We were visited during the Champaign Co Home & Garden tour…read more Educational museum about the legendary Johnny Appleseed, his contributions, and his life work. Would be a great road trip out stop if in the area.

A great place to visit! They have something for everyone! From kids crafts and activities to…read moreknowledgeable guides, events and lectures for adults to educational programs for large groups and even specialty tours, there seems to always be an event going on here. When I was there, they were setting up their "A Johnny Appleseed Christmas" display, which includes gifts from the 1800s and period decorations around the Museum. The kids that were with us even got to help make some of the decorations, which they loved! I have to admit... I had fun making them, too!

Went on a Saturday around 12, started to get pretty busy around 12:45-1:30. Which makes the…read morecave/cavers very tight to walk through. While your down there your using a provided map to guide yourself around and match the corresponding areas ( Ex; A to A or 1-1 ) We went after it had just rained the night before, so everything was VERY wet. Wear waterproof/walking shoes if you plan on exploring. Be prepared to get dripped on by very cold water coming off nearby rocks, and the "ceiling". Coming down the initial very steep stairs is a beautiful view of different levels of rocks decending into a tunnel/cave where the rest of the cavers are. Tons of puddles all over the ground from collected rain water and the "droplets". Most the areas are about big enough for one person to walk through the tunnel areas at one time, and if your a larger person i DO NOT recommend going down there. Some areas are extremely tight and really only accessible to someone under 4'5 and around 100 pounds or less. (Im 5'4, 140 and some areas i almost got stuck cause it was too tight going through the rocks. It is neat to see though, i dont think id want to do it again as it is just wet rocks and the furthest tunnel was closed from the previous year that occurred from some heavy rain water. (The water collected, over time causing a collapse). So that was kind of a bummer but i get it for safety reasons. The gem mining was fun, definitely loaded with a lot of "gravel" type rocks so that was new for me, Ive only ever had ones with dirt/sand that yield rocks/gems/shark teeth. We found some really interesting gemstones in each tray. The petting zoo was great. I thought it wad Going to be boring and smelly, and i was happily wrong. The goats were adorable, when we came in a baby jumped through the fence and was following our group. And when we came inside the "pen" to pet them he ran back in it was very cute! The deer were a little skittish but very sweet and gentle. The treasure hunt/maze was VERY fun we enjoyed getting different prizes snd trading them within the group.

It's really a great place for people of all ages there's mining for gems there's a cave. Our…read morefavorite part is the animal petting zoo. It's mostly comprised of goats with a few pigs and Zoe the cow "Queen of the barnyard!" It's not exactly conducive for people in wheelchairs. It has a lot of gravel which can make it challenging when you go into the petting zoo. The restrooms are NOT handicap accessible. Which was annoying but we had a work around thankfully. My experience was a five star, but the lack of handicap parking and all the gravel and no handicap accessible bathroom. I have to give it a 2 but because it was so much fun I give it a 5.

What an AMAZING museum! Highly recommend going and be sure to set aside a good length of time,…read morebecause I wished I could have stayed longer - I was there for 2.5hrs and it was not enough. The exhibit was done very well: laid out in chronological order and provided great historical commentary. Would I go back? Yes!

AMAZING An incredible collection of aviation history…read more Definitely takes 4-6 hours to really take it all in. Highly recommend.

This is a fun museum! It's a nice compact building with two floors that cover a variety of topics…read moreto explore and plenty of hands-on activities. I definitely recommend taking note of the program schedule on their social media or when you first arrive, because the programs add a lot of fun to the day, particularly for older elementary kids. Even better, all of these are included in your entrance fee, no nickeling and diming here! We attended a planetarium show with an astronomer who narrated a trip around the universe's moons, hands-on experiments for ages 5+ in the Do Lab on exothermic and endothermic reactions, a science theater show on the fire triangle, and an animal encounter with an opossum on the Discovery Zoo Vet Stage. All of these were really excellent and amongst our favorite parts of the visit. In between shows, we explored the many galleries and spaces available. There are some really nice little kid spaces where they can get hands on and do pretend play, like a play pizza kitchen, working with animals like a vet, and the solid waste exhibit (recycling truck). There's a toy brick area with neat Lego displays and hands-on Duplo building. For the dino fans, there's a paleo lab with fossils on display and paleontologists working in a lab with windows where you can observe what they do. (Note - this was trickier to find - the door is off of the museum restaurant, the Eco Eatery). The Treehouse is a really nice and quieter space, as it encourages birdwatching with binoculars and bird feeders. The water play area was a hit although it was missing a couple of pieces for some of the hands-on activities. For the older kids there are some more reading-heavy informational panels in exhibits on topics like Ancient Egypt (they have a mummy on display), the Sonoran Desert, or the multi-space space rooms around the planetarium on the sun, the universe, and the exoplanets. There's a mini zoo on the second floor, with a lot of neat animals to see. We must have been there at the right time, because a lot of them were very active, such as the river otters, the naked mole rats, and the new toucan. The two story climbing tower immediately catches eyes and offers a fun way to access the different levels. It even has a section that goes up higher than the second floor, plus a number of slides of varying heights to try out. Because of the breadth of areas contained in Boonshoft, they have what may be the most impressive list of reciprocal agreements I think I may have seen at one place. If you have a membership to your local science museum, zoo, or kids museum, it's worth asking when you come in if they have an agreement with them. We got 50% off on the spot through our zoo membership, which was nice. There's a nice sized parking lot out front, and the many staff members we interacted with were very helpful and informative. You can bring in food or utilize the restaurant on-site. In addition to the restaurant seating, there is a good seating area in a room across the hall with some nice windows where you can enjoy a packed meal.

I haven't been here in years! We used to bring the kids here for the playground but the entire…read moremuseum is super cool. Lots of spaces to wander thru, lots of eye catching displays to keep you entertained and elevate use of your brain. The waterway is one of may favorite parts of the museum and glad it's still up and running 20+ years later. We actually went to watch the Mesmerica 360 show in the dome theater. That was rather mundane to me but that's not the fault of the museum. My biggest peeve of the visit was seeing the us flag was still being masted when it is in tatters. I posted in my 'check in' and I will post again here in my review that it's time to retire this flag and replace with a fresh replacement. Whomever is in charge of the grounds here should be embarrassed. Please do better.

Only some of the house is available to view. The family lives in the back of the house and the…read moretower floor was not accessible. The bedrooms can only be viewed from the doorways. Small castle. The history is interesting. The display of military items were plenty. The house is in need of repairs. Especially the ceilings. Needs new roofing. Could use a good cleaning on the inside. I was not impressed.

Piatt Castle Mac -A -Cheek- We just walked around the outside and peeked in the windows as we…read moreweren't paying $15.00 pp to go inside. Some spots had caution tape around it, orange cones and a broom propped up so it looked unkept around the Castle itself

I love crossing bookmarks off my list and this one turned out to be a standout. Car museums are…read moreplaces I go out of my way to visit, and America's Packard Museum took a former car dealership and turned it into a gallery of automotive art. The building still carries that vintage showroom feel, which makes wandering through the first room a treat. A spent two hours here and could have easily stayed longer, especially with cars like the 1935 Twelve All‑Weather Cabriolet by LeBaron, the 1935 Rolls‑Royce 20/25 Cabriolet by Hooper, and the 1937 Super Eight Limousine greeting you right out of the gate. It's a tremendous lineup and beautifully presented. My favorites leaned toward the unusual, starting with the 1917 Twin Six Motorhome. I'm into RVs so seeing one of the earliest examples - twenty‑five feet long, with a stove, a convertible bed‑sofa setup, a commode, and a V12 Packard drivetrain - was a real highlight. The 1940 Model 120 Convertible Victoria by Darrin, the 1953 Caribbean, and the 1952 Parisian Coupe by Pinin Farina rounded out a list of cars that made the visit feel like flipping through a living design history book. There are so many cars here, each captioned with its own story, and the museum does a great job of letting you enjoy them at your own pace. [Review 980 of 2026 - 356 in Ohio - 26159 overall]

What an absolute gem of a museum in Dayton! Seriously, this place is one of the coolest car…read moremuseums I've visited and totally worth the visit. They are located within an old Packard show room and have a wonderful collection of everything from pre-WW2's right up til the the end of Packard with some cool different cars thrown in for fun, such as a Dalorian. I can't recommend the Packard Museum enough! What a great museum in the heart of Dayton.

This is one cool museum focused on NASA, traveling to the moon and on Neil Armstrong…read more There is a lot to see including the Gemini spacecraft, historical photos, a moon rock, space suits, flight simulators, a movie on the Apollo 11 flight to the moon, Neil Armstrong life, and on & on. It's worth stopping & taking it all in.

We enjoyed our visit to a museum celebrating the life and achievements of astronaut Neil Armstrong…read moreand the times of the "space race" culminating in the Apollo moon missions. This is a very Ohio-centric experience with mentions of the many other Ohioans who have also been in outer space. The museum is thoughtfully laid out, includes a few interactive exhibits, has a big parking lot including a covered picnic area, and is fully handicap accessible. Many fascinating artifacts such as the spacecraft tool kit, space foodstuffs, and even, uh, an article used by the astronauts to go to the bathroom. Also a lovely collection of artwork. And of course, the moon rock. The 30-minute documentary is a must. It plays continuously in a little theatre, so if you come in half way through just stay put and wait for the replay. It is very moving in that it captures the unity of the country in following the amazing mission to the moon as President Kennedy had determined it would happen before the decade was out. If you have any memory of the moon landings you will get a little teary-eyed. The walkway to enter the little theatre gives you the impression you're floating in space surrounded by millions of stars! They also have recordings of the crew of Apollo 8 (commanded by Jim Lovell of Ohio) broadcasting the Bible reading "in the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth..." They were the first human beings to see the earth from that vantage point. This was also thrilling to hear. We took our time to read the various information cards by each exhibit so out visit took about 90 minutes. I wish there was a bit more to see and/or that the film was longer. I feel the admission is a bit on the high side. But nonetheless I'm glad we went. Within a mile of the museum are some local photo ops: a statue of a friendly waving Neil Armstrong, and a giant space helmet reproduction with imprint of the moon footprint and other things. Space-related stuff all over this town. Fun!

This botanical garden and conservatory is fabulous! We had such a good time my son wanted to go…read moreback a 2nd time during our trip. The Chihuly exhibit is perfect and such an amazing fit that it seems like every conservatory should have a blown glass exhibit. The inside of the building has a lot under construction, but even still was really amazing. The outside gardens are beautiful and really wonderful for kids. They have a great children's garden section, as well as a fantastic model train section. On top of all of that, they also have a glad blowing workshop outside in the summer and you can watch an artist at work blowing glass. I found that fascinating, and definitely bought a piece from the gift shop after watching it! The pieces on the shelf outside in the workshop are really beautiful. Oh, and on top of everything else they have a great cafe with actually good food! I wish this was in my city, because I could come here all the time!

I am a member of the Holden arboretum and Cleveland botanical. And while in Columbus I decided to…read morestop and visit their botanical garden. And I inquired if a discount is given if I am a member of Cleveland. And they informed me they do reciprocal. So I was able to attend with my membership for no additional charge. I must admit that this place is currently under construction. But that just means more great botanical fun is heading there way. I am excited to see it when it opens in 2027 fall. My time here today was great. I had a ton of fun here. I was pretty excited to see their train garden. Where they have many different models of trains going through a garden. There are so many different things to see and do. They have many hands on experiences for children as well. You need to get here and bring those kids to have fun.

Took K here for the Barbie exhibit. She loved it, and wanted half the Barbies (and knew some of…read morethe history already.) Housed in a nice historic building, it's just three small rooms. But they are nicely arranged and chock-full of interesting dolls, some almost 200 years old. There's a printed guide, and a treasure hunt sheet. The staff are super friendly and talked to Baby K a lot, about the displays and about her dolls. There are furnished rooms with interesting artifacts as well as antiques for sale, but we barely saw those. Definitely worth a visit if you are anywhere nearby, and a detour if you are at all into dolls like some K.

During the family trip to Columbus and while my brother was taking the exam for his insurance…read moreagent's license, my mom and me decided to explore. I told her there was this great antique store I wanted to try and brought her over to The Doll Museum at the Old Rectory as a surprise. My mom loves dolls. Still owns several of them. She used to have a ton of them. I never really liked them, they used to creep me out as a kid as I sometimes felt they were watching me. Still she absolutely loves them and I thought it would be a fun surprise for her to visit a Doll Museum. Anyway she realized the surprise as soon as she saw the sign. I laughed when she said... you lied! You said this was an antique store... well its both i responded! We walked in and were greeted by two sweet ladies who are part of Worthington Historical Society. They told us a bit about the society as well as the history of the building we were in, which was built back in 1845 as the Rectory of St.Johns Episcopal Church. It now holds the Doll Museum which has 19th and 20th Century dolls from all over the world and also has an antique/consignment store attached. They took us on a tour of the place and talked about the dolls they had on display. My mom was so happy throughout the tour, and made the entire trip to Columbus worth it. Once we were finished we shopped in the antique store where i found an antique porcelain figurine from Denmark, a few items i thought would make my living room look nicer, and some jewelry I bought for my bestie. I got her this vintage turquoise bracelet! Also the proceeds help fund the historical society, so it was for a good cause! My whole experience here was wonderful. Although I will never love dolls... i love antique stores. By the end, we left with a smile on our faces ready to continue enjoying our family trip. If you are into dolls or antiques, definitely come check this place out!

Simply put, Otherworld is OUT OF THIS WORLD! Don't even finish this review. Load up the car and go…read morethere now. I did zero research before going here. It was a place on my wife's "must see" list and so we went. Pulling up to the experience is underwhelming. It's located in an old mall that looks like it's auditioning for a post-apocalyptic dystopian zombie future. But, this is a perfect example of don't judge a book by its cover. From the moment that the experience starts, you're transported to another world and you're on a choose your own adventure that doesn't disappoint. The individual exhibits are all unique and so well thought out. You keep thinking "I can't believe I'm seeing this" and "I can't wait to see what's in the next room". This is certainly a place that we'll travel to go see again, and I've already told my friends and family about how special it was. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Now off to see their Philadelphia location...

The kids kept asking to come here, so we finally did. Good…read moreplace for families, and it was pretty busy when we went. The lighting made me a little dizzy afterward, but the kids had a good time.