This is a cute little museum featuring exhibits, shows, and interactive stations related to…read morescience, history, technology, and more. There is a very nice little planetarium (the Scidome), and viewing a show is included in the price of admission. We saw "From Earth to the Universe," which provided a crash course on astronomy throughout history and a look at our galaxy and the universe. The first floor of the space features a lot of interactive and hands-on activities, such as building a circuit, learning about your body, building and racing cars from objects like Legos, plus a 6-and-under play area. The hot shop is also located in this area, and it was very interesting to watch them work with the hot glass (and a very pleasant space to be in on such a cold day!) Upstairs is a wealth of local and regional historical information for Newark and Licking County and its citizens and discoveries. A giant mastadon skull greets you as you come up the stairs, as the Burning Tree Mastadon was found in the county. The Jerrie Mock exhibit, complete with a flight simulator and a replica of her airplane, the Spirit of Columbus, was extremely popular with the kids. (Jerrie Mock, a Newark native, was the first woman to fly solo around the world). A little historic village, complete with cash registers, scales, and games is also available to walk through on this level. Given the weather, we didn't spend as much time out in the courtyard as we probably would have otherwise, but we definitely made it over to the building housing the interurban railway car, the back end of which you can walk in and look around the interior of. There's also a really well done mural on the topic out by the parking lot. Staff was friendly and welcoming, and the museum was clean and comfortable. There is plentiful parking outside. A small gift shop, including items made in the hot shop, is available near the entrance.

My niece loves to go to another children's museum in a nearby city. Unfortunately, it's a little…read morepricey for what it has to offer beyond your 1st visit & there is very little for adults to interact with & engage. We recently went to Cosi 1 weekend instead. The Works is hands down a better experience than the other children's museum. This is now her favorite of the 3 places we've been. Unfortunately, the glass blowing was closed for routine maintenance & we have plans to return when open again. The bottom floor houses the small planetarium & hands on exhibits & play areas for kids & upstairs is more informative displays of the local area, the Works history & a brief technology over view. I've heard there's a café associated with the museum across the outdoor area but we didn't look into that the day we were there. 10/10 recommend a visit if you're in the area & looking for something new, fun & educational for kids to do.

I enjoyed the hike today, taking in the fall colors and crisp autumn air. The trails are…read morewell-marked and easy to navigate with good footwear. There is a pond and a unique play area for kids (unlike the boring "jungle gym style playground). A lot of tree and nature identification plaques, and benches to sit for a spell and experience nature.

Have been here twice with family and enjoyed both experiences greatly. The staff is friendly and…read morehelpful and the area is beautiful. The trail around the lake is pretty and offers fun looks at the geese and ducks on the lake as well as the other local animals that might cross your path. The observation tower gives amazing views of the area to enjoy and the main building offers very interesting educational displays and activities. I'm also very fond of their indoor bird watching area. A great place to spend some time with nature. Highly recommended.

I am a self-proclaimed presidential history nerd visiting from Texas. I've read a biography on…read moreevery president in order through Truman, and my bucket list includes visiting where each was born and their final resting places. Of course, I also make it a point to visit presidential libraries, national historic sites, etc. I've visited dozens of locations across multiple states. This museum is obviously not your "typical" presidential library (part of the national archive system), but still extremely impressive. It centers more on Stark County and its history defined by its people combined with a "hands on" science center downstairs for kids. Janet at the front told me it was because McKinley loved children and science. Listen, like I said above... I've been to dozens of presidential sites and this by far is top five most impressive! Not because of the presidential stuff...I'm talking about the museum in general. I was encouraged to see the exhibit on the segregation "that built Stark County's black community". It's nice to see these issues front and center. The exhibit honored black educators, public servants, and other important community members. The history of "red lining" was particularly informative. Even though the McKinley gallery is somewhat small...there are impressive pieces throughout. Like a rocking chair from his front porch... Including a photo of him sitting in it, a 32 caliber revolver identical to the one used to assassinate the president, a lot of campaign and inauguration memorabilia, and McKinley's top hat and cane were some of the more goosebump inducing pieces Don't miss the cool story about Ida McKinley's diamond tiara having been sold on the TV show pawn stars, But more than 400 individuals and groups donated to purchase it back. And, don't get me started on the street of shops from the 1800s. It's probably the most impressive exhibit I have seen in ANY museum in my lifetime. Every time I visit a presidential history site... I am overwhelmed with gratitude for people like staff and volunteers at these museums. I'm grateful to all who had the foresight to preserve and maintain our history. If I'm ever in Canton again... My family will definitely visit.

A disappointing experience at this museum which bills itself as the McKinley presidential library…read moreand museum. It is neither. It is a kids' modest science center with a big dose of history about the local county. I guess it's possible they have his papers somewhere but approximately 5 percent of the public museum is about him. I hate to be negative about museums but I was truly shocked. It costs $17 to get in which makes me think that hey are struggling but who knows. Worst presidential site I have been to. Go to the Garfield site- much better. (They do have a nice fake dinosaur.)

This museum is tucked away in a small Ohio town. The exhibits are world class. The Oriental and…read moreNative American galleries are my favorites. The Newark Holy Stones were a surprise display that I didn't expect. This is a must see when visiting Roscoe Village or the Coshocton area.

What a great afternoon we had exploring this neat museum in Historic Roscoe Village. It's not…read morelarge, but we still spent nearly three hours exploring every nook and cranny. The lone staffer was extremely friendly, and when we asked about a particular display, she checked and got back to us with detailed information. There are three permanent displays, American Indian, Pioneer Ohio and Oriental. Apparently the majority of the collection was a bequest by the local Johnson brothers and consisted of over 14,000 items. there were also two additional displays, a WWI traveling display and a room filled with local beer advertising memorabilia. Really appreciated the identifying signs and additional information which put the exhibits in context. Lots to see and learn here. Love these little museums...and this one was exceptional!

Who knew about this hidden secret -yeah, about that - I found it really tricky to find & don't know…read moreif I could find my way back. So maybe drop some breadcrumbs because it is worth revisiting. I took my boyfriend here for a surprise date & it really delivered. We learned so much about the stars, planets, constellations & the solar system while attending the "Voyage Through the Solar System" which is a live show presented by OSU astronomers. The presentation lasts approximately 40 minutes and leaves the remainder of the hour for some Q & A with the audience. The show takes place in a 63-seat 30-foot dome theater with a state-of-the-art XD digital projection system giving exquisite views of the night sky and takes you on digital journeys to the planets, stars, and distant galaxies. Our astronomer gave us really interesting information in a fun & engaging way that held the attention of all. Tickets are free, but go fast!

What a find! Due to boredom, a needed break from movie night, and the discovery of the Eventbrite…read moreapp, I'm here! I'm not a "sciency" type of person, nor is my family. I sincerely went with low expectations. I was completely wrong! What a wonderful nostalgic, visit to my childhood! I'd completely forgotten the amazement planetariums create. Although the location was difficult to find in the dark, with the help of some OSU students, we finally made it. There is no visible sign or address on the building from the street view. There is also no off street parking. Luckily the OSU parking garage is within a short two block walk. I'm also not sure if the building is handicap accessible. I'm thinking that it has to be? Due to our search for the location and street parking, we were a few minutes late. The room was packed and we had to sit in the front row. I recommend you don't do this. Although the chairs are comfortable and recline, you'll have a better experience and view if you're seated towards the middle. Our guide was exceptional! He was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and passionate about his field. It made it a great experience! The clarity and details in the presentation were great. The audience ranged from young to senior citizens and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves. There were a multitude of questions and all of them were eagerly answered. You were made to feel comfortable with the attitude of "there are no stupid questions". It was truly a learning experience with the incorporation of very recent discoveries in space. I'll definitely be back and strongly recommend this as an outing for any age. There are a few different presentations, they're usually about an hour long, along with the question and answer session. I discovered this on Eventbrite, I'm not sure if the planetarium has a website with a calendar. It's definitely worth checking out!

It's been years since my last visit to Perkins Observatory back in my childhood. During our recent…read moretour, we were enlightened with a fascinating lecture on Jupiter and Saturn. Despite the disappointing overcast weather which hindered telescope viewing, we enjoyed the numerous educational displays and space facts scattered across the ground floor and basement. The historical charm of the building dating back to the 1920s adds an extra layer of allure to the visit - a worthwhile trip just 20 miles to the north of Columbus!

Lots of great museum exhibits…read more Telescope viewing was underwhelming, both outdoors (thank you to the generous volunteers who let us see through their telescopes) and upstairs through the 32" lens. We viewed Saturn both outdoors on the lawn and upstairs through the big telescope. I was surprised how small Saturn looked through even the big telescope. Oh well. Makes you appreciate the Hubble telescope photos as well as close-ups taken be fly-by missions. I enjoyed seeing the 4 Galilean moons for the first time, but was surprised how tiny Jupiter looked through the telescope on the lawn with the Dobsonian mount. Wasn't much bigger than what I see with my naked eye. But, of course, I can't see those moons without the telescope. My favorite part of the visit was viewing the many artifacts, posters, atlases and astronomy books while waiting for the telescope viewing to begin

Location: 100 Reformatory Rd, Mansfield Ohio…read more Outstanding visit and incredible tour experience. Special thanks to our tour guide, David - he made 90 minutes fly by, great knowledge of the history and filmography of the location. We had a blast and learned so much. My biggest tip is plan to take a guided tour. There is a self-guided option, but the staff here are skilled and will make your visit remarkable.

My husband and I got our tickets online. We were excited to get to see the prison. We came from MI…read moreand we didn't get see most of the stuff we paid for wish we had known that ahead of time. There's nothing else to do in Mansfield really so we seen what 25 minutes of we paid $22(each perso)for I guess and drove back home. The lady at the gift shop was friendly tho. Bummed out we drove all that way and pd what we paid to see 20-25 minutes of the tour(self tour)

We live in Pittsburgh, but love going to Columbus to visit its many family-friendly experiences…read more The Cosi is always on our list. Each of the attractions are so engaging and unique from one another. I love the town of Progress and the water play area with Poseidon. We ate at the cafeteria on our last visit and the food was better than expected. It's much better to go when it's not crowded as it can be a bit overwhelming when it's busy.

Great day for the kids. Pretty interesting for adults, too. The permanent exhibits are fascinating,…read moreand they have some rotating exhibits included with general admission. It's irritating that the special exhibits have extra entry fees, but I guess that's how things are these days. Everything has an upcharge. The food in the cafe tastes good, is overpriced, and is unforgivably stingy. The chicken salad sandwich would probably be good if they actually put chicken salad in it, and for the price, they damn well should. The exhibits are dusty and could use a cleaning. This, to me, was ridiculous, and took away from the experience. The kids probably didn't care, but when you're a parent throwing money at a place, hand over fist, you at least would like it clean. Good lord, the gift shop... handfuls of target and dollar store crap your kids will bawl their eyes out for. Be prepared. You've seen everything there at half the price.

I have know this place for more than 75 or so years. It is always amazing! Mooney was an extremely…read moretalented man! And very pleasant. I remember him on a Sunday afternoon, sitting on his chair under the big old shade tree on the front lawn. He always greeted. He'd reach not his pocket and pull out a little block of wood and his knife. With 3 or four cuts, he made a pliers and gave it to me. Ive broken them and lost them over the years. I was skyways impressed with his train collection! All hand carved. Absolutely beautiful. Abd the button house! Amazing! I still hope to get back there some day.

I first visited the Warthern Museum over 30 years ago and have been back several times. Recently…read morewe had out-of-town relatives visiting and were looking for something to do. So, a trip to Amish country and then a side trip to the Warther Museum was the ticket. Earnest Warther was a master carver and he carved a wide array of amazing carvings - mostly of trains. The detail in his carvings is incredible. Warther was sel-taught and he actually made some of his own knives because he could not find what he needed in the stores. His craving and craftmanship is amazing. This is a MUST-SEE attraction in the Dover/New Philadelpha area. Allow at least 2 hours (longer if you have time) to thoroughly enjoy this museum.