Ohio Village -- Dickens of a Christmas

Ohio Village – Dickens of a Christmas
Columbus, Ohio

During December the Ohio Village at the Ohio Historical Society is open for a Dickens of a Christmas. The Ohio Village is a reconstruction of a town from the mid-1800’s. For this event the various homes and businesses are decorated to give a taste of a Victorian Christmas.


Do you know what flummery is and how it was made? Do you know the origins of the Christmas tree and how it became a popular tradition? Do you know how many plums are in the plum pudding? By joining in the Dickens of a Christmas celebration you will learn all these things.

Children and adults will enjoy stringing popcorn, creating paper chains and Chinese lanterns, tasting plum pudding and learning hands-on how Christmas was celebrated 150 years ago. Many of the activities are geared for children, but adults will find it interesting as well.

At the Lodger House, the couple that "lives" there gave excellent explanations of their lives and their Christmas celebrations. It is fascinating to watch the people not only dress the part but also submerse themselves so that the visitors believe they have stepped back in time. The town is lit by gaslight and the homes have fires in the fireplace and oil lamps for light. The lighting is not as bright as we are used to today. Families might want to bring a flashlight if necessary.

Charles Dickens himself makes an appearance at the church and gives a talk that includes magical tricks, singing and story telling. On the street you may see a ghost, encounter some Christmas carolers and buy roasted chestnuts from a vendor. There are many more things to see and do, and all ages will enjoy this celebration of Christmas.

When I went it was nippy with a cold wind blowing so wear warm clothes with hats and gloves. The buildings are heated so the only time I really was cold was when standing in line to enter Ohio Village. You will also want to get there early because there is so much to do that it will take at least two or three hours to see and do it all.

Upcoming Events at Ohio Village –

Dickens of a Christmas
December 12-13, 2008
December 19-20, 2008
December 21, 2008
Valentines by Candlelight
February 13 and 14, 2009
From the Pubs of Ireland
March 13-14, 2009
Glorious Fourth: Independence Day Celebration
Saturday, July 04, 2009



Age Appropriateness –
Young Children –medium-high
School Age Children – high
Teens –medium-high
Adults – medium-high
Senior Friendly – high

Physical vs. Mental –
The only physical part is walking in the cold through the streets of Ohio Village.

Time to Allow for Visit –
2 to 3 hours


Additional Information –
Gift Shop – There is a shop at the General Store.
Food – There are food and beverages for sale at the American House Hotel.
Picnic – no
Multilingual – no

Approximate Travel Times –
Cincinnati – 2 hours
Cleveland – 2 ½ hours
Columbus – ¼ hour

Handicapped Accessibility –
Walking along the paths is wheel chair accessible. Some locales are small so maneuverability may be limited.




Volunteer Opportunities –
There are several opportunities to volunteer and participate in Ohio Village activities. If interested visit the OHS Volunteer website at http://www.ohiohistory.org/about/vol.html.

Helpful links:
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/c11/
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/calendar/2008dec.cfm