Search for fossils, ride a bike, or delve into local history: Sylvania offers a variety of reasons to visit. At Fossil Park, searching for prehistoric fossils can be combined with a walk or bike ride. Historic buildings and seasonal swimming options offer other ways to spend your time.
Fossils and Outdoor Trails
Fossil Park includes a five-acre, ADA-accessible quarry. In a safe, controlled environment, visitors can dig for fossils of prehistoric life and keep what they find. The park also has a trail for walking, running, and biking. This lets you add some exercise around the grounds to your fossil hunt.
For a longer bike ride, the five-mile Quarry Ridge Bike Trail connects Sylvan Prairie Park, Fossil Park, Centennial Quarry and Terrace, and Pacesetter Park. The connection between these sites and the trail's length offer guidance when choosing a route; no details about individual sections are provided.
Local History in Buildings and Tours
At Sylvania Historical Village, activities range from a school lesson to learning about the daily life of early settlers. At Stone Academy, costumed interpreters demonstrate how children in Sylvania learned reading, writing, and arithmetic in the 1840s. Other interpreters show how early settlers cooked, preserved food, made soap, fabrics, clothing, and floor coverings, and performed everyday tasks.
A one-hour tour of the Village covers local history from the first settlements in the 1830s through the turn of the century. Sites include an authentic log cabin, a one-room schoolhouse, a craft barn, and the original Sylvania Train Depot. The depot served Sylvania residents from 1858 to 1956, a total of 98 years. As tours are offered, confirm availability and current arrangements before making plans.
Another historic tour from Heritage Sylvania follows Main Street on foot between Erie Street and Monroe Street. The route is about half a mile long. Here, too, it's a good idea to confirm availability and booking details in advance. That way, you can choose between a guided walk along Main Street and a tour of several historic buildings in the Village.
The Cooke-Kuhlman House in downtown Sylvania offers another perspective on local history. The doctor's office, examination room, bedrooms, and parlor have been preserved as they were when Dr. Cooke lived and practiced there. There are also rotating exhibits on different aspects of regional history and a local history room.
The Lathrop House also connects family history with a significant historic subject. The Lathrop family moved to Sylvania in 1848; the house was built in 1850. Lucian Lathrop and his family took part in the then-illegal Underground Railroad while he was a member of the Ohio legislature. They did so together with their neighbor David Harroun and his wife, Clarissa Dodge Harroun. David Harroun brought self-emancipated enslaved people from nearby Maumee to Sylvania in a wagon with a false bottom. At the Lathrop House, visitors can see a false oven and a secret room.
Parks and Seasonal Swimming
There are two different seasonal swimming options. Plummer Pool at Burnham Park is open for swimming each year from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Burnham Park also has playgrounds, picnic shelters, and seating areas. Centennial Quarry is a spring-fed swimming facility with deep water and an average depth of about 22 feet. Amenities include diving platforms, water play equipment, several swimming rafts, a sandy beach, and sand volleyball and basketball courts. As Centennial Quarry operates seasonally, check its current operating status before visiting.
If you're planning an event, three facilities at Olander Park are available to rent for wedding receptions, meetings, family reunions, and other occasions. Booking details and prices may change, so check them before making plans.
Explore More Destinations
Explore more destinations: Oregon, Toledo, Maumee.
Back to the main travel overview: Lucas.
