Ohio History Center Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Ohio History Center


Established	August 23, 1970 (1970-08-23)
Location	800 E. 17th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio
Accreditation	American Alliance of Museums
Architect	Ireland & Associates
Owner	Ohio History Connection
Nearest parking	Surface lots

U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Designated	May 5, 2023
Reference no.	100008897
Listed with	Ohio Village

The Ohio History Center is a history museum and research center in Columbus, Ohio. It's the main museum for learning about Ohio's past. It also serves as the headquarters, offices, and library for the Ohio History Connection. The building also keeps Ohio's important historical documents, known as state archives.

You can find the museum at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, which is where the Ohio State Fair happens. It's just a short drive north of downtown Columbus. The history center first opened in 1970. It was called the Ohio Historical Center back then. Before that, the museum was located near the Ohio State University. The building was designed by Ireland & Associates in a style called Brutalist architecture. In 2023, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places along with the nearby Ohio Village.

What You'll Find at the Ohio History Center
- Building Design and Style
  - Outside the Museum
  - Inside the Museum
History of the Center
Museum Curators
Gallery
See also

What You'll Find at the Ohio History Center

The Ohio History Center is the main office for the Ohio History Connection. This organization also manages many other historical sites across Ohio.

The museum has lots of exhibits that show Ohio's history. These exhibits cover everything from the Ice Age to today. Inside, you'll also find state archives and library areas. There's a gift shop and places for learning and administrative work. In 1989, a guide called Smithsonian Guide to Historic America said it was "probably the finest museum in America devoted to pre-European history."

Building Design and Style

Outside the Museum

The original entrance to the museum

The museum is easy to see from Interstate 71. This is a big highway that connects the museum to Ohio's three largest cities. As you drive south, you can see the museum from far away. Then, you pass right by its east side. The museum sits on a large, open piece of land. It looks like an important monument in the middle.

The building was designed by a Columbus company called Ireland & Associates. W. Byron Ireland had just started this company. He used to work for a famous architect named Eero Saarinen. The building's design shows ideas popular in the 1960s.

The museum is built in the Brutalist architecture style. This style uses large, strong shapes. It often shows off raw concrete, called béton brut. Most of the concrete at eye-level has wood grain patterns. This happens when wooden boards are used to shape the concrete. Other materials include Ohio-made silo tiles, dark oak wood, terrazzo, and glass.

W. Byron Ireland designed the building with special concrete structures. This allowed parts of the building to stick out without support, like a cantilever. The building still looks mostly the same as when it was built. This includes the silo tiles on the outside.

Inside the Museum

The museum lobby on the first floor

The building has about 271,762 square feet of space. The first floor holds the museum exhibits. It also has an auditorium, a gift shop, and a classroom. The second floor has more exhibit space, a cafe, and seating areas. The third floor is where you'll find the building's archives and library. It also has a classroom, a meeting room, and a microfilm room.

The first floor has a unique triangular shape. Its sides curve inward slightly. Each corner of the triangle once focused on a different museum topic. These were history, archaeology, and natural history. The design used raised platforms and sunken areas. This allowed objects to be displayed without needing glass cases. Most of this original setup has been changed. This makes the museum easier for everyone to visit.

The museum was designed to bring together all the society's different functions. These functions used to be in separate places. The lower floor is for the museum and library. The upper three floors hold offices and archives. A small, glass-walled lobby connects these different parts. The museum was also designed to help visitors move around easily. School groups would enter from the west side. General visitors would enter from the east side, near the parking lots. However, the main entrance has since been moved.

The museum's three-story reading room has dark oak tables. These tables were specially designed for the space. This same wood is used in doors, handrails, and trim throughout the building. The doors on the upper three floors have rounded corners at the top. These rounded corners help to spread out the weight from the concrete and books above them. This keeps the doors from cracking.

The roof of the first floor looks like a raised platform. It's mostly covered in grass. It also forms a mound over the building's auditorium and offices.

History of the Center

The Ohio History Connection used to be called the Ohio Historical Society. For a long time, they didn't have their own building. Their first permanent home was in the Ohio State Museum. This museum is now known as Sullivant Hall. It's located on the Ohio State University campus. The society ran its museum and library there.

In the 1950s, the society started keeping state archives. These were held at the Old Governor's Mansion. By the 1960s, both places were too crowded. They were also miles apart. So, the organization started looking for a new home. In 1964, Governor Jim Rhodes suggested spending $290 million on state projects. This included a new historical center. Voters approved money for a new building in May 1965. Plans for the museum began by October. It was to be built on 58 acres of undeveloped land. The museum was finished in 1970.

In 1971, experts thought the new museum would attract 300,000 visitors. This was about ten times more than the old museum. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. It was listed along with the Ohio Village.