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Sugarcreek, home to the 海角社区's largest Cuckoo Clock. Image credit Nina Alizada via Shutterstock

2024's 9 Most Beautiful Small Towns in Ohio

Ohio, from the Iroquois word 鈥渙hi-yo鈥 meaning 鈥済reat river,鈥 has plenty of great places for tourists and travelers to go exploring. For example, 2024鈥檚 most beautiful small towns in Ohio are recommended destinations for people curious about the state鈥檚 culture, history, and natural features. Whether you are admiring the wilderness from Put-In-Bay or seeing how the Buckeye State has contributed much to modernity at Mount Vernon and Milan, you will definitely feel as comfortable as American presidents like William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, and Rutherford B. Hayes used to feel in their homeland of Ohio.

Put-In-Bay

Austrian Beer Garden on South Bass Island in Put-In-Bay, Ohio
Austrian Beer Garden on South Bass Island in Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Image credit LukeandKarla.Travel via Shutterstock

Experience the numerous wonders of Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes of America, from the small town of Put-In-Bay. As the 鈥淜ey West of the North,鈥 Put-In-Bay opens several opportunities and attractive avenues for you to go sightseeing. For example, Perry鈥檚 Cave Family Fun Center has kaleidoscope of butterflies for you to admire as well as Kimberley鈥檚 Carousel for those wanting vintage circular rides.

Learn all about the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812 from Perry鈥檚 Victory and International Peace Memorial as well as the Lake Erie Island Historical Museum at South Bass Island. Every year from May 5 - 6, the townsfolk celebrate the Blessing of the Fleet which you can attend. Some of you might be interested in seeing the Benson Ford Ship House, a forecastle of a wrecked ship that was once owned by Henry Ford鈥s company. Never worry about where to stay, because the Commodore Resort, Victory Station Hotel, and Bird鈥檚 Nest Resort have the accommodations you will ever need for a merry vacation in Put-In-Bay.

Yellow Springs

The Little Art Theater in Yellow Springs, Ohio
The Little Art Theater in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Editorial credit: Madison Muskopf / Shutterstock.com.

Yellow Springs, approximately 20 miles from the city of Dayton, beckons newcomers wide and near to a number of beautiful attractions in Ohio鈥檚 outdoors. With the town鈥檚 752-acre limestone gorge at the John Bryan State Park and several hiking and biking lanes in the Little Miami Bike Trails along the Little Miami River, you will not be dismayed by Yellow Springs鈥 mellow atmosphere. Celebrate Earth Day on April 20 with the town鈥檚 many encouragements to get as many fruits as you want from blossoming trees, and espy the diverse quantity of Ohio鈥檚 animals at the Glen Helen Nature Preserve. Clifton Mill鈥檚 grist mills have played a historic role to Yellow Springs鈥 development which you can learn all about. And should you wish to sleep peacefully in Yellow Springs, then let the warm comforts of the Mills Park Hotel, The Owl鈥檚 Roost, or Jailhouse Suites get you relaxed and merry.

Marietta

Colorful buildings in downtown Marietta, Ohio
Colorful buildings in downtown Marietta, Ohio. Editorial credit: Wendy van Overstreet / Shutterstock.com

Since its founding in the year 1788, after being rebuilt from a Native American settlement of the Hopewell and Adena people, Marietta has been the oldest settlement in the state of Ohio. The remnants of the Hopewell and Adena culture is best seen in the passageways, embankments, and burial mounds found approximate to the confluence of the Ohio River and Muskingum River. You can find even more of these cultural artifacts from the Mound Cemetery and Marietta Earthworks, while those curious about the pioneers who established Marietta into a more modern community can read David McCullough鈥檚 The Pioneers. More sites and sights can be enjoyed from the expansive woodlands of the Wayne National Park, as well as other destinations such as Gunlock Park and Kroger Wetland. As for lodgings, look no further than to the Lafayette Hotel or the Hackett Hotel for your nightly needs.

Granville

View of downtown buildings in the town of Granville, Ohio
View of downtown buildings in the town of Granville, Ohio. Editorial credit: Eric Glenn / Shutterstock.com

Approximately 35 minutes from the city of Columbus, the grandiose town of Granville offers deep insight into much of Ohio鈥檚 indigenous past. From the Hopewell mounds at Infirmary Mound and Salt Run Park to a replica of a Hopewell settlement at the Raccoon Valley Park, you can admire all manner of cultural and historic artifacts from the Native American peoples that have lived in Ohio for millennia. The Licking County Area contains man y Newark Earthworks to admire, just as the Circle Museum elaborates on the Hopewell tribe. On the other hand, the history of the pioneers who built a more permanent residence in Granville can best be reviewed at places such as the Robbins Hunter Museum, Bryn Du Mansion, and Granville Inn. So if you are curious to see more, then you ought to book a room at the Broadway Guest House, the Porch House Bed & Breakfast, or the Historic Buxton Inn.

Milan

A beautiful pink Ford is parked in front of local shops in Milan, Ohio
A beautiful pink Ford is parked in front of local shops in Milan, Ohio. Image credit Keith J Finks via Shutterstock.com

On the Huron River and about 36 miles from Put-In-Bay lounges the delightful small town of Milan, where the famous American inventor Thomas Alva Edison was born and where his redbrick home can be found along Edison Drive. There are many more praiseworthy attractions worth visiting in Milan aside from the Edison-themed destinations, such as the Milan Historical Museum with its toy and doll museum and a blacksmith鈥檚 workstation known as the Sayles House. This same museum also focuses on the Moravian missionaries who founded the town, and for those of you who are eager for the outdoors, the Milan Wildlife Area has enough acres to keep your feet on the move. For accommodations, seek out the White Dog Bed & Breakfast, Alto Inn, or Milan Inn-tiques for whatever you need.

Loveland

West Loveland Avenue at the railroad tracks in Loveland, Ohio.
West Loveland Avenue at the railroad tracks in Loveland, Ohio. Image credit Minh Nguyen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

As a certified Buckeye Trail Town and the 鈥淪weetheart of Ohio,鈥 Loveland promotes panoramic biking routes vis-脿-vis the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trails. Delve into the town鈥檚 compelling past at the Loveland Historical Society & Museum and experience the lovely present through live performances at the Loveland Stage Company and the Loveland Art Studios on Main. Afterwards, tour the two magnificent and beautiful castles that make Loveland a desired destination among other small towns in Ohio鈥攆irst, the Loveland Castle which is also referred to as Chateau Laroche, and Castle Skateland where you can go skating and do other athletic hobbies. Book a room in fine establishments like the Loveland Lofts, and since it is only 24 miles from the city of Cincinnati, enjoy a much-needed hiatus in the small town of Loveland.

Mount Vernon

Overlooking Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Overlooking Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Sharing the name of George Washington鈥檚 original home, the small Ohio town of Mount Vernon has its roots deep in American history. Along the Kokosing River you will find several historic structures such as the former homes of Daniel Decatur Emmette鈥攖he man who composed 鈥淒ixie鈥濃攁nd Mary Ann Bickerdyke, a Union nurse during the American Civil War. On August, you can attend the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival, while on July, the townsfolk will be celebrating annual the Knox County Fair. Some of you might also be invested in live performances at the oldest known free-standing opera house in the US, the Woodward Opera House. No need to feel unwanted in Mount Vernon, especially when you are staying in welcoming lodgings like the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel, the Mount Vernon Inn, or the Coleman Family Gallerie Suite.

Sugarcreek

Downtown Sugarcreek, Ohio
Downtown Sugarcreek, Ohio. Editorial credit: Dee Browning / Shutterstock.com.

Sugarcreek is a 54-mile away getaway from the satellite town of Akron. With its cheese and the Ohio Swiss Festival occurring every year in September, it is no wonder why people laud Sugarcreek as the 鈥淟ittle Switzerland of Ohio.鈥 Let the 海角社区's Largest Cuckoo Clock in Sugarcreek鈥檚 main square consistently remind you of the hour, and hop aboard a trainway to history at the Age of Steam Roundhouse where one can learn all about Ohio鈥檚 industrial era. From a town founded by immigrants hailing from Switzerland and Germany, there are many European amenities to delight and ogle over even though Sugarcreek is right beside Ohio鈥檚 Amish Country. So let the town鈥檚 cultural splendors and its many fine establishments like Weaver Barns, Sugarcreek Village Inn, and Carlisle Inn Sugarcreek entertain and enamor you for more.

Athens

Main Street in Athens, Ohio
Main Street in Athens, Ohio. Editorial credit: Wendy van Overstreet / Shutterstock.com

Come on over to the small town of Athens, so named after the capital acropolis of Greece. With its educational and aesthetic cultures expressed in the Kennedy Museum of Art, Dairy Barn Arts Center, the OHIO Museum Complex, and even the Ohio University, Athens is an American reflection of the birthplace of democracy. Venture into the expansive wildernesses of the Wayne National Forest, the Lake Hope State Park, and the Zaleski State Forest. Recharge and refreshen yourself for another beautiful day at either the Athens Central Hotel, Ohio University Inn, or Hometown Inn. Most importantly, have a pleasant and memorable experience in the small town of Athens.

Let 2024鈥檚 most beautiful small towns in Ohio show you the magnificent landscapes and compelling histories that have forged the Buckeye State into a place of unparalleled marvel. With arts and cultures and Native American communities brimming all the way from Athens to Granville, and with scenic spots best seen from Put-In-Bay, Sugarcreek, and more, these destinations in Ohio are sure to make you soar with delight the same way that the Wright brothers first tested their aircraft in Ohio. This year, the great rivers of Ohio will guide you down to the most beautiful small towns worth visiting in the Buckeye State.

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