Discover Allen

From interactive scavenger hunts to historic vehicles, a range of themes can enrich your travel plans with culture and history. Lima’s Local History Hunt is an interactive tour through the history of Lima and Allen County. It incorporates local landmarks, voices and memories. The exact scope of the program may change.

Museums, Art and Architectural History

The Allen County Museum presents exhibits on the oil boom in northwest Ohio, fossils and gemstones, transportation, the Jess Sarber and John Dillinger case, and railroad history. A Shay locomotive adds a tangible example of the history of technology: it was built in 1925 by Lima Locomotive Works.

Remembrance and a collection come together at the Lima Firefighters Memorial Museum. A memorial statue bears the engraved names of firefighters who died in the line of duty. A brick path records the names and hiring years of all the firefighters who served Lima. The collection also includes a 1929 Ahrens-Fox fire engine and a horse-drawn, steam-powered fire pumper dating to around 1800.

The MacDonell House in Lima was built in 1893. It is one of the few surviving examples of Victorian architecture in the part of the city formerly known as the “Golden Block.” Alongside the collections, this historic building offers another way to engage with the past.

Art offers a different perspective: ArtSpace/Lima presents exhibitions in four galleries across three levels. Admission is free, and the exhibitions are open to everyone. The exhibition program may change over time.

Regional History and Events

The Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center serves as Allen County’s convention center and as a venue for the performing arts, as well as community, civic and patriotic events. It includes a 14,500-square-foot exhibition hall and a performing arts venue with 1,774 seats. Capacity figures may change.

The history of the Lauer Historical Farm in Allen County dates back at least to the mid-1830s. At that time, the farm was added to the tax rolls to support Ohio’s efforts to build the Miami and Erie Canal. Its inclusion on the tax rolls links the farm’s history to a larger regional development project.

Green Spaces and Trails

The park information highlights different features, too. Lincoln Park has a fenced, inclusive playground with play features accessible to children of all abilities. Faurot Park encompasses 89 acres of green space. Together, a clearly described play area and a specified amount of green space offer different points of reference for planning your leisure time.

The Rotary Riverwalk’s length, surface and endpoints help with trail navigation: the paved trail was built to run 4.2 miles northeast from Heritage Park in Shawnee Township to the Collett Street Recreation Area in Lima. Buttonbush Wetland Preserve connects to the Ottawa River Bikeway. These details offer different kinds of guidance: the Riverwalk’s route and endpoints are listed, while the Preserve is identified as connecting to a named bikeway.

Whether you’re interested in regional history, art, memorial sites or green spaces, the topics described offer different ways to focus your travel plans. When making your selection, consider which of these interests matters most during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Lima, Ashtabula County, Highland County, Guernsey, Brown County, Preble County, Wyandot County, Medina County

For the main travel overview: Ohio.