The Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum, in historic Bailey Hall of Urbana University, separates fact from fiction about a legendary American: John Chapman—better known as Johnny Appleseed. The largest known collection of Johnny Appleseed documents and memorabilia, the museum features a cider press (circa 1850) used by Urbana University founder John James to process apples from trees planted in Champaign County by Johnny Appleseed, wood and bark from trees planted by Johnny in Ohio and Indiana and numerous publications about his life and legend. Trees started as seedlings from the last-known surviving apple tree planted by Johnny Appleseed grow outside the museum.

For more information, call 937-484-1303 and visit www.urbana.edu/index.php/alumni_and_friends/appleseed_society/museum/
The university is located at 579 College Way, Urbana.

Take off to Grimes Field airport in Urbana, 1636 N. Main St. (937-652-4319), to discover local aviation history. The airport, a part of the National Aviation Heritage Area (www.aviationheritagearea.org), was given to the city in 1943 by Warren G. Grimes, known as the Father of the Aircraft Lighting Industry and founder of Grimes Manufacturing of Urbana. His many inventions include the familiar red, green, and white navigation lights on the wing tips and tails of aircraft, which make air travel safer. The Grimes Flying Lab Foundation Museum at the airport displays memorabilia from his life and company and features the fully restored Grimes Flying Lab, a Beech 18 that was used to test Grimes’ innovations in flight. The airport also is home to the Champaign Aviation Museum, where you can see World War II aircraft, including the ongoing reconstruction of a B-17 Flying Fortress, the Champaign Lady. In addition, the airport hosts fly-ins and special events, including the Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-in, one of the country’s leading gatherings of experimental aircraft, held the second weekend of September.

For more information, visit
www.champaignaviationmuseum.org
www.grimesflyinglab.org
www.aviationheritagearea.org

Ft. Recovery is the site of two of the most dramatic Indian battles in American history: the devastating defeat of General Arthur St. Clair in 1791, and the successful defense of the fort by General “Mad” Anthony Wayne in 1794. The Fort Recovery State Museum contains two reconstructed blockhouses, a connecting stockade and many exhibits depicting the Indian wars of the 1790’s. The museum gallery displays one of the largest collections of Indian artifacts in the state of Ohio. An 1840 log cabin and blacksmith shop are also nearby.

Contact the Auglaize & Mercer Counties CVB 800-860-4726,
www.seemore.org; or www.fortrecovery.org

The National Marian Shrine of the Holy Relics was founded in 1875 when Fr. J.M. Gartner entrusted his collection of relics to the Sisters of the Precious Blood at Maria Stein. A beautiful chapel built in 1892 houses the collection, with over 1000 relics on display, representing the second largest collection of its type in the United States. The Shrine was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Beautiful stained-glass windows imported from Germany and hand-carved woodwork also adorn the Relic Chapel.  The unique Maria Stein Heritage Museum is located here, and the St. Charles Center is close by.  St. Augustine Church - the “mother church” of the area - is in Minster. Maria Stein is located along the “Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches” Ohio Scenic Byway.

Please contact the Auglaize & Mercer Counties CVB 800-860-4726, www.seemore.org

Located on 250 acres, the Piqua Historical Area contains the most comprehensive museum on the Woodland Indians, mule-drawn canal boat rides along a restored section of the Miami and Erie Canal, tours of the restored 1815 farmstead and many special events and activities for history buffs and weekend adventurers alike. Piqua is the beginning of the “Miami and Erie Canal” Ohio Scenic Byway. Not far from Piqua, in Lockington, the Miami and Erie Canal Locks are the most extensive and spectacular series of structures which existed on the canal. 

Contact the Miami County VCB 800-348-8993, www.visitmiamicounty.org; www.ohiohistory.org/places/piqua.

The Ross Historical Center is owned and operated by the Shelby County Historical Society in Sidney.  The Center is only a couple of blocks south of the Miami and Erie Canal feeder and was once home to Mr. William Haslup, a local industrialist, who owned and operated the Sidney Steel Scraper Co.

Contact Sidney Visitors Bureau 866-892-9122, www.visitsidneyshelby.com; www.shelbycountyhistory.org.

The Armstrong Air & Space Museum was opened in 1972 by the Ohio Historical Society and named in honor of Wapakoneta native astronaut Neil Armstrong. The museum chronicles many Ohioans’ contributions to the history of flight and new horizons in space travel including the space shuttle program and the International Space Station. The museum’s Astro Theater presents the sights and sounds of space. Recent renovations include the addition of interactive exhibits with a space shuttle landing simulator and a lunar lander. 

Contact the Auglaize & Mercer CVB 800-860-4726, www.seemore.org; www.ohiohistory.org/places/armstron/

The Bicycle Museum of America, dedicated to the history of bicycling, opened in 1997 in downtown New Bremen. Featuring over 300 vintage bicycles, the collection includes over 150 Schwinn Bicycles from the former Chicago Museum. Named one of the “Top 100 Places to Visit in the U.S.” by Travel Magazine. New items are always being added to the collection.

Contact the Auglaize & Mercer Counties CVB 800-860-4726, www.seemore.org; www.bicyclemuseum.com

The Piatt Castles near Bellefontaine are unique structures and have become a private, family-owned museum that interprets over 200 years of history of the Ohio land and Ohio people. Castle Mac-A-Cheek, a Norman-French style chateau (c. 1864) was built by Civil War Gen. A. S. Piatt.  Castle Mac-O-Chee, a Flemish-style castle (c. 1879) was built as a retirement home for Col. Donn Piatt, a soldier, statesman, and poet.  These two magnificent limestone homes are beautifully furnished.  Also on display are a war relics collection, and Indian artifacts collection, and a European/Asian antique collection.

Contact  Logan County Visitors Bureau 888-564-2626, www.logancountyohio.com; www.piattcastles.org.

Between 1919 and 1946, The WACO Aircraft Co. produced various models of open-cockpit and cabin biplanes, plus combat gliders for WWII.  The WACO Historical Society has organized to preserve the history of the company and its airplanes. Visit the WACO Museum and Historic WACO Field in Troy, Ohio.

Contact the Miami County VCB 800-348-8993, www.visitmiamicounty.org;  www.wacoairmuseum.org.

Owned and operated by the Darke County Historical Society, the Annie Oakley Center and Garst Museum in Greenville offer a docent-lead tour of the six buildings that make up Darke County’s one and only museum.  Learn about the Treaty of GreeneVille which opened the Northwest Territory to development. Explore the fascinating life of world-traveler Lowell Thomas through his personal video journals. View personal artifacts from the life of Annie Oakley and learn about her desires to teach women to shoot a gun and go to college.

For more information, contact the Darke County Visitors Bureau 800-504-2995, www.discoverourlegends.com.

Discover this beautiful, historic mill along picturesque Greenville Creek. Built in 1849, Bear’s Mill is one of the last operating water-powered mills in Ohio. Visit the mill to hear stories of its long, rich history, such as how school children dug the 800 foot millrace by hand for only 50 cents a day... or how the Mill’s second owner only kept the mill in operation for a couple of years because of the threat of Confederate soldiers invading the state and burning the mill. Minimum of 20 people per group. Contract, deposit and fees are required. Each guest will receive a Bear’s Mill product with recipe; a cup of hot, gourmet coffee along with a homemade cookie. Other options are available.

For more information, please visit www.BearsMill.com or phone 937.548.5112; email: bearsmill@embarqmail.com; or contact the Darke County Visitors Bureau 800.504.2995, www.discoverourlegends.com