Recreation

Enjoy a dip in the pool or have a picnic and play.

419-634-0074

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Norada Lanes is an eight-lane bowling alley that offers family entertainment for all! In between games of bowling, check out their arcade. The arcade features skill machines, a pinball machine, pool table and so much more. You can also purchase snacks and beverages from their full kitchen. In addition to open bowling, they also have bowling leagues and euchre tournaments. 

419-634-8900

https://noradalanes.com

https://www.facebook.com/noradalanes

Ada Theatre is small town theatre featuring big time films.

419-634-9127

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The Ada Public Library offers books, movies, extensive genealogy records, upgraded technology, a gathering space, special events and so much more! Stop by the library and check out all they have to offer. 

419-634-5426

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A LEGACY OF PRIDE

Consistency. Commitment. Attention to detail. Hallmarks of a tradition that dates back more than 70 years. Over 500,000 leather footballs are produced every year and are handmade in Ada, Ohio, by Wilson’s talented craftsmen and women since 1955.

They've built footballs for Super Bowl champs, MVPs and Hall of Famers. But they put the same love and passion into every ball, each step along the way – making milestones for youth leagues, Friday night hometown heroes, college All-Americans and the NFL’s elite. 

See the play-by-play of how our game balls are made by taking a factory tour, shopping the retail store and learn more about American sports history and heritage.

419-634-9901

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/explore/football/ada-ohio-factory

The Ada Public Library offers books, movies, extensive genealogy records, upgraded technology, a gathering space, special events and so much more! Stop by the library and check out all they have to offer. As a member of the SEO Library consortium, the Alger Library offers access to the combined materials of 99 plus Ohio libraries. E-resources such as books, videos and magazines are available 24/7 online through Ohio Digital Library for use on any digital device including tablets and smartphones. We also have hoopla available, hoopladigital.com has ebooks, audio books, movies, music and more available with No wait time. We offer a Summer Reading Program for all ages!

419-757-7755

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The Hardin Northern Library offers books, dvds, digital downloads, special events and so much more. Stop by the library and check out all they have to offer. 

419-759-3558

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Gormley Park is hidden gem of Hardin County complete with sporting fields, a beautiful stocked pond, gazebo and three pavilion buildings. 

419-273-2500

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Forest-Jackson Public Library is part of a consortium of 100 Ohio libraries and patrons have access to over 8 million physical items through the consortium. In addition, they offer a storytime station, monthly craft hour, book club, meeting room and a Storywalk in the Gormley Park.

419-273-2400

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Market Square is the downtown place for festivals, fairs, farmer's market, public events and entertainment, business events, and more. 

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Andreoff Wildlife Area, located on the Hardin and Wyandot County line, just 10 miles northeast of Kenton, has more than 700 acres of public land.  The wildlife area provides opportunities for people to hunt, trap, and view wildlife.  The wildlife area hosts approximately 86 species of breeding birds, and nearly 175 species are viewed on the property each year.

https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/andreoff-wildlife-area

A Bright Spot in the Country!

The Kellogg family offers Hardin County a cheerful gift of sunflowers each fall. The sunflower patch offers a great backdrop for photos and a tranquil location to spend time. The farm also features an Artesian well and painted wings on the north end of the barn.

937-935-3699

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Chad's playground is designed for children and adults of all abilities to play and interact together.‍

In loving memory of Chad Thomas Roof.

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The park offers a variety of entertainment for visitors, including a basketball court, disc golf course, playground equipment, walking path and dog park.

The Kenton 3 Theatre is a quaint theatre that features a variety of movies throughout the year. 

419-673-3125

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Today's library offers many different types of materials besides books, newspapers and magazines. We offer the traditional library items, paper copies and in digital format. Free Wi-Fi, computers and printers and faxing for the public are just a few of the tools at your disposal. If you are traveling with family, we have a wonderful children's area, and experts to help research your ancestors. 

When you stop in, one of the unique aspects of our library are paintings by the world-famous artist Fred Machetanz. Fred is known for his outdoor Alaskan landscapes, wildlife and portraits. If you desire something even more exotic you will certainly enjoy our collection of fine porcelain Lipizzaner Porcelain Horses donated by the late Dr. Calvin Jackson. The Lipizzaner’s are known as “the dancing white horses of Vienna Austria.” They train and perform at Vienna's Spanish Riding School, the only school in the world to practice classical riding for over 450 years. The Lipizzaner horses are so popular, there's even a Disney movie about them, Miracle of the White Stallions. 

419-673-2278

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Cool off at Kenton's Splash Pad from Memorial Day until Labor Day. The park also offers a basketball court, playground equipment and open space to enjoy a kickball game. 

Home to over 1,000 preserved acres, Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve is one of the largest known mature forests in the area. 

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Home of Hardin County's Historical Museums

The Sullivan-Johnson House was built for Kenton businessman D.W. Sullivan, a saddler, harness maker, and banker.  The architecture of the home is unique because of its masonry construction and blending of Queen Anne and Richardson Romanesque styles. The interior features handcrafted woodwork, trim, parquet flooring, tile work, stained glass, and inlay. It serves as an example of Victorian extravagance.  The chandeliers are original, having been plumbed for gas as well as wired for electricity.  In the late 1890s, people were skeptical of the viability of electricity, so they often built homes to accommodate both gas and electric.  The home includes some original furnishings belonging to three generations of the Sullivan family.  D.W. Sullivan's granddaughter, Mary Lou Johnson, founded the Hardin County district library.  She lived in the home until her death in 1977, when it became a museum.

The Hardin County Historical Museums mission is to collect and preserve the history of Hardin County and its people. Through their wide and varied collection, they share the importance of preserving our history so that future generations are able to gain an understanding of where we have been and to think critically about how these events shape our future.

The museum exhibits are continually changing to provide new and fresh looks at history. Guests are encouraged to come and spend time with the collections and to ask questions.

419-673-7147

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Hillcrest Lanes is a bowling alley and entertainment offering great family fun. 

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Enjoy 26 acres complete with fishing (no license required), playground area, three shelter houses, charcoal grills, basketball courts, dog run and all surrounded by a paved walking path. 

419-674-2236

hardinvetspark.com

A special park designed to intrigue and challenge little minds as they play. Spend time on the suspended bridge, play the drums, or take a spin on the merry-go-round. 

The park is located in a stone quarry and is also known as France Lake. A relaxing place to enjoy wildlife, hiking and fishing tournaments.

France Lake and Saulisberry Park Campground are situated on almost 200 acres and provide the perfect place for a relaxing weekend getaway! Lake activities include fishing, boating, and kayaking. There is also a kayak launcher! However, swimming is strictly prohibited and lake activities require permits, which may be purchased on the City of Kenton website. The park also offers picnic tables around the lake, a small playground area for young children and a basketball court. This is an amazing place to enjoy the quiet, wildlife and the simplicity of life. 

567-295-9990

https://cityofkenton.recdesk.com/Community/Home

A public golf course complete with 18 holes, with five different set of tees for all skill levels surrounded by a beautiful country backdrop. 

419-674-4573

https://memorialparkgolfclub.com/ 

The Hardin Soil and Water Conservation District offers twenty-five acres for visitors to enjoy, and includes a self-guided nature trail with markers identifying trees and plants, trails in the woods, a wetland with a bridge to walk over, shelter house, and handicap accessible paved paths at the front of the center.

419-673-0456

http://co.hardin.oh.us/swcd/silvercreek.php 

The Hardin County Genealogy Society offers a variety of publications to aid in your genealogy research, as well as historical county resources.

419-674-4088

http://www.hardincountyconnections.com/ 

Pioneer Park has been a longstanding space of history on the outskirts of the Kenton Historical Courthouse District.  Once a cemetery, but is now a beloved green space and park open for the community to enjoy all year round. 

Gene Autry Mural, Kenton

In 2004, artist Keith Hasenbalg created this work that pays tribute to Gene Autry’s ties to the town.

SEPTEMBER 2019
BY FRANCES KILLEA | PHOTO BY BRUCE WICKS

There’s no rodeo in Kenton, Ohio. There is no dusty desert just beyond the downtown, no tumbleweeds or sun-drenched mine shafts. But there is a cowboy — just one — and he’s larger than life.

Gene Autry, better known to some as the Singing Cowboy, sits atop his famed horse, Champion, offering a wave and smile from a mural that covers the entirety of a 30-by-80-foot brick wall. Autry, who made his fame as a singer and actor, has a bit of a reputation in town.

“He appeared onstage at the theater here,” explains Rose Zuchetto, who was involved with the local committee that planned the mural.

Autry was also tangentially responsible for keeping the town afloat during the Great Depression. A toy cap gun named after him — the Gene Autry Repeating Cap Pistol — was made at the Kenton Hardware Co., the town’s now-defunct toy factory.

“It was the economy booster that helped Hardin County and the Kenton area grow, and provided jobs,” Zuchetto explains.

In fact, Autry’s influence was so appreciated that members of the chamber of commerce formulated the idea of hosting a Gene Autry festival in 1994. It was that annual festival that led to the creation of a more permanent tribute.

“They wanted to make sure the cap guns were involved, and the toy company was involved, and Gene Autry was involved. So, I just put it together,” says Keith Hasenbalg, the artist who designed and painted the mural. The committee held raffles to raise money for the project, and Hasenbalg was able to complete the project in time for the 2004 festival. “It actually took me 15 days to paint,” he recalls. “I got it done pretty quick.”

Today, a tiny park abuts the mural, and a bench decked out with wagon wheels faces Autry and Champion. Although Autry’s performances in town were before Hasenbalg’s time, he’s well aware of the performer’s place in pop culture.

“I’m old enough to know that he was the Singing Cowboy,” Hasenbalg says.

Source: ohiomagazine.com/travel/small-towns/article/gene-autry-mural-kenton

Open Air Movies

The Hi-Road Drive-in is a twin screen drive-in movie theater located in Kenton, Ohio. It was opened back in 1949 and has been operating continuously ever since. It was refurbished in 1999 and received several improvements such as a new marquee and a larger screen.

They are open seasonally May thru October. The Hi-Road Drive-in does allow you to bring in outside food and drink but only with the purchase of a food permit. Movie audio is broadcast over 101.9 FM and 87.9 FM for the two screens.

419-675-0922

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Enjoy a short walk around the park, take a relaxing break at one of the many benches or enjoy the shaded area in the pavilion. There is also a Hardin County Historical Marker you can read to learn about the history of McGuffey.

Ridgemont Public Library has 2 branches serving the Ridgemont Communities. The main branch is located in Mt. Victory at 124 E. Taylor St. and the branch is located at 109 S. Main Street, Ridgeway. The libraries offer books, dvds, digital downloads, special events and so much more. 

937-354-4445

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