Lowell OhioATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Lowell, Ohio.
1. Buell's Island Park
SCENIC RIVERSIDE RECREATION
Buell's Island Park is a picturesque recreational area that showcases Lowell's natural beauty along the Muskingum River. Visitors can enjoy fishing, picnicking, and boating activities in this peaceful setting. The park serves as a central gathering place for both locals and tourists seeking outdoor enjoyment.
2. Muskingum River Lock #3
HISTORIC RIVER NAVIGATION
Muskingum River Lock #3 is part of the historic Muskingum River Parkway system that showcases Ohio's industrial heritage. The lock represents an important piece of engineering that facilitated river transportation during the region's development. Visitors can observe the historic lock mechanism and learn about the river's significance to commerce in early Ohio.
3. Strait Run School
PRESERVED RURAL EDUCATION
Strait Run School is a well-maintained one-room schoolhouse that offers a window into 19th-century rural education. The historic structure preserves the authentic classroom environment where generations of local children once learned. Visitors can step back in time to experience how education was delivered in early America.
4. Lowell Octoberfest
ANNUAL CULTURAL CELEBRATION
Lowell Octoberfest is a beloved annual community event that celebrates the town's cultural heritage. The festival features local food, crafts, and entertainment that bring together residents and visitors alike. This cherished tradition showcases the community spirit and historical character of small-town Ohio.
5. Buell's Landing
HISTORIC RIVER OUTPOST
Buell's Landing represents an important historical site along the Muskingum River in Lowell. The landing once served as a critical transportation hub for goods and people moving through the region. Today, visitors can appreciate its historical significance while enjoying the natural beauty of the riverfront setting.
6. Campus Martius Museum
PIONEER HISTORY SHOWCASE
Campus Martius Museum is housed in a historic building that was once part of the original stockade built to protect settlers during the Ohio Indian Wars of 1790-94. The museum preserves and displays artifacts and exhibits relating to the Northwest Territory and early Ohio settlement. Visitors can explore the reconstructed original land office of the Ohio Company and the restored Rufus Putnam house within the museum complex.
7. Ohio River Museum
RIVER CULTURE HERITAGE
The Ohio River Museum celebrates the early pioneers who first settled the land around the Ohio River and the importance of river transportation. The museum features galleries and exhibits that highlight the unique river culture and maritime history of the region. Visitors can step aboard the W.P. Snyder Jr., the nation's last intact steam-powered, stern-wheeled towboat.
8. Mound Cemetery
ANCIENT BURIAL MONUMENT
Mound Cemetery features the Great Mound or Conus, an ancient burial site constructed between 100 BC and 500 AD by people of the Hopewell culture. This significant archaeological site represents one of the outstanding examples of American Indian burial mounds in the Ohio Valley. The cemetery also contains the graves of more Revolutionary War officers than any other cemetery in the United States.
9. Hidden Marietta Tours
BEHIND-THE-SCENES HISTORY EXPERIENCE
Hidden Marietta Tours offers authentic, historically-based experiences that take visitors behind-the-scenes of this historic river town. The tours focus on research, historic preservation, and storytelling to provide multiple ways to experience Marietta's rich past. A portion of tour proceeds contributes to the preservation of historic buildings and organizations in the area.
10. The Riverside Artists Gallery
LOCAL ART SHOWCASE
The Riverside Artists Gallery promotes and displays paintings that inspire love of the arts in the community. The gallery serves as a platform for local artists to showcase their work and share their talents with residents and visitors. Art enthusiasts can explore changing exhibitions that highlight the creative spirit of southeastern Ohio.
11. Valley Gem Sternwheeler
AUTHENTIC RIVER CRUISES
The Valley Gem Sternwheeler offers scenic river cruises that provide a unique perspective on the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers. Passengers can experience the historic mode of transportation that was once vital to the region's development and commerce. The authentic sternwheeler offers sightseeing trips, dinner cruises, and special event excursions throughout the season.
12. Big Muskie Bucket
MASSIVE MINING ARTIFACT
The Big Muskie Bucket represents one of the largest pieces of mining equipment in the world and a significant landmark in Ohio's industrial history. This massive coal mining shovel bucket once belonged to the Big Muskie dragline, which operated in the region's coal fields from 1969 to 1991. Now preserved as a monument, the bucket provides visitors with a tangible sense of the scale of mining operations that shaped eastern Ohio's economy and landscape.
13. John Glenn Boyhood Home
ASTRONAUT'S HISTORIC RESIDENCE
The John Glenn Boyhood Home preserves the childhood residence of NASA astronaut and Ohio's longest-serving U.S. Senator, John Glenn. Visitors can experience life during the Great Depression and on the home front during WWII through the lens of this American hero's early years. The home offers insight into the formative experiences that shaped one of America's most celebrated astronauts and public servants.
14. Zane Grey Museum
WESTERN AUTHOR'S LEGACY
The Zane Grey Museum celebrates the life and work of Zanesville author Zane Grey, known for his adventure novels and Westerns that helped shape America's vision of the frontier. The museum showcases Grey's writing career alongside exhibits on the National Road (U.S. 40) and the region's famous art pottery. Visitors can explore the cultural and literary contributions of one of Ohio's most famous authors while learning about the area's artistic and transportation heritage.
15. Our House Tavern
HISTORIC FEDERAL-STYLE INN
Our House Tavern is a restored Federal-style tavern built in 1819 that once hosted the Marquis de Lafayette during his tour of the United States in 1825. The historic building provides insight into early American hospitality and the French-founded settlement of Gallipolis. Visitors can tour period-furnished rooms that illustrate daily life in a 19th-century river town inn and tavern.