Girard: History and Recreation for Your Stay

Girard brings together several distinct themes for a stay: a historic house, the story of a former amusement park, a memorial site, and recreation at the Lower and Upper Girard Lakes. For trip planning, it helps to keep these highlights separate. Those interested in architecture and local history will find different points of interest from those who want to fish or plan a gaming-related recreational activity.

House and Local History

Barnhisel House & Museum is a historic, ten-room Greek Revival house dating to around 1840. The Girard Historical Society restored the house. A tour includes the South Parlor, furnished with memorabilia and photographs from the past and present. In this way, the house’s architecture is connected with objects and images that reflect different periods. Greek Revival refers to an architectural style inspired by ancient Greek architecture. At Barnhisel House, this style is part of its historic profile; the South Parlor offers a look at a specific room and its memorabilia.

Avon Oaks offers another facet of local history. The amusement park was established in 1896 near the intersection of North State Street and Squaw Creek in Girard. Its grand ballroom is now the Avon Oaks Ballroom. The connection between the park and the ballroom adds a specific link to a named building to the founding date. This lets you understand the former amusement venue not only through its historical date, but also through its relationship to the ballroom.

Liberty Park offers a different historical focus. It was built in the Art Deco style on Little Squaw Creek as a memorial to the men who served in World War I. Here, the design and purpose go together: the style places the park architecturally, while its memorial purpose honors the service of these men. This distinguishes the park from the residential history of Barnhisel House and the former entertainment history of Avon Oaks. If you are choosing a historical focus for your stay, architecture, entertainment history, and remembrance offer three different approaches.

Recreation at the Lakes and Entertainment

City regulations govern recreational use of the Lower and Upper Girard Lakes. A daily or seasonal permit is required for fishing. If fishing is part of your stay, factor in this permit requirement and check which of the two options suits your plans. The permit requirement applies specifically to fishing; the city regulations concern recreational use of the lakes.

Past Times Arcade opened to the public in Girard, Ohio, on June 1, 2023; the arcade offers 600 games. For trip planning, it is a separate, gaming-focused recreational option. If you would like to include it in your stay, check current visiting options in advance.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Howland Center, Churchill, Hubbard, Newton Falls, Mineral Ridge, Warren

Go to the county-level travel overview: Trumbull County.