It was a decent little experience. The pumpkins were ginormous, lots of pumpkins and little shops…read moreto buy all kinds of things my favorite being the coffee truck. It was much needed. Whoever thought of the coffee truck was a great idea. There was only one which I was very thankful for. More expensive and not as good as Starbucks, but it did the job.

Pretty cool experience!!!... the pumpkins were ginormous!! .... The coffee truck was much needed !!read more

We went on a whim and so glad we did! This is a historical museum including art exhibits. So much…read moreto see. We were pleased that the entrance and 90% of the exhibit areas were wheelchair accessible. We were greeted by the museum director, who was well dressed in a 3-piece suit looking exactly as a museum director should look. He gave us a quick run down of the different exhibit areas as shown on the provided map, and rattled off so many historic tidbits before we even got started exploring. Antique vehicles of all kinds, a whole "flight" exhibit featuring of course those Ohio favorite sons, the Wright Brothers and Neil Armstrong. Incredible photos, unexpected memorabilia such as Orville Wright's top hat! A recreated "village green" with all the little shops one would see in 19th century Warren County. I think my favorite part was the maritime collection. Artwork throughout, ranging from ancient oriental to modern local. Some of the century-old sculptures in the Americana section were just breathtaking. The Shaker exhibit was fascinating. Amazing to learn what they innovated - things like vegetable seeds available in SMALL packets - and flat bottomed brooms. Can you imagine trying to sweep a floor with a broom that has a round bottom? We have the Shakers to thank. The kindly and soft-spoken Director caught up with us on the top floor to advise it was five minutes till lights out for the day. We were there well over an hour and the time flew. Hope to get back again this year a little earlier in the day so we can make sure we see every single thing. I definitely recommend a visit to this museum as part of any outing in the Lebanon area.

This is a great stop for museum buffs! The host dog is incredibly friendly and made me so happy…read more There is a lot to see and staff was very informative but also checked on us to see if we had questions. Parking is easy. The only thing was there was a meeting so we had to miss that part of the museum.

We went yesterday, last day of this season. Earlier weekends had been cold and snowy. Yesterday…read morewas warmish and muddy. They use about half of the full Renaissance Fest grounds, and it's a similar experience. Many staff (and visitors) in costumes. Shops and food stands scattered about. Shows, mainly magic, music, fireeating, etc. Kid-friendly and very enjoyable. Hot cocoa and cider, and assorted alcoholic beverages. Lights everywhere. I mean everywhere! Firepits handy around most corners. A train ride for the kids. Pix with Santa. And more. If you like RenFest you'll like this. If you're looking for a fun family holiday event, you'll like this (kids are free.) If you like mead you'll like this.

Me and my wife went to go see Toy Story 5. Could not hear because someone in a crappy Honda Truck…read moreleft their loud engine running the whole time by the concession stand. Tried finding an attendant but could not find the guy on the golf cart that drives around checking on things. Literally could not hear the movie and it totally ruined the experience for us and others around us. It also smelled like weed coming from that car also. Not saying it's managements fault entirely, but they need to do a better job at going around at checking on things. Wife and me normally have a good time coming here, but that was uncalled for an inconsiderate. I'm a big tall dude, I didn't want to go up to them and have a fight break out because they would likely be intimidated by me. This was as of June 20, 2026. It takes one @ssho(e to ruin a cinematic experience like that. I get that that night was sold out, but please do a better job.

Stopped here over the summer with a larger group on a Friday night…read more We came and watched Elvis at the end of July and I think the second showing was Thor. The first movie started around 9, as the sun went down. By the time for the second movie it was almost midnight so we left, but if you can stay up late it's a great deal to stay and watch two! If you choose to turn your car off, make sure to bring an actual radio to tune in with. None of the apps have the specific station and you won't be able to hear much from your neighbor's car. It was a beautiful place to watch the sunset and once it's dark you can see lots of stars. I would recommend sitting in a car or on chairs because it is all gravel and it's harder to find a window to watch if you're on the ground. There are concessions and restrooms in the middle. You pay per person in the car for entry and if you bring your own snacks you're supposed to pay.

Went here with my fiance and family and had an amazing time! We went during a busy time so there…read morewere a few long lines, but we didn't mind. The detail to everything was amazing, and you don't need to buy a want to experience casting spells. We ended our night with some hot chocolate. Definitely go If you are a Harry Potter fan!

We enjoyed our visit to the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience. They did a great job…read morecompletely creating the forest out of the hosting camp - despite having been to the camp in broad daylight when being used as one, we could barely recognize it at night with all of the lighting and decor, making it easy to slip into the world of the Forbidden Forest. After we had our tickets scanned by a very friendly staff member, we entered the refreshment area. There were firepits available (especially great since we somehow ended up with one of the first bitterly cold nights of the season - 23 F). There were a couple of stands offering food and then several drink stands, though we noticed most of the stands said they offered butterbeer, not just the butterbeer stand. You then head through a small shop before entering the trail itself. Never fear, you still exit through a much larger gift shop at the end if you're not feeling like carrying your stuff the entire time and want to shop at the end. The trail itself leads you to various scenes and interactive experiences, where you can either watch others participate or queue up to participate yourself - they have done a nice job setting up queue areas to the side of the trail and leaving the main section of trail open to those passing through. A wand is not required for most of the scenes, though they welcome you to bring your own if you would like (and they also, of course, sell some in the shops). The one that does require a wand - dueling - they gave a special pair that a staff member will provide the duelers with to borrow for the activity. The other spelling stations, you can also wave your hand (hint: be sure to read the note/look where you need to wave your hand/wand, the sensors need to sense you for it to work. They are all pretty similar sensor set ups so once you get it down, you can pretty much nail the next ones on the first go). Expecto Patronum requires you to actually say Expecto Patronum and staff were there to assist as needed. Another note is that this is definitely a gravel, bumpy camp trail, so you may want to consider your/your group's personal needs as far as proper footing go. Some folks were having harder times than others navigating it, particularly in the dimmer lighting. A lot of the decorative lighting was awesome for the experience itself but not super bright for looking at the ground - we also benefited from some moonlight in that regard. The experience isn't cheap but you can save a bit if you're able to be flexible on timing/day, as they practice surge pricing. So you might want to click around a bit to see what works best for your availability. We opted for 8:45 pm since it seems the earlier timings were a bit more expensive on the days we were looking at, and that helped with the queues. We had very reasonable wait times at almost all of the stations, with the exception being a long wait for the Sorting Hat. We were there for about 60 minutes, which was right in the range provided by the experience FAQ so that was spot on. Note that parking is a separate fee and you can either prepurchase with your tickets or when you arrive.

It was hot. It was crowded with way to many people. There…read morewas little to no ham. We throughly enjoyed ourselves even after making the grueling 16 hour drive from sunny Fort Lauderdale. My husband has been a ham been since 1994 and after going to a few "ventions" with him, this was the first one in Dayton. He was happy so I was happy. There is all sorts of stuff here to get your nerd on with and geek out. The people were pleasant to be around, sweat and all.

I went with hubby on Sunday. He went the Friday before with a buddy and wanted to go back. First…read moretime for me going and the whole fairgrounds was filled with vendors and private people selling. They offered golf cart volunteers to take you from your car to the entrance. Hubby was glad he went back and bought more 'stuff '.

Buongiorno Italian…read morefall 2025 Festival My 100% Italian Wife has instructed me to provide sunny weather for the Festival, which is arguably the nicest festival in the Greater Dayton Metropolitan Area. A weekend of wonderful Italian music, delicious Italian food, good friends, and lots of great Italian food. And of course, a large TV for the Ohio State game. Caveat: we always take our own flatware to avoid the inexpensive plastic ware provided. The John Pirelli Lodge of OSIA is located at Bella Villa Hall on County Line Road in Dayton OH, and we have been attending for 50+ years. I have never understood that many folks seek out pizza at the Italian Festival. There are at least 100 plus pizza joints in the Greater Dayton Metropolitan Area which offer much better pizza. There is real Italian food here - just ask all of the Italians in the food booths. I have also never understood why this festival cannot provide great Italian Pepperoni Rolls. Has no one taken the famous WV Italian Pepperoni Roll Trail (which is now extended to Davis, WV?) I always pass on Baked Italian Pasta unless it is lasagna. I have observed my dear wife making homemade lasagna, and we both comprehend the reasons that the festival cannot provide lasagna. Today it is (baked) Italian Shells plus Spicy Italian sausage and loads of other Italian goodies. As expected the shells are much overcooked and the Spicy Italian sausage is perfect. One of the very best festival offerings is the Spicy Italian sausage, which is arguably superior to any sausage offered at the Dayton Art Institute October Fest. My dear wife implores us to arrive by noon; she can easily make several laps around the grounds and scope out the many Italian Delights including 50 homemade Italian cookies and of course, the gelato. We have friends and family who delay their arrival until 6:00 PM, and we perceive controlled chaos during evening hours. Of course, we tend to enjoy arrival at the many Dayton and Ohio festivals. Great that the Italian Festive is very family friendly from newborns to folks in their nineties.

Food was bad this year. The pizza crust was not the same, it use to be crispy crust this year 2025…read morewas just flat dough, the crust is what the pizza so delicious. Also my family had several issues with the other food. Be careful who you get to make your food, food poison is not funny!! The cookies are way over priced to be as bad as they were.

Kind of a hidden gem. Admission is 8 dollars for adults and 3 dollars for children, but worth…read morelooking at groupon for discounts. 300 acres of large outdoor sculpture and an indoor museum with sculpture and artifacts. It's definitely worth a visit if art or sculpture is your thing. Obviously, it is best to go on a beautiful day, so walking around is comfortable and blue sky for pics. The sculpture is in beautiful woods with a lake so also nice for wildlife, bird watching and nature. I heard there are carts you can rent to get around, but i just drove around in my car. Parked and walked about. They also decorate in lights for Christmas.

This is one of my favorite places to go around Christmas time. They have the ENTIRE park lit up…read morewith every dift. Kind of light! Flashing lights, racing lights, and in every Christmas color your heart desires! From...The trees and buildings to the ground and pond...everything is beautifully designed to bring back those warm childhood memories. So load up the kids, give them blankets and hot cocoa and enjoy making memories with your family. You can go 10 miles per hour OR..pull over each time you see something you just wanna stare at! It's $20-$25 car load and you won't regret it! You can drive thru this magical Christmas winter wonderland all night long until close if you want! You will see dift. Things like Santa in his sleigh and his reindeer made of lights etc...I don't want to give it ALL away because I want to leave an element of surprise to YOU as well so it is worth seeing!