I work for the railroad, and I have been by this building 500 times in the last 17 years. I never…read moreknew that it was here, but some friends were doing Atlas Obscura day trips and this was one of the stops. It is really cool to see all the old popcorn machines, Marion, history, and Ohio history, all under one building. We're bringing some Swiss friends next time!

Super neat & quirky little museum to venture to on a rainy day! Lots of fun & interesting things to…read moreread about. My kids really enjoyed trying out the rotary telephones. They had never used one until then! Kids these days...

There are TWO Harding sites in Marion. There is the Harding Home Historical Site (Library and…read moreMuseum) which is about a mile from the Harding Memorial. If you're in town - be sure to visit both. The Harding Memorial is a stunning memorial and includes the burial sites for both Harding and his wife, Florence. Thie memorial rivals some of the more famous memorials in Washington, DC. There is no admission fee for the Harding Memorial.

William Harding was the 29th President of the United States and long time Marion, Ohio resident…read more The Harding Memorial is the burial site of President Harding and his wife Florence. It is also known as the Harding Tomb. This is one of the last elaborate presidential tombs ever made. The memorial is managed by the Ohio Historical Society. The circular marble structure is reminiscent of something out of ancient Greece. It has no roof in an effort to honor President Harding's wish to be buried in a simple grave under a tree and the stars. The memorial is the work of Henry Hombostel and Eric Wood. It was completed in 1927, but due to President Harding being marred by personal controversies and scandals at the time of his death, the Memorial was not officially dedicated until 1931 by President Herbert Hoover. It costed $783,103, which is approximately $15.3 million. It stands about 53 feet tall and has a diameter of 103 feet. The memorial is across from the Marion Cemetery and has a small private parking lot. The grounds are immaculate. It has a lot of green space and a small round structure at the base of the memorial that has informational placards about President Harding, his wife and his presidency/life. The President and First Lady's crypts are fenced off so visitors can not go up to them. You can easily view them through the fence though. There is not much to see on the backside of the memorial except the structure itself. This is not a very long stop but could easily be coupled with other nearby attractions such as the Harding Library, the Marion Cemetery, and/or the Marion Veterans Park to maximize your time.

After 30 years of being on display at the Marion Courthouse, a make-shift wooden Honor Roll of…read moreMarion County WW II service men and women had deteriorated, and was ultimately removed in 1970. Residents looked for alternate ways to honor the brave veterans and after many years of planning were able to build this memorial. This memorial is located right inside the Marion Cemetery and is known as one of the largest WWII memorials in the country, outside of the Nation's Capital. It is right at the main entrance of the cemetery and is hard to miss. The land that the memorial sits was donated by the Marion Cemetery Association. The half million dollars need to build the memorial was raised through private donations. The memorial was dedicated on May 28, 2001, Memorial Day. The memorial itself is in a semi-circle shape and consists of 3 granite walls that is inscribed with the names of Marion County residents who died in World War II. A three walls are a semi-circle with the larger wall facing the street and having the inscription "Marion County World War II Veterans Memorial" in large letters that are easily viewed as you are driving by.. The two inner walls are facing each other and form and open circle. They are much smaller than the main outer one. The walls collectively contain about 6,00 names in all. In the center of the 2 smaller walls is a 13-foot black granite tower that has the names and emblems of the five branches of the United States armed services and a colorful and vivid image of an American flag. There is a small parking area in front of the memorial has a black granite sign with two color American flags in each lower corner as a border. The sign reads Marion County World War II Veterans Memorial. It is a nice welcoming to the memorial's visitors. Behind the sign, you will find a long walkway that is lined with rows of shrubbery, flagpoles waving American flags and benches that lead to the granite walls and the heart of the memorial. and a granite block at the entrance declaring it the Marion County World War II Veterans Memorial. I like this memorial and was glad that they were able to find a home at the cemetery. It is a nice tribute to the WWII vets, not only locally, but nation-wide, even though it only has the names of the local vets. The grounds are well maintained and this is an nice looking and fitting memorial. You probably will not spend a lot of time here, so I recommend checking out the Harding Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park, the Merchant Memorial, and the Firefighters memorial, all with in a half a mile.

President Warren G Harding home tour and museum: both are well worth your time…read more Our guided tour by Karen Caudill of his home was informative and interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour.

Definitely a good place for kids. The Marion County Historical Society is located in the same…read morebuilding as the Popcorn Museum, and the kids will love looking at the old machines they have on display.

This memorial is located right inside the Marion Cemetery. It is right at the main entrance of the…read morecemetery and is hard to miss. It sits right next to the Marion Law Enforcement Memorial and across from the Marion County World War II Veterans Memorial. There is parking available within a reasonable walking distance in, front of the WWII Veterans Memorial. You can also pull over and park in the drive way to shorten your walk if you so choose. The centerpiece of the memorial is a statue of a firefighter wearing a helmet and holding an axe in his left hand as he is climbing a ladder. I like how the sculpture made the firefighter appear to emerge through the top of a granite base, which is inscribed with "Marion County Firefighter Memorial" and the firefighter's emblem under it. In the spring and summer, they plant flowers in front of the memorial. It is a small, but well-maintained memorial. There are two low granite walls on each side of the base, one with an inscription of the Firefighter's Prayer and the other with the honor roll of Marion County firefighters who died in the line of duty. The back drop of the memorial is three flag poles. There is an American flag that is flanked by the Ohio state flag on one side and the Firefighters flag on the other. This memorial is not a large consumer of your time. I was there less than 10 minutes, so I recommend checking out the Harding Memorial, Veterans Memorial Parking, the Merchant Memorial, and the Law Enforcement memorial, The WWII Marion County Veterans Memorial all with in a half a mile.

You will find this memorial in the Marion Cemetery, near the front, right across from the World War…read moreII Veterans Memorial. Parking here is very easy as there is a small parking lot across the street in front of the WWII Memorial. I really enjoyed checking out the architecture of this memorial and learning the history behind it. It is a nice structure and is the brainchild of the Marion Soldiers and Sailors Monumental Association that was formed at the conclusion of the Civil War. Initially, they tried to fund the memorial that honors the Union solders through fundraising. However, they kept meeting obstacles in obtaining the funding so they ultimately turned to taxation to pay for it. The memorial has two cannons facing outwards (away from) along the walkway leading to the front of the memorial. You will also see two cannons on the side of the stairs leading to the front and back doors. There are also some rifles next to the doors that are built into the structure. They are easy to miss. There are two life-sized union soldier sculptures on the front and back of the chapel. The one on the back is standing over the door and is wearing a uniform with a cape, and has both his hands resting on the hilt of a sword that is in front of him. The tip of the sword would be touching the ground, but if you look closely the lower half of the sword has broken off. The sculpture on the front has a large mustache and is also wearing a uniform with cap and cape. He is holding a rifle, with the butt resting on the ground, in his left hand and has his right hand on his hip. Under the sculpture appears "1887" which is the year the Memorial was built by architect W. C. Whitehead. The memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. You cannot go into the Chapel, which I totally understand and honestly would probably be spooked out a bit. The structure and all its associated architecture is in great shape. It look amazing, especially considering its age. This memorial is not a large consumer of your time. I was there less than 5 minutes, so I recommend checking out one of the cemetery's many other memorials including the Merchant Memorial, and the Marion County Firefighter's Memorial, The WWII Marion County Veterans Memorial and the Harding Memorial. Veterans Memorial Park, and the Harding Library and Museum are also nearby.

You will find this gem tucked away in the back corner of the Marion Cemetery. It was installed back…read morein 1896 by the Merchant family to mark the grave of their patriarch Charles Merchant. It consists of a large ball perched upon a stone plinth. The ball is made of Quincy black granite, which is not quarried anymore. The structure has smaller balls placed in a circular formation around it. Parking here is simple. You just pull up on the nearest driveway, stop and explore. The ball is polished to a shine with the exception of one spot. If you look closely, you will see a circular patch on the ball. That is where it originally made contact with the pedestal that it is sitting on. Rumor has it that the 5.2-ton ball has been slowly rotating somehow. Many have speculated the cause of the movement, including ghost, but there has not been a definitive explanation given to this day. The shifting was first noticed by the Merchant family who had the giant stone lifted by a crane and placed back in its rightful orientation in 1898. They also secured it with some tar. This is a neat unexplained phenomenon that is worth a visit if you are in Marion, just to say that you have seen it. Either way, do not go there thinking you will witness the ball revolving. It only moves a fraction of an inch a year. This memorial is not a large consumer of your time. I was there less than 5 minutes, so I recommend checking out the Harding Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park, the Merchant Memorial, and the Marion County Firefighter's memorial, The WWII Marion County Veterans Memorial, all with in a half a mile. Fun Fact: The structure was featured in "Ripley's Believe It or Not," in 1929 and there is a water fountain created in the likeness of the structure outside the" Ripley's Believe It or Not" Museum in Myrtle Beach.

It's a covered bridge! How can you give it a bad review? I mean, you shouldn't expect anything…read moremore than a covered bridge. I took a handful of pictures and just stood there enjoying the silence and the sound of the water and wind gently blowing on the mildly warm summer day. It's not really that far out of the way if you wanna see a covered bridge. And when I went, there wasn't much traffic on the roads both to and from the bridge to the nearest freeway. I am curious on just how cool this would look during the winter...but I guess I will never know.

I got lucky and saw the sign to this place and made my husband turn down the road. It's such a…read morebeautiful and well taken care of bridge. I enjoyed reading the review with the history of the bridge in it. The area all around it is so lovely. We didn't see anybody while we were there. I love the creek and all the crops. It's just so beautiful and peaceful there.

While the staff altogether welcoming and friendly, it was Theodore who provided a skilled and…read moreprofessional tour of the Harding home. His style was factual and warm, but he didn't overwhelm us with too much detail. However in asking a number of random questions, he was surprisingly knowledgeable and engaging with additional knowledgeable about the neighbors, Harding's staff, the renovations and historical settings of the time. Thoroughly enjoyable!!

I am a self-proclaimed presidential history nerd visiting from Texas. I've read a biography on…read moreevery president in order through Eisenhower, 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 morning found me the only one on the 10 o'clock tour of the home. It was neat to sit on the front porch and reflect for a while... I highly recommend the tour, especially if you're with Theodore, he really knows his stuff. I love that the house is 95% original to when Harding left for the White House. That's incredible! Some of the cooler artifacts include: Harding's hats, canes, and the gavel when Harding was chair of the RNC. Although I appreciated the history and authenticity of the home, it's just not as awe inspiring as some places I've been. I can't really describe it. The museum is the same way. Beautiful building, and the layout and collections are impressive (like the suit he wore at his inauguration, and his Senate desk and chair from 1900). Let's be honest, they did an impressive job for a president who didn't live through his term. Again, the sites are well maintained and beautiful; I'm glad I visited. It's just not jaw dropping like some experiences I've had. I spent several minutes in the gift shop trying to decide how to commemorate my visit. In the end, despite the gift shop looking well stocked... options feel limited.