Best of Ohio Readers’ Ballot 2015
We asked our readers and website visitors to vote for their favorites throughout the state.
Our full list of Best of Ohio editors' picks can be found here.
Recreation
Bike Trail: Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, ohioanderiecanalway.com
Hiking Trail: Old Man’s Cave Trail, 19852 St. Rte. 664 S., Logan 43138, parks.ohiodnr.gov/hockinghills
State Park: Hocking Hills State Park, parks.ohiodnr.gov/hockinghills
Winter Destination: Snow Trails, 3100 Possum Run Rd., Mansfield 44903, snowtrails.com
Indoor Waterpark: Kalahari Resorts, 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky 44870, kalahariresorts.com
Bird-watching Spot: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, 13229 W. St. Rte. 2, Oak Harbor 43449, mageemarsh.org
Place to See Fall Leaves: Hocking Hills, explorehockinghills.com
Attractions & Lodging
Ohio Casino: Horseshoe Cleveland, 100 Public Square, Cleveland 44113, horseshoecleveland.com
College Town: Athens, athensohio.com
Romantic Destination: Hocking Hills, explorehockinghills.com
In-State Long Weekend Destination: Columbus, experiencecolumbus.com
Destination Spa: Harmony Farm, 5578 S. St. Rte. 202, Tipp City 45371, harmonyfarmonline.com
Bed & Breakfast/Inn: Wishmaker House Bed & Breakfast, 116 Main St., Bellville 44813, wishmakerhouse.com
Historical Site: Fort Meigs, 29100 W. River Rd., Perrysburg 43551, fortmeigs.org
Botanical Garden: Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd., Columbus 44106, cbgarden.org
Quirky Tourist Attraction: A Christmas Story House & Museum, 3159 W. 11th St., Cleveland 44109, achristmasstoryhouse.com
Zoo: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 Powell Rd., Powell 43065, columbuszoo.org
Fairs, Parades & Festivals
Annual Parade: Hometown Holiday Horse Parade, Greenville 45331, mainstreetgreenville.org
County Fair: The Great Darke County Fair, 800 Sweitzer St., Greenville 45331, darkecountyfair.com
Art Fair/Festival: Columbus Arts Festival, Downtown Riverfront, Columbus 43215, columbusartsfestival.org
Fall Festival: Circleville Pumpkin Show, 159 E. Franklin St., Circleville 43113, pumpkinshow.com
Summer Festival: Troy Strawberry Festival, Downtown Troy 45373, gostrawberries.com
Wine Festival: Vintage Ohio Wine Festival, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd., Kirtland 44094, visitvintageohio.com
Beer Festival: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, Vine and Main streets, Cincinnati 45202, oktoberfestzinzinnati.com
Food & Drink
Fine Dining: Michael Anthony’s at the Inn at Versailles, 21 W. Main St., Versailles 45380, innatversailles.com
Casual Dining: Swig, 219 Louisiana Ave., Perrysburg 43551, swigrestaurant.com
Ice Cream: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Multiple locations, jenis.com
Ohio Craft Beer: Great Lakes Brewing Co., 2516 Market Ave., Cleveland 44113, greatlakesbrewing.com
Winery: Ferrante Winery, 5585 N. River Rd. W., Geneva 44041, ferrantewinery.com
Coffee Shop/Roaster: Boston Stoker, 8321 N. Main St., Clayton 45415, bostonstoker.com
Amish Food: Der Dutchman Restaurant & Bakery, 4967 Walnut St., Walnut Creek 44687, dhgroup.com
Burger: The Thurman Cafe , 183 Thurman Ave., Columbus 43206, thethurmancafe.com
Brunch: Basil’s on Market, 18 N. Market St., Troy 45373, basilsonmarket.com
Farmers Market: 2nd Street Market, 600 E. Second St., Dayton 45402, metroparks.org/localfood
Ohio-Made Candy: Esther Price, 1709 Wayne Ave., Dayton 45410, estherprice.com
Food Truck: Mikey’s Late Night Slice, Columbus, latenightslice.com
Cheesemaker: Heini’s Cheese Chalet, 6005 County Hwy. 77, Millersburg 44654, heinis.com
Arts & Culture
Children’s Museum: COSI, 333 W. Broad St., Columbus 43215, cosi.org
History Museum: Garst Museum, 205 N. Broadway St., Greenville 45331, garstmuseum.org
Art Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland 44106, clevelandart.org
Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 44106, clevelandorchestra.com
Historic Theater: Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., Columbus 43215
Community Theater Group: Weathervane Playhouse, 100 Price Rd., Newark 43055, weathervaneplayhouse.org
Outdoor Concert Series: Blossom Music Festival, 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls 44223, clevelandorchestra.com
Shopping
Antique Shop: Grandview Mercantile, 873 N. High St., Columbus 43215, grandviewmercantile.com
Shopping Center: Easton Town Center, 160 Easton Town Center, Columbus 43219, eastontowncenter.com
Flea Market: Rogers Community Auction, 45625 Old State Route 154, Rogers 44455, rogersohio.com
Independent Boutique: Sadie Grace, 530 S. Broadway St., Greenville 45331, sadiegraceinc.com
Toy Store: Cairns Toys, 31 E. Main St., Tipp City 45371, cairnstoys.com
Related Articles
How Ohio’s Canal Era Helped Shape the State’s History
A groundbreaking idea began to take shape in Ohio 200 years ago this summer, as the simultaneous creation of two major canals ultimately opened the state to trade and transformed the place we call home. READ MORE >>
Ohio Finds: Ohio State Fair Cup
This coin silver cup with floral and grapevine decoration was once awarded to first-place winners at the Ohio State Fair. READ MORE >>
How Lights Out Cleveland Is Helping Save Birds
Glowing city skylines are an alluring sight, especially if you're a migrating bird. But an epidemic of collisions with buildings has led groups across Ohio, including Lights Out Cleveland, to form rescue squads and help raise public awareness about the problem. READ MORE >>