5 Ohio Museums That Won't Bore You

Museums can be one big yawn fest, and the simple utter of the word can send a shudder down an adventurer’s spine. But there is such a thing as a cool, adventurous museum, and Ohio is home to quite a few kickass museums. Below is a list of some of Ohio’s coolest museums that you’d be more than pleased if you chose to visit!

1. Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton): Ohio has some pretty hardcore football fans, from the Cincinnati Bengals to the Cleveland Browns. The genesis of the nation’s captivity and affection for the pigskin sport began in the Canton area, as the city is considered to be the birthplace of the NFL (originally the American Professional Football Association) in 1920.

2. Rock & Hall of Fame & Museum (Cleveland):  Cleveland was overall chosen as the spot where this iconic structure would be built due to the fact that Cleveland DJ Alan Freed is widely credited as coining the term "rock and roll" and that Cleveland was the location of the very first rock and roll concert. I first traveled here as a junior in high school, and most recently in 2009. It is a jaw dropping experience entering a place where you can marvel at Les Paul guitars, Michael Jackson's glove, Elvis' signature apparel, and numerous other music gems. You can also walk through the "hall of fame" itself which lists all inductees, from The Beatles to Madonna.

3. National Air Force Museum (Dayton): It is only fitting that the Dayton area is home to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (or NMUSAF), as this is known to be the "Birthplace of Aviation," where the Wright Brothers (Orville and Wilbur) lived and invented the world's very first successful aircraft. The museum houses many artifacts relating to the history and development of aviation and pays homage to the Wright Brothers.

4. COSI: Center of Science & Industry (Columbus): This science museum has been named by Parents Magazine as the #1 Science Center for families in the country. But this museum is good for all ages, old and young and everything in between. The plus side is that the museum makes science fun instead of geeky with exhibits on space, the ocean, weather, the human body, and more. There are also limited edition exhibits like the Titanic, dinosaurs, or the current H2O exhibit! You will bring out the kid in you and learn a ton while getting lost for hours in this absolutely awesome learning experience.

5. Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum (Pickerington): While working in the Ohio state legislature, I had the opportunity to meet the government affairs specialist for the American Motorcycle Association (AMA). While crafting bills pertaining to motorcyclists and traffic actuated stop lights, he also took the time to inform me that the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame was located just minutes away from downtown Columbus! Again, I was absolutely gobsmacked that Ohio is home to such a kickass museum that any young boy fascinated with motorcycles (or those experiencing their mid-life crisis) would die for.