Admire Ohio's Art Barns

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Admire Ohio's Art Barns

Only in Ohio you can learn about art and history from the side of a barn!

'Annie Oakley' Ohio Art Barn in Ansonia

Admire Ohio's Art Barns

By Maggie Butler

Posted On: Mar 17, 2023

Art is everywhere you look in Ohio, from the murals lining the streets of Cincinnati to the incredible paintings adorning the sides of barns. Ohio has multiple painted barns across the state that honor Ohioans, Ohio accomplishments, inventions, symbols, and important Ohio places.

Carpenter's Wheel quilt design by artist Melissa Fenton on a red barn at the Fischer Residence in Vienna Ohio
Carpenter's Wheel by Melissa Fenton in Vienna. Photo courtesy of Trumbull County Tourism

You can even take a drive and admire the decorated barns on the Appalachia Discovery Quilt Barn Trail in Adams County. Or check out the Geauga Barn Quilt Trail and Trumbull County Barn Quilt Trail in the inviting region of Amish Country. For more artistically decorated structures, head west to look at the designs along Sandusky's Historic Barn Mural Trail.

There's so many artistic attractions to find in Ohio! Check out this list of a few that you can visit.

Tecumseh art barn mural on 595 Clifton Road in Xenia Ohio

Tecumseh at 595 Clifton Road in Xenia

In Green County, near Old Town, is painting honoring Tecumseh, a Shawnee leader who became the primary leader of a large Native American confederacy in the early 19th century. As tradition has it, Tecumseh was born in Green County more than 250 years ago. Scott Hagan, the artist behind the Ohio Bicentennial Barns, painted this project as well.

Massillon Tigers and Canton Bulldogs Football Rivalry at 3424 Stump Ave in Massillon

Art lovers and sports fans alike will appreciate this barn painting highlighting the 122-year football rivalry between the Canton McKinley Bulldogs and the Massillon Tigers. Since 1894 these two teams have competed against one another, resulting in a rivalry that challenges the intensity of that between Ohio State and Michigan.

Annie Oakley art barn mural on 10212 Greenville-St. Marys Rd in Ansonia Ohio

Annie Oakley at 10212 Greenville-St. Marys Rd in Ansonia

While many may know Annie Oakley for her sharpshooting skills that she displayed when performing in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, most might not know that Oakley developed her hunting skills as a child while growing up in western Ohio to provide for her destitute family. This mural shows Annie with her gun and the quote, "Aim a high mark and you’ll hit it."

Rutherford B. Hayes at 3675 Fangboner Rd in Fremont

The Ohio History Connection and Ohio Turnpike Commission joined forces to honor the nation's 19th president, Rutherford B. Hayes, while embracing his connection with his home in Fremont. Hayes oversaw the end of Reconstruction and began the efforts that led to civil service reform. The barn includes one of his most empowering quotes: "The bold enterprises are the successful ones."

Zoar Village bicentennial art barn mural on Towpath Road NE in Bolivar Ohio

Zoar Village on Towpath Road NE in Bolivar

The Zoar Village barn painting features Zoar's bicentennial logo (celebrated in 2017), which contains several elements connected to Zoar's history. After marveling at the beauty of the mural, visit the village yourself, which is made up of approximately 75 families living in homes built from 1817 to present day.

president Warren G. Harding with wife art barn mural by Scott Hagan at 5965 Marion Mount Gilead Road along Ohio 95 in Caledonia Ohio
Warren G. Harding by Scott Hagan. Photo courtesy Ohio History Connection