History, Heritage, & Science Museums
America’s Packard Museum
americaspackardmuseum.org
Dayton • 937-226-1710
America’s Packard Museum in Dayton is the world’s only restored Packard Dealership operating as a museum and the only full-time museum dedicated exclusively to the Packard Motor Car company, its products, and its philosophies.
Bear’s Mill
bearsmill.org
Greenville • 937-548-5112
Built in 1849, Bear’s Mill is one of the few operating water-powered grist mills in Ohio today. In addition to tours and grinding demonstrations, the Mill houses a Mill Store featuring stoneground flours and meals, kitchen accessories, and gourmet products. The Mill Gallery features the “Art at the Mill” series, exhibiting paintings, sculpture, and photography of artists through the Ohio Valley.
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
boonshoftmuseum.org
Dayton • 937-275-7431
The mission of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is to be the premier regional provider of interactive science learning experiences which enrich the lives of children and adults, enhance the quality of life in our community, and promote a broad understanding of the world.
The Bradford Ohio Railroad Museum
bradfordrrmuseum.org
Bradford • 937-552-2196
The Bradford Ohio Railroad Museum celebrates the heritage and impact that the railroad had upon our community and the individuals who worked within the railroad industry. Founded in 2002 by several local railroad enthusiasts, the Bradford Ohio Railroad Museum takes you on a journey through our local railroad history as depicted through photos, interactive displays, and railroad memorabilia. Their newest addition–the BF Tower Project–is expected to be completed in 2020 and will demonstrate the role that a Switching Station played in directing traffic through a junction. Hours: Saturday, 10am-3pm, April through October.
The British Transportation Museum
britishtransportationmuseum.org
Dayton • 937-546-0039
The British Transportation Museum is an all-volunteer nonprofit with a mission of preservation and education about British transportation. It has an eclectic, ever-growing collection of 46 cars (plus 10 on loan), 15 bicycles, an Irish boat, memorabilia, and a library. Founded 19 years ago, the museum moved into its 83,000-square-foot home in 2015. This is the only effort of this kind in the Americas focused on British transportation.
Carillon Historical Park
daytonhistory.org
Dayton • 937-293-2841
Carillon Historical Park serves as the main campus for Dayton History, the official historical organization of Montgomery County. In addition to the park, Dayton History operates Hawthorn Hill, the Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site, the Patterson Homestead, the Old Court House, Memorial Hall, and the Archive Center. The organization brings the past to life to understand the present and inspire the future by collecting, preserving, interpreting, presenting, and promoting the region’s past.
Carriage Hill
metroparks.org
Dayton • 937-275-PARK (7275)
The Historical Farm at Carriage Hill MetroPark tells important stories that celebrate our agricultural heritage in the Miami Valley. Visitors to Carriage Hill Historical Farm will be immersed in 19th century farm life. Within the preserved house and farm buildings there are demonstrations of heritage skills and crafts by living-history interpreters. Activities such as blacksmithing, woodworking, cooking, quilting and canning are all demonstrated at the farm.
Centerville-Washington History
centervillewashingtonhistory.org
Centerville • 937-433-0123
Centerville-Washington History’s mission is to connect the community to its heritage by collecting, preserving, interpreting, and promoting the history of Centerville and Washington Township. There are three early 1800’s limestone buildings that tell the history of the area. The Walton House Museum, Asahel Wright Museum, and Aaron Nutt Research Center. Open Tuesday through Friday, 12–4 p.m.
Dayton International Peace Museum
daytonpeacemuseum.org
Dayton • 937-227-3223
The Dayton International Peace Museum is a nonprofit, primarily volunteer organization whose educational programs and exhibits are nonpartisan and feature themes of nonviolent conflict resolution, social justice issues, international relations, and peace. Many of its present exhibits and activities feature local, national, and international “Peace Heroes.” Dayton’s history is honored as the center for the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords.
Fort Ancient
fortancient.org
Oregonia • 513-932-4421
Situated on a bluff 235 feet above the Little Miami River Valley, the museum at Fort Ancient presents an overarching view of 15,000 years of Ohio history, while the prehistoric-themed garden offers a glimpse into how the prehistoric peoples of the area survived.
Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition Center
thefunkcenter.org
Dayton • 937-837-4441
The Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition Center’s mission is to establish a home for the legacy of Funk music by acknowledging the artists who brought this art form to life while showcasing the Funk experience. Their vision is to be the premier organization to house and maintain Funk music memorabilia, and to advance the public’s knowledge, especially children, on the worldwide impact of Funk music.
Garst Museum
garstmuseum.org
Greenville • 937-548-5250
The Garst Museum features vibrant exhibits about remarkable individuals who hailed from Darke County: Lowell Thomas, CBS broadcaster and explorer; Annie Oakley, world-famous sharpshooter; and Zachary Lansdowne, commander of the USS Shenandoah. The museum also houses an extensive exhibit honoring Native American history, Fort Greene Ville, the signing of The Greene Ville Peace Treaties, and the fascinating series of events that ultimately opened the gates to the west.
Glendower Mansion & Gardens
glendower.org
Lebanon • 513-932-1817
Glendower Mansion & Gardens is an 1845 mansion noted as one of the finest examples of residential Greek revival architecture in the Midwest. Glendower is furnished with period furniture, paintings and decorative arts circa 1845 to 1865.
Harmon Museum of History, Art, and Culture
harmonmuseumohio.org
Lebanon • 513-932-1817
Harmon Museum is an art and history museum featuring over 30,000 square feet of galleries on four levels. Harmon Museum is owned and operated by The Warren County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Lebanon, Ohio. WCHS also owns and operates Glendower Mansion & Gardens and the Lebanon Conference & Banquet Center, all in downtown Lebanon.
Heritage Center of Clark County
heritage.center
Springfield • 937-324-0657
The Heritage Center occupies the former City Building & Market, which was built in 1890 and extends an entire city block. Today, it houses a museum that faithfully recounts the history of America’s Heartland, as well as a library and historical archives. Known by architectural aficionados for its stunning Richardsonian Romanesque design, the Heritage Center hosts approximately 30,000 visitors each year. Admission is free.
Johnston Farm & Indian Agency
johnstonfarmohio.com
Piqua • 937-773-2522
The Johnston Farm & Indian Agency tells the story of the early events that helped shape Ohio, from the establishment of the Pickawillany village in 1747 to Camp Piqua in 1862. Against the backdrop of the home and farm of Col. John Johnston, the Woodland Indian and Canal Museum, and a restored stretch of the Miami and Erie Canal, the past is preserved and brought to life for visitors.
Miami Valley Veterans Museum
miamivalleyveteransmuseum.com
Troy • 937-332-8852
The Miami Valley Veterans Museum honors and preserves the memory of local veterans through a museum dedicated to their contributions to creating and protecting the freedoms that we as Americans enjoy. The museum serves as an educational tool that teaches youth about our military involvement throughout the world.
Miamisburg Historical Society
historicalmiamisburg.org
Miamisburg • 937-895-5000
The Miamisburg Historical Society operates Heritage Village in downtown Miamisburg, which includes the Gebhart Tavern Museum, the Kercher Pioneer Home, and the Gebhart Smokehouse. The Heritage Village is open the first Sunday of the month from June to October, 2–5 p.m. There are docents, often in costume, to give tours and the history of the buildings.
Miamisburg Mound Park
Miamisburg • 937-866-3303
The Miamisburg Mound is the best known but least understood major prehistoric Indian feature in Ohio. It is the largest conical-shaped earthwork of its kind in the United States and possibly the world.
Mound Cold War Discovery Center
daytonhistory.org
Miamisburg • 937-247-0402
Mound Laboratory was the first Atomic Energy Commission site constructed after WWII, in order to continue and consolidate Dayton’s work within the Manhattan Project that produced the world’s first atomic bombs. The Discovery Center reveals the top secret history of Mound Laboratory, its employees and their significant contributions to national security during the tense years of the Cold War, the Nuclear Age and the Space Race. A multi-sensory, educational, and interactive experience for all ages!
Museum of Troy History
museumoftroyhistory.org
Troy • 937-339-5155
The Museum of Troy History promotes education about the history of Troy and Miami County by providing a museum to collect and display appropriate artifacts and present general public and youth-oriented programs in co-operation with the Troy Historical Society. A rich history of Troy is housed in the restored pre–Civil War house of John Kitchen. Rotating displays depict lifestyle themes in Troy and Miami County between 1850 and the present.
National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center (NAAMCC)
ohiohistory.org
Wilberforce • 937-376-4944
The NAAMCC is the first national museum dedicated to Afro-American history and culture. Opened in 1988, the museum has received the enthusiastic support of hundreds of individuals throughout the nation who have donated family treasures to the Center, developing one of the nation’s largest collections of Afro-American materials.
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
nationalmuseum.af.mil
Dayton • 937-255-3286
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is the world’s largest and oldest military aviation museum, featuring more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles, thousands of personal artifacts, and photographs that document the Air Force timeline from the beginnings of military flight to today’s war on terrorism.
Overfield Tavern Museum
overfieldtavernmuseum.com
Troy • 937-335-4019
Built in 1808, the tavern was once the center of activities in the small settlement community of Troy, Ohio. It now contains a rare collection of early nineteenth-century furniture, household items, and artifacts representing the types of items that travelers would have brought with them to the area. The museum annex houses an art gallery, a classroom for visiting school groups, and a library.
Pennsylvania House Museum
pennsylvaniahousemuseum.info
Springfield • 937-322-7668
Springfield was once known as the end of the Historic National Road. The Pennsylvania House Tavern & Inn was an important stopover for livestock drovers and pioneers traveling by foot, on horseback, or in Conestoga wagons during the nineteenth-century westward expansion of the United States. The 24-room building, built in 1839, now houses an extensive display of antique furnishings, antique dolls, and one of the largest antique button collections in the United States.
SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park
sunwatch.org
Dayton • 937-268-8199
The mission of SunWatch Indian Village and Archaeological Park is to protect, preserve, and research the cultural remains of the SunWatch National Historic Landmark archaeological site and to serve as a visitor and educational center for archaeology, Native American culture, and heritage stewardship as they relate to the site.
Tippecanoe Historical Society Museum
tippecanoehistoricalsociety.org
Tipp City • 937-667-4092
The Tippecanoe Historical Society Museum is located in a building that housed Tipp’s post office from 1929 to 1939. The museum opened its doors in 1991 and showcases the history, companies, and artifacts that are relevant to Tipp City.
Veterans Memorial Museum
veteransmuseumgermantown.org
Germantown • 937-855-4763
The Veterans Memorial Museum Foundation (VMMF) is a nonprofit institution dedicated to preserving the honor and sacrifice of our Armed Forces Veterans through the preservation of their oral and written histories and their personal artifacts.
WACO Air Museum
wacoairmuseum.org
Troy • 937-335-9226
The WACO Aircraft Company was the largest manufacturer of civil aircraft in the country in the late 1920s and early ‘30s and the designer of the CG4A glider used in WWII. The museum features two hangars of aircraft and memorabilia related to the factory and the employees who made it great. The WACO Learning Center (which is housed in its own building) nurtures aviation’s future by promoting science, technology, engineering, aviation, and math in the education of students and teachers.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westcott House
westcotthouse.org
Springfield • 937-327-9291
Completed in 1908, the Westcott House is Frank Lloyd Wright’s only Prairie Style home in Ohio and one of the country’s finest Wright house museums. The Westcott House underwent a $5.3 million restoration in 2005, and each of its features—from art glass and original hardware to hand-decorated walls and massive urns—has been returned to its 1908 appearance. Docent-led tours are available Tuesday through Sunday.
Woodland Historic Cemetery & Arboretum
woodlandcemetery.org
Dayton • 937-228-3221
Founded in 1841, Woodland Cemetery is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and is a unique cultural, botanical, and educational resource in the heart of Dayton. The Richardsonian Romanesque gateway, chapel, and office, completed in 1889, are on the National Register of Historic Places, and the chapel features one of the finest original Tiffany windows in the country. Woodland is the final resting place of the Wright brothers, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Erma Bombeck, Charles Kettering, Gov. James M. Cox, John H. Patterson, George H. Mead and over 109,000 others who made their lives in the Gem City.
Wright “B” Flyer Inc.
wright-b-flyer.org
Miamisburg • 937-885-2327
Wright “B” Flyer Inc. is an all-volunteer membership-based nonprofit headquartered at the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport. The group flies and displays look-alikes of the Wright Brothers’ first production airplane, the Wright Model B Flyer. The group’s hangar at the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport is open three days a week as a free museum about the Wright Brothers and their role in the development of aviation.