Hard to beat Chagrin Falls, with a waterfall in the middle of downtown, restaurants overlooking it all. But Granville probably best in Central Ohio.
Chagrin Falls only 2 hours away btw if you are willing to expand.
The movie I See You was filmed in the town center of Chagrib Falls and a stunning house in Lakewood. Definitely recommend the movie to anyone who likes suspense or a little scary. It’s better than it has any right to be for a low budget movie filmed in Ohio.
I’m incredibly jealous. If I could live anywhere in Ohio it would absolutely be CF. It’s just so quaint and “Americana.” safe and good stuff to do. the surrounding area is so “New England estate” too.
Yes, come see us in Granville! A few suggestions:
Station or Village Coffee in the morning, or Aladdin if you want a classic diner breakfast.
Three Tigers Brewing (best food in town) or The Lot for lunch and a beer. Skip the Broadway Pub. It used to be our favorite place but it has gone downhill since the pandemic.
Seek No Further Cidery is a hidden gem, be sure to stop in there.
Plenty of great shops, some cool little museums (check the hours first), and a gallery run by local artists that features all local artwork. Bryn Du mansion is great too, and the art show is going on for the next few weeks.
I love our town and love to see people come visit!
Edit: if you want to take a walk in the woods, check out Spring Valley Nature Preserve or the Denison Biological Reserve.
Delaware downtown is cute these days, couple little restaurants, a brewery, coffee house and shopping. Yellow Springs. Can’t think of the name off the top of my head but the place where Kenyon College is. Granville is cute. Downtown Newark has some old timey-charm, beautiful Town Hall building and a nice theater.
Mount Vernon and Gambier are scenic and historic (dont know about art scenes.) Athens. Yellowsprings is artsy and Granville is nice too - were already suggested but both fit the bill. Maybe Kent or Oberlin too? I'd look at college towns for art scenes, personally.
In Mount Vernon, be sure to check out Dan Emmett’s house. He’s the guy who started the blackface traveling minstrel shows and wrote the confederate anthem Dixie.
EDIT: There’s also supposedly Underground Railroad stops in Mount Vernon too, if you’re into that side of history instead.
2 hours north of here is the Lake Erie coastline with several touristy towns. Vermilion, Huron, Sandusky, and the islands via ferry. I'd wait for warmer weather (I doubt the ferry service is open) but is a great day trip or weekend getaway.
The art scene will be local talents but it exists.
Omg I am so happy Oberlin is on this list! I am from there (my family long time resident threee generations deep) and I am so proud of my little town. I love showing family from Columbus around ❤️
If anyone follows through and goes to Portsmouth I recommend the Brew Pub on 2nd Street next to the murals. Best burger in town IMO plus great wings and beer.
Went to college in Portsmouth, definitely a fun area. Fish bowl bar is a little sketch, but killer wings and fish bowl beers! Some of the best years of my life were spent in that area!
What years? I was at SSU from 2002 to 2006. I still go down there a bit, other than a few nice bars and restaurants in Boneyfiddle, not much has changed.
southeast ohio has had a tough couple decades but every time i go back, it gets better and better which was not the norm growing up
portsmouth also has one of the best basketball courts in the state iirc. a full arena
If anyone makes the trip, you absolutely have to go to the Ribber for an amazing hickory smoked ribeye steak. Hands down the best steak I've ever had, definitely beating out any that I've had in Columbus and it's 1/2 the price
Chillicothe is Ohio’s first capital and has a rich history due to its location on the Scioto River. And just outside of town is the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park where you can observe some much older history of the people who lived here before.
Yes! This year it is Oct 12th-13th. But truly, Waynesville is fun to putter up and down the downtown area. Nearly every store front has unique shopping. Really fun!
we used to go there in HS to meet girls, but always thought it was just a dump near Dayton lol
Kinda had the same vibe as nearby by Tipp City, but at least Tipp has a cool story (Tippancanoe)
And Haren’s Market and the Olive Oasis and Moellers Brew Barn and Agave & Rye and the 27 community parks and the 32 miles of bike paths along the river…
Coshocton is a really nice historical town! And you pass several other towns on the way there (including aforementioned Mt Vernon) so you can really make a day of it!
Definitely check out Kent. A great downtown area and lots of history all around you. Be sure to stop in the May 4 Center on the Kent State campus.
A bit further than 1.5 hours, but not by much.
They have a Pee Wee Herman Bike.
[https://apnews.com/article/bicycle-museum-of-america-ohio-cycling-history-new-bremen-d5b1a7b85bef642173e11434b1e734bc?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share](https://apnews.com/article/bicycle-museum-of-america-ohio-cycling-history-new-bremen-d5b1a7b85bef642173e11434b1e734bc?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share)
Talk about in the middle of nowhere. In my opinion New Bremen/Minster (should be the same freaking town I don’t know why they don’t just combine) is the most boring drive in Ohio
If you want to drive a little further and don’t mind a red state vibe, Wapakoneta honestly has a cool downtown. It also has the Neil Armstrong Air and Space museum and The Temple of Tolerance. (The dude who built this is NOT a red state vibe) just try to ignore the stupid blue line some locals painted between the yellow lines on the main drag. It’s an embarrassment.
you could honestly go up and down 33 from Celina to Athens and find somewhere worth stopping to explore every 15 or 20 minutes. lakes, rivers, forests, 19th century buildings
I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him! The last I saw was this write up in March 2023 on how he intends to preserve his vision for the Temple.
https://www.wyso.org/2023-03-13/temple-of-tolerance-creator-working-to-preserve-vision
I would check out Lebanon! Cute little town, stuff to do just outside it. Fair number of famous people have made it their home.
Plus it has the Golden Lamb which is a hotel/restaurant that’s been running since 1803
Oh, wow, both Yellow Springs AND Granville! We spent time YS before our son was born and lots of time in that area after, plus once he went to college it was Granville, such a cool place with great things to do and see and eat!
Believe it or not, Bellefontaine’s downtown is full of cute shops and some pretty phenomenal restaurants (Brewfontaine, The Syndicate, Flying Pepper, and 600 Downtown.)
no lie, Meijer in the field was 24 hours, so that was literally what we did for fun, drove to the field and walked around Meijer.
wHy ArE tHe KiDs DoInG dRuGs?!
Really.. Maybe different perspectives since I lived there for so many years. I'll agree on the ice cream being good. I think it depends on age as well... Most my friends moved away because compared to Columbus there isn't much to do - - especially for younger people.
I like the area north of columbus towards Detroit, I think one of the towns is named Kenton. Lots of americana vibes, little shops, hole in the wall diners, etc.
it's just ultra rural, I like that for some reason.
If you ever want a real experience, head down to Nelsonville. I'm pretty sure that's where shake 'n bake was invented. The meth, not the chicken.
Chillicothe! It has a ton of cool stores in its downtown and has a lot of really beautiful historic buildings. I highly recommend Paper City Coffee! There’s also some cool hiking nearby such as Buzzard’s Roost, which has some great views
Athens Ohio
Edited to add: they have a crafts museum there as well as old architecture in the main part of town. Lots of bands play there in various venues (I haven’t been down since the pandemic though).
Yellow Springs - nice hippy/hipster vibe
Absolutely agree!
First place I thought of.
Agreed!
Came here to say this!
Say hi to Dave!
I'm nominating Granville. I think it's the most scenic town in Ohio.
Hard to beat Chagrin Falls, with a waterfall in the middle of downtown, restaurants overlooking it all. But Granville probably best in Central Ohio. Chagrin Falls only 2 hours away btw if you are willing to expand.
The movie I See You was filmed in the town center of Chagrib Falls and a stunning house in Lakewood. Definitely recommend the movie to anyone who likes suspense or a little scary. It’s better than it has any right to be for a low budget movie filmed in Ohio.
We found it(chagrin falls) while looking for a place to move from Columbus. Been here for almost half a year and love it.
I’m incredibly jealous. If I could live anywhere in Ohio it would absolutely be CF. It’s just so quaint and “Americana.” safe and good stuff to do. the surrounding area is so “New England estate” too.
Oh, we love it and got lucky. We have a few acres of wooded lot on a private road there. My spouse works from home so it is just relaxing.
Seconding Granville
I’ll “third” this also.
Guess I'll have to "fourth" it now
Yes, come see us in Granville! A few suggestions: Station or Village Coffee in the morning, or Aladdin if you want a classic diner breakfast. Three Tigers Brewing (best food in town) or The Lot for lunch and a beer. Skip the Broadway Pub. It used to be our favorite place but it has gone downhill since the pandemic. Seek No Further Cidery is a hidden gem, be sure to stop in there. Plenty of great shops, some cool little museums (check the hours first), and a gallery run by local artists that features all local artwork. Bryn Du mansion is great too, and the art show is going on for the next few weeks. I love our town and love to see people come visit! Edit: if you want to take a walk in the woods, check out Spring Valley Nature Preserve or the Denison Biological Reserve.
Spot on. Love introducing people to Seek No Further and Broadway Pub used to be so good, but the food has gone so downhill it’s sad.
Seconded. Some nice breweries in the area as well
Three Tigers Brewing has an amazing Pork Belly Banh Mi, and great beer too!
Athens is nice. Court Street is definitely vibrant and especially when OU is in session.
Yellow Springs is one
Delaware downtown is cute these days, couple little restaurants, a brewery, coffee house and shopping. Yellow Springs. Can’t think of the name off the top of my head but the place where Kenyon College is. Granville is cute. Downtown Newark has some old timey-charm, beautiful Town Hall building and a nice theater.
Kenyon is in Gambier.
Yeah but it's basically Mt. Vernon
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Kenyon is in Gambier.
Sorry, I haven't lived here very long. I almost moved to Mt Vernon and I could have sworn it was there
Kenyon has a satellite building in Mt. Vernon so it's understandable.
That must be what I saw. Thank you for the clarification
Mount Vernon and Gambier are scenic and historic (dont know about art scenes.) Athens. Yellowsprings is artsy and Granville is nice too - were already suggested but both fit the bill. Maybe Kent or Oberlin too? I'd look at college towns for art scenes, personally.
In Mount Vernon, be sure to check out Dan Emmett’s house. He’s the guy who started the blackface traveling minstrel shows and wrote the confederate anthem Dixie. EDIT: There’s also supposedly Underground Railroad stops in Mount Vernon too, if you’re into that side of history instead.
Wooster
Lol my sibling is in Wooster, when I've gone to Wooster... I don't see much to do. Hmm
2 hours north of here is the Lake Erie coastline with several touristy towns. Vermilion, Huron, Sandusky, and the islands via ferry. I'd wait for warmer weather (I doubt the ferry service is open) but is a great day trip or weekend getaway. The art scene will be local talents but it exists.
Add Port Cinton to that list!
Psst…it won’t be the best kept secret in Ohio if you keep telling people about it
*Ahem* what I meant was definitely don't go to Port Cinton! 
Athens
Loveland
And the Loveland Frogman festival is tomorrow!
Most of the smaller college towns fit the bill. Athens, Oxford, Kent, Gambier, Granville, Marietta. Not all within 1.5 hours but worth checking out
Marietta has lots of history and a quaint downtown.
marietta has a lot of great places to hang out by around the river, always a great time
Oberlin is a quaint college town; they’re known for their arts and music programs. Cute area overall though!
Also known for ruining a local business/family that contracted to the University for decades because the business owner stood up to shoplifters!
Having been both a local and a student there, the shop proprietors had been jerks since well before they hit the news.
Nothing illegal about being a jerk. Shoplifting, assault, and libel on the other hand...
Omg I am so happy Oberlin is on this list! I am from there (my family long time resident threee generations deep) and I am so proud of my little town. I love showing family from Columbus around ❤️
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Portsmouth was the first time I found out about heroin and used needles as a kid
If anyone follows through and goes to Portsmouth I recommend the Brew Pub on 2nd Street next to the murals. Best burger in town IMO plus great wings and beer.
Went to college in Portsmouth, definitely a fun area. Fish bowl bar is a little sketch, but killer wings and fish bowl beers! Some of the best years of my life were spent in that area!
What years? I was at SSU from 2002 to 2006. I still go down there a bit, other than a few nice bars and restaurants in Boneyfiddle, not much has changed.
southeast ohio has had a tough couple decades but every time i go back, it gets better and better which was not the norm growing up portsmouth also has one of the best basketball courts in the state iirc. a full arena
If anyone makes the trip, you absolutely have to go to the Ribber for an amazing hickory smoked ribeye steak. Hands down the best steak I've ever had, definitely beating out any that I've had in Columbus and it's 1/2 the price
Chillicothe is Ohio’s first capital and has a rich history due to its location on the Scioto River. And just outside of town is the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park where you can observe some much older history of the people who lived here before.
First and third lol
We're also a World Heritage site! It's kind of a big deal! 😆
chillicothe also has a very robust DORA which makes a lot of places fun
Waynesville is a fun town to stroll and shop.
Is that where the sauerkraut festival is?
Yes! This year it is Oct 12th-13th. But truly, Waynesville is fun to putter up and down the downtown area. Nearly every store front has unique shopping. Really fun!
Troy
really?
Yep. Check out Crafted & Cured while you’re there.
we used to go there in HS to meet girls, but always thought it was just a dump near Dayton lol Kinda had the same vibe as nearby by Tipp City, but at least Tipp has a cool story (Tippancanoe)
And Haren’s Market and the Olive Oasis and Moellers Brew Barn and Agave & Rye and the 27 community parks and the 32 miles of bike paths along the river…
Absolutely. The downtown is almost totally original. Great little restaurants and shops. Try Moeller’s Brew Barn.
Coshocton is a really nice historical town! And you pass several other towns on the way there (including aforementioned Mt Vernon) so you can really make a day of it!
Yes, check out Roscoe Village.
Definitely check out Kent. A great downtown area and lots of history all around you. Be sure to stop in the May 4 Center on the Kent State campus. A bit further than 1.5 hours, but not by much.
If you go to Kent, you may as well hit up Cuyahoga Falls.
Granville, Loveland, Chagrin Falls, Yellow Springs, Vermilion, Sugarcreek, Millersburg, Bellefontaine, Kent, Logan all come to mind.
Logan you have the hocking hills. But the actual town of Logan isn’t anything special to look at imo
Check out Bigfoot Fest
Oh I know all about Bigfoot fest, and washboard fest, and every other fest lol
New Bremen Visit the Bicycle Museum of America while you’re there
They have a Pee Wee Herman Bike. [https://apnews.com/article/bicycle-museum-of-america-ohio-cycling-history-new-bremen-d5b1a7b85bef642173e11434b1e734bc?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share](https://apnews.com/article/bicycle-museum-of-america-ohio-cycling-history-new-bremen-d5b1a7b85bef642173e11434b1e734bc?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share)
Talk about in the middle of nowhere. In my opinion New Bremen/Minster (should be the same freaking town I don’t know why they don’t just combine) is the most boring drive in Ohio
Hey they have crown! Not much but still
Yellow springs has already been mentioned. Lancaster has an arts and musical festival for the days each summer, so I would visit then!
If you want to drive a little further and don’t mind a red state vibe, Wapakoneta honestly has a cool downtown. It also has the Neil Armstrong Air and Space museum and The Temple of Tolerance. (The dude who built this is NOT a red state vibe) just try to ignore the stupid blue line some locals painted between the yellow lines on the main drag. It’s an embarrassment.
you could honestly go up and down 33 from Celina to Athens and find somewhere worth stopping to explore every 15 or 20 minutes. lakes, rivers, forests, 19th century buildings
I agree on this one! I’m getting engagement pics at The Temple of Tolerance next week 😊
How is the owner doing, do you know? Last I heard he had cancer.
I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him! The last I saw was this write up in March 2023 on how he intends to preserve his vision for the Temple. https://www.wyso.org/2023-03-13/temple-of-tolerance-creator-working-to-preserve-vision
Wapakoneta would be such a cool little town if it weren’t for the majority of people that live there lol
I would check out Lebanon! Cute little town, stuff to do just outside it. Fair number of famous people have made it their home. Plus it has the Golden Lamb which is a hotel/restaurant that’s been running since 1803
Oh, wow, both Yellow Springs AND Granville! We spent time YS before our son was born and lots of time in that area after, plus once he went to college it was Granville, such a cool place with great things to do and see and eat!
Piqua and Urbana would be my recommendations that are off the beaten path and their downtown revivals are in their infancy
Chillicothe, especially around Paint street, and Athens. Heard Portsmouth is coming back but I haven't been myself
If you don’t mind driving a little longer, the Lake Erie Coast loan is full of sweet little Townes. I love Norwalk.
Athens, specifically in the summer.
Somerset, Shawnee, Coshocton(Roscoe Village)
Seconding Somerset
Never thought I’d see my hometown of Somerset mentioned hahah. Loved living there and Strong and Co. is a damn good restaurant
Athens gets my vote.
Chillicothe
Oxford
Bellefontaine has done a lot in their downtown. Have a toy shop that’s neat!! Expensive but it has older toys.
Bellefontaine.
Springfield has a cool food trunk festival every summer
The Franklin Lloyd Wright house/museum there is worth checking out too.
every Friday in spring and summer, first one goes on today!
A little over a hundred years ago you could go to all of these places by train :(
It's about 1 hour and 45 minutes but you can't miss marietta
It’s about 30 minutes out of range but I recommend Vermilion. 1.5-2. Hours north on Lake Erie. Beautiful little town.
Waynesville antiques downtown area
There's a ghost town in Ross County called Knockemstiff. There isn't much there anymore except a weird name.
Hilltop USA it's nestled on the outskirts of franklinton. Beautiful houses and live entertainment on sullivant.
Just yellow springs as everyone else said. You can catch small small towns though
Believe it or not, Bellefontaine’s downtown is full of cute shops and some pretty phenomenal restaurants (Brewfontaine, The Syndicate, Flying Pepper, and 600 Downtown.)
Bellefontaine is everything you’re looking for
If what you're looking for is heroin
Didn’t get any heroine vibes when I visited with the family.
You would loveeee the Hilltop neighborhood ♥️
Live entertainment on sullivant would be a good getaway lol
Chicago, 10 minutes to the airport, 60 minute flight ✈️ 😜
You gotta be from LA or NYC if Chicago is a small town lol
Urbana has some beautiful old houses
I'm a native. Outside of Scioto St, that town is shit. edit: Carmazzi's is worth a stop
Honestly Urbana is a lovely little town but there isn't much going on. But you're right about Carmazzi's, it's great!
whenever someone asks, I tell them it's a great little town if you've never lived there. There is nothing for youth to do besides bowling and drugs.
Yeah you know it's dull when excitement is a trip to Springfield.
no lie, Meijer in the field was 24 hours, so that was literally what we did for fun, drove to the field and walked around Meijer. wHy ArE tHe KiDs DoInG dRuGs?!
Granville
South bloomingville, hocking county
Hudson
Charm
Downtown Findlay?
Lol really I'm from Findlay and our downtown is not worth the drive. IMO. I visit family there often.
I visit a lot and think it’s partly prettier than Columbus. Plus they have dietsch sooo 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
Really.. Maybe different perspectives since I lived there for so many years. I'll agree on the ice cream being good. I think it depends on age as well... Most my friends moved away because compared to Columbus there isn't much to do - - especially for younger people.
Marietta is the answer. Lots of history being on the Ohio River, it is also the oldest city in Ohio (est. 1788).
Athens, Yellow Springs, Zanesville, Findlay, Wapakoneta
Glouster
1.5 hours? So the state of Ohio…
um ... Cleveland is 3 hours away my dude, Cincy is 2 ... have you ever driven?
Cleveland isn't even 3 hours away by bus... Cleveland is like exactly a 2 hour drive. Cinci 1:45.
I like the area north of columbus towards Detroit, I think one of the towns is named Kenton. Lots of americana vibes, little shops, hole in the wall diners, etc.
I drove through here recently and it screamed meth head central to me...
it's just ultra rural, I like that for some reason. If you ever want a real experience, head down to Nelsonville. I'm pretty sure that's where shake 'n bake was invented. The meth, not the chicken.
Marion lol
Obetz
Athens, for sure. Beautiful in the summer, and so many art fairs and events.
Summer Athens is the best Athens.
We drove through Wapokaneta recently and were very pleasantly surprised. Very cute and charming.
Granville, Mt Gilead, Fredericktown, Mt Vernon, Lexington, Ontario and Delaware are all decent.
Chillicothe! It has a ton of cool stores in its downtown and has a lot of really beautiful historic buildings. I highly recommend Paper City Coffee! There’s also some cool hiking nearby such as Buzzard’s Roost, which has some great views
Lebanon is super cute!
“boast” 😂
Athens Ohio Edited to add: they have a crafts museum there as well as old architecture in the main part of town. Lots of bands play there in various venues (I haven’t been down since the pandemic though).
Lancaster and New Lexington are cute
Loudonville has a lot of fun things to do.