Ashland County Historical Society

Dark History Tour
2025-10-24 19:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Dive into the shadows of the past with our Dark History Tour – a spine-chilling journey through the secrets and scandals of our city’s haunted past. Uncover the mysteries and untold stories that will send shivers down your spine and leave you questioning what lies beneath the surface. Join us, if you dare, for an unforgettable experience that will make history come alive in the most haunting way. #DarkHistoryTour #UncoverThePast #HauntedHistory
Tickets are $5 per person. Due to the nature of the content, all attendees must be 16 or older. Space is limited, so advance ticketing is recommended to reserve your space.
Tickets on sale now!
The tours depart from the Carriage House, 420 Center Street, promptly at 6:30, 7:00, and 7:30pm. Please arrive 10-15 minutes before your tour to check-in.

Halloween House
2025-10-25 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-10-26 18:00 - 20:00
Get into the spooky spirit with our family-friendly Halloween house tour! Explore the museum after hours and discover delightfully eerie decorations that are perfect for all ages. Join us for a fun and festive experience that will make this Halloween one to remember!
The house is open October 16-19, 25-26, & 31st. Admission is $3 for adults (18+) and $1 for children (3+) and students. Children 3 and under are free. The Halloween House will take place at the Freer Home on 6 different nights from 6-8 pm. The last ticket will be sold to anyone standing in line by 8 pm.

Trivia at Ohio Fire
2025-11-04 18:30 - 20:00 | Ohio Fire, 88 E. Main Street, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
Join us at Ohio Fire for Trivia on the first Tuesday of every month except for December. Questions start promptly at 6:00 so be sure to arrive early for your team to get a slot before we start. Trivia is formatted with three rounds of 10 questions each.
Every team receives a packet with three sheets of answer slips worth 1-10 points for each round making a maximum score per round of 55. Final trivia is wager based meaning you can win or lose it all on the last question so bid wisely! The top three teams receive a generous gift card from Ohio Fire so if you win dinner may just be on us! We’ll go over a refresher of how it all works when you arrive.
Plan to arrive early to grab some amazing food, a drink, and pick your team name. We are excited to see you there so ready your brains for trivia and your stomachs for pizza!

Manor Christmas Open House
2025-12-12 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-12-13 17:00 - 19:00
Step back in time and experience the magic of a Victorian Christmas at our enchanting open house event at 414 Center Street (a.k.a. Manor House)! Immerse yourself in the festive spirit with twinkling lights, Christmas caroling, and delicious holiday treats. Join us for a celebration of yuletide joy and create cherished memories with loved ones at our Victorian Christmas open house!
Before visiting Candy Cane Trail or the Freer open house, come visit the Manor for a Victorian Yuletide experience. The home is open December 12th & 13th from 5-7:00 p.m. and admission is free. Caroling around the piano in the Parlor will take place from 6-7:00 p.m.

Christmas at Freer
2025-12-12 18:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-13 18:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-14 18:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-19 18:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-20 18:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-21 18:00 - 22:00 | Freer Home, 1260 Center Street, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
Step into a winter wonderland this holiday season at the museum! Immerse yourself in the magic of Christmas with festive exhibits, hot chocolate, and holiday cheer all around. Create unforgettable memories with your loved ones at the museum this Christmas – a perfect way to make the season merry and bright!
This year, we are partnering with the Ashland Kroc Center to collect nonperishable food items for those in need. The Kroc Center has said that the following items are in high demand this year: Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Pancake Mix, Syrup, Cereal, Oatmeal, Jelly, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Spaghetti Pasta, Vegetable Oil, Canned Tuna, & Canned Chicken. Please bring in whatever you can to give back to the community.
Come inside and warm up after your trip through the Candy Cane Trail and enjoy more than a dozen beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Admission is free. Hot chocolate is available with a cash donation or food for the Kroc Center. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Christmas tree this year! Christmas at the Freer Home will be open for 6 nights from December 12-14 & 19-21 from 6-10 P.M.

Victorian Lantern Tour
2025-12-19 18:00 - 18:30, 2025-12-19 18:30 - 19:00, 2025-12-19 19:00 - 19:30
Step back in time this holiday season with a magical Victorian Christmas flashlight tour! Immerse yourself in the enchanting sights and sounds of a bygone era as you explore the beautifully decorated Manor House after hours. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the wonder and nostalgia of a Victorian Christmas – book your tour today!
Tickets are $10 per person. Members receive a 30% discount with use of the promocode sent in the newsletter. Spaces are limited, so advance ticketing is recommended to reserve your space. Tickets go on sale November 21st.
The tours will depart from the Manor House 414 Center Street promptly at 6:30pm, 7:00, and 7:30. Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to check-in.
Click here to register!

Trivia Nights @ Ohio Fire
2026-01-06 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-02-03 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-03-03 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-04-07 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-05 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-06-02 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-07 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-04 18:00 - 20:00 and 3 more dates | Ohio Fire, 88 E. Main Street, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
Mark your calendars to test your trivia knowledge for the 2026 Ashland County Historical Society Trivia Nights at Ohio Fire!
Every month, join us on the first Tuesday from 6-8:00 p.m. to see if you have what it takes to be the Trivia Champion. The event is free to participate, and space is limited. Call Ohio Fire to reserve your table at (419) 903-0084.
Things to consider:-Teams are limited to eight (8) people. This keeps the event friendly, competitive, and fair while also ensuring ample physical space for event set-up.-Googling is prohibited. If there is repeated use to find the answers, you may be disqualified from the event. Let’s keep it fun!-Come up with a catchy team name! Our hosts at Ohio Fire will select the most creative team name and that team will receive extra points!

Questions? Email achs@ashlandhistory.org or call 419-289-3111.

Conflict and Memory: Digging into the Copus Massacre
2026-03-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, 203 E Main St, Loudonville, OH, 44842
In September 1812, during the War of 1812, tensions between settlers and Native Americans in north-central Ohio reached a violent climax at what came to be known as the Copus Massacre. Following the forced removal and destruction of the nearby Greentown Indian village, many Native residents were betrayed by the US Army and blamed their white neighbors, intensifying hostilities. Reverend James Copus, a settler who had been close friends with the Greentown residents, was targeted alongside soldiers stationed in the area. The resulting attack left several settlers, soldiers, and natives dead.

The Copus Massacre of 1812 was one of the most significant and tragic events to occur in north-central Ohio during the War of 1812. This program explores the wider context of the war and the nearby Greentown Indian village, the events that led to the clash between local settlers and Native Americans, and the enduring legacy the conflict left behind. Finally, the program will highlight the results of the first phase of modern archaeological work at the historic site, shedding new light on the landscape and stories tied to this turbulent moment in Ohio’s past.

About the Speaker
Kenny Libben is the curator of the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, where he has served since 2010. During his tenure, he has been recognized with multiple awards for his leadership in the museum field, including the Ohio Local History Alliance’s Outstanding Individual Achievement Award, the Small Museum Association’s Hunter-Burley Award, and the Ohio Museum Association’s Best Exhibition Award.
He serves as an officer of the International Committee for Regional Museums (ICOM-ICR) and as a representative for the Ohio Local History Alliance. He has previously been featured on American History TV.

Program Details
This event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 PM, and the program begins at 7:00 PM. The lecture will be held in the CRF Museum Lecture Hall.

This event is held in cooperation between the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum and the Ashland County Historical Society:
The CRF Museum is operated under the Mohican Historical Society, a501(c)3 nonprofit, and serves the Mohican area as a source for research, learning, and historical discussion by connecting the community with the history and traditions of the area.

ACHS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings Ashland County’s history alive through education, preservation, and community engagement. ACHS’s speaker series programming is supported in part by the Ashland County Community Foundation. Located at 420 Center Street, Ashland, OH, ACHS is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 to 3:00 for self-guided tours. Guided tours are available by appointment. Its entire campus includes the Noonan and Manor Houses, Freer Home, and the Carriage House, which serves as its research library. For more information, visit www.ashlandhistory.org or call 419-289-3111.

Trivia @ The Greens Bistro & Pub
2026-03-26 17:30 - 20:30 | Greens Bistro & Pub, 2130 Center St, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
Thursday, March 26, starting at 5:30.
2130 Center St. Ashland, OH 44805
Join us at the Greens Bistro & Pub in The Brethren Care facilities for some Trivia! Make sure to reserve your spot and prepare for 30 multiple-choice questions of any category.
Full menu and bar available!
Call Kristine to reserve your spot!
419-496-0356

Speaker Series: Ohio’s Promised Land w/ Hadley Drodge
2026-05-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Freer Home, 1260 Center Street, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
Ohio’s Promised Land: Uncomfortable Truths of a Free State

The first state to be formed from the Northwest Territory, Ohio’s earliest years of statehood quickly became a laboratory for how the young country navigated growing tensions and divisions over slavery. Admitted as a free state under the Northwest Ordinance of 1797, Ohio’s role in our 19th-century history cannot be understated. Tucked beneath the narratives of abolition and the Underground Railroad was a history of Black Codes and extralegal aggressions. In June 1846, nearly 400 newly emancipated people left the Roanoke Plantation for a new life in Ohio. The Randolph Freedpeople, as they are known, offer a key insight into the lived experiences of many freedom seekers and freedpeople during the mid- to-late 19th century. Their family ties, perseverance, and belief in the fundamental values of the Declaration of Independence mirror the complexities and contradictions of our collective identity. Join ACHS and Hadley Drodge from the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, a site of the Ohio History Connection, to explore these complexities and the close ties to those who sought freedom in Ashland County.
Hadley Drodge is an Interpretation and Content Specialist at the Ohio History Connection and the Project Coordinator for the upcoming Poindexter Village African American Museum. She was previously a curator at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio where she created exhibits highlighting undertold histories like the Randolph Freedpeople in Freed Will and African American women’s history in the award-winning Queens of the Heartland. She has been an invited contributor to the Ohio Humanities publication Pathways Magazine and co-taught several courses of a graduate-level exhibits class at Wright State University. The greatest joys of Hadley’s career have come from collaborating with those who worked to preserve their ancestors’ histories. She lives with her family in Huffman’s Historic District in Dayton.

Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom & Family
2026-06-19 15:00 - 19:00 | Ashland County Historical Society, 420 Center St., Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
Join us for our 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom on Friday, June 19, 2026!

This year’s focus is family-As we celebrate the joy of freedom, we will look into the ways families were affected by the struggle to end slavery.
Join us for a full afternoon of celebration and education! Here’s what to expect:
4 Living History Tours Starting at 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, & 6:05 PM (Tour Space is Limited)
Moments That Made Us exhibit Preview open from 3:00-4:30 PM
A Visit from President Lincoln at 4:30 PM, where he will read the Emancipation Proclamation
Community Picnic with food from Buehler’s Fresh Foods & Live Music by The AFRXNTS from 4:45-6:00 PM
A Higher Law: The Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of 1858 Documentary Screening and Q&A with the filmmakers at The Ashland Theater at 7:00 PM

Cost: FREE
Location: 420 Center Street, Ashland, OH 44805
Time: 3:00-7:00 + Documentary Screening
Join us for the whole afternoon or just part of it. ALL ARE WELCOME to join in our community celebration.
Thank you to all of our friends who are joining in making this day happen: America 250 Ohio, The Ashland Juneteenth Planning Committee, Ashland Main Street, The Ashland Public Library, The Ashland Theater, The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, The Oberlin Heritage Center, The Ohio Theatre, and The Richland County Historical Society.
Become a Sponsor!
Join us in bringing history to life at this year’s event! Through your support and sponsorship, we will continue to celebrate the freedoms that we hold so dear, explore the history of our communities, and strengthen the lasting historical threads we continue to showcase for generations to come! Click the image below to expand the opportunities, and join us as a sponsor by completing the secure form below!
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