Five Crazy Things in Central Ohio

We can all agree there are a lot of fun and adventurous things to do in Ohio. You can count on some destinations for quality recreation, others for an enriching cultural experience and still others for fabulous local food.

The destinations in this post, however, make up a category all their own: "You’ve gotta see it to believe it."

If you’re planning a visit to central Ohio, make sure you put these sights on your Buckeye Bucket List--if for no other reason than to take a photo that will serve as a conversation piece for years to come.

 

1. Longaberger Home Office (1500 E. Main St., Newark)

Located just off Ohio 16 in Newark (about 40 miles east of Columbus), the seven-story basket serving as headquarters of the Longaberger Company has gleaned the attention of such publications as Travel + Leisure (“...it’s as if, in 1997, a giant-size Little Red Riding Hood set down her seven-story hamper on a flat section of Ohio”) and the Huffington Post, among others. Modeled after the company’s Medium Market Basket, the building was completed in 1997. The two handles, weighing approximately 150 tons, are heated to prevent ice formation. Visitor hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

 

2. World's Largest Basket (Corner of Fifth and Main streets, Dresden)

While we’re talking Longaberger, if you stop to get your picture with a seven-story basket, you may as well drive a bit further east to grab a selfie or two with the World’s Largest Basket --by technical definition, meaning it actually has been woven. Located in the tiny town of Dresden--birthplace of The Longaberger Company--the World’s Largest Basket is smaller than the Longaberger Headquarters but still large enough to house a family. The basket is 48 feet long and 23 feet tall. After you grab a photo or two, be sure to browse through the shops in downtown Dresden for an antique or basket to take home as a souvenir.

 

3. Education of Yesterday (Intersection of Ohio 16 and Ohio 60, Dresden)

My personal favorite stop on our “Crazy Sights” tour, this part-outdoor-museum, part-organized-junkyard, part-window-into-the-past has intrigued me for years during drives between Newark and Coshocton. Located near Dresden, this plot of land is dedicated to all things yesteryear: Old farm equipment, trains, vehicles, machinery, playground equipment and even a boat or two.

Every October, the site comes to life for the annual Education of Yesterday Show. The site was established by the late Kenny Moore Jr., of Dresden, to keep today’s children educated about how things worked in the past. In between those annual festivals, the property is just...there. We had a nice time marveling at the equipment. If you’re into photographing old things, this is definitely a place to put on your list.

 

 

4. Topiary Park (480 E. Town St., Columbus)

Sculptor James Mason described Columbus' Topiary Park as “a landscape of a painting of a landscape...The topiary garden is both a work of art and a work of nature. It plays upon the relationships between nature, art and life.”

Our visit to the park was whimsical and fun, feeling as if we were characters in a storybook or movie!

 

Photo credit: Dublin Arts Council

5. Field of Corn (4995 Rings Road, Dublin)

This "a-maize-ing" piece of art occupies a plot of land in Dublin's Frantz Park. It comprises 109 ears of corn, each 6 feet, 3 inches tall, and was commissioned in 1994 by the Dublin Art in Public Places program of the Dublin Arts Council. Each ear of corn weighs 1,500 pounds! The artist behind the display, Malcolm Cochran, meant for it to be a nod to the city's agricultural roots. 

Comments

[Abbey]

Hi Megan,

Thanks for pointing that out! I actually included the name of the painting in the original text of my post but must have edited it out.

[Megan]

At the Topiary Park, you are actually a part of the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat, which was the inspiration for the park.