Ohio Historical Center
1982 Velma Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43211
614/297-2357 800/797-2357

Described by the 1989 Smithsonian Guide to Historic America as "probably the finest museum in America devoted to pre-European history," the Ohio Historical Center is both the headquarters of the Ohio Historical Society and a museum facility showcasing Ohio's history from the ice age to the year 1970. It is the flagship museum in the society's statewide system of 60 historical sites.

The modern, 250,000 square-foot structure consists of a three-story block supported at its base by a glass enclosed, plaza level entrance that is anchored by four massive columns. In addition to the ground level museum space and offices, the building contains a gift shop, a 280 seat auditorium, and the society's Archives/Library, which includes the State Archives of Ohio .

In addition to an archaeology exhibit, the Center houses displays on Ohio History spanning the years 1770 to 1970, as well as a rotating schedule of temporary exhibits. The Center's newly renovated, permanent natural history exhibit features Ohio's plants, animals, geology, geography, and climate and weather.

Exhibits

Ohio: Two Centuries of Change
One of the Center's permanent exhibits, this exhibit chronicles the state's history and portrays Ohio as a microcosm of the nation. The 15,000 square-foot exhibit focuses on the state's industrial progress, its leaders, and the effect of major changes on the lives of ordinary citizens. Continuous 1920s newsreels, an operating 1880s carriage shop, and vintage automobiles are among the exhibit's more than 5,000 artifacts.

The First Ohioans
This exhibit features one of the most significant archaeological collections in the United States, with articles from all known prehistoric cultures of the Midwest region. The artifacts include prehistoric Indian art, weapons, tools, woven goods, and such outstanding pieces as the Adena Pipe, Hopewell mica cutouts, the Tremper pipes, and the Wray figurine. The section gives a chronology of the prehistoric and historic Indian cultures and displays several dioramas depicting life in prehistoric Indian villages.

The Nature of Ohio
This exhibit showcases the interaction of man and nature in five major areas of Ohio's natural history: plants, animals, geology, geography, and climate. Touch specimens, life-size dioramas, colorful interactive computer displays, a section of Ohio forest and artifacts such as the gigantic Conway mastodon take visitors on a highly visual journey through Ohio's unique natural history - from the ice age to the present. The newly renovated Battelle Discovery Park and Theater provide modern audiovisual technology, and an interactive science park for children makes learning about Ohio's natural history fun.