CLEVELAND, Ohio – The clock is ticking on autumn in Ohio, the always-too-short season filled with apple picking, leaf peeping and Friday night football.
Peak fall color is expected across the state over the next two weeks, which means the time is now to plan the perfect autumn outing, whether an afternoon in wine country or a weekend in Columbus.
Related: Ohio fall color forecast: Dry conditions create unusual autumn foliage pattern
Need some suggestions on where to go?
We’ve got ideas – from Marietta to Put-in-Bay, Ashtabula County to Columbus. And that’s just a start.
Here are five ideas for October getaways that you’re sure to fall for:
Marietta’s history and haunts
About 2 ½ hours south of Cleveland on the Ohio River, Marietta is Ohio’s oldest town and also one of its most charming.
Start your tour at the Campus Martius Museum, which tracks the region’s history from before its time as the capital of the Northwest Territory. Then take your lesson to the water, aboard the Valley Gem. The sternwheeler offers sightseeing tours on both the Ohio and Muskingum rivers through early November, including several seasonal specialty cruises with Halloween themes and more.
For the spooky side of the city’s history, Hidden Marietta offers haunted tours through early November.
Other attractions here: the Peoples Mortuary Museum, the Castle historic house, plus a lovely downtown filled with restaurants and shops.
Where to stay: The Lafayette Hotel, overlooking the river, is reportedly haunted, as is the five-suite Hackett Hotel.
Columbus: College football and COSI
Ohio State football is on the road for the rest of October, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience the Horseshoe this month.
Ohio State offers stadium tours most weekdays in October, which includes access to the home locker room, band center, field and press box. Tickets are $40 ($30 under 18). Information: ohiostadiumtours.com
Also in Columbus: COSI, the city’s terrific science museum, is debuting this month “The Science Behind Pixar,” a special exhibit that celebrates the art, animation and science behind some of the film company’s most treasured movies including “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles” and “Finding Nemo.”
The exhibit, created by Boston’s Museum of Science in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios, opens Friday.
Where to stay: The Junto, in Columbus’ Franklinton neighborhood, was new in 2023 and is a short walk from COSI.
Wine and covered bridges
You don’t have to travel far for this one – to Lake and Ashtabula counties to enjoy Northeast Ohio’s wine country and covered bridges.
The Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Festival, which runs Oct. 11-12, this year is featuring activities at many of the county’s 19 covered bridges, with a special focus on the Harpersfield Bridge, south of Geneva, and the Smolen Bridge in Ashtabula. For details: coveredbridgefestival.org
Or plan your own self-guided tour of the bridges using the Covered Bridge Trail Passport, available at the Ashtabula County Visitors Bureau, 2046 Ohio 45 in Austinburg, (or online).
If you’re traveling with kids, check out Skeleton Grove at Holden Arboretum, where towering, artist-designed skeletons strike playful poses among vibrant fall foliage; or the Halloween Drive-Thru at Lake Metroparks Farmpark.
For adult fun, consider the Adult Trick or Treat Wine and Cocktail Trail at seven venues in the Grand River Valley, including Debonne, Grand River Cellars and others. A $63 ticket gets you drink and food samples at all seven; individual tickets are also available. Information: valleywinegroup.com
Where to stay: There are lots of lovely choices in this area of Northeast Ohio, including the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake, the Inn at Vincent William Wine, the Lakehouse Inn and Riverbend Hotel and Suites.
Related: Winter wonderland at Vincent William Wine and inn, Northeast Ohio’s newest lakefront retreat
Lake Erie islands, Sandusky, Cedar Point
Ohio’s summertime playground – the Lake Erie islands– are also a lot of fun in the fall. And much less crowded.
The Jet Express continues operations through the end of the month, making numerous trips daily between Port Clinton and downtown Put-in-Bay on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 26. Miller Ferry, meanwhile, is still sailing daily between Catawba Island and South and Middle Bass islands. The Kelleys Island Ferry is also making multiple trips daily between Marblehead and Kelleys Island.
On the roster of island activities: Oktoberfest, Oct. 11-12, in downtown Put-in-Bay’s DeRivera Park, with German food, live music, dancing and more; and Halloween at the Bay on Oct. 25, with costumes, decorations and spooky fun. On Kelleys Island, family-friendly Halloween activities are this weekend, with Adult Halloween planned for Oct. 17-20.
Unfortunately, the observation deck atop Put-in-Bay’s Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial is closed due to the federal government shutdown. The memorial’s visitors center also is shuttered.
On the mainland, check out Sandusky’s 14th annual Witches’ Walk on Oct. 18, which purports to be the largest gathering of witches in the United States. For details: sanduskywitcheswalk.com
And Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends, with its terrific roster of rides and haunted houses, is open through Nov. 2.
Where to stay: Options include the Getaway Inn at Cooper’s Woods (Put-in-Bay), Hotel Breakers (Cedar Point), The 419 (downtown Sandusky). For more: shoresandislands.com/places-to-stay
Dozens of corn mazes and more
TourismOhio this year has created the state’s first Ohio Corn Maze Trail, with 46 corn mazes across the state to explore and get lost in.
On the roster in Northeast Ohio: Ramseyer Farms in Wooster, with two 8-acre mazes to explore, including one with a “Bluey” theme and the other in the shape of Ohio; and Derthick’s Farm and Corn Maze in Mantua, with more than 7 miles of winding paths. Meanwhile, the Maize at Little Darby Creek in Milford Center northwest of Columbus is featuring its Field of Fright in the evenings, plus a daytime maze that pays tribute to Ohio State University football coach Ryan Day. For the complete list and a downloadable map: ohio.org/travel-inspiration/articles/top-five-ohio-corn-mazes
Many of the mazes are accompanied by other autumnal activities – apple picking, pumpkin patches, hay rides, farm animals and more.
The state tourism website has numerous additional fall travel ideas, including “Haunted Ohio: 25 must-visit places,” “16 Ohio parks to leaf peep this fall” and “100 things to do this fall in Ohio.”
Related: Exploring Loudonville, gateway to Mohican country, and one of Ohio’s best small towns