Ohio Road Trip Destinations with a Religious Theme
Ohio Road Trip Destination #1: Fostoria, Northeast Ohio
In the small town of Fostoria, Ohio, an image of Jesus walking on water and holding the hand of a small child appeared on the side of an Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) storage tank for soybean oil. The ADM tank located on Route 12 caused such an ongoing distraction for motorists (and an incident of paint-vandalism) that ADM painted over the rusty visage. The tank is still there, though, and starting to rust again. Look for ADM tank and Fostoria on Route 12. Supposedly, Jesus appeared on the last storage tank in the row.
Ohio Road Trip Destination #2: Maria Stein, Northeast Ohio
Never heard of the town Maria Stein in the Northwest part of the Buckeye State? Well, the National Marian Shrine of Holy Relics houses over 1,000 saintly relics donated by Father J. M. Gartner in 1975. For Catholics, this Ohio Road Trip destination is a must-see. Not only are Jesus and Mary heavily represented in the extensive collection, many other forgotten saints’ leftovers rest here. The Sisters of the Precious Blood (nuns, to us laypeople) run the exhibit, which includes dolls that portray different styles of habits over the years. Find this church at 2291 St. Johns Rd. off Route 119 in Maria Stein.
Ohio Road Trip Destination #3: Lima, Northeast Ohio
After the previous two stops, you’ll probably be ready for something a little more lighthearted. The Allen County Museum in Lima is the perfect place for some religious and secular road trip sightseeing. The Allen County Museum has a ton of exhibits, including a seven-foot, mechanical depiction of the Great Flood built at the turn of the century (last century, not this one). When the Noah’s Ark display is switched on, wooden animals board the ark and the story continues from rainfall to dove.
Other exhibits include an extensive collection of stuffed albino animals and random objects swallowed by the patients of a pair of local doctors. Find the Allen County Museum at 620 W. Market Street in Lima. Admission is technically free, but they request a five dollar donation.
Ohio Road Trip Destination #4: Barberton, Northwest Ohio
Northeast Ohio also has several religious road trip destinations. At the Shrine of St. Jude at the St. Jude Orthodox Church in Barberton, the Virgin Mary appeared in the guise of a teenage girl to a custodian cleaning the shrine. He told the Father, who rushed out to see for himself. By then, though, Mary had vanished, leaving a nearby plywood painting shedding tears. People came from all over to see the crying portrait, claiming to smell flowers and have their ailments cured. Today, the painting of Mary still cries occasionally. Find the St. Jude Orthodox Church on Wooster Road off Route 619.
Ohio Road Trip Destination #5: Cuyahoga Falls, Northeast Ohio
This particular road trip destination has two distinct points of interest for maximum sightseeing potential. The Cathedral Buffet is a giant banquet hall open to the public, and worth seeing for two reasons. The first is the Life of Christ Display housed there, which depicts 13 miniature Bible scenes by sculptor Paul Cunningham. He spent a year making each scene life-like with (among other oddities) real human fingernails.
The second draw is that before Ernest Angley owned the Cathedral Buffet, it was called the Cathedral of Tomorrow. This is where previous owner Rex Humbard broadcast the first televangelist program and changed television forever. Find the Buffet on State Rd. at Portage Trail in Cuyahoga Falls.
Ohio Road Trip Destination #6: Mansfield, Northeast Ohio
When America’s wax museums began closing down in the 1970s, the Living Bible Museum bought the old celebrity figures to use in Bible scenes. The Living Bible Museum features four different tours: Miracles of the Old Testament, The Life of Christ, Christian Martyrs, and The Reformers. Each of the tours is narrated and full of celebrity sightings like Elizabeth Taylor fishing Moses from the river, Cain killing Pope John Paul II, and Donna Summer listening attentively to Jesus’ preaching. Find the Living Bible Museum at the Diamond Hill Cathedral at 500 Tingley Avenue in Mansfield.
Ohio Road Trip Destination #7: North Benton, Northeast Ohio
Before Chester Bedell (a lifelong disbeliever) died on October 30,1908, he asked God to prove Himself by filling his grave with snakes. Supposedly, when Bedell’s grave was dug, there were snakes all around. Then, snakes started coming out of the ground where Bedell was buried. Locals used to go to Bedell’s grave on Sundays to see the snakes and reaffirm God’s existence. Almost a hundred years later, your chances of still seeing snakes around the grave are still extremely high, especially on October 30. This is one of those strange local legends that make a small town seem interesting. If you’re driving through anyway, you might as well stop. It makes a great story to tell the grandkids. Bedell’s cemetery is on Route 23 at 12th Street in North Benton.
Ohio Road Trip Destination #8: Windsor, Northeast Ohio
The Servants of Mary Center of Peace is located on an organic farm, and the main attraction here is a 60-foot statue of the Virgin Mary, with a giant, light-up rosary at her feet. And of course, there’s also a gift shop with religious items. Find the mammoth Mary at 6569 Ireland Rd. in Windsor, Ohio.
Ohio Road Trip Destination #9: Cambridge, Southeast Ohio
The Living Word Outdoor Drama is Cambridge’s version of a passion play. The play is performed on weekends from June through September, although call (740) 439-2761 for specific dates and times. For just $12, you can see Jesus’ life from birth to death to resurrection to ascension. Get there early and take a behind-the-scenes tour. Find the Living Word Outdoor Drama at 6010 College Hill Rd. in Cambridge.
