Event and Exhibit Details
Events, Programs & Exhibits
EVENT - Ohio Open Door Event - September 12
The Museum of Fulton County will take part in the Ohio Open Doors event on Saturday, September 12. Visitors can discover Ohio’s amazing heritage, as historic buildings and fascinating places across the state open their doors for free tours and events as part of the Ohio History Connection’s popular event.
“Ohio Open Doors shares stories of important landmarks and interesting sites right in our backyards, highlighting the history and unique nature of some of Ohio’s most treasured places,” said Diana Welling, Director of the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office.
The Fulton County historic sites participating in the Ohio Open Doors event on Saturday, September 12 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. include:
- History Manor - 229 Monroe St., Wauseon
- Lyons Depot Museum – 136 W. Main Street, Lyons
- Heritage House –343 W. Main Street, Metamora
- Bean Creek History Center - 118 W. Main Street, Fayette
- Pilliod Opera House/Benfield Winery - 102 N Main St, Swanton
- The Swanton Sports Center - 610 N Main St, Swanton, OH
“We are very excited to be featuring six historic sites in Fulton County as part of the Ohio Open Doors event this year,” shared John Swearingen, Jr., director of the Museum of Fulton County. “On this special day guests can enjoy free tours to explore some important landmarks and interesting places in Fulton County!”
Admission to all Ohio Open Doors events is free. A list of the statewide events and activities is available at ohiohistory.org/opendoors
The Ohio History Connection created Ohio Open Doors in 2016 to promote and inspire pride in Ohio’s heritage and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act. Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Oct. 15, 1966, the Act has proven instrumental in transforming communities from coast to coast, establishing the legal framework and incentives to preserve historic buildings, landscapes and archaeological sites. It drives economic revitalization by attracting investment, supporting small business, stabilizing neighborhoods and creating jobs.
Ohio Open Doors partner organizations include the Ohio Arts Council, TourismOhio, the Ohio Travel Association and Heritage Ohio. For more information about the Ohio Open Doors event in Fulton County visit the museumoffultoncounty.org, or call 419-337-7922. Additional information is also available on the Museum of Fulton County Facebook and Instagram pages.
PROGRAM - Senior Discovery Days
Gather with friends for a field trip close to home to experience the joy of learning from specialists in the field of local history. Museum Senior Discovery Days are open to all seniors age 60 and over. A $5.00 fee includes admission to the Museum, light refreshments and a special program/activity/guided tour (actual value of the experience is $25 – what an amazing deal!). Pre-registration is required. To register please call 419.337.7922, stop by the museum, or make reservations at the Fulton County Senior Center (if needing transportation)
Dates: Third Thursday of every month
Time: 9:30-11:30 AM
Fee: $5.00
Program Schedule:
September 17 – Sip it. Simmer it. Love it! - Create a cozy Cold & Flu Herbal Tea and a deliciously fragrant Fall Simmer Pot to fill your home with the scents of the season.
October 15 – Best of Fulton County Haunting History Stories
November 19 – Historic Holiday Sing-alongs at the Museum
Senior Discovery Days are part of a special partnership with the Fulton County Senior Center. Seniors are welcome to drive themselves, or if at least ten seniors sign up for bus transportation from the Fulton County Senior Center, the bus will transport you for an additional $3 per person, suggested donation, from 695 S. Shoop Ave., Wauseon. If you’re riding the bus, meet at 8:45 a.m. to leave on the bus at 9 a.m. Sign up by calling the Museum of Fulton County, 419-337-7922, or call the Fulton County Senior Center at 419-337-9299.
After returning to the Senior Center, why not stay for lunch to continue your conversations! Chances are that you'll eagerly make plans to come back to the museum next month for Senior Discovery Days!
New Acquisition: Madame’s First Ladies
The Museum of Fulton County is proud to announce a new collection of dolls collectedand donated by Shellie Barclay of Wauseon, OH.To celebrate the United States Bicentennial, a collection of the first 38 White Househostesses was produced for sale to the public beginning in 1976.
Each 14-inch doll wasdesigned to reflect the personal style of the First Lady they represent, with specialattention to detail on their inaugural or most elegant gown. The original dolls weredisplayed in historical venues, including the LBJ Presidential Library.
When Madame Beatrice Alexander, founder of the company, died in October of 1990,the collection ended with First Lady Pat Nixon. The Museum of Fulton County’sOperations Manager, Doris Piercefield, has added the remaining First Lady dolls to theBarclay Collection, making the museum’s collection one-of-a-kind.
A complete collection of the White House Historical Society’s Christmas ornaments fromthe Sevenich Collection will also accompany this exhibit. The First Lady’s display will bepart of the museum’s permanent collection throughout 2026 as part of the country’ssemi-quincentennial anniversary.
NEW EXHIBIT - Thirteen Moons in 1776 –
Life along Turkeyfoot Creek
As part of the America 250-Ohio celebration, a spectacular exhibit is now open at the Museum of Fulton County. “Thirteen Moons in 1776 – Life along Turkeyfoot Creek,” features life throughout one year in the land we now call Fulton County.
As visitors explore the new exhibit they will travel through one year (13 lunar months), during the year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A fictional fur trader and his wife will explain the change of seasons, the monthly lives of an Adawe village and their winter journey up the Turkeyfoot Creek, and facts about the year’s thirteen moons.
The three-dimensional, historical fiction exhibit will be laid out in 13 equal sections that, from above, resemble the back of a turtle (the Anishinaabe name for North America is Turtle Island). A timeline of colonial American events during the Revolutionary War will also run throughout the exhibit.
“Our new exhibit will focus on a fictional, French speaking fur trader, based on the real person, St. Vincent from the Captain Thomas Morris’ 1764 journal, who is married to an Odawa Chief's (Chief of the Wolf Rapids Band at Kin-jo-no, now Providence, OH) daughter,” shared John Swearingen, Jr., director of the Museum of Fulton County. “Guests will learn about their summer home near the mouth of what is now the North Turkeyfoot Creek in Henry County and how they traveled north to “The Six Mile Wood” during hunting and syrup harvesting season. They would have also travelled on the “Rice Road” (now County Road RS) through what is now Fulton County during the rice harvest season.”
Partially sponsored by America 250-Ohio, the new exhibit will feature a variety of unique artifacts including a large collection of items once given to the museum's founder, Colonel Dresden Winfield Huston Howard by his Native American friends. The exhibit will also include artifacts used during the Revolutionary War, and fun family-centered interactives related to the history of Nouvelle France (New France) fur trading that occurred in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana in 1776. French-American heritage thrived in northwest Ohio from the late 1690s through the 1830s.
“We recognize and honor the Algonquin Anishinaabeg as the original stewards of the land where the Museum of Fulton County now stands,” Swearingen added. “This traditional territory, which was never ceded, continues to hold great historical, spiritual, and sacred significance for the Algonquin people, whose enduring presence we respect.
The "Thirteen Moons in 1776: Life along Turkeyfoot Creek" exhibit is funded in part by the America 250-Ohio Commission. This new exhibit will be open throughout 2026 and admission to the exhibit is included with a general admission ticket to the museum.
EXHIBIT - Born in Turmoil
To celebrate the 175th anniversary of Fulton County’s founding, a spectacular exhibit is now open at the Museum of Fulton County. The new “Born In Turmoil” exhibit brings the county’s beginning years to life as museum guests learn how Fulton County survived the crisis of the Civil War.
While exploring this temporary exhibit in the Worthington Gallery, visitors will meet Fulton County residents both on the farm and on the battle lines and experience those years through their eyes and the museum’s vast collection.
“Through patriotism, conflict, sacrifice, victory, loss and generosity, the future of 4,000 residents and even today’s residents was changed forever,” shared John Swearingen, Jr., director of the Museum of Fulton County. “Guests are sure to be inspired by this new exhibit at the museum!”
Another highlight of the new exhibit is the opportunity to hear actual transcripts of letters written during the Civil War. As part of the audio cell phone tour, guests will be guided through time as they hear a fascinating, first-hand story of the Borton family and their sons on the front line.
“As guests listen to the audio tour, they will hear two actual transcripts of the Borton letters,” Swearingen added. “These letters were mailed to family members during the war on the same week but neither received their letters. Join us to find out why!”
This new exhibit will be open throughout 2026. Admission to the “Born In Turmoil” exhibit is included with a general admission ticket to the museum.
