Who said there is nothing to do? NW Ohio and SE Michigan is blessed with so many things to do and see and here we highlight a few. Spend a day or take a week to discover all that there is to enjoy. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Schedel Gardens and Arboretum
Elmore’s “founding father,”Israel Harrington owned the valuable land but never developed it. The property was acquired in the late 1800’s and Joe Schedel spent several years there as a boarder. Mr. Schedel signed a 99 year lease on the house and land in the late 1920s and eventually purchased the estate outright in 1969.
The original property was significantly larger prior to construction of the Ohio Turnpike in 1955. That change, however, prompted the Schedels to create the Japanese garden in the floodplain and also construct the “Shack.” (The Schedel’s summer home adjacent to the lakes in the lowland area of the grounds.)
Not only were the Schedels proficient in landscape and horticulture, but Joe Schedel was also an award winning ornithologist. Upon oe Schedel death in 1981, Marie stopped actively maintaining the grounds, and between his passing and hers in 1989, the estate fell into a state of disrepair. Upon Marie’s death the Schedel Foundation took possession of the estate and began the task of restoring the grounds to their once grand condition. The gates opened to the public in 1991.
Regular operations begin May 1 and run through October 31, Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM and Sundays from Noon until 4:00 PM. Closed on Mondays but available for weddings and special events. Located on a bend in the Portage River, the Schedel Arboretum and Gardens is easily accessible from the Ohio Turnpike.
19255 W. Portage River,
Elmore, Ohio 43414
419-862-3182
Sauder Village
In 1934, farm boy Erie J. Sauder (1904-1997) with plenty of vision, determination and God-given mechanical ability, founded the Sauder Woodworking Company, today a world leader in ready-to-assemble furniture.
Partial to the stories of his ancestors who had been among those who settled NW Ohio’s Great Black Swamp in the mid 1830’s, in the 1970s, he had dozens of structures, built by hand a century earlier, moved from locations throughout NW Ohio to create the Sauder Village.
Today, the third generation of his family oversees the Village, which includes a 350-seat restaurant; a bakery; a campground; a 98-room country inn and an exhibit/performance center, Founder’s Hall. Experience history up close as our costumed staff leads many activities and demonstrations of daily rural life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The buildings and studios are home to several nationally recognized craftsmen working with traditional tools in both historic and modern interpretations. With daily displays of their skills, these artisans perpetuate American craftsmanship right in front of your eyes.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
22611 OH-2, Archbold, Oh 43502
1-800-590-9755
National Museum of The Great Lakes
The National Museum of The Great Lakes & Great Lakes Historical Society invites you to earn about the nautical history of the Great Lakes through interactive exhibits, hands on experiences, maritime art gallery, shipwreck artifacts, and over thirty ship models on display. Children, from ages 3 to 103, are invited to steer a 464’ freighter down the Cuyahoga River, operate a steam engine, or stand on the bridge of a Great Lakes Carrier. Come join in a journey you won’t forget.
Admission – $8
Open all year, Tue – Sat from 10 am – 5 pm and Sun from 12 pm to 5pm
(Closed major holidays)
1701 Front St. Toledo, Ohio 43605
419-214-5000
Hancock County Historical Museum
The Hancock County Historical Museum is a privately-funded, non-profit history museum founded in 1970 by five Findlay residents to collect and preserve the rich history of Hancock County. The Museum is located in the Hull-Flater House at 422 West Sandusky Street, and first opened to the public in 1971. An addition was built in 1985, serving as an exhibit center and meeting area while also housing the archives and museum collections. A barn was constructed behind the museum, currently displays exhibitions about transportation and agricultural life in Hancock County. The Crawford Log House, originally built in Biglick Township, was moved behind the barn completing the museum structures housed on Sandusky Street.
Hours: Wed-Sat – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Sunday 1 – 4 p.m.
422 Sandusky Street, Findlay, Ohio
419-423-4433
hancockhistoricalmuseum.org
Be sure to visit the
Hancock County Barn Quilt Trail
Saturday, June 20th 9am-4pm – Departs from Museum
Sponsored by the Hancock Historical Museum. $60 ($55 for Museum members). Learn more about Hancock County’s agricultural heritage and this popular folk art movement. View more than 35 barn quilts and visit some of the Hancock County’s most idyllic country settings and historic farms. Lunch and refreshments provided. Reservations must be received by June 15th by calling the meseum.
Wolcott House, Maumee
The roots of the Maumee Valley Historical Society extend back to 1864 when a group of early pioneers and entrepreneurs came together to form the Maumee Valley Pioneer Association. Their stated purpose to protect the historic artifacts of the Maumee Valley and to document the history of the early settlers for future generations.
By 1918, as many of the original members passed on, the group evolved into the Historical Society of Northwest, with the mission stated to acquire books; encourage the writing of manuscripts; deliver lectures on historical subjects; to collect objects of historical interest and provide for their preservation and exhibition and, importantly, to provide a museum to house their collections.
This last goal would be realized in 1957 when Rilla Hull, the last descendant to live in the Wolcott family home would leave the building and grounds to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with the hope that it would become a museum to honor the early settlers of the Maumee Valley. St. Paul’s lacked the resources to operate a museum. However, visionary members of the church along with the HSNO, and the local Maumee Historical Society, devised an arrangement where the church would sell the property to the City of Maumee and the two societies would merge as the Maumee Valley Historical Society to restore, interpret and manage the new Wolcott House Museum.
The house has expanded to include the operation of a six building museum complex and a broad range of educational, cultural and historical programs. Publishing an annual collection of historical reminiscences, the Society publishes the highly regarded Northwest Ohio History and each year plays host to hundreds of school children and adults who tour the buildings and are introduced to the rich history of the Maumee Valley.
Hours: Thursday – Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p..m.
Guided tours available
1035 River Rd. Maumee, Ohio 419-893-9602
McCourtie Park
This 42 acre historic estate which contains 17 sculpted cement bridges as well as three tennis courts, fenced ball diamond and a picnic area. The park is truly picturesque and includes a winding river and two ponds.
Around 1930, cement tycoon W. H. L. McCourtie hired Mexican artisans George Cardoso and Ralph Corona to construct seventeen bridges on his property. The bridges and other constructions are in the style of el trabeio rustico, the Mexican folk tradition of sculpting concrete into faux wood. The artisans built the bridges with steel rod frameworks and then sculpted concrete to “resemble planed lumber, rough logs, thatch and rope.” Two concrete trees that stand on the property are still used as chimneys.
12715 E. Chicago Rd.
Somerset Center, Michigan
517-688-9223
facebook/com/pages/McCourtie-Park
