The Athena Cinema is the 100+ year old place for movies in Athens and surrounding area. Now owned…read moreby Ohio University, it operates three screens and focuses on films that go far beyond the box office franchises to a more inclusive and artistic grounding. It features series on sustainability, on Appalachia, on mental health and the annual International Film Festival. It is also where you go to see the animated shorts or international films nominated for an Oscar. They offer the usual suspects of popcorn, soda, and candy but also local beers. It is also a great source of jobs for college students who often seem like they've won the lottery with that extra job to pay the bills. With the shuttering of Athena Grand on East State Street, the more typical multi-screen place for blockbusters, the Athena is carrying a bigger load for those who do not want to head up State Rt 33 to the fun house atmosphere available on the edge of Nelsonville.

Intimate and quaint theatre. Excellent food with beer and wine options. Nice selection of movies…read morethat includes not only big box office films but also hard to find art house films from smaller studios. Sound system is of high quality.

Cute little place with a tiny village and for kids to let their imagination take over. Love all the…read morelittle stations. My son's favorite is the water table, which comes to no surprise. The staff have always been friendly and polite each time we have visited.

Really clean with great support. The Water table attracts as many dads as it does kids. Would…read morehave appreciated a cheaper price for adults, but I get it.

I recently went to Stuart's Opera House for the first time. Dang, what a special place! They opened…read morethe show with a quick PSA about the children's music education work they do in the community, which made me like them even more. As for the concert space itself... I'd see another concert there but there are definitely pros and cons. Pros: -Intimate, cozy space. I love that you can wait on the first level before doors open -Super clean bathrooms -Good sound mixing Cons: -The floors in the concert hall are awful. They shook substantially when people walked and were very noisy. The gentleman behind me was a toe tapper (no shame! Totally normal) but the floors made it seem like Godzilla was wrecking a city behind me -Volunteers served as ushers and they were... Confused. We were taken to the wrong seats (even side instead of odd) and the guys taking tickets were similarly befuddled -The layout of the plastic chairs in the back of the bottom section felt haphazard. It was hard to sneak through to go to the bathroom during the show

Beautiful building and surroundings area. We saw Cabaret…read more It was so good. Very powerful and moving. Brought us to tears. They also did a live burlesque show before the show

I spent a good 9 years of my childhood going to this theater. Its one of the cherries found in…read moreMcconnelsville. Being the only movie theater in the town, and only able to show one movie at a time, you are kind of limited unless you want to drive the next city over for a half hour drive. However the Opera House is an amazing location that's worth the stop. You walk in and this place is huge! there is a lower level as well as a balcony level all filled with chairs viewed at the main stage. All the chairs are kind of old time movie style, they aren't those massive lazy boy seats, but more like the bench seats that movies used to have. There are so many seats in this building, you could bring a party of 20 people and still have tons of space for other movie goers. They have all sorts of entertainment within this building, they have new movies, plays, events, as well as paranormal activity! That's right, haha Opera House has been known to be one of the more haunted locations in Ohio. Since I used to live in this town, I came to know the owners of this establishment. I spoke with the first owner and he told me of a time when he was working on the projector late at night when suddenly he heard a piano being played from the stage. He walked down the stairs and into the doorway of the first level, where he saw the piano on stage, but nobody sitting there. He then walked toward the stage down the center isle to the stage, looked under the stage (the section where actors would change when doing a play, and there was nobody, But when he came out from under the stage he looked to his left and he swore he saw an Usher from when the building was first built walking down the right isle toward him. Talk about freaky! There have been so many documentaries done on this building, and it brings in all sorts of people from out of town. I never personally experienced anything freaky, so call me a skeptic lol. Still a fun story however.

Came here on a weekday to celebrate my husband's birthday. The roads were winding on the way so I…read moredid get a little motion sick. Off the main road was a sign that let us know we were in the right place. There was plenty of parking next to their big barn. We were told to check in at the office and then go back to the stables. We were offered helmets if we wanted but it was not a requirement. I opted to wear one while my husband did not. We were part of a group with 4 other people. Our lead was very nice and funny, and she quickly gave instructions. She had us sit on the horses and she adjusted our feet into the stirrups. My horse snacked a lot and it was difficult to move them away from various plants. However, overall all of the horses were well behaved and listened. We did the trail that was 2 hours. I've ridden horses before, but 2 hours was a lot. If you are not experienced or used to sitting in a horse I would suggest the 1 hour trail ride. We saw a cool tunnel but we essentially went through it and then turned around and went back. We had a good time and my husband loved it. I would just be warned on which trail ride you use based on your experience

Great trail ride!! Our guide, Connor was so nice and patient with our group. My horse, Pepper,…read morewas the best mannered horse I have ever rode. I look forward to riding again.

Dairy Barn is one of the greatest collections of local flavor in Athens. It features artwork from…read morelocal painters and sculptors. The barn has many exhibits depending on the time. It's in a beautifully restored old barn. The one bad thing is the changing hours. I like art. If it's a local artist, that excites me even more. This is a good place for finding some beautiful hand crafted pieces. If you're looking for a present, they have a gift shop area. The only thing frustrating about this is figuring out when it's open. It says hours on its entrance, but it's not always correct. The artwork is worth making a trip for. I want to support the local artists, and that can be done by visiting the Dairy Barn. It has s great collection of crafts. There's an area you can buy many.

I recently visited this gallery for the Bead International 2008 opening night. I went because my…read morebeaded fire truck was juried into the show and will be exhibited there all summer... I had a wonderful experience at this gallery. It is a historic dairy barn that was almost torn down at one point, and now it houses beautiful art & craft exhibitions. Also, I am very impressed with the staff. They are very friendly, professional, and they really know how to treat their guests. They also did a fabulous job displaying all of the beadwork. You can see more pics, as well as some of the show here: http://blog.thelonebeader.com/2008/05/cultural-weekend.html ... Enjoy! :D

Amazing food Good…read moreservice Lots of drink options We will go there again for sure if we can

We were at Hocking Hills with friends for the Memorial Day weekend and stopped by at 58 West to…read moregrab some lunch. Not realizing that outside was covered patio we first opted to sit inside but then we noticed the covered patio and requested to be seated outside and thanks to our lucky stars, the hostess obliged and we got seated outside in the covered patio to enjoy the perfect Memorial weekend weather. We ordered some drinks (not pictured) - I ordered an Espresso Martini while husband ordered a beer, friends ordered a couple of other drinks - a berry smash, a Sauvignon and more beer for the guys. The cocktails were amazing and delicious. We ordered a couple of shareables (Tirokafteri and Colcannon Cakes) as well which were both of course were so scrumptious that we forgot to click pics! So I made sure I clicked pics of as many mains/ entrees I could. A friend and I, ordered fried chicken sandwiches (his with fries, mine with chips, I also asked my brioche be subbed with Sourdough which both our waitress and chef were kind enough to comply), husband ordered a 58 burger, another friend ordered the Italian Chicken flatbread and another ordered a Portobello entree with a side of Caprese salad (added grilled Chicken). The fried chicken was ok, I've had better ones and unfortunately for me it gave me a bad tum as I spent the rest of the day feeling queasy. The husband said his burger was amazing, the flatbread, portobello and caprese were all absolutely delectable. Thankfully everyone enjoyed their lunch including kiddos who had Mac and cheese and a cheese pizza.

This is a Hocking Hills hidden gem!…read more Butterfly Ridge is a must-see for everyone who loves butterflies, moths, nature and conservation. It's hard to describe Butterfly Ridge precisely, but I would say that it's kind of like a nature preserve that focuses on butterfly preservation, with outdoor activities for families, and a little gift shop/museum. After you check in, you're free to roam around the grounds and explore the 21-acre garden. There's a nature play area for kids, as well as a tree house where you can see the grounds from up high. Guided tours are available with the people who own Butterfly Ridge. They are super knowledgable about butterflies and moths, and love to talk about them. We really learned a lot about butterflies as we walked around the property, and our tour guides pointed out and identified the butterflies that we saw. Butterfly Ridge also offers a unique nighttime experience, The Mothing Zone, where visitors can view hundreds of moths and glow-in-the-dark caterpillars that you can only see at night! This nature preserve is closed during the winter, but if you're in Hocking Hills during the spring, summer and early fall months, this is a must-visit.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. The Wetlands was my favorite part with unique plants. Saw most…read moreof the butterflies in the common area.