Downtown Logan City Center

Visit Downtown Logan Ohio

Logan is famous for being a town near the beautiful Hocking Hills region of Ohio. As a destination for tourists and home to many adventure seekers and lovers of the outdoors, Logan itself doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Main Street and the businesses that make up the town center bring in people from all over to enjoy what it has to offer. From a library to a historical museum and community arts center, this destination offers unique and exciting things to do outside of just Hocking Hills. Come and find out why people are flocking to downtown Logan City.

Logan Historic District

The Logan Historic District is unique in southeastern Ohio because of the mining industry in the 19th and 20th centuries. Logan has several renowned architectural buildings people love to visit. Locally produced clay materials and paver-bricks are seen throughout the historic district. Three eras of development took place in Logan during the Period of Significance from 1831-1960. These are important elements to preserving historical buildings and development. The walking tour of Logan’s historic district is a favorite of locals and visitors. It takes about 45 minutes to complete and includes:

  • Historical, cultural, and architectural experiences
  • Hocking County Courthouse on Main and Market: completed in 1925, this building was once the site of a Native American mound
  • Keynes House on South Market: a Colonial Revival structure built in 1905 by the owner of Keynes Mill. It is the oldest industry with a fifth generation of family members running the mill to this day currently grinding 20,000 bushels of wheat per day and yielding 870,000 pounds of white flour per day
  • City Hall on the corner of Main and Mulberry: used for city council meetings since 1884. The Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places
  • International Order of Odd Fellows on East Main: built in the 20th century, this lodge was the second oldest in the country. It has hosted basketball games, Kroger, and Bob Casner’s Art Kraft photoshop

The National Register of Historic Places lists Logan Historic District as one of its own. The credit for this goes to preservationists who love to keep Logan’s historic buildings around for everyone to enjoy for decades to come.

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Park GPS Coordinates

  • Lattidude: 39.539307544425995
  • Longitude: -82.40840934213428

Features

Historical Town

Residents named Logan after a Mingo Indian chief. Logan was established below the falls of Hockhocking River, later named Hocking River. People came for jobs and industry but began to build out the town around the hills and set up homes. The population of Logan exploded to over 2,500 people in 18880 with several churches, banks, and a railroad that ran through town. Manufacturing was holding up the economy quite well from the railroad and Motherwell Iron and Steel Company, which constructed mostly bridges in the area. For over a century, Logan became known as a tourist destination for its caves, forests and foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Lesser known to some are the amazing bed and breakfast places, hotels, and beautiful family-friendly events on offer in and around Logan.

Town Events

Although a lovely historic tour is a fabulous way to explore downtown Logan, there are many events that take place which bring people together. Check out some of what Logan has to offer:

  • Washboard Fest in mid-June: festivals, free activities, music, art, and more. On Father’s Day weekend each year, the downtown district hosts a celebration like no other. They celebrate the washboard instrument. Home to Columbus Washboard Company, the only remaining one in the country, they celebrate where music was a staple of families all around. Since money was tight, they turned washboards, jugs and other objects into instruments and created this beautiful festival to celebrate its history
  • Logan Frozen Fest: a magical atmosphere for kids and adults, the festival happens on the same day as the Hocking Hills Winter Hike. Hikers are invited to join before boarding to hike Ash Cave. Large ice sculptures line Cedar Falls and Ash Cave. Also includes sponsored ice blocks on Main Street, Rock on Ice sculpting demos in Worthington Park, Ice Games, musicians, food trucks, and more
  • Hocking County Fair in mid-September: brings the family fun each year to Homer Avenue in Logan. The fair contains livestock shows, Mud Bog, Moto-Cross, Tractor and Truck Pull, nightly entertainment, and art exhibits. Bring kids and family for amusement rides, concession and lots of fun for all to see

The historic district and surrounding Logan area offer summer music events throughout the season plus host other events during the year. Be sure to check out downtown Logan for all it has to offer.

Columbus Washboard Company

A historical tour of downtown Logan wouldn’t be complete without visiting the Columbus Washboard Company. In business since 1895, this company manufactures washboards and high-quality vintage home cleaning supplies. The factory moved from outside Columbus to Logan in 1999. This manufacturer still operates today as the only one of its kind due to skilled workers who care for the company, its products, and the local community. Their visitation for business speaks to the heritage of this business that has been around for over a century. Everything is 100% American made with over a million washboards made in 1941 to today’s washboards used as decorative pieces, accents, and even musical instruments. Stop in and see it for yourself on one of their guided factory tours or just admire it on a walking historic tour of the Logan downtown district. There is nothing like it anywhere else in the United States.