If you’re planning a road trip through Ohio, don’t just stick to Columbus, Cleveland, or Cincinnati. There’s a side of Ohio that’s stranger, funnier, and more unexpected than most visitors realize. From bizarre festivals to quirky museums and haunted legends, these offbeat towns offer experiences you won’t find anywhere else. Here’s what you need to know before visiting these communities that locals and travelers can’t stop talking about.
1. Athens
Athens pulses with college-town energy thanks to Ohio University, but it’s the town’s darker history that really gets people talking. The Ridges, formerly known as the Athens Lunatic Asylum, operated from 1874 to 1993 and is now considered one of America’s most haunted locations. A mysterious stain on the floor, allegedly left by a patient who died there, refuses to fade no matter how many times it’s cleaned.
Beyond ghost stories, Athens hosts the quirky Halloween Block Party and the beloved Court Street scene filled with indie bookstores, vintage shops, and eclectic restaurants. The town embraces its weird reputation wholeheartedly.
Visit during Halloween when the entire town transforms into a massive celebration. Book a ghost tour of The Ridges for spine-tingling stories about its psychiatric past.
2. Helltown (Boston Mills)
Once a bustling community, Boston Mills earned the chilling nickname Helltown after the U.S. government bought up properties in the 1970s to create Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Abandoned homes, empty churches, and crumbling roads became the backdrop for countless urban legends that still circulate today…