The Lake Erie to Ohio River Trail features sites in seven categories:
- Boat Rides and Ferryboats
- Lake Erie Lighthouses
- Lake Erie Museums and Historic Sites
- Ohio Canal Museums, Locks and Natural Areas
- Ohio River Museums and Historic Sites
- Natural Areas and Overlooks
- Aquatic Science and Research Sites
Highlights of the trail include:
- Carillon Historical Park in Dayton
- Marblehead Lighthouse in Marblehead
- Anderson Ferry in Cincinnati
- Tony Packo’s in Toledo
- Historic Fort Steuben and Scenic Byway Visitor Center in Steubenville
- Put-in-Bay Aquatic Visitor Center in Put-in-Bay
- Shawnee State Park in Portsmouth
- Monticello III Horse Drawn Canal Boat Rides in Coshocton
“Lake Erie, the Ohio River and the canals were highways of hope,” said Melinda Huntley, executive director of the Ohio Travel Association, America 250-Ohio Commissioner and co-project leader for the Trails & Tales program, in a press release. “They built towns, attracted inventors, created jobs and brought people together. Today, their legacy flows through every scenic overlook, preserved towpath and community that still thrives along their shores.”
Other America 250-Ohio projects people may enjoy in 2026 include:
Ohio Goes to the Movies
Ohio Goes to the Movies, a signature event of the America 250-Ohio celebration in 2026, will launch at the birthplace of Thomas Edison in Milan, Ohio, on Feb. 11, 2026.
The legendary inventor was born Feb. 11, 1847. His co-creation of the Kinetoscope, the forerunner of the motion-picture film projector, as well as his creation of the phonograph were groundbreaking contributions to the birth of the film industry.
In addition to Edison, the state of Ohio can also claim acting legends including Clark Gable, Dorothy Dandridge, Doris Day, Paul Newman and Springfield’s Lillian Gish in addition to contemporary standouts such as Halle Berry, Sarah Jessica Parker and Dayton’s Allison Janney and Martin Sheen. Notable Ohio directors include Steven Spielberg, Jim Jarmusch and Yellow Springs’ Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar as well as comedians like Yellow Springs’ Dave Chappelle, composers like Henry Mancini and animators like Disney’s Mark Allen Henn, a Dayton native who served as lead animator for such characters as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” Jasmine in “Aladdin” and Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog.”
In December 2024, Columbus native Beverly D’Angelo, the iconic Ellen Griswold of “National Lampoon’s Vacation” fame, helped promote Ohio Goes to the Movies. In a two-minute promotional trailer, D’Angelo acknowledges she’s a “proud Buckeye.” The trailer will be on Ohio screens in advance of feature films to begin building awareness of the celebration.
Murals Across Ohio
The Ohio Arts Council and America 250-Ohio have collaborated on Murals Across Ohio, a website honoring the murals found within the state’s 88 counties.
The site, america250-ohio.org/murals-across-ohio, currently has information on dozens of works that represent a part of the state’s history.
Ohio Air and Space Trail
The Ohio Air and Space Trail features an array of more than 30 locations integral to the Buckeye State’s aviation history. It was officially inaugurated at the WACO Air Museum in Troy.
Melinda Huntley, president of the Ohio Travel Association, credited the National Aviation Heritage Area — which might be thought of as an older and more localized version of this trail centered in Montgomery and Greene counties — with inspiring the Air and Space Trail.
The heritage area, highlighting some nine destinations, was Congressionally designated in 2004.
A list of participating sites, with an interactive map, can be found at ohioairandspace.com. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is a destination, as are the National Aviation Hall of Fame (housed within the museum), the Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center, the Wright Brothers National Museum at Carillion Historical Park and more.
Ohio Creativity Trail
The Ohio Creativity Trail had its own kick-off in Toledo.
Huntley said the creativity trail memorializes Ohio’s contributions to artistic expression, focused on 16 sites. The over-arching goal is to enshrine six trails in all, with locations in all of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Each trail will include sites that should be open on a regular basis, with interpreters or historians typically on site, marking people or corners of history of national interest.
Writers Tom Gnau and Alex Cutler contributed to this report.
MORE ONLINE
For more on America 250-Ohio, visit ohiohistory.org/ohio-commission-for-the-u-s-semiquincentennial.
For more on Ohio Goes to the Movies, visit ohiogoestothemovies.org. If you are a theater operator and would like to receive the trailer or are interested in hosting an event in 2026, contact Molly Kreuzman at mkreuzman@ohiohistory.org.
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