COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has announced “Tourism” as this month’s feature in the Ohio Business Profile Program.
All businesses selected aim to feature Ohio’s history and beauty for her citizens, while also making the Buckeye State a destination for travelers.
“Ohio is more than just a great place to work and raise your family; it also has a rich history and a lot of things to see and do from museums and architecture to exploring the great outdoors,” Secretary Husted said.
In 2014, 200 million people made Ohio a destination on their vacations and travels, adding $40 billion to the state’s economy. The tourism industry in the state also boasts more than 400,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal jobs.
Companies profiled this month are as follows:
• Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta, shares the stories of Neil Armstrong and all Ohioans who have attempted to defy gravity, the history of the Space Race and details current space exploration.
• Bonnybrook Farms, Clarksville, has been celebrating Ohio’s rich agricultural heritage for 40 years. The 370-acre farm in Warren County is one of the finest equestriean centers in the Midwest and has become a popular destination for families, school groups, corporate picnics and weddings.
• Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes nearly 45,000 objects, spanning 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. A Cleveland staple for nearly a century, the museum currently employs 400 full-time and part-time workers.
• Children’s Museum of Findlay provides a facility for children to play and learn through hands-on experiences. Its newest exhibit, Little Main Street, welcomed more than 16,000 visitors since it was opened in July 2014.
• COSI, Columbus, is driven to inspire the scientists, dreamers and innovators of tomorrow. One of the largest modern-built science centers in the United States, COSI has been named America’s number-one science center for families and has engaged more than 32 million people across the globe between its onsite and outreach programs.
• The Dairy Barn Arts Center, Athens, offers exhibitions, events and educational programs that nurture and promote area artists and artisans. It provides opportunities for artists to teach, create and sell work in a 101-year-old dairy barn in Southwest Ohio.
• Ravenwood Castle, New Plymouth, is a country inn in Hocking Hills. It hosts numerous events each year, including weddings, beer tastings, board game conventions and murder mysteries. The grounds feature a number of different lodging options from castle rooms to cottages.
• Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Akron, was originally built by the Seiberling family, co-founders of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and still celebrates the heritage that gave Akron the title of “Rubber Capital of the World.” Built in 1915, the nonprofit historic house and museum is the sixth largest home open to the public in the United States, featuring 65 rooms and a nearly 65,000-square-foot manor house.
• Toledo Museum of Art was founded in 1901 and has earned a global reputation for the quality of its collection, innovative and extensive education programs and an architecturally significant campus. More than 30,000 works of art are contained within, while the museum itself features the Glass Pavilion, which honors its home city’s heritage as the Glass City and the Birthplace of American Studio Glass.
• The Wilds, Cumberland, is a private, nonprofit safari park that combines cutting-edge conservation science with animal adventures. The grounds span more than 9,100 acres in Southeast Ohio and serve as the largest wildlife conservation center for endangered species in North America.
