Since 2017, the Southeast Ohio History Center has resided in the lovingly restored First Christian Church, a venue that the museum crafted to fit its unique needs. The main exhibition room boasts a high ceiling with large windows, creating a thoughtful, peaceful atmosphere that complements the carefully constructed exhibitions in which the museum specializes.

Through June, the museum will explore the myriad of industries that built Southeast Ohio with the exhibition “Big, Heavy, and Dirty.” Later in the summer, the museum will examine the racial and ethnic diversity of the region with “Hidden Diversity – Hidden Landscapes.” Also on display this summer will be “Some of the People of Athens County: Photographs and Memories by Bob Devaney,” as well as the Morgan County Historical Society 50th anniversary exhibit.

Admission: $7, $5 for youths ages 12-18 and senior citizens, free for children under 12

Ohio’s only outdoor passion play, in its 45th season, recounts the life and ministry of Christ in an 800-seat, 400-foot-wide panoramic outdoor theater. The play, which takes place most Fridays and Saturdays, is a 2½-hour two-act with reenactments of the Sermon on the Mount, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and more. A tour of the set and special music are offered starting an hour before each performance.
“Crucifixed,” a youth rally and concert, will take place Aug. 17 ($10 in advance or $20 at door) and “The Jerusalem Experience,” a family-fun carnival, takes place Sept. 7 ($10, or $8 for children ages 3 to 12).

Admission: $18, or $16 for senior citizens, $6 for children ages 4 to 12

This marks the 45th annual Dulcimer Days Festival in Coshocton, which celebrates the history and unique beauty of the dulcimer. Headliners this year are Aaron O’Rourke and David Mahler. The event takes place in Roscoe Village, a quirky little spot that also happens to be a historically restored 1830s Ohio and Erie Canal town.

Admission: free, although the workshops that take place throughout the event are $15 each.

Date: July 26-27

This marks the 19th year for the Big Bend Blues Bash, which is being headlined by Randy McAllister, Scott Holt, Albert Castiglia and Clarence Spady. The festival is organized by Jackie Welker of the Court Street Grill, a bar and restaurant that has been attracting some of the hippest acts in contemporary blues and rock ’n’ roll for the past several years. In addition to music, the festival also includes regional food and drink that one can enjoy on the banks of the Ohio River.

Admission: Friday: $20; Saturday: $25; weekend: $40. Free camping and boat docking on the Ohio River.

Date: June 6-9

The Nelsonville Music Festival might be southeast Ohio’s best kept secret. For the past 15 years the event has been booking an impressive array of performers, and this year is no different, with the festival’s bill boasting the likes of Mavis Staples, Tyler Childers, Thee Oh Sees, Death Cab For Cutie, Campdogzz and many more. The four-day event not only is chock full of live music, but also has lots of regional food and art for sale. Many have said that the camping experience alone at the festival is (almost) as impressive as the headliners the festival books each year.

Admission: Daily prices vary. $175 weekend pass ($180 at the gate, Nelsonville residents and teens are half off); $350 VIP weekend pass; $40 camping pass.

This scenic botanical garden and popular outdoor wedding venue boasts 20 acres of woodland trails with sandstone outcroppings, rolling hills, ponds, and an ever-increasing collection of both familiar and exotic plants.

Admission: free

Zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, camels, rhinos, and many other exotic animals freely roam The Wilds, a nonprofit safari park and conservation center that transformed an area of the state that was once marred by extensive strip mining. Enjoy an open-air safari for a day full of fun, or stay the night in one of The Wilds’ various overnight accommodations, including the Cabins at Straker Lake, which can comfortably house up to six people. A variety of other activities, such as catch-and-release fishing, ziplining, horseback tours and more also are available.

Admission: Open-air Safari (2.5 hours): $30 per person; Wildside Tour (2.5 hours): $125 per person; call for other fees.

If it’s an adrenaline rush you are looking for, southern Ohio has a wealth of adventure options to help make it happen. There are five major zipline canopy tours throughout the state — Hocking Hills, Loudonville, The Wilds Safari Park, Columbus, West Liberty — but one of the most breathtaking views can be had at Oregonia’s Ozone Zipline Adventures, which stretches across the Little Miami River and offers transportation for guests at heights of up to 200 feet. For those who think they have seen it all, the program offers night zipping once a month, on the Friday and Saturday closest to the full moon.

Admission: from $55; reservations required

For those looking to venture below the water table, a trip to The Ohio Caverns might be in order. This is the largest of Ohio’s caves, with over 2 miles of surveyed passageways ranging from 30 to 103 feet in depth. Tours leave about every 20 minutes and last about 45 minutes, so it’s an adventure into the Earth that you don’t necessarily need to plan ahead for. The caverns remain a steady 54 degrees year-round with air that is cleaner than what you can find above the ground. The largest and most famous formation in the Ohio Caverns is the Crystal King — one of the most perfectly formed stalactites in any cave. Nearly 5 feet long, weighing an estimated 400 pounds and estimated to be over 200,000 years old, it drips once every 7 to 8 minutes.

Admission: $19, or $10 for children ages 5 to 12

Wake Nation is the only cable wake-boarding park in the Midwest and the best place to learn how to wakeboard, water ski, kneeboard and wake skate. The 10-acre lake in Butler County offers an opportunity to practice and hone skills without a boat. The main lake is capable of towing up to six riders at a time whipping them through a course of optional slides and rails. It’s as much fun for those observing as it is for those riding, and it gets the whole family outdoors.

Admission: $32 for two hours, $37 for four hours or $42 for an all day cable ticket; free for spectators; equipment rental available