Ohio Village to close for two years for renovations
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – This summer will be residents' last chance to visit Ohio Village in its current form before an “ambitious” and “comprehensive” renovation will close the history museum for two years.
The Ohio History Connection launched a renovation project called “Campus 2.OH” to enhance and expand its spaces. After the Ohio State Fair ends on Aug. 4, Ohio Village, located at 800 E. 17th Ave., will close until 2026 with a “new and improved” experience.
“When Ohio Village is closed temporarily for construction through early 2026, we’ll still have Signature Events, and plans for them are underway,” Executive Director and CEO Megan Wood said. “We can’t wait to let our members and visitors know more about these, and we are planning Ohio Village-related hard-hat tours and forum opportunities for Ohio History Connection members and other stakeholders.”
The project will include the addition of a nature-based play space, a reimagined town center, new experiences for visitors, expanded food and beverage offerings, as well as infrastructure and safety improvements.
Additionally, the Collections Care Center, built on the northeast part of the Ohio History Center campus to house thousands of historical items, is slated to open in June.
There is still time to visit Ohio Village before it closes this summer – on July 27, Ohio Village will celebrate its 50th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featured programs will include live music from American Musical Productions, an array of local artisans and Vaudeville, a genre of theater, performances.
“We are excited about this ongoing work on the Columbus campus, and we look forward to sharing the results with all Ohioans,” Ohio History Connection's Manager of Media and Public Relations Neil Thompson said. “But first, we will celebrate another opening for Ohio Village and embark on the next 50 years of telling Ohio’s history there. We hope our visitors and members will gain a better understanding of the changes in store as they also experience the same feelings of joy and wonder a late-19th-century exposition event would bring to an Ohio town.”
Ohio Village is a living history museum operated by the nonprofit the Ohio History Connection. The village, intended to provide a firsthand look at a 19th-century community, opened on July 27, 1974.