Also known as Hyde Road Covered Bridge, this is one of the prettiest covered bridges I've ever…read morevisited AND one of the youngest! Built in 2014, it does not span a river, but instead crosses over the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail going between Xenia and Yellow Springs. It's roughly 85 feet in length. The story behind this bridge is that it was named after local engineer and covered bridge lover Richard P. Eastman. Richard fought to save many of the covered bridges in his county and heavily influenced the building of the bike trail the bridge crosses. According to one article, the trail may not have ever happened if it weren't for the efforts of Eastman. He even has the nickname of The Godfather of the Little Miami Scenic Trail which was part of the "Rails to Trails" movement of turning abandoned railway tracks into recreational trails. The article also stated "He was the only county engineer in the state of Ohio who wanted to do a project like this." While the trail is well loved and appreciated today, it required a passionate fighter to get the project underway and completed. Richard was that man, making the bike trail a huge part of his legacy during his years as engineer. Richard died in 2011 at age 91. [SOURCE] https://ysnews.com/news/2014/05/new-bridge-honors-builder-richard-eastman The bridge itself is a gorgeous autumn color with multiple windows, decorative entrances and a cupola! I bet this bridge provides an iconic backdrop in the fall season! The design seems to be a modified version of the Town Lattice Truss building style found in many long standing historic covered bridges. It is said Richard raised his family not too far from this bridge which makes this a touching memorial. What a great legacy! When visiting please note there aren't many places to park, so be respectful of nearby residence and their property. Be brief and don't park on lawns. There are currently no signs that restrict parking to view the bridge, but I'm sure that would change with abuse and carelessness.

I spent about two hours here this afternoon at this beautiful, modern library, and it made a strong…read morefirst impression. The building is open and bright, with plenty of seating spread throughout the space and I had no trouble finding a table with power nearby so that I could settle in and send a few emails. It's the kind of place where you can get a lot done without feeling crowded and the overall atmosphere is calm in a way that makes focusing pretty easy. The only real bummer is the study room policy. They only allow library card holders (i.e., residents) to use them, which meant that I had to leave before my Zoom meeting so that I wasn't disturbing other patrons. I would have stayed longer otherwise, because everything else about the visit was great. Even with that limitation, it's a well-designed and welcoming library, and worth a stop if you're in the Dayton area. [Review 964 of 2026 - 340 in Ohio - 26143 overall]

Woodbourne Library is one of two branches of the Washington-Centervile Library system, with the…read moreother being the Centerville Library located just 3 miles south from this location. As of this review, it's open from 10am-9pm during the week, 10am-5pm on Saturdays and 1pm-5pm on Sundays. All Dayton Metro Library branches are closed on Sundays, so this is a nice option to have in the area. The most recent renovation and expansion to this facility occurred in 2018, and it remains clean and well-maintained. Reservable spaces include three 'quiet' rooms for up to 4 people, two meeting rooms for 4-6 people, a creative space for up to 20 people, and a large community room for up to 80 people. Of note, the three quiet rooms have a single, small round table, which makes it difficult for more than 2 people to use at the same time. The meeting rooms are located in the middle of the library and lack windows to the outside. Other spaces include a few scattered smaller tables in the front of the library and one 4 person table in the far back corner which is usually highly sought after as it is isolated from the other areas and provides some privacy. In addition, there are four 4-person tables in the middle with outlets, and three 2-person tables adjacent to these, although without outlet access. In another area, they have some other 2-person tables with dividers in the middle thus making them individual spots. There are lots of reading chairs spread throughout. Although this may sound like a lot, the tables (particularly the 4-person ones) fill up rather quickly, so I've always thought they could use a few more. I've also noticed that this library is rather busy most of the time, especially compared to some of the others in the area.

This statue is located in front of the Main Branch of the Dayton Public Library. It is a nice…read morestatue that sits upon a pedestal and overlooks Cooper Park. The statue was dedicated in 1910 and is in great shape considering its age. They must do periodic maintenance on it. It does have the green tint to it like the Statue of Liberty that is caused by oxidation. The statue is standing on a stone pedestal high above the park. The sculpture depicts President Mckinley wearing a suit and long overcoat, with his right hand resting on an American flag which is draped over banded arrows and is left arm raised directly out in front of him, as if he is hailing. McKinley was an Ohio native and eventually became the Governor of the state and 25th president of the United States. He also served as an Ohio representative in Congress and a soldier in the Union Army. The bronze plaque on the pedestal reads as follows: To The Memory of William McKinley born Jan. 29th, 1843 died Sept. 14th, 1901 soldier in the Army of the Union representative in Congress Governor of Ohio President of the United States statesman, patriot, martyr a Christian gentleman whose sublime faith in his last moments was a crowning glory of a virtuous life this monument is a tribute by the Citizens of Dayton and the Children of its Schools "Nearer My God to Thee" It is interesting to note that over 11,000 local school children donated the $4,000 needed to build the statue. Metered street parking is available on the streets suroounding the park that the statue is located. The parking is free after 6PM and on weekends. This is a nice piece of Dayton history and a nice spot to visit. However, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. I would start with Cooper Park, which it is located in, the Military Memorial or RiverScape MetroPark to make a half to full day of your excursion.

This is a really impressive monument that was completed in 1906. The names etched in the marble…read morewalls on the inside of the monument consequently end with the Spanish American War, but the wonderful staff set up rotating displays that acknowledge later individuals involved in later conflicts. There was a very interesting and moving display related to the Vietnam War at the time of our visit. The staff was incredibly friendly and informative, and we learned quite a bit. There are stunning stained glass windows, including tributes to the women who were involved in the conflicts, more displays upstairs, and a ghost story. Information about the large sculpture on the roof of Billy Yank is also provided and quite interesting (and wow, is that sculpture large and heavy!). This was free to enter and well worth the time. It has a nice location along the river and there is a historic cabin located outside next door, as the area had a lot to do with early fort and settlers.

This site is officially part of the air force base but also a part of the National Parks system…read more It is where aviation literally took off - where they tested flyers and trained future pilots. One of the signs says it is the world's first airport and I liked that description. It is a beautiful meadow filled with a wide variety of wild flowers. There is a parking area with a trail, or you can follow the road to get to where the majority of the placards with historic information are located. (although there isn't really a place to park in that area). The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is that it can really use some TLC. The signage is a bit faded and the replica structure could use some tidying up and some pieces painted or replaced.

This is part of the Wright Brothers national historic part. It's very close to Wright Patterson…read moreAir Force Base. There's a couple placards there and a replica of the building that was there and the tripod that they used to use to launch the planes.

Park is shockingly modern! Nice little stop for our kiddos during a tour of Southwest Ohio coming…read moreback to Columbus. It was a stop that was unplanned but happy we found it! - air conditioned nice restrooms with changing table - parking is near the playground - drinking fountain outside and inside with a water bottle fill station. - splash pad for cooling off May-Sept - bike trails nearby - covered shelter to relax It has a playground that is hot, hot, hot but your kids can cook off at the splash pad adjacent to the playground. It has a neat little train but you can't go into it at all. Fun to look at and for photo ops. Parking lot is close enough to see your kids from the car. There's a porta potty next to the splash pad right now or you can walk to a nearby very new updated building with facilities. I will add the photos of the building and bathrooms. Covered shelter with two picnic tables next to the park.

Cool place to look around. It's an old train station. Xenia Station is used as a public bathroom…read morewith some offices for tourism. Good park. This is good to use while hanging out. Good park area. It's located south of downtown. There's plenty of parking. It also is located by a bike trail so it's a good place for getting off. The building is now used as a bathroom so it's a bike trail rest stop. It seems clean. Pick up some brochures about what to do around here. There's lots you can get to by using the bike trail.

There was a covered bridge not too far from my childhood home, which probably contributes to my…read moreaffinity for these structures. So recently I took a short tour of covered bridges in this part of Ohio. This one is not too far from Xenia but is a little off the beaten path. It still is used for vehicle traffic (one way at a time) and is in good shape (as you can see from photos).There is a small spot to pull off on the side of the road so you can check this out, but really only space for one or two cars. But to me, it was worth the effort to check this one out. It's over a nice little creek in a shaded area, so this makes the visit a little more pleasant.

The Lewisburg Historical Society is a great place to visit. They have a train depot/museum full of…read moreLewisburg artifacts, a Caboose and a blacksmith shop. Young and old alike will enjoy it. It's close to the Lewisburg Park to finish up the day with the kids. Definitely worth going to!