Small museum but a big experience. Nice little old house (two, actually, with the office/gift shop/extra gallery.) great staff- friendly, informative. We learned a lot. Kid K was bored by the end but still said she liked it. Family history plus info about his intentions. Steep stairs so be careful. Classy items in the gift shop. Definitely worth a visit if you are nearby, or a detour if you are at all interested in history or technology. read more

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I had the privilege of touring the historic birthplace of Thomas Alva Edison. And, I had the pleasure of having Deb - a wonderful retired school teacher - narrate the tour. To get to the historic house, I had to drive past the quaint Milan town square, which in itself seems to be a genuine piece of Americana. The house and adjacent museum visitor center are located near the top of a hill. They overlook what is now a defunct historic canal. Inside the visitors center, there is an impressive collection of Edison's audio inventions - many that still work! Inside the house are several artifacts owned by the Edisons, as well as other period-correct pieces. A few of Thomas Edison's personal items are even on display upstairs. Deb enthusiastically painted a vivid picture of how life was in the Edison house. She explained how many of the artifacts were used. The "school teacher" in her certainly came out, as she encouraged questions. The house is conveniently located only a few miles from the Ohio turnpike. I highly recommend experiencing this interesting and informative, historic gem. read more

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Stopped by here on our way home from a baseball tournament on a Saturday afternoon. Found out about this place by a simple google search. Definitely worth checking out. Tickets for the tour are purchased in the green house next door which looks like a museum inside (didn't have the chance to browse around). We made it about 30 minutes prior to closing for the day but was able join the tour. Out tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the hone along with the history of Thomas Edison. She answered many questions posed to her by my son with kindness and patience. The tour lasts about an hour and you get to see most of the rooms. The are also some historical artifacts related to Thomas Edison and is family inside. A gem of a place for all! read more

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Our party of three visited Milan while on a trip to Cedar Point and we pleasantly pleased with our afternoon in this quaint town. While we didn't plan on taking the 45 minute tour of Edison's Birthplace, we decided to peak in during our neighborhood stroll . . . our idea of fun. Personally, I'm a lover of house tours so when we were told it was closed for a private tour I was slightly disappointed we hadn't planned one. However, the ladies (docents if you please) were unimaginably kind and ushered us into a small room in the office which was full of antiques. One of them played a gramophone for me and I wanted to cry because, well, gramophones. I assume the staff realized we were genuinely into this kind of stuff so they offered us a tour on the grounds that we'd have to be quick about it and end it early if the private party showed up. We ended up paying $9 an adult (these places don't manage themselves) and got a full tour! I've been on countless house tours and this tour is at the top of my list for intimate space and high quality - the care given to artifacts, the detail presented in the oral histories, and the general state of the home was fantastic. While Edison's relationships with presidents, robber barons, and the likes was discussed, my only wish would be that these relationships are discussed more candidly. Same thing with some of the inventions and patents, but this is a house tour, not a tell all or history lesson. As such, I thoroughly enjoyed getting a look at some everyday artifacts in the house and hearing how it operated for the family under different ownership. My favorite items were the sample in the bedroom and the lap desk in the front room - you'll have to go yourself to hear the stories behind them! Overall, cool experience that even my history hating sister enjoyed. PSA. The home and office are not wheelchair accessible and the Milan Museum is few blocks away! read more

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I really enjoyed my visit to the Edison birthplace. This is a two part-tour, one is the birthplace/home of young Thomas Edison, and the second part is a tour of the office, which includes gadgets, and gizmos, and personal effects of Edison, as well as some of his sound and film equipment. The office also has a gift shop. The home where Edison was born is very cool, and you can see a lot of the family furniture, as well as pot, pans, toys, paintings, the family bible, etc. Both tour-guides were extremely informative, and I learned quite a few new things. I highly recommend visiting. The tour is a mere $7 donation and lasts a little over an hour, and is within walking distance of the Milan Historical Museum, which is also a must do, and while here, don't forget to check out the town square, and maybe even eat lunch there. Wonderful! read more

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Excellent day trip with the family. Located in a scenic small town! Easy on street parking, walking distance to small restaurants and shopping. read more

I have been buying Edison bulbs before home depot started carrying them...In fact I would spend $17 per bulb...Thanks to trendy coffee shops and sustainable restaurants they are not such a high commodity anymore. I wanted to visit the Birthplace of Thomas because innovators like him helped build America's unparalleled scientific and technological dominance. No, I will not bore you like my 10th grade History teacher did......(yawn) Don't book a trip to come here, but if you are in the vicinity don't be a Sob......check it out, after all he did invent the electric pen which is now used for tattoo's (he brought you suicide girls) Our tour guide was awesome, I think he graduated in Edison's class but other then that he educated me in a fun way (yes I skipped 10th grade classes a lot) Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something. Thomas A. Edison read more

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I stopped here while riding through out to Mount Rushmore to stop and stretch and it is well worth a visit. It's in a nice small town and the town square is worth a visit too. There's a lot to see in the museum and the house from inventions to patents to family portraits and tools of the time. The staff was friendly and welcoming. The tour guide was very informative and knowledgeable and took the time to make sure everyone's questioned were answered before moving on. She was genuinely interested in telling us about the rooms and exhibitions that were on display. She made sure we had ample time to read and check out the displays. She told a few jokes that went along with the exhibits that had everyone laughing. I'd recommend her for a tour but I showed up a bit late for the tour and missed her name. It's defines worth a stop here and would probably stop again if I was in the area read more

The house was small but it is kept up. The tour guide was very nice and she was able to answer any of the questions that the group had. We did get to listen to two of Edison's record players. read more

Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum - Museums Near Me - Milan, Ohio

This is one of the best history values in northern Ohio. I was amazed by the extensive knowledge of the staff. Fascinating visit. Well worth the $9 admission price, plus by visiting you help support this private, non-federally funded part of our American history. Don't miss out on seeing this. And, if you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of Percy, the neighborhood peacock. read more

I had no idea this place existed until I came to the area and searched for things to do. I am glad I went to the museum. You get an hour tour that is very thorough and covers Edison's inventions and how his family lived when he was younger. read more

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My fiancé and I had so much fun on our tour. We got to take pics, see the whole house, it was amazing!!!!! Just mind the steps they are steep. read more

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Great experience. Wonderful to learn about one of nation's amazing inventors. :-) so much information. Knowledgeable tour guides.

I've been going here since I was a kid. Great place to take kids to see what they lived like back then. The museum is very small, but a must see for young kids learning about history. Although Edison didn't live here long, it is still great history. Plan on visiting Milan Square right around the corner too. read more

It is a fine museum complex with a total of six museums not just one. Very cute little complex in an Adorable little Norman Rockwell town!