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Weird Travel Guides
Weird Ohio: Your Travel Guide to Ohio's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets
Ah, Ohio, so nice and normal. We have apple pie heroes like Hopalong Cassidy, Neil Armstrong, Thomas Edison, and Doris Day. Our state bird is the jaunty and ever popular cardinal, and our state flower is the carnation, found in the buttonholes of politicians and bridegrooms everywhere. We started America rolling by opening the country's first gas station, and we have a museum dedicated to America's music, rock and roll. Why, we're just so all-American normal, it can bring a tear to the eye. Okay, fine. But there's something else we have a whole lot of, and that's...weirdness. Yes, the Buckeye State has lots and lots of strange people and unusual sites, and they burst forth from every page of this, the biggest, most bizarre collection of Ohio stories ever assembled: Weird Ohio.
Our weird quotient is so high that we needed three authors to put this book together. With cameras and notepads in hand, James Willis, Andrew Henderson, and Loren Coleman traveled the highways, byways, hills, and dales of our fair state, seeking out the odd and the offbeat. And they found it. Whether it's ghosts at Ohio State, a slew of screaming bridges, Frogman, a witches' grave, or a flying cigar, our fearless authors have researched the stories with care and present them here for you, fellow admirers of the weird.
So turn the pages and visit with the Melonheads, have a fun day at Satan's Hollow, Hell House, and the Devil's Pit, but watch out for the Demon Tree. Bike with Oxford's phantom bicyclist, chat with the Lady in White, check out Oberlin's giant three-way plug and the really big rocking chair in Austinberg. Tiptoe through Dublin's concrete corncobs, take a brief detour down the world's shortest street, and look for Bigfoot in Minerva. And as night descends, gaze longingly at a whole bunch of abandoned drive-in theaters.
Yes, it's all hereweirdness in the heartland. A brand-new entry in the best-selling Weird U.S. series, Weird Ohio is chock-full of everything your history teacher never taught you. Some of the people you'll meet and the places you'll go are disturbing, others are hilarious, but all are very, very weird. We guarantee you'll enjoy the journey.
James A. Willis was born and raised in Upstate New York. In 1999, he moved to Ohio and founded the Ghosts of Ohio (www.ghostsofohio.org), a nationally recognized paranormal research organization. James has been featured in numerous publications, television and radio programs, and live webcasts. He has given presentations throughout the state on how one may hope to find evidence of the existence of ghosts. James currently resides in Columbus with his Queen-loving parrot and the world's whiniest cat. When he's not seeking out all things weird and wonderful, James often stays awake nights wondering if he will ever lose the moniker of the Man Who Debunked Hell Town.
Andrew Henderson is a writer and researcher who has been exploring Ohio's abandoned buildings, old cemeteries, ghost towns, ghost stories, and weird history for years. Since 1999, he has run the popular Web site Forgotten Ohio, and his first book, Forgotten Columbus, was published in 2002. His work has been featured both locally and nationallymost notably in the Washington Post. An alumnus of Ohio State University, Andrew lives in Columbus.
Loren Coleman has been investigating cryptozoology and unexplained phenomena since 1960. He is the author of more than two dozen books, including The Copycat Effect; Bigfoot! The True Story of Apes in America; The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep; Tom Slick, Mothman and Other Curious Encounters; Mysterious America: The Revised Edition; The Field Guide to Bigfoot, Yeti, and Other Mystery Primates Worldwide; and Cryptozoology A to Z. Having grown up in Illinois before moving to New England, Coleman often traveled to Ohio to investigate breaking cases and has continued to visit the state frequently for fieldwork and conferences.
Our weird quotient is so high that we needed three authors to put this book together. With cameras and notepads in hand, James Willis, Andrew Henderson, and Loren Coleman traveled the highways, byways, hills, and dales of our fair state, seeking out the odd and the offbeat. And they found it. Whether it's ghosts at Ohio State, a slew of screaming bridges, Frogman, a witches' grave, or a flying cigar, our fearless authors have researched the stories with care and present them here for you, fellow admirers of the weird.
So turn the pages and visit with the Melonheads, have a fun day at Satan's Hollow, Hell House, and the Devil's Pit, but watch out for the Demon Tree. Bike with Oxford's phantom bicyclist, chat with the Lady in White, check out Oberlin's giant three-way plug and the really big rocking chair in Austinberg. Tiptoe through Dublin's concrete corncobs, take a brief detour down the world's shortest street, and look for Bigfoot in Minerva. And as night descends, gaze longingly at a whole bunch of abandoned drive-in theaters.
Yes, it's all hereweirdness in the heartland. A brand-new entry in the best-selling Weird U.S. series, Weird Ohio is chock-full of everything your history teacher never taught you. Some of the people you'll meet and the places you'll go are disturbing, others are hilarious, but all are very, very weird. We guarantee you'll enjoy the journey.
James A. Willis was born and raised in Upstate New York. In 1999, he moved to Ohio and founded the Ghosts of Ohio (www.ghostsofohio.org), a nationally recognized paranormal research organization. James has been featured in numerous publications, television and radio programs, and live webcasts. He has given presentations throughout the state on how one may hope to find evidence of the existence of ghosts. James currently resides in Columbus with his Queen-loving parrot and the world's whiniest cat. When he's not seeking out all things weird and wonderful, James often stays awake nights wondering if he will ever lose the moniker of the Man Who Debunked Hell Town.
Andrew Henderson is a writer and researcher who has been exploring Ohio's abandoned buildings, old cemeteries, ghost towns, ghost stories, and weird history for years. Since 1999, he has run the popular Web site Forgotten Ohio, and his first book, Forgotten Columbus, was published in 2002. His work has been featured both locally and nationallymost notably in the Washington Post. An alumnus of Ohio State University, Andrew lives in Columbus.
Loren Coleman has been investigating cryptozoology and unexplained phenomena since 1960. He is the author of more than two dozen books, including The Copycat Effect; Bigfoot! The True Story of Apes in America; The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep; Tom Slick, Mothman and Other Curious Encounters; Mysterious America: The Revised Edition; The Field Guide to Bigfoot, Yeti, and Other Mystery Primates Worldwide; and Cryptozoology A to Z. Having grown up in Illinois before moving to New England, Coleman often traveled to Ohio to investigate breaking cases and has continued to visit the state frequently for fieldwork and conferences.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 25, 2005
10 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
James A. Willis
20 books27 followersNot since the Headless Horseman went charging through Sleepy Hollow has something come out of the Hudson highlands of upstate New York as thrilling and chilling as author and paranormal researcher James A. Willis. Fueled by a steady diet of boo berry cereal, Creepy Magazine and late-night Vincent Price movies, Willis soon developed a taste for the unexplained and quickly began seeking out all things strange and spooky.
When he wasn’t trying to coax the boogeyman out from under his bed for a photo shoot, Willis pondered such eternal questions as what happens to us when we die is there life on other planets, and what possesses someone to decorate their house with 1,001 milk jugs?
In 1999, after spending more than 15 years chasing after ghosts and visiting crybaby bridges, Willis moved to Ohio and founded The Ghosts of Ohio (ghostsofohio.org), a nationally recognized paranormal research organization. Willis has grown the organization to well over 35 members in three divisions throughout the state: Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.
In 2004, in what seemed to be destiny, Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman, the brainchild’s of the Weird US series of books, approached Willis and asked him to contribute to their latest volume, Weird US. To date, Willis has been involved with 6 books in the Weird US series. He is the co-author of Weird Ohio (2005) and Weird Indiana (2008) and was also a contributing author to Weird US (2004), Weird Hauntings (2006), Weird US II: The ODDyssey Continues (2008), and Weird Encounters (2010). Willis’ unique and offbeat writing style was officially recognized in 2006 with his induction into the Grand Order of Weird Writers.
In addition, Willis has been a contributing author to several books in the Armchair Reader series, beginning with Weird, Scary & Unusual (2008) and continuing with several books released in 2010: Armchair Reader Goes Hollywood, Armchair Reader’s All about Ohio, and The Mammoth Armchair Reader. 2011 marked the release of Willis' latest collaboration with Armchair Reader, Haunted America. For 2012, Willis released Haunted Indiana, his first work with Stackpole Books. In the fall of 2012, Willis' The Big Book Of Ohio Ghost Stories was unleashed.
Look for Willis' next book, Ohio's Historic Haunts, to be released in late summer of 2015.
A sought-after public speaker, Willis has given presentations throughout the United States, during which he has educated and entertained tens of thousands of people of all ages in crowd sizes ranging from 10 to well over 600. He has also been featured in more than 50 media sources, including CNN, USA Today, Columbus Business First, Midwest Living, The Canadian Press, and even the Kuwait Times. He is also currently a contributing author to Mysteries Magazine.
Willis currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and daughter, a Queen-loving parrot, and three narcoleptic cats.
When he wasn’t trying to coax the boogeyman out from under his bed for a photo shoot, Willis pondered such eternal questions as what happens to us when we die is there life on other planets, and what possesses someone to decorate their house with 1,001 milk jugs?
In 1999, after spending more than 15 years chasing after ghosts and visiting crybaby bridges, Willis moved to Ohio and founded The Ghosts of Ohio (ghostsofohio.org), a nationally recognized paranormal research organization. Willis has grown the organization to well over 35 members in three divisions throughout the state: Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.
In 2004, in what seemed to be destiny, Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman, the brainchild’s of the Weird US series of books, approached Willis and asked him to contribute to their latest volume, Weird US. To date, Willis has been involved with 6 books in the Weird US series. He is the co-author of Weird Ohio (2005) and Weird Indiana (2008) and was also a contributing author to Weird US (2004), Weird Hauntings (2006), Weird US II: The ODDyssey Continues (2008), and Weird Encounters (2010). Willis’ unique and offbeat writing style was officially recognized in 2006 with his induction into the Grand Order of Weird Writers.
In addition, Willis has been a contributing author to several books in the Armchair Reader series, beginning with Weird, Scary & Unusual (2008) and continuing with several books released in 2010: Armchair Reader Goes Hollywood, Armchair Reader’s All about Ohio, and The Mammoth Armchair Reader. 2011 marked the release of Willis' latest collaboration with Armchair Reader, Haunted America. For 2012, Willis released Haunted Indiana, his first work with Stackpole Books. In the fall of 2012, Willis' The Big Book Of Ohio Ghost Stories was unleashed.
Look for Willis' next book, Ohio's Historic Haunts, to be released in late summer of 2015.
A sought-after public speaker, Willis has given presentations throughout the United States, during which he has educated and entertained tens of thousands of people of all ages in crowd sizes ranging from 10 to well over 600. He has also been featured in more than 50 media sources, including CNN, USA Today, Columbus Business First, Midwest Living, The Canadian Press, and even the Kuwait Times. He is also currently a contributing author to Mysteries Magazine.
Willis currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and daughter, a Queen-loving parrot, and three narcoleptic cats.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 12, 2019
I loved reading about local legends, haunted places, and historical facts. I learned the origions of lore I've heard since I was little as well as gaining knowledge about new spots. This book even lists a few one of a kind road trip destinations. Of you've never seen a building that looks like. Basket.... You have to remedy that.
May 18, 2021
Whenever I go on road trips (or used to, before the plague hit), I would always seek out and visit strange and wonderful roadside attractions and crazy museums. This book was something we'd bring along with us anytime we'd visit Ohio. I think there should be a book like this about every US state and Canadian province because there's so much fun stuff like this out there.
October 16, 2021
It was interesting to find out about all the stuff that is in Ohio that I didn't know about. Unfortunately, none of it really blew me aware, and it was just a cursory overview. Plenty of great pictures so if you want it as a picture book or something to just have lying around for people to peruse randomly it's a fun thing to have. But as a compelling read, it was lacking.
September 15, 2022
Despite having hack writer and former Decaturian Troy Taylor at the helm,
Weird Illinois
—a companion to this volume—makes for great bathroom reading. The production values and colorful images more than compensate for Taylor's leaden prose and inane editorializing. I love this book so much that every time I visit my best friend's Chicago apartment, I make time to secrete myself away in the john and hunch over it. I got to wondering what I would think of the book if the writing were as good as the production, and so I decided to check out another book in the series and see.
Luckily, I picked an absolute winner with Haunted Ohio. The writing is great, and not just because I'm comparing it with Taylor's ham-fisted oeuvre. The three co-authors balance a love of a good scare story with a desire to know the available facts about any site they describe; it constantly amazed me how they could debunk a particular legend with one or two salient, documented facts without ever abandoning the joy of repeating the original legend." Who cares if it isn't exactly true?" they seem to suggest, "If you're reading a book of weird stories, you're probably into it more for the chill it send down your spine than for any empirically verifiable facts it may reveal." As mentioned before in the context of *Haunted Illinois,* the production values are superb, and the addition of stories supplied by readers and locals really capture something uniquely Midwestern about these weird people and places.
The sections of the book deal with various weird topics like local legends, ancient mysteries (e.g., the Serpent Mound), fabled people and places, unexplained phenomena (e.g., UFO sightings, Hangar 18, and the ever-popular pancakes from space!), bizarre beasts (including the Mothman), local heroes and villains, personalized properties, roadside distractions (like the Longaberger Basket HQ featured on the cover—it's the building shaped like the giant basket, complete with handles!), haunted places, cemeteries, and abandoned buildings and roller coasters.
A very fun, entertaining, and even (gasp) informative book.
Luckily, I picked an absolute winner with Haunted Ohio. The writing is great, and not just because I'm comparing it with Taylor's ham-fisted oeuvre. The three co-authors balance a love of a good scare story with a desire to know the available facts about any site they describe; it constantly amazed me how they could debunk a particular legend with one or two salient, documented facts without ever abandoning the joy of repeating the original legend." Who cares if it isn't exactly true?" they seem to suggest, "If you're reading a book of weird stories, you're probably into it more for the chill it send down your spine than for any empirically verifiable facts it may reveal." As mentioned before in the context of *Haunted Illinois,* the production values are superb, and the addition of stories supplied by readers and locals really capture something uniquely Midwestern about these weird people and places.
The sections of the book deal with various weird topics like local legends, ancient mysteries (e.g., the Serpent Mound), fabled people and places, unexplained phenomena (e.g., UFO sightings, Hangar 18, and the ever-popular pancakes from space!), bizarre beasts (including the Mothman), local heroes and villains, personalized properties, roadside distractions (like the Longaberger Basket HQ featured on the cover—it's the building shaped like the giant basket, complete with handles!), haunted places, cemeteries, and abandoned buildings and roller coasters.
A very fun, entertaining, and even (gasp) informative book.
August 20, 2010
I got this signed by the authors at the Mothman festival last year. It’s one of the Weird American series. It’s a ‘travel guide’ to the weird and wacky. It’s broken into Local Legends, Ancient Mysteries, Fabled People and Places, Unexplained Phenomena, Bizarre Beasts, Local Heroes and villains, personalized properties, roadside distractions, roads less traveled, haunted places and ghostly tales, cemetery safari and abandoned in Ohio.
So for the most of the stories are of the supernatural nature. Some are very well written and researched. Others are so thin that including them might have been a mistake. There are several personalized stories from write-in locals. Some have great pictures. The one disappointing thing is that some of the locations would be very hard to find if you wanted to see them for yourself since often there’s not enough to go on to find directions so ‘travel guide’ might be an ambitious title. However, it’s a fun read and it was neat to see the weird crap in OH. The one thing that seemed like it was stretching it was some of the abandoned places, there’s a whole section of abandoned drive-ins with no weirdness attached. What is inherently weird about old drive-ins? It probably only has interest to Ohioans or true lovers of the weird.
So for the most of the stories are of the supernatural nature. Some are very well written and researched. Others are so thin that including them might have been a mistake. There are several personalized stories from write-in locals. Some have great pictures. The one disappointing thing is that some of the locations would be very hard to find if you wanted to see them for yourself since often there’s not enough to go on to find directions so ‘travel guide’ might be an ambitious title. However, it’s a fun read and it was neat to see the weird crap in OH. The one thing that seemed like it was stretching it was some of the abandoned places, there’s a whole section of abandoned drive-ins with no weirdness attached. What is inherently weird about old drive-ins? It probably only has interest to Ohioans or true lovers of the weird.
September 5, 2009
A couple of things were inaccurate, like where the original crybaby bridge is in Rogue's Hollow. My Dad and grandfather are from Doylestown and they both said that that's the wrong one. The original burned down years ago, I've been to where it was. Also, the railroad tracks ARE still in use.
Also, I've been to "Hell Town" in Boston Mills many many times and have never seen a thing. It's a beautiful, old town and is actually quite peaceful. There is no bench in the cemetery and I've been past the "End of the World." We ran into some Asian tourists who were photographing the area up by the "Witch's House in the Woods," where the old car is; we ran into some very friendly deer. We ended up lost in the woods many times and everyone was always nice and friendly towards us.
Finally, Mother of Sorrows is not a "satanic" church. It was the popular architectural style at the time. People will really attach creepy stuff to anything.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I'm definitely going to try and find the "Our Lady of Guadalupe" statue :D
Also, I've been to "Hell Town" in Boston Mills many many times and have never seen a thing. It's a beautiful, old town and is actually quite peaceful. There is no bench in the cemetery and I've been past the "End of the World." We ran into some Asian tourists who were photographing the area up by the "Witch's House in the Woods," where the old car is; we ran into some very friendly deer. We ended up lost in the woods many times and everyone was always nice and friendly towards us.
Finally, Mother of Sorrows is not a "satanic" church. It was the popular architectural style at the time. People will really attach creepy stuff to anything.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I'm definitely going to try and find the "Our Lady of Guadalupe" statue :D
April 14, 2007
Look, I'm biased. A dear friend was one of the co-authors of this book, and there's a big old picture of me on the first page and deep inside the book. But sentiment aside, this is a great compilation of all the strangeness that Ohio has to offer. Whether you're into spooky tales, UFOs, cryptozoology (Bigfoot, etc.), roadside attractions, or other wacky things, this book likely has it. It's pretty beautiful to boot--not flimsy or disposable, this is hardcover and packed with color photos. Perhaps your family plans daytrips differently, but this has provided a nice "to-do" list for our free time.
August 2, 2011
A coffee-table book. No more, no less. It looks great on the bookstore shelf; the reality is a lot less exciting. Some of it's interesting and surprising, really it has little to do with Ohio; all this stuff undoubtedly exists in every state of the Union. The pictures are average, at best, and have little to do with the writing most of the time. I was surprised that there was little in the way of addresses or exact instructions on how to find many of the points of interest. But, again, there wouldn't be in a book like this, would there?
I will say that that book itself is beautifully put together. So ya' got that goin' for ya'.
I will say that that book itself is beautifully put together. So ya' got that goin' for ya'.
April 18, 2014
If you grew up in Ohio or spent a large amount of time in the state, this is a very interesting book. To be fair, you must keep an open mind and take most of these stories with a grain of salt. Some of the ghost stories are strange and laughable but still fun to read. The book is well researched and presented with many pictures. Overall, this book is a curiosity piece that will have guests leafing through it as it sits on your coffee table or bookshelf.
July 29, 2016
Interesting read. From crybaby bridges to haunted stretches of road to roadside attractions that are a little odd, Ohio just seems to have a knack of being a magnet for unusual stuff. I am still amused with the fact that Ohio can take the cake with weird sounding town names like Knockemstiff. Just a great book that I would recommend to anyone who wants to learn about the kookie side of Ohio.
September 10, 2008
it's definitely fueling a trip next summer. there are amazing places that are nearby and farther away from my part of ohio that I can't wait to visit. The author listed the town and the road that is needed to visit the site. Very good and I believe there is a book for each state.
June 21, 2009
wonderful for those of you who love abnormal non-fiction and hauntings, great pictures. It includes many places i've seen like "touch down jesus" and the cemetary right down the street from where i grew up.
June 17, 2012
As a boy we traveled to Ohio for its many attractions like Kings Island, Ceder Point, and Prehistoric Forrest, but this book shows that there is more to this state than having to worry about getting a speeding ticket everytime you pass through. A must read for the curious.
August 15, 2012
I enjoyed this book. There is much to discover in Ohio, some of it I already knew about, some I just discovered. This was really good on the scare factor. It is one of the better written "Weird" books.
January 17, 2020
Mildly interesting. A lot of haunted houses, aliens, monsters, stuff that is really beyond belief (for me, anyway).
Most interesting was abandoned houses, and learning Eddie Rickenbacher is buried in Columbus! Lived there 20 years, never knew! I would have went.
Most interesting was abandoned houses, and learning Eddie Rickenbacher is buried in Columbus! Lived there 20 years, never knew! I would have went.
Read
June 1, 2007I really liked the chapter on abandoned buildings. I'm not sure why.
April 30, 2008
Having Lived in ohio I found this book intresting. Especially if I had visited some of the sites before!
May 7, 2008
A work of love co-authored by an ad agency friend of mine, James Willis.
Currently reading
November 9, 2009I have just seen the DVD version of this from the library. I have just picked this up from another library.
December 1, 2009
LOVED this book!
August 10, 2010
It was fun. Reminded me of things I've done around this state and gave me ideas of places to go.
August 20, 2010
oh some of this will be in my stories for sure
August 2, 2011
Great book, lots of stories of places and legends I hadn't heard before.
June 27, 2015
Great book from my home state
August 1, 2012
This is such a fun book!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews