STATEHOUSE NEWS

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Happy birthday, Ohio! Join your friends at the Ohio Statehouse’s family-friendly celebration of Ohio’s 212^th birthday Sunday, March 1 from noon to 3 p.m. Attendees will participate in creative art projects, go on a special Statehouse tour featuring Ohio’s symbols, engage in a scavenger hunt and explore the Statehouse Museum. At 2 p.m. be sure to join the party in the Rotunda for birthday cake! This event is free and open to the public!

Ohio's first constitution was approved by Congress and signed by President Thomas Jefferson Feb. 19, 1803. In the January election of 1803, the mild-mannered doctor and legislator Edward Tiffin—Thomas Worthington’s (sixth Governor of Ohio) brother-in-law—was elected as Ohio’s first governor. Official "state" business was conducted for the first time March 1, 1803, when Tiffin and members of the first Ohio General Assembly convened in Chillicothe.

From Chillicothe the state capital moved to Zanesville from 1810 to 1812, and upon the founding of Columbus as the “new capital city’ the functioning seat of government was ,again, placed in Chillicothe from 1812 to 1814 when the Ohio Capitol in Columbus was completed and state government moved, permanently, to central Ohio. Columbus was designed specifically to hold the seat of government and without the old Ohio Capitol and the “new” Ohio Statehouse, that has housed state government since 1857, the city of Columbus would not be here today. For the past 158 years this magnificent Greek Revival building has been beloved by all Ohioans. Come in from the cold and celebrate the great State of Ohio on her 212^th birthday at the Ohio Statehouse.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) educates the tens of thousands of citizens that tour the Statehouse annually, facilitates the function of government and the Ohio General Assembly and protects the historical integrity of the Statehouse while at the same time, ensuring the safety of the those who work in and visit the Ohio Capitol. The Ohio Statehouse offers a wide range of exhibits and events for families and individuals of all ages.

The Ohio Statehouse is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed state and federal holidays. The Ohio Statehouse Museum is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; weekends from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; closed holidays. Admission is free. Free guided tours are offered weekdays on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekends from noon to 3 p.m. Tours depart from the Map Room located on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse. Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to call in advance to ensure a guide is available. Contact 888/OHIO-123 for more information or to schedule a group tour. To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

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