Ohio’s attic is spectacular. The Ohio History Center in Columbus gathers the state’s memory in one bold brutalist landmark: a mastodon’s neighbors from the Ice Age, the world’s finest collection of Ohio-made wooden “dummy board” figures, a real 1940s Lustron steel house, and galleries that run from ancient earthworks to the Space Age.
Signature exhibits include “Ohio: Champion of Sports,” the moving “Soldiers’ Stories,” and treasures from the Hopewell earthworks — now a UNESCO World Heritage site — that stood in Ohio 2,000 years ago. The museum also stewards the official state archives and library.
Outside, its grounds connect to the Ohio Village living-history town (seasonal) for a full day of time travel.
Every state should keep its story this well. Ohio’s address is I-71, exit and awe.
