This post is sponsored by Ohio. Find It Here. and Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Center, but the opinions are my own.
While I have always felt like a city girl at heart, I have a major soft spot for charming small towns. When we lived in California we would take road trips along the coast, stopping at quaint spots along the way. But of all of the places we’ve been and traveled, Ohio wins at historic small town appeal. And the beauty of living in Columbus is that we are just a short drive away from so many of them. We recently visited Chillicothe and we couldn’t believe this gem of a town had been here this whole time and we never knew.
Chillicothe was Ohio’s first state capital (and the third) so there is a ton of history embedded in this town. It also makes for a great learning opportunity when you visit with your kids. There is plenty to do to fill a weekend visit, but it also is close enough to Columbus to do a day trip. Here are the highlights that are a must see and do when in Chillicothe.
Eats + Treats
If I could only recommend one spot to have a meal in Chillicothe, it would be R Kitchen on Paint. The atmosphere was lovely, the service was great, and the food was fantastic. They have a nice patio in front (which we were originally sitting at until rain loomed) and they were very accommodating when we had to move inside but were nervous because of COVID (one of my sons is high-risk). We also had a meal at Bell Farms, and they have picnic table seating outdoors in the front and also on the side of the restaurant.
Be sure to save room for dessert and head to Highland’s Ice Creamery. They have so many flavors to choose from and plenty of outdoor seating make it a perfect spot for a sweet treat.
Shopping
There are no less than 6 (maybe more) antique shops in Chillicothe, making it a great spot for treasure hunting (one even has vintage video and pinball games that you can actually play). We especially loved visiting Wheatberry Books. It is a well-curated bookshop that boasts a really sweet kids’ section in the back. As connoisseurs of bookstores, we rate this one high.
A shop sure to please both kids and adults alike is Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop. We’ve actually visited the original in Pittsburgh so it was such a treat to discover we have one that is even closer in Chillicothe. The boys were thrilled they had Harry Potter themed candy like chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. My husband and I had fun rediscovering old favorites from when we were kids.
Sites + Activities
Besides walking the downtown Chillicothe streets and exploring all of the shops and art galleries, there are several must-see historical spots in the area. First up is the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. Here you can tour ancient earthworks and burial mounds built by the Hopewell indigenous people who lived in the area over 2000 years ago. The Mound City Group has one of the greatest concentrations of Hopewell burial mounds that exist today. Tour the Discovery Center to learn more about the history and walk the paths around the mounds. Just be sure to stay off the mounds to help preserve them and out of respect for the Native People who built them.
Another historical must-visit is the Adena Mansion & Gardens Historic Site. Built in 1806-1807, Adena is the former estate of Thomas Worthington who was the 6th governor of Ohio. The home was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe (also responsible for designing the porticos of The White House and worked as the second architect on the US Capitol) and is only one of three houses he designed that is still standing in the US.
You can get a tour of the home, which lasts about 90 minutes, but you can’t touch anything and some spaces are tight, so this isn’t a great activity for younger kids. The gardens are incredible and deserve a tour as well. There is also a museum inside the Visitor Center that holds many artifacts from that time period. You can also walk all over the property and even find a lookout that boasts a view that inspired the Great Seal of the State of Ohio.
When you’re in Chillicothe for a weekend and can stay a night, you have to check out the Tecumseh! outdoor drama.. The show runs Monday-Saturday all summer long, and has been in production since 1973. The show lasts about 2 1/2 hours (with a 15 minute intermission) and has loud and very realistic gun and cannon blasts, so I wouldn’t recommend it for little ones under 7. I was very glad we decided just Charlie and I would attend, because my two younger sons (ages 5 and 6) would have been scared of the noise and would not have been able to sit for that long or last until 10 pm. But Charlie absolutely loved it! We were so impressed by the quality of the production, the realistic setting, the horses, and the dedication to accuracy in representing Tecumseh and the Native People. If you go, bring bug spray and a sweatshirt. Also, even though it was outdoors we felt it was a little crowded for social distancing purposes and we wore our masks the entire time.
Where to Stay
I’m sure there are darling B&B’s and rental homes available, but since there are five of us and we were staying one night we opted for the Hampton Inn & Suites. It was perfect for our needs and we even went for a swim at the pool, which the boys loved (they haven’t been swimming since pre-COVID days).
Whether you live in Ohio or planning a visit, Chillicothe is definitely worthy of a stop on your tour. We will be going back!