Drive Ohio’s New Homefront to Warfront Trail
WWII Victory Celebration
75th Commemorative
Ten of Ohio’s Museums featuring WWII history have joined forces to offer a new Homefront to Warfront Drive-it-Yourself Trail to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII. The tour kicks-off this summer and runs through the end of the year, but will highlight veteran recognition from August 15 to September 2, the 75th Anniversaries of Victory in Japan Day and the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender on board the USS Missouri.
The main corridor of this tour connects the homefront, represented by the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, a National Historic Landmark in Dennison recognized as the best example left in the nation of a WWII Servicemen’s Canteen site and the National Veterans Memorial Museum in Columbus which is dedicated to honoring the service of all Veterans.
Other Ohio museums collaborating on this tour include the Ernest Warther Museum in Dover, the MAPS Air Museum in North Canton, the Old Main Street Museum in Newcomerstown, the Fletcher General Hospital and Chapel and National Museum of Cambridge Glass in Cambridge, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton and the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana. In total, there are 500 miles of WWII history.
Dennison Railroad Depot Museum Executive Director, who sparked the creation of this history tour, shares, “The beauty of the Trail is that you can plot your own course for historic family fun and do it at your own pace – in the safety of your own car.” Zucal explains that while the Dennison Depot was being strongly encouraged to do an event to commemorate this important 75th Anniversary, the pandemic really challenged Ohio museums to find a safe way to celebrate. This drive-it-yourself Tour became the best solution to showcase these attractions.
Trail maps with specific information on days of operation, hours and admission for each attraction are available at each site or can be downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/yagjsjs8
Additional information is available on the Tourism Ohio’s Adventure Trails page at http://trails.ohio.org/map/. The map also encourages users to visit RemarkableOhio.org where travelers can decide to add WWII Markers to their travel plan.
As the pandemic guidelines each, groups interested in turning the trail into a bus tour can contact Julie Levengood the Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 330.602.2420, [email protected]
Day and Hours of Operations are listed below, but Zucal encourages Trail visitors to double check openings due to COVID-19.
PRESS RELEASE submitted by
Wendy R. Zucal
Dennison Railroad Depot Museum
Executive Director
400 Center Street l P.O. Box 11
Dennison, OH l 44621
In: 740-922-6776 I c: 330-340-1445
www.dennisondepot.org
[email protected]
75th Anniversary of WWII logo and Trail Map
Photo credit – Molly Miller
STOPS INCLUDED ON TRAIL
National Veterans Memorial Museum – Columbus, Ohio
MAPS Air Museum – Canton, Ohio
Dennison Railroad Depot Museum – Dennison, Ohio
740-922-6776
Ernest Warther Museum – Dover, Ohio
Fletcher Hospital and St. Luke’s Chapel – Cambridge, Ohio
National Museum of Cambridge Glass – Cambridge, Ohio
Olde Main Street Museum – Newcomerstown, Ohio
WACO Air Museum – Troy, Ohio
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force – Dayton, Ohio
Champaign Aviation Museum – Urbana, Ohio