Local Tourism Heating up with Spring and Summer Coming
Chillicothe & Ross County — Construction should start on the new county visitors center in Yoctangee Park in May, and it should open in the summer of 2027. But tourism events continue, especially with consistent warm weather approaching.
After the Ross County Commissioners opened contractors’ bids for the facility on March 30th, 2026, I asked Melody Young, Executive Director of the Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau, about it. I also asked about the upcoming season. Hear her in her own words in the two parts of the video interview below.
Young said that the designers of the building (and the rest of the Yoctangee Park renovations), American Structurepoint, will comb through the seven bids. Its design was near finalization in September.
Young said construction is planned to start in 30 to 45 days…then after 14 months, it is hoped to open about July 1st, 2027. She said it will house the CVB offices as well as have 3,500 square feet of exhibit space.
She said that will include a timeline from 2,000 years ago to the September 2023 date of World Heritage inscription, to cover the United Nations-recognized Adena and Hopewell earthworks. The partially planned displays will also have a floor map of Ross County showing major places like the Great Seal Range, and Frankfort marked by a sunflower.
There will also be an Ohio map showing all earthworks open to the public south of I-70, because though this will be a county-owned building, she says they want to showcase the whole region and not just Ross County. Young pointed out that visitors do not know county lines, and the CVB is happy to just have them want to stay in Ohio.
And she said the new visitors center will be not just for visitors, but also for locals.
As for the upcoming tourism season for locals and visitors, Young said a big emphasis remains the local “America 250” series of celebrations. She said that Chillicothe and Ross County are having more monthly events that probably anywhere in Ohio other than Marietta.
The events are usually on second Saturdays, and she said the first three were well-attended. The next one will focus on the Ohio & Erie Canal on April 11th, starting at the canal warehouse on West Water Street. Two big events will be at Adena Mansion this summer, which just opened its season on April 1st. And, the Ross County Historical Society brings displays to each America 250 event.
She agreed that the local Daughters of the American Revolution have done a great job with the planning. A link from the CVB’s website leads to the “America 250 Ross County” page.
Young said the outdoor drama “Tecumseh!” will be opening in the first week of June, adding a week to its season at its start. She said it has lost a lot of shows to rain and heat in the last three years, but their insurance covers official cancellations.
Young also mentioned the new Town Place hotel behind Shawnee Lanes opening in mid- or late June, adding another 91 rooms to the area – closer to the outdoor drama.
A asked her about the increasing numbers of parks in the county – far more than when I grew up. She said we are fortunate that the Ross County Park District acts as quality caretakers to push their parks to the next level, such as Buzzard’s Roost. Young said their parks are comparable to the state’s Ash Cave and Old Man’s Cave parks.
She said the state is investing in Scioto Trail and Great Seal state parks with camping and wi-fi, and major work on Tar Hollow continues.
A big upcoming event is the “Pineapple Awards” banquet on May 4th, celebrating local tourism. Young said everyone touches tourism in some way – there is a 6.83x return on every dollar invested.
With the Bridge Street construction continuing, she recommends the CVB visit or communicate online through their website, Facebook page, email, or phone (740 / 702-7767). And if you do come in, Lucy the cat (a kitten found in their parking lot) might greet you.
