Very nice memorial for the minors that have died mining coal. Lots of free dry camping campsites in…read morethe area.

This park is a great stop. Lots of history of mining and they have an enormous mining bucket that…read moreyou can walk in. Beautiful at sunset.

I can see for miles and miles and miles...!…read more The founders of Marietta were giants among men. In this small river town, which you can see quite nicely from Lookout Point, they created the first organized settlement in the Northwest Territory, made slavery illegal, education widely available, commerce possible, and liberty cherished. We owe part of our God given inalienable liberty to these men. This hilltop oasis was included in a tract of land designated as "commons ground" by an act of the Ohio Company in July 1788. My brother used to come here in high school to drink and smoke pot. Ah, the frivolity that comes with liberty.

I love the lookout. I recently moved to Marietta and can walk to the lookout from my house. What a…read morepretty view! My kids and family love looking at the map and finding landmarks down below. You get the river's intersection and many other interesting sights all from one point.

A small, somber memorial to the USS Shenandoah, which crashed in the area in 1925. A plaque lists…read morethe victims, and a bronze sculpture depicts the airship in the clouds. Flowers and flags bracket the memorial, and locals keep it in good shape. No parking nearby, so pull off as far as possible and don't linger. Many other memorials are nearby, but none are easy to locate. Check out this website, or message me for GPS locations. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10432

On this somber spot men perished trying to do their job. The memorial is modest but respectful…read more We passed it hundreds of times going from Columbus to Marietta, and I always thought of those men and how they struggled to right the ship in the storm. They didn't give up until fate intervened. God bless them.

This is a great place for picnic and quick history lesson for folks of all ages. American Civil War…read morebuff? Follow the "Morgan's Raid" road signs for an adventure. Love Native American history? Check out the mound!

I had long heard about Buffington Island, but don't get down this way much. When I was driving to…read moreNorth Carolina I noticed it was only a few miles off my route, so I had to swing by. The only Civil War battlefield in Ohio- how could I pass that up? It is small, and probably not of much interest unless you are a real history buff, in which case it is fascinating. There is a small park with plenty of parking, an Indian mound, and a small outbuilding with bathrooms. A few historical markers and a small pavilion with display panels round out the amenities. The story is fascinating: John Morgan, later imprisoned in the old State Pen in Columbus, was a Confederate raider who attacked all along the Ohio River. This was the only major battle, and it eventually led to his capture. The displays explain the background, battle, and aftermath. It's quiet and isolated, and pretty cool. Maybe not worth a special trip unless you are a Civil War buff, but if you live in the area or are traveling nearby, definitely worth a visit.

What a great experience!…read more Ferry tickets have to be purchased at the Museum, which is a short walk from where you board the ferry. You can also purchase a package for the ferry, mansion tour, wagon ride, and museum ($39 as of May 2024). The mansion tour is really excellent. The docents are very knowledgeable. The wagon ride is a must - fun and informative. This is a great day trip!

Located on a small island in the Ohio River, Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park features a…read morerecreated Palladian mansion to explore, horse drawn buggy tour, and back on the mainland an extensive museum to visit. We started our visit at the museum on the mainland which features many artifacts chronicling the history of the local area as well as several belongings of the original owners of the mansion (the Blennerhassetts) who fled to the US from Ireland after the Uncle and Niece duo decided to get married to much scandal. There is a free parking lot available to park in for visitors. The museum covers three floors and We started in the basement of the museum and made our way up. In the basement you'll find an extensive collection of Native American artefacts, as well as a short film about the island and their entangelment with Aaron Burr. The Blennerhassetts and their island home owe their notoriety to when they allowed their estate to become headquarters for Aaron Burr's military expedition to the Southwest back in 1805 which resulted in them all being arrested and tried for treason and sedition. One of the most interesting finds in the museum includes replicas of Aaron Burr's death mask as well as the pistols used by Burr and Hamilton in their infamous duel. After spending over an hour in the museum, we made the short 2 minute drive from the museum to the pier to wait for the riverboat to ferry us to the island. It was a bit of a drizzly overcast day and their was no signage out anywhere indicating where the ferry would be. Your ticket that you purchase to board the ferry will include the pick up times at the dock and on the island. The island itself and the structure on it are a trove of historical gems and natural beauty. Our guide for the house, Scott, was a wealth of knowledge and was very thorough in his stories about the people who made the island famous and the ultimate downfall of the entire Blennerhassett family. This was a highlight of our trip to West Virginia!

Marietta is a charming river town. So why go to a cemetery? Best I can say is it's like a piece of…read morehistory really. And in Marietta, the entire town is rich with history from the Indians and America during the pre- and post-Revolutionary War. You can't throw a stick without hitting a street named after one of Washington's generals, and many soldiers settled here with free land in lieu of pay from General Washington's army. The mound is a big hill built by the Indians. After driving down bumpy cobblestone roads lined with homes that look like Martha Washington might come out onto the porch at any minute, you come upon the Mound Cemetery, nestled among the homes looking quite like it belongs there is the Mound Cemetery, bordered with an ancient looking wrought iron gate that at once says both KEEP OUT and "welcome." Odd that. Climbing the stairs to summit the Mound is part of your initiation to the Marietta culture. The stairs are steep, which adds to the allure. Once atop, the scene is one of history, art, tranquility, and ... Marietta. Other than lounging in the Gun Room at The Lafayette downtown, it doesn't get much more Marietta than this.

I had read something about this but didn't think we'd have time to go; then we ended up parking…read moreright beside it for a basketball game at the college. After the game, just at sunset, we walked back and decided to go in. I've always had a thing for mounds, perhaps starting from visiting Mound City and Serpent Mound as a kid. I wish it had been a bit more light so we could read the tombstones, but there are clearly some pretty old ones here. The cemetery surrounds the mound, and sits in a residential neighborhood with a low fence. You can only enter at two points, which made for a bit of a walk in the cold. We climbed to the top of the mound where there are a few benches and a nice view. It's cool that this (presumably funerary) mound is preserved, and surrounded by, well, an appropriate companion. A nice little cap to our Marietta visit. We'll have to get back sometime.

Great volunteers but their collection is not well organized. Published books and family histories…read moreare not in a call number order nor sorted alphabetically. They have lots of odd and esoteric items though, so it is well worth coming. And if you call ahead, they are extremely accommodating!

Located in Ravenswood WV on the corner of Main & Walnut Streets. This is a beautiful art piece…read morepainted on the wall. George Washington is on the mural in reference to President George Washington owning land here when he surveyed the area. The different boats refer to life along the Ohio River. The train refers to travel in the area for people and goods and the oil Derek is referring to oil, gas & coal in the area. The mural is absolutely beautiful and colorful Free to enjoy, easy to locate and on street parking

Neat little place to stop. Learned something I didn't know by actually taking time to read the…read moresigns.

I hollered at my hubby and daughter about 4am..."Get up, Get up!! Time to go on a hike!" It wasn't…read moreplanned the night before, so I got a lot of grumbling [not under their breathes either] BUT, they were moving and that's all that mattered so I turned a deaf ear to the remarks...Noel asked if her boyfriend could go if she could wake him up and he could be ready..I had no issues, so she called him, he readily agreed...my kind of trooper...no complaints to the chief!!! Good man!! We were on the road by 530am, stopped for gas and drove the 1.5 hrs over into Zaleski State Forest to go hiking. We stopped at Lake Hope State Park roadside area to check out the Historical Hope Iron Furnace. It is FREE to explore and plenty of signage to learn about the history. There are 69 Charcoal Iron Furnace in the Hanging Rock Region which stretches over 100 miles from Logan, OH to My Savage, KY. Great area to picnic. There are tables, grills and bathroom area. There are several marked trails to hike. Tony, Noel, Adam and I had a nice afternoon and a great way to kill an hour and for FREE..and historical...WIN WIN all the way around!!!