Wonder Room and the delightful Schokko Café, you’ll want to spend a full morning or afternoon at the Columbus Museum of Art.
See nearly 400 aerospace vehicles, many of them rare, in this one-of-a-kind Ohio museum. Wander exhibit halls featuring space shuttles and World War II aircraft. See thousands of historical items such as missiles, satellites and Medals of Honor. Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world.
85 South Greenmount Ave.
Springfield, OH 45505