Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, Ohio is a vibrant state brimming with diverse attractions and hidden gems waiting to be discovered. If you’re a locum tenens provider who’s about to go on assignment in Ohio, or you’re thinking of finding work in the state, you might be wondering: What is there to do in Ohio? In this blog, we’re highlighting some of the fun attractions and places you can visit while you’re in the Buckeye State—read on to learn more!
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is hailed as a “Roller Coaster Capital” amongst thrill ride enthusiasts around North America. Here, visitors can experience and enjoy eighteen different roller coasters with varying degrees of intensity, as well as a plethora of other rides designed for all ages. Attendees of the park can ride vigorously thrilling rides with a series of loops and tremendous drops, experience the water park rides or boat trips off of the shores of Lake Erie, or enjoy more mild rides such as the Ferris Wheel or simple wooden roller coasters. Cedar Point is located approximately 2.5 hours from Columbus, 3.5 hours from Cincinnati, and 1 hour from Cleveland.
Author’s Note: Cedar Point is a seasonal facility, typically open from May 9th to November 2nd.
Center of Science and Industry (COSI)
Located in the heart of Ohio’s capital city, Columbus, lies the Center of Science and Industry. Better known as COSI to Ohio natives, the museum offers a variety of vibrantly-themed exhibits that aim to be not only entertaining and engaging, but educational as well. COSI features numerous stationary exhibits, traveling temporary exhibits, and featured presentations; several notable examples of live presentations include trained rats performing tasks or competing in a game of basketball, and aspiring scientists or researchers performing experiments.
COSI is most well-known for its stationary exhibits; “Ocean” allows visitors to play with water pressure and even venture into an authentic mini-submarine. “Life” displays interactive perspectives on every joint, muscle, and part of the body, with detailed facts and diagrams of life in and outside the womb, statistics and information about disease and conditions, and even a live research facility where professional medical research is conducted. “Progress,” the author’s personal favorite, allows individuals to explore around a genuine replica of a street in the year 1898, and a second block of a street from 1962, each decorated with businesses, inventions, media, products, civilians, vehicles, and technology from the time period.
In addition to all of the aforementioned experiences, COSI also contains “Gadgets,” “Space,” and numerous other smaller interactions and displays, some of which include a unicycle visitors can ride 17 feet from the ground suspended on a wire (if you’ve got the courage!), a full-scale planetarium and IMAX theater with documentary premieres, and far too much more to summarize in an article.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
One of the featured attractions of Canton, Ohio, the Pro Football Hall of Fame draws more than 200,000 visitors every year. Sports fans and football enthusiasts alike are guaranteed to enjoy seeing the amount of history, memorabilia, and information that have surrounded professional football—one of America’s staple pastimes and hobbies. Starting with the origins of football, the museum guides patrons through the history of the sport, its advancements over the years, and the teams and individual players who have become so well known and loved by fans. Regardless of where your professional football allegiances lie, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a necessary experience for fans of the game who find themselves in Ohio.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The only National Park located within the State of Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley spreads across 33,000 acres of land and boasts an abundance of gorgeous foliage and breathtaking scenery accessible by over 125 miles of hiking and biking trails. Visitors can spend a few hours on a brief nature walk, spend an entire day experiencing a ride on the scenic railroad, bike through well-preserved Ohio wilderness, and even bring their own kayak to sail down the Cuyahoga River.
National Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force, a public area of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, has proved itself as a cornerstone attraction for aviation enthusiasts and curious visitors alike. With twenty indoor acres of exhibits, artifacts, vehicles, and aircraft, the museum covers a vast collection of history from before the first World War to the present day. Artifacts from WWI, WWII, the Cold War, the Korean War, as well as missiles and remnants from space are all on display. Whether it is touring a space shuttle, visiting the Memorial Park in honor of fallen United States Veterans, observing an authentic piece of the Berlin Wall, or asking specific questions to the friendly staff about the specifications of your favorite aircraft, the National Museum of the United States Air Force has a substantial amount to provide its patrons—and the best part is, admission is FREE!
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
A tremendously notable attraction in the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio is the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which also features a full-scale seasonal outdoor waterpark called Zoombezi Bay. The 580 acre zoo, the product of decades of hard work and dedication by Jack Hanna, contains over 40 different species of animals from all over the world. Visitors can witness kangaroos, tigers, polar bears (from behind protective glass, of course!), penguins, elephants, gorillas, and many other curious creatures. In addition to being regarded as a rightfully famous zoo across the country, the facility includes a full-size aquarium with manatees and hundreds of different species of fish and sea creatures. The Safari Golf Club is also nearby, so between the zoo, golf club, and waterpark, visitors are bound to enjoy an abundance of entertainment.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, located in Cleveland, Ohio is a top attraction for music lovers. Featuring 150,000 square feet of music memorabilia and education, the facility guides visitors through the early roots of what became the American classics all the way to the artists who remain influential and active today. On display are instruments, cars, clothes, and an expansive amount of various relics owned by musicians and die-hard fans, with original handwritten lyrics and original stage props as several examples. Also included with the experience are interactive exhibits, a small theater, and a rotating exhibition which traditionally features several-month installments on specific artists or musical groups. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a place where fans of music can easily spend a full day, and remains a must-see for anybody who appreciates music from the past seventy to eighty years.
Cincinnati Museum Center
The Cincinnati Museum Center is a destination consisting of multiple museums, including the Cincinnati History Museum, the Children’s Museum, the Museum of Natural History and Science, the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center, and a variety of other experiences and traveling exhibits.
The History Museum contains a replica of what a Northeast American town would have resembled in the 1850s, a replica of a side-wheel steamboat, and numerous other artifacts and memorabilia throughout the last century and a half of the United States. The Museum of Natural History and Science displays a full-size prehistoric cave alongside an ice age style cave, a hall of authentic dinosaur skeletons and prehistoric evidence, and various other interactive exhibits designed to encourage patrons of all ages to experience the history of the Earth and the science behind it. Telling “stories of courage, perseverance, loss, redemption, and new life,” the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center aims to educate visitors about the Holocaust.
Regardless of one’s age, the Cincinnati Museum Center offers at least a full day’s worth of knowledge, exploration, and satisfaction, presenting visitors with an experience they will remember fondly.
Put-in-Bay
Put-in-Bay is the name given to an island off the coast of Sandusky, Ohio that is only accessible by ferry boat. While the island may be small in size and permanent population, it makes up for it by hosting a remarkable summer-long party scene that visitors are sure to remember—for the most part. The 0.45 square mile island proudly serves drinks from sixteen different bars, food from eight different restaurants, and offers a variety of different resorts and lodging options.
Besides the atmosphere cultivated for a more “adult” crowd, Put-in-Bay is also the location of the Benson Ford ShipHouse, a home constructed out of an old cargo boat, as well as the Perry’s Victory Memorial and Perry’s Cave, both of which are open to the public. Visitors to the island can rent boats or jet-skis for summer fun on the water, or take the ferry boat back to Sandusky to spend the day at Cedar Point.
Author’s Note: Put-in-Bay is a seasonal adventure, typically open from April 1st to October 31st. While there are permanent residents, the ferry boat does not commute to the island in the offseason.
Find Your Next Ohio Locum Tenens Job with Barton Associates
If you’re a current or aspiring locum tenens provider looking to travel the country and check out Ohio, we can set you up with a locum tenens assignment. Check out our job board or reach out to us today to get started!
