Historic Sites

Clermont County has a wealth of impressive sites to tempt any history buff, including historic homes, vital connections to the Underground Railroad and wartime artifacts.

  • Bethel Historical Society & Museum

    The Bethel Historical Society and Museum was established in 1972, and currently operates the museum in the Grant Memorial building. The Bethel Historical Society is dedicated to promoting and teaching the history of the Bethel community by providing an educational environment for people to understand, respect and learn from previous generations. The museum contains collected, preserved and displayed artifacts, writings, photographs and stories relevant to the past, which will honor those who came before. 

    235 W. Plane St.
    Bethel, OH 45106
    Map It

    (513) 846-7687
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  • Chilo: Living and Working on the Ohio River Museum

    The Chilo Lock 34 River Museum occupies the former operations building at the Ohio River Lock and Dam #34. Although the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decommissioned the facility in 1964, Clermont County Park District was able renovate the building in 2005 as an interpretive visitor center and museum. With the theme of “Living and Working with the Ohio River”, the museum offers an interactive glimpse into the history of steamboats, floods and working and living on the river. 

    521 County Park Rd.
    Chilo, OH 45112
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    (513) 876-9013
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  • Christian Waldschmidt Homestead & Civil War Museum

    During the Civil War, the Waldschmidt Homestead and surrounding grounds were part of Camp Dennison. This property was used primarily as a mustering center allowing for the recruiting and training of troops. It also served as a hospital after the Battle of Shiloh. The camp was named in honor of Ohio Governor William Dennison. At one time the main house served as the headquarters for General Joshua Bates. The smaller stone structure served as the guard house and now houses our Civil War Museum. 

    7567 Glendale Milford Rd
    Camp Dennison, OH 45111
    Map It

    (513) 655-7948
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  • Goshen Historical Museum

    Known affectionately as The Anchorage, this history museum features permanent and rotating exhibits showcasing Goshen history and its notable citizens. The museum is open 6-9pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, every Sunday from 2-5pm, and by appointment. The museum is also home to a History Library, a treasure trove of Goshen documents, photos, books and memorabilia. For research, school assignments, or pleasure, the History Library has become a local favorite for history and genealogy buffs, students, and those who just want to reminisce. 

    1848 State Rt. 48
    Goshen, OH 45122
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    (513) 613-4070
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  • Harmony Hill Dairy House Museum

    The Dairy House at Harmony Hill is the oldest structure in Clermont County, the homestead site of Major General William Lytle, founder of the town. The Dairy House was listed on the National Register of Historic Sites in 2001. The museum is open to the public on the first Saturday of each month from 1:00 to 4:00 PM (weather permitting in the winter) and by special appointment. There are many interesting items on display pertaining to Lytle and Williamsburg. The Clermont County Historical Society also has an office and museum in the building. 

    299 S. 3rd St.
    Williamsburg, OH 45176
    Map It

    (513) 724-7824
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  • Harriet Beecher Stowe House

    Learn about the Cincinnati years of antislavery author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe and the impact and legacy of her most famous anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin with tours at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. Discover how the community's power of voice shaped the 20th century history of the house as a tavern listed in the Green Book and continuation as a historic site. 

    2950 Gilbert Ave.
    Cincinnati, OH 45206
    Map It

    (513) 751-0651
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  • Historic New Richmond

    The picturesque Village of New Richmond is located on the Ohio River in southern Clermont County. The village is known for its warm hospitality and various community festivals hosted each year to celebrate local culture, art, music and history including the RiverDays Festival with its one-of-a-kind Cardboard Boat Regatta. New Richmond was founded in 1814 and became a thriving commercial center on the river in the 19th century when steamboats were helping to open the West. The village also played a very important role in the abolitionist/underground railroad movement. While visiting New Richmond, visitors can also experience three nationally recognized... 

    125 George St.
    New Richmond, OH 45157
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    (513) 543-9149
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  • John Parker House

    The John P. Parker Historical Society, Inc was founded in 1996 to recognize, commemorate and preserve the extraordinary legacy of John P. Parker and his remarkable family. With grants from the Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities Council, National Park Service, National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Trust for Historic Preservation the house was stabilized, public programs were planned and presented, an archaeological investigation of the property was conducted and a well-researched and documented interpretative educational program was conceptualized. Professionally designed exhibits will depict and communicate the historical context in which Parker and... 

    300 N. Front St.
    Ripley, OH 45167
    Map It

    (937) 392-4044
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  • John Rankin House

    Take a guided tour of the the newly restored home of Rev. John Rankin, located on a bluff overlooking the Ohio River, and learn how the Rankin family and their neighbors in Ripley and other nearby communities helped the enslaved on their path to freedom via the Underground Railroad. At this National Historic Landmark, you can step inside one of the best-documented and most active Underground Railroad “stations” in Ohio and get the story of Ohio’s role in the abolitionist movement that set the stage for the end of slavery as well as the modern Civil Rights... 

    6152 Rankin Hill Rd.
    Ripley, OH 45167
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    (937) 392-4044
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  • Loveland Castle-Chateau Laroche

    The Loveland Castle offers a quiet walk through the gardens down to the river. Along the way, you will get the chance to explore the various plants and flowers while admiring the collection of period weaponry on display. Harry Andrews built the stone castle in the 1920s on the bank of the Little Miami River. There are picnic tables, benches, walls, towers, gardens....picnic spots like you have never seen picnic spots! The Historic Loveland Castle & Museum Chateau Laroche was built as an expression and reminder of the simple strength and rugged grandeur of the mighty men... 

    12025 Shore Dr.
    Loveland, OH 45140
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    (513) 683-4686
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  • Loveland Museum Center

    Through a combination of permanent exhibits, special presentations, and educational facilities, Loveland Museum Center encourages guests to step back in time. Discover the lives of Ohio's pioneers, explore Victorian-era comfort, and learn about the changes that time, innovation, and the industrial revolution brought to this early suburb and rural escape. 

    201 Riverside Dr.
    Loveland, OH 45140
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    (513) 683-5692
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  • National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

    The physical location in downtown Cincinnati is just a few steps from the banks of the Ohio River, the great natural barrier that separated the slave states of the South from the free states of the North. Since opening in 2004, the freedom center filled a substantial void in the nation’s cultural heritage. Rooted in the stories of the Underground Railroad, the center illuminates the true meaning of inclusive freedom by presenting permanent and special exhibits that inspire, public programming that provoke dialogue and action, and educational resources that equip modern abolitionists. 

    50 E. Freedom Way
    Cincinnati, OH 45202
    Map It

    (513) 333-7500
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  • President U.S. Grant's Birthplace

    The U.S. Grant Birthplace is managed by Historic New Richmond, Inc. under the auspices of the Ohio History Connection. Tour the birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War general and two-term president of the United States. See how the Grant family established themselves in southern Ohio in the early 19th century and hear the fascinating story of the house and how it traveled in Ohio until its return to Point Pleasant. Every self-respecting citizen of the country probably knows about the achievements of the Civil War hero and the 18th President of the United States of America,... 

    1551 St. Rte. 232
    Moscow, OH 45153
    Map It

    (513) 497-0492
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  • Promont Museum

    Promont is a Victorian-era house that is filled to the brim with historical artifacts. Once home to a number of notable historic figures – including Governor John M. Pattison – this house has played an important part in Milford’s development. 

    906 Main St.
    Milford, OH 45150
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    (513) 248-0324
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  • Ross Gowdy House Museum

    The Gowdy House is located on George Street in the Susanna Historic District. Thomas Ashburn laid out this area next to the town of New Richmond in 1816. The house was built about 1853 during New Richmond’s most prosperous era of steamboat manufacturing. The museum overlooks the Ohio River. Features include: river memorabilia, artifacts, antiques and a craft shop. Open April – October 2nd Saturday of the month. 

    125 George St.
    New Richmond, OH 45157
    Map It

    (513) 753-1909

  • Tri-State Warbird Museum

    The Tri-state Warbird Museum is an inviting atmosphere to facilitate the restoration and preservation of the aircraft, while maximizing the Museum’s educational mission. There is an exhibit area for historic artifacts and related items to highlight the history of the Museum’s aircraft. There is also a library of reference books, magazines, videos, films, and other educational materials. The museum contains two 100 x 100-foot hangars creating an aircraft display area honoring the role of the aircraft to illustrate the progress of aviation development and to honor the contribution of military aviation. There is a professional restoration shop to enhance the... 

    4021 Borman Dr.
    Batavia, OH 45103
    Map It

    (513) 735-4500
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