I was excited to visit Ohio Village after reading about it in my latest issue of Ohio Magazine. It was a gorgeous, summer afternoon filled with blue skies and after a ten minute drive from home, I approached the gate house and quickly entered to park.
I immediately learned that there was a special event taking place, celebrating the 150th birthday of Beatrix Potter. I couldn’t resist revisiting my childhood and hoped for a glimpse of Peter Rabbit.
I received a booklet providing me with a schedule of events that would take place at each of the historical buildings as well as the characters that would be assigned to each site. Taking my ticket, I looked further through the booklet which included a map and puzzles.
Ohio Village opened its doors in 1974 as an Ohio settlement during the Civil War.
The buildings are a representation of life in Ohio during the 1890s. I began my tour at the schoolhouse where a teacher, standing in front of a large chalk board, was reading nursery rhymes to a large audience of children. Children sat quietly at antique school desks politely listening and recited some of the stories that they knew by memory.
Across the street from the school is the Burton House on Main Street. Depicting the Ohio way of life in the late 1800s, this beautiful home was built in the Greek Revival style. Many Ohioans, arriving from the Northeast, built homes in the same manner as the homes they left. Known as Upwright and Wing, it is very similar to Greek architecture including its columns, pediments and pilasters. They chose this style of home as it represented the country of Greece, the founder of democracy.
Today the home was transformed into the home of the Gingerbread Man. The baker and his wife were seated at a table on the first floor asking for the children to help them find their son, the Gingerbread Man. They explained to the children how he escaped from the home, all they while making gingerbread cookies. It was fun to watch the children interact with the story and help make yummy treats.
Before reaching Murphy’s Lodging Home, the Princess from Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” stood outside wearing her beautiful purple dress. A line of children waited to have their photos taken with her so I quickly stepped inside of the Barrington Bicycles shop. 
The two-story Barrymore Funeral Parlor was one of the last structures on Ohio Village’s Main Street. A very interesting structure, the Parlor has “clapboard siding with corner boards, six-over-six windows, six panel doors and a standing-seam metal roof.”
For the festivities, the funeral parlor represents the home of the Evil Queen in the story of Snow White. The Evil Queen, seated inside is facing her large, magical mirror. Holding a red apple, the Queen asks of her Magic Mirror, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who is the fairest of them all?” When the Magic Mirror responds by telling the Evil Queen that Snow White is the fairest, she enlists the help of the children to find Snow White and offer her the apple. The children were too smart for the queen and would not help. The look on their faces was priceless.
The Old Woman in the Shoe was my next stop. While she sat inside of the Taylor House, her “children” were outside doing their chores. She explained to those who entered that some of her children were misbehaving and had run away. She told us to look for children that did not have any parents because they were probably hers and that we should bring them back to her as soon as possible.
According to the Ohio Village, the Taylor House was one of the earliest homes built on the site with a “simple door and transom window, six-panel door, a six-over-six window, lapped siding and a wood shingle roof.” It was designed in the style of a saltbox house with two stories having a pitched roof with unequal sides, the rear long and low compared to the front.
Outside the Taylor House, sitting down with her puppet goose, was Mother Goose telling stories to the children. While some were resting on blankets reading books to her, others were playing with her stuffed goose. It was precious to see the children’s faces light up as they showed off their reading skills and I stayed for a while to enjoy their excitement.
I passed the Freight & Livery building where children were planting bean stalks and found the Village Church. Inside there were representatives from Columbus Speech and Hearing who were offering free hearing tests. The church was absolutely elegant with its stained glass windows and is available to rent for weddings and special events.
The nearby Schmidt House was also one of the earlier structures at The Village. At the time it was built, it would have had a large fireplace for cooking. These fireplaces were replaced with cast-iron stoves by the mid-1800s.
For the Potter celebration, the Schmidt House was invaded by the Wolf of Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red herself greeted us in the adjoining room of her grandmother’s house and encouraged us to visit her as she lay in bed. I enjoyed hearing the children’s laughter as soon as they caught sight of Red Riding Hood’s hairy grandmother. Of course we all know how THAT story goes.
Just around the corner from the Schmidt House was a pen with little chickens, a goat and some rabbits. A calf and a baby alpaca were in another pen just a few feet away. There was a small pony tied up nearby and a cute little pygmy goat that visitors could pet and photograph.
A small detour led me down a side street with a few more buildings which included the H&P Women’s Study Club. Inside, there was a booth promoting autism awareness. The photographer’s building next door allowed children the opportunity to play dress up and have their photograph taken in an assortment of costumes.
The H&P is described by Ohio Village as a “brick building with stone lintels with stepped bagles, a standing-seam metal roof and flat-topped six-over-six windows.”
Representing the architectural styles from Italy include both the American House Hotel and Tavern as well as the Emporium. Based on the simple Italian country houses and elegant palaces, this style of buildings were the fashion for the periods between 1840 and 1880. Many of the structures from this period still remain in Ohio today exhibited in many downtown storefronts. Their features include “tall, narrow windows that are flat-topped, round-arched or segmental-arched” (similar to an arc). The roof is a hipped roof having a very wide overhang. “The room atop the American House is called a cupola or belvedere, another Italianate feature, though not every Italianate building has one.”
I entered the lower level to explore the lobby, dining room and administrative offices. Upon entering was a room set up as an office or hotel check in offering telephone and telegraphy services. As I exited, I noticed Rapunzel, leaning out of the second story, letting down her golden hair.
I realized it had been a couple of hours since I had arrived and as the noonday sun was heating up, I stopped at P. Wylie’s Emporium for something to drink. I loved looking through all of the vintage drinks and selected a grape soda. In addition to other snacks and drinks, the store sold gifts made in Ohio as well as bottles of wine from the Buckeye state.
Also built in the Italianate style, the Emporium was built very much like the American House Hotel with a few minor differences. At the top of its windows are cornices, very wide bands, just below the roof with scrolled brackets.
It was the perfect day for exploring the Ohio Village and I decided to return at a later date to visit the Ohio History Center. While I didn’t meet Potter’s famous Peter Rabbit, I couldn’t resist a few moments with the Berenstein Bears. First introduced in 1962. these bears were popular when I was growing up. In later years I would also read their stories to my younger brother and sister. The Bears, along with the children who attended the park, reminded me of all the happy moments that I had in my childhood. Many thanks to you as well Beatrix Potter.
Have you had the opportunity to visit Ohio Village? Did it coincide with the Storybook Village celebration? I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a comment below! Many Thanks and Happy Travels!
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What to See and What to Do:
The Ohio Village
800 E 17th Street
Columbus, Ohio 43221
Telephone: 800 686 6124
- Admission Fee: Admission for adults is $12, for youth $6 (ages 4 – 12) and children 3 and under are free.
- Hours: Ohio Village is open seasonally and is closed during the winter months with the exception of special events such as Halloween and Christmas celebrations. During the summer, the Village is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM
- Amenities: store, restrooms, historical buildings, chapel
- Length of Visit: 1 – 2 hours
- Tips for Your Visit: This a great place to bring children as it provides a great historical education of the 1800s. Country Living Magazine hosts an annual fair here, which is fantastic.
Where to Stay:
Comfort Suites
1690 Clara Street
I-71, Exit 111
Columbus, OH 43211
Telephone: 614 586 1001
Where to Eat:
Schmidt’s Sausage Haus und Restaurant
240 E. Kossuth Street
Columbus, OH 43206
Telephone: 614 444 6808
In addition to ordering the German Autobahn Buffet (which includes their amazing Jumbo Cream Puffs!), I couldn’t resist placing an order for the Schmidt’s Famous Pretzel Nuggets and of course, I had to include the beer cheese.
Here are more of my favorite Columbus Classics:
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream: Known for her unique flavor combinations, Jeni Britton Bauer has made ice cream famous in C-Bus!
- North Market: A one-stop shop for universal cuisine, Columbus’ North Market is worth a stop in the Short North District of the city.
- The Thurman Cafe: The Thurmanator is the burger of all burgers at this longtime local cafe in German Village. There may be a wait all burgers are made to order.
What to Read:
- Columbus: The Story of a City, by Ed Lentz
- Columbus, Ohio: A Photographic Portrait, by Randall L Schieber and Robin Smith
- Ohio in Photographs: A Portrait of the Buckeye State, by Ian Adams
- Secret Columbus, by Anietra Hamper
Photo Guide for Columbus:
- Coffman Park: small ponds, bridges, white barn, pavilion, landscaping, public art
- Columbus Museum of Art: the grounds, inside artwork and special exhibits
- Everal Barn and Homestead: landscaping, white barn, beautiful lake
- Frank Fetch Park: gardens, brick paths, beautiful trees and landscaping
- Franklin Park Conservatory: beautiful gardens, artwork, flowers and special exhibits
- Gantz Park: barn, beautiful trees,
- German Village: brick streets, landscaping, parks, charming architecture, Old World charm, historical buildings
- Grove City: brick roads, small town, shopping area
- Hayden Falls: wooden walking path, waterfall
- Historical Village of Hilliard: a small village to include a schoolhouse, train car, chapel, log cabin, covered bridge, gazebo and granary
- Homestead Park in Hilliard: walking path, covered bridge, barns, trains, tractor, pond and pet park
- Inniswood Metro Gardens: gardens, lily pond, herb garden, play area for children, secret garden
- Ohio State House: rotunda and landscaping (photo permit required)
- Ohio State University: campus, landscaping, Mirror Lake, Ohio Stadium (you can pay a small fee to take photos inside)
- Park of Roses in Clintonville: various types of rose gardens
- Riverfront Park: city view, Scioto River, landscapes, fountains, walking paths
- Schiller Park: gardens, walking paths, stone columns, wooden bridge, small lake
- Scioto Mile: city views, Scioto River, landscapes, fountains, walking paths
- Scioto Park in Dublin: statue of Chief Leatherlips, river views, landscaping, and paths
- Short North: restaurants, italian village, shops, city views, murals
- Topiary Park: depiction of George Seurat’s 1884 painting, landscape, fountains, small pond, gazebo
Daniel the Tiger
Cinderella and her Glass Slipper