Ohio Local History Alliance

09/04/2026

Are you ready to plan out your route for Ohio Open Doors? From September 10-20, Ohio's historical sites are preparing to show you things you might not have had the opportunity to see before!

There are 300 events scheduled across all of Ohio's 88 counties, and many of them are OLHA Member Organizations.

For a searchable list of events, visit: www.ohiohistory.org/opendoors.

09/03/2026

"Years of visiting historic sites have led me to pay as much attention to how museums interpret history as to the history itself. I rarely experience these tours simply as a visitor. I find myself paying attention to the choices guides make, the stories they emphasize, the evidence they use, and the ways they connect people to place."

Whenever I travel, I try to visit historic sites that interpret women’s history. This summer, while traveling through New England, I had the opportunity to visit six historic house museums associat…

09/02/2026

Trust in Museums Remains High: Researcher Susie Wilkening has found that the public’s trust in museums remains high and bipartisan. As people continue to be selective about where they place their trust, especially in a society where disinformation and misinformation are an issue, many continue to see museums as credible and reliable.

Amid misinformation, polarization, and shifting public confidence, one thing is clear: Museums are still trusted. Our five-year tracking shows that trust in museums has increased since 2021 and remains strong across political affiliations.

09/01/2026

Registration for our Annual Meeting continues through September 18, but today is the last day to apply for our scholarship opportunities. There's one for an emerging professional and one for anyone who needs financial assistance to attend.

Application and information here: https://ohiolha.org/what-we-do/alliance-annual-meeting/annual-meeting-scholarships/

08/31/2026

Early bird registration for our Annual Meeting ends today, so get your registrations in now before the prices go up! Register online: https://ohiolha.org/what-we-do/alliance-annual-meeting/

And remember - scholarship applications are due tomorrow. Scholarships offer full registration and lodging. https://ohiolha.org/what-we-do/alliance-annual-meeting/annual-meeting-scholarships/

08/27/2026

"Balancing this desire for “more information” with the very real limitations of gallery space, time, and museum fatigue, QR codes might seem like the perfect solution. In theory, QR codes can let visitors who want more information dive deeper, in the moment or after their visit. QR codes can also allow for museum staff to share extra information, resources, and other content that wasn’t able to make it into an exhibition."

When balancing visitors’ desire for “more information” with the very real limitations of gallery space, time, and museum fatigue, QR codes might seem like the perfect solution.   In theory, QR codes can let visitors who want more information dive deeper, in the moment or after their visit...

08/26/2026

Many of our member organizations are preparing to open their doors and show you seldom seen spaces to the public for free during Ohio Open Doors. This event happens every two years, and this year is gearing up to be the biggest yet!

Check out the more than 250 tours, events, and open houses happening in almost every county September 10 - September 20 at ohiohistory.org/opendoors.

Who are you most excited to visit?

08/25/2026

"A federal report published by the Government Accountability office earlier this Spring paints a stark picture of the challenges museums face. It reveals that degraded facilities at about three-quarters of America’s more than 20,000 museums place either collections or people at risk. Without the money to make repairs or the time and expertise to raise it, many of these facility issues are deferred for years—until they become true emergencies. So, as buildings continue to deteriorate, pieces of the nation’s cultural heritage remain at risk of damage or destruction in thousands of communities across the country."

With

08/24/2026

Time is running out to apply for scholarship to attend the Ohio Local History Alliance Annual Meeting in October!

The J.D. Britton Scholarship is for an emerging museum professional, paid or volunteer, who has worked for two years or less in a museum setting.

The Trella Romine Memorial Scholarship is for anyone who needs financial assistance to attend.

Head to our website, and apply by September 1!

https://ohiolha.org/what-we-do/alliance-annual-meeting/annual-meeting-scholarships/

08/21/2026

"Since I was a kid I’ve been fascinated with history, pouring for hours over a collection of front pages of The Columbus Dispatch that my mom bought me at the state fair, or a reprint of a 1903 Sears catalogue she got… somewhere, or yellowing hardbound editions of American Heritage magazine.

But the fascination also goes back to something more tangible — and to a place only yards away from the fairgrounds. To the grounds of the brutalist Ohio History Center that went up in 1970."

When Ohio Village in Columbus reopens next spring, it's going to embrace a much broader historical period and it's going to seek family stories.