St. Marys Memorial Park
No Admission

The Belle of St. Marys, a full scale replica of a packet canal boat measures 76 feet long and 14 feet wide and rests on the waters of the Miami-Erie Canal in Memorial Park. Built by local craftsmen, "The Belle" can be visited at any time.

Visitors Center
22 Water Street, New Bremen
For additional information, call 419-733-6451
www.meccainc.org

The Miami and Erie Canal, traversing 249 miles from Cincinnati to Toledo, was begun on July 25, 1825 near Middletown. It was built in sections until completed in 1845. Most of the work was done by Irish, French and German immigrants, who labored for 31 cents a day and a jigger of whiskey. They manually moved trees, rocks and soil to create the "big ditch" though the wilderness. Structures on the canal included 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, 103 lift locks, three major reservoirs, and "Deep Cut" that was 6,600 feet long and 52-feet deep. The Miami and Erie Canal Heritage Corridor extends from Delphos in Van Wert County south to Piqua in Miami County.  The Miami and Erie Canal Heritage Corridor Visitors Center is located at Lock One in New Bremen, Ohio.

The 11-mile Simon Kenton Trail connects Urbana and Champaign County to Ohio’s network of multi-use trails. The trail starts at the Champaign Family YMCA, near the Champaign County Library, passes the Urbana City Schools athletic complex, loops around the city’s Melvin Miller Park, continues through the city to the restored Urbana Station Depot and Depot Coffee House and near the historic downtown shopping and dining district, continues past Urbana University and the Johnny Appleseed Museum, and goes south out of town, past Cedar Bog Nature Preserve and on to County Line Road, where it continues through Clark County before connecting to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which ends near Cincinnati. Extension of the trail to the city’s northern corporation limit near Grimes Field airport is nearly complete, with plans to continue on to Bellefontaine.

www.simonkentonpathfinders.org

Located outside DeGraff, just off State Route 235.
937-585-9456
www.shadybowl.com

Saturday nights during the racing season mean fast-paced fun at Shady Bowl Speedway. NASCAR enthusiasts will enjoy an evening at the "World's Fastest 3/10 Mile Asphalt Oval" watching some of today's finest drivers, and the champions of tomorrow. Enjoy an evening of high-torqued entertainment. Gates open at 5 p.m., parking available.

501 E. Main Street
Bradford, OH 45308
937-448-2912
www.BradfordRRMuseum.com

The roar of trains heralded the booming of Bradford.   Proud of their rail history, they even named their football team after the men who built the town.  The Tower is located at 501 East Main Street and the museum displays the collection of artifacts at the exhibit hall at 200 N. Miami.  The tower is a landmark in Bradford and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Open: April - December on Saturday 10am- 1 pm and Sunday 1pm - 4 pm.

Johnston Farm & Indian Agency
9845 North Hardin Road
Piqua, OH 45356
1-800-752-2619
www.JohnstonFarmOhio.com

Following the War of 1812, Ohio saw a movement to improve internal transportation. Road building began in earnest at this time, however; a way to move large quantities of goods, mainly farm produce, quickly and cheaply, was of primary concern. . In 1825, after the completion by New York of the Erie Canal, Ohio broke ground for her own canals.

To oversee the construction of this new transportation system, a seven member Canal Commission was appointed. John Johnston was one of the seven named to this Board. Through his work not only was the Ohio-Erie Canal constructed through central Ohio, but also the Miami-Erie Canal became a part of the landscape of western Ohio. 

The canals of Ohio did exactly what they were built to do: farmers could, by 1845, ship goods to markets more cheaply; items came to areas such as Piqua at a much lower cost; businesses grew along the canals; economic prosperity brought more people to western Ohio. Thanks in large part to the efforts of John Johnston, Piqua and Miami County now had an outlet to the world.

The Johnston Farm & Indian Agency is proud to own and operate one of Ohio's working canal boats still drawn, as it was nearly two centuries ago, by a team of mules.  Guests may enjoy a ride aboard the General Harrison of Piqua, a replica 70-foot-long canal boat often used for transportation of passengers and cargo in the 19th century. Costumed guides direct the mule-drawn boat to provide an authentic and memorable experience for all.

125 E. Water St
Piqua, OH 45356
Piqua Parks & Recreation for more information – 937-778-2085

Lock Nine Riverfront Park is a 1 acre scenic observation point of the former levee lock and Great Miami River.  It has park benches and also offers memorial plaques dedicated to the history of Piqua.

13929 State Route 118
New Weston, Ohio 45348
Ph: 937-338-3815
www.eldoraspeedway.com

Eldora Speedway, also known as The 'Big E' and Auto Racing's Showcase since 1954, is located near Ross, Ohio. Eldor is a half-mile clay oval with an estimated seating capacity of nearly 20,000.

419 West Pike Street
Jackson Center, Ohio 45334
Ph: 937-596-6111
http://www.airstream.com/company/plant-tours/

Airstream began with a single man having a single dream.  The man was Wally Byam: his dream, to build the perfect travel trailer… One that would move like a stream of air.  One light enough to be towed by a standard automobile.  One that would provide first-class living accommodations anywhere in the world.  Airstream’s philosophy has always been and will always be, “Let’s not make any changes — let’s make only improvements!”  This is as true of today’s models as it was of the first Airstream to see the light of the open road more than 80 years ago.  Free, 2-hour guided walking tours are offered each weekday beginning at 2 p.m. in the Airstream Customer Service Center.  Large groups are encouraged to call in advance for reservations.

A twenty-six mile section of the first paved coast-to-coast highway in the United States travels through the heart of Van Wert County.  This 3,000 mile “Main Street Across America”, constructed in 1913, stretched from Tomes Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, California.  These has been much renewed interested in traveling this historic roadway in recent years. 

A self-guided driving guide is available by contacting the Van Wert Area CVB at 419.238.3978 or 877.989.2282

This folklore museum features exhibits on canals (and the Miami-Erie Canal in particular) and canal boat history, as well as artifacts from life in Delphos, Ohio from 1851 on. The museum also includes a 1902 Sears Buggy Roadster, antique tools and manufacturing equipment along with many other displays depicting the history of business, industry, schools, churches, events, homes and more. Exhibits include the only preserved canal boat in Ohio.

The museum is located at 241 N. Main Street in Delphos, Ohio.  Visit their website at www.delphoscanalcommission.com for more information.