Museum in the Park

  This small museum has exhibits on coal mining, railroads, rural life, and the Buffalo Creek Disaster. On Saturday, February 26, 1972 three dams holding back ponds of coal slurry failed. 132,000,000  gallons of waste water rushed down Buffalo Creek Hollow destroying 16 coal mining villages and killing 125 people. Pittston Coal referred to the accident as "an Act of God."

  The museum is accessible.

  The parking lot is large enough for RVs.  Museum
37.89343, -82.0086

West Virginia State Museum

  A winding path leads visitors through time and showcases significant moments in West Virginia’s history. A quick overview can be had by staying on the path but the expanded exhibits in the discovery rooms along the way allow visitors to delve deeper into the areas in that interest them. A very nicely done museum, well worth a visit.

  The museum is accessible.

   Smaller RVs will fit in the parking lot if backed up over the grass. Museum
38.33849, -81.61364

New Google My Maps

  Google changed their maps at the beginning of 2014 but up until recently it’s been possible to revert back to classic Google maps. Not any more!  :-(   All of my maps and I assume everyone’s maps are now the new version.  It’s going to take some time to get used to them. All of the information has been transferred over to the new maps but some of the features are missing. I’ve been able to figure out where they hid the icons and how to add links but one feature that I’ll miss is the ability to link a single placemark on a map to my blog.  Clicking on the small map at the bottom of a post no longer opens a map with a placemark highlighted by a box with information. It’s hard to find the location of the blog attraction without this feature. If anyone knows how to work around this let me know please!

Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History

  Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett immigrated to America from Ireland in 1796 and built a mansion on an island in the middle of the Ohio River. The Blennerhassetts didn’t get to enjoy their new house for long because Harman became involved with Aaron Burr and was accused of treason and forced to flee south in 1806. The Blennerhassetts never returned to the island and the house was destroyed by fire in 1811.

  The mansion has been rebuilt and the island is now a state park. The mansion is opened for tours from May to October. The museum is open all year. The museum contains archeological and historical exhibits pertaining to the island and the surrounding communities. The story of the Blennerhassetts isn’t told very well in the museum (there’s a film but it wasn’t working when we visited) and the other displays could be improved by better interpretation too. The basement has a very large collection of arrowheads and Native American artifacts amassed by Henry Stahl who lived in the area for years. Most of the artifacts were found on the island.

  All three floors of the museum are accessible.

  Follow the signs for RVs and buses to avoid low underpasses. Parking is in the marked lot or in the spaces along Juliana Street that are marked for museum parking. Do not park in the private lots. Museum
39.26454, -81.56546

Grave Creek Mound and Delf Norona Museum

 At 62 feet high and 240 feet in diameter Grave Creek Mound is one of the largest mounds built by the Adena culture. It’s a burial monument for two tribal members and was constructed in successive stages over a period of 100 years starting around 250 BC.
 

To visit the mound go through the museum which has a diorama of the mound being built, interpretive panels and artifacts. Local history displays include information about the Homer Laughlin China Company which has been in business for 143 years and  manufactures Fiesta Ware since 1871; and a collection of handmade paper mache dolls dressed in beautiful costumes representing fashion trends from 1800 to1900, all designed and made by Pete Ballard after he retired from his job as a museum costume curator.

 The museum is accessible. ADA compliant ramps access the different levels. The top level exits to a sidewalk that leads to the base of the mound. A long series of steps goes to the top of the mound.

 The parking lot is large enough for RVs.
Mound
39.91728, -80.74353

James A. Garfield National Historic Site

  Four months after Garfield was sworn in as president he was shot by Charles  Gateau.  Guiteau, who had been unsuccessful at any endeavor he’d tried and was slightly deranged, believed that he should be awarded an ambassadorship and blamed Garfield for not appointing him. Garfield lingered for 200 days before dying. Only William Henry Harrison served a shorter term.

 The historic site includes the Garfield family home, bought in 1876, six years before Garfield became president.  Members of the Garfield family lived in the house until 1934 and over 80% of the furnishings are original. After Garfield’s death his wife Lucretia remodeled the house and improved the farm, adding a windmill for pumping water to supply the house plumbing. Tours are given of the house. The visitor center has well done displays, a short film about Garfield and a film with a house tour which we watched because the house is closed for upgrading of the heating and air conditioning system.

  The visitor center, the grounds, first floor and second floor library of the house are accessible. A concrete pad at the visitor center entrance has a slight lip.

  RVs will fit in the lot by using several spaces or by backing up over the grass.  Park
  41.66373, -81.35108

Maywood Community RV Sites

  About six RV sites are located on the outer edge of this 55+ mobile home park. They’re back in with concrete pads, full hookups and picnic tables. Reservations by phone are necessary but we weren’t asked our age. The daily rate is good ($20.00 + tax) and the location is very convenient to Cleveland.  Park
41.5212, -81.3326

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

  Outfits, posters, album covers, personal belongings, and scribbled song lyrics fill displays cases and large screens show performances by all of the icons of rock and roll – lots of cool stuff including giant sculptures depicting creatures from Pink Floyds “The Wall” album.
        
  The museum is accessible but a few touch screens are at an angle that makes them hard to view. Some of the display cases are a little too high to easily view the artifacts but most are fine.

  The museum does not have it’s own parking lot but there’s a garage nearby plus several small lots. The best place for RVs to be parked is along E. 9th Street. Many of the on-the-street spaces are handicapped and it’s possible to park using more than one.  Museum
41.50826, -81.69542

Christmas Story House

  This is a fun stop for Christmas Story fans. The house and street were featured in the movie. Scenes where the street and surroundings could be seen through the windows were filmed in the house but most of the indoor scenes were filmed in a studio so the house interior layout doesn’t quite match the movie. It’s been redone to resemble the movie interior and outfitted with period furnishing. Playing with the props is permitted. Tours are given every half hour.

  Tickets are also good for admission to a small museum with photographs and memorabilia from the movie. Two houses have been joined together to form a large gift shop.
         
The gift shop is accessible but neither the house or museum have a ramp.
        
  The streets are very narrow so it's a tight fit for large motorhomes. Parking is on the street but you may have to park a block away.  House
41.46871, -81.6874

Cleveland Botanical Garden

  Most of the flowers are gone but the fall leaves are still very colorful. The garden consists of about a dozen small themed gardens and a greenhouse with two sections, one representing Madagascar and the other  Costa Rica. The Costa Rica section has butterflies and small birds. The garden is fairly small so it doesn’t take very much time to see it.

  The main garden path is accessible but many of the paths into the themed gardens have steps and hills. The greenhouse is accessible. An elevator accesses the canopy walk. From the canopy walk visitors can enter the second floor of the visitor center, go down the steps and exit the gardens however since there isn’t an interior elevator visitors in wheelchairs must backtrack through the greenhouse to exit.
        
The museum parking is in a garage but metered parking is available along Wade Oval Drive or Magnolia Drive. Magnolia Drive is a couple of blocks to the north. The sidewalks are bumpy but usable and the curb cuts are a fairly good condition.  Garden
41.51074, -81.60972