STATEHOUSE NEWS

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The Ohio Statehouse will celebrate National Fossil Day on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, by offering a FREE fossil tour on Capitol Square. The special tour will take place Wednesday, Oct. 15 from noon until 1:30 p.m. Expert geologists will explore the limestone walls, stairs and columns that support the Ohio Statehouse. This fossil tour is a unique opportunity for anyone fascinated by geology and natural history.

The tour will be conducted by Dale M. Gnidovic, Curator of the OSU Orton Geological Museum and Mark Peter, Paleontologist at ODNR Division of Geological Survey.

While the event is free and public, participants are asked to RSVP to tours@ohiostatehouse.org at least two weeks in advance for groups of 10 or more.

National Fossil Day is an annual celebration of geology. It occurs during Earth Science Week, which is Oct. 12-18 this year. These celebrations encourage young people to explore careers in earth science and engage everyone in the importance of our resources and environment.

The Statehouse Museum Shop has gemstones, fossils and fossil related items available for purchase. They will be open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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In honor of the life and service of former U.S. Representative Mary Rose Oakar, Ohio Governor DeWine has ordered that the flags shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Cuyahoga County as well as the Ohio Statehouse, Riffe Center, and Rhodes Tower from sunrise to sunset on the day of her funeral, September 20, 2025.

All other public buildings and grounds throughout the state may fly the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio at half-staff at their discretion for the same time period.

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The Ohio Statehouse is excited to kick off National Arts and Humanities Month with Leslie Adams talk “People, Stories, and Art: A Portrait of My Life and Work” on Wednesday, October 1 from noon until 1:00 p.m. in the Ohio Statehouse Atrium.

Join artist Leslie Adams as she reveals the inspiration behind her portraits displayed at the Ohio Statehouse, contrasting the depiction of those and other distinguished leaders with the introspective nature of her monumental self-portraits. Experience her artistic journey—from her childhood at the Toledo Museum of Art to the influences shaping her work today—and discover the techniques that bring her portraits to life.

Adams is an internationally known artists, known for her figurative art and portraiture. Her work is featured on the walls of the Ohio Statehouse and the Ohio Supreme Court through her portraits of multiple Ohio civic leaders.

The event is free and open to the public. For groups of 10 or more, please email tours@ohiostatehouse.org at least two weeks in advance.

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(Columbus, OH)- The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) is excited to invite the public to join in on two fun, family-friendly events, with all proceeds benefiting the community through the State of Ohio’s Combined Charitable Campaign (CCC).

The annual Wright Brothers Classic will again take place at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium on Sep. 17 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. For a recommended donation of $5, all participants can make a paper airplane and fly it for the chance to win prizes!

The CCC is the annual initiative that encourages State of Ohio employees to donate to one or more of 911 local, regional and international charitable organizations.

While visiting the Statehouse, don’t forget to stop by the Statehouse Museum Shop to try the Candy Jar Guessing Game! Running now until Oct. 14, correctly guess the amount of candy in the jar and the winner receives both the candy and a $25 gift card to the Statehouse Museum Shop. Proceeds benefit charity.


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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Today Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered that, in accordance with the President of the United States of America, in honoring the life of Charlie Kirk that the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the state of Ohio until 6 P.M. on September 14, 2025.

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—In honor of those killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio to be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Ohio from sunrise to sunset on September 11, 2025.

Governor DeWine asks that all Ohioans observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. to honor the innocent lives lost as a result of the terrorist attacks.

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UPDATE: The deadline to apply has been extended. The Application Process will be available until Sept. 29, 2025 at 6 p.m. Applicants will be notified on Oct. 1, 2025.

(Columbus, OH)—The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) and the Capitol Square Foundation (CSF) are pleased to announce that 81 schools will be awarded Transportation Grants for the 2025-2026 academic year. The online application will open on Monday, Sept. 15, at 9 a.m. and remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22.

The grants will help schools defray bus transportation costs for field trips to the Ohio Statehouse and its museum. Each grant’s amount will be based on one-way mileage from the visiting school to the Ohio Statehouse.

Since the creation of CSF’s program in 2009, tens of thousands of students from all 88 counties in Ohio have visited the Ohio Statehouse through the assistance of these grants. “Thanks to Honda's generous support, students can visit the Ohio Statehouse, providing them with a firsthand experience of how state government works.” said Charles Moses, CSF Chair, “It’s an opportunity in furthering their civic education in a way a textbook cannot.”

27 grants will be awarded in each of three mileage categories:
1 to 50 miles ($200)
51 to 100 miles ($300)
101+ miles ($400)

This year, teachers and administrators will have eight days to submit applications. CSRAB will use a random number generator to choose 27 schools from each mileage category.

“We are excited to welcome students from around the state to experience history and government at The Ohio Statehouse,” said Megan Wycuff, CSRAB Executive Director. “We are so grateful for the Capitol Square Foundation’s continued support in making this educational opportunity available to Ohio schools.”

The Transportation Grants will be available to any school in Ohio that receives state funding. Grants are limited to students in the 4th through 12th grades during the 2025-2026 academic year. Only one Transportation Grant will be awarded to each school, regardless of the number of buses or students visiting the Ohio Statehouse. Additionally, schools must have a minimum of 20 students on their field trip in order to be eligible for a grant, and recipients must schedule and attend a guided tour of the Statehouse in order to receive their funds. Please contact Dayna Jalkanen at tours@ohiostatehouse.org with questions or for additional information.

Only online applications will be accepted and must be submitted by an authorized teacher or school administrator. Applications will be accepted for eight days, from Sept. 15-22. Grant recipients will be notified of their status by Sept. 24, 2025.

Detailed information about the program is available, and the online application will be posted on the website: https://www.ohiostatehouse.org/visit/school-and-group-tours/school-bus-transportation-grant-program.


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Columbus, OH—Tickets for the Ohio Statehouse Haunted Tours are on sale. The historical tours will take place Friday, Oct. 17; Saturday, Oct. 18; Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25 at the state Capitol.

TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT MUST BE PRE-ORDERED.

Ticket prices are $16 for adults ages 18 and older and $8 for students ages 12 to 17. The tours through the darkened halls of the building depart every half hour between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Affordable event parking will be available in the Statehouse Underground Garage.

Tickets may be purchased in three ways:
· Online at statehouseshop.com
· In-person at the Statehouse Museum Shop on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse
· Over the phone by calling 614-728-9234

Participants who dare to embark on an adventure through the dark chambers and haunted hallways of the Statehouse will hear spooky tales from Ohio’s past combining history with legend. Guides with lanterns will lead visitors through one of the country’s oldest functioning capitol buildings to create an eerie environment that is most appropriate for ages 12 and older.

Arrive early or stay late to shop at the Statehouse Museum Shop until 8:30 p.m. or take part in a craft table that honors R.L. Stine, the Ohio author of the Goosebumps book series. Get goosebumps in Columbus this October!

A few eerie ongoing exhibits at the Ohio Statehouse are open to the public. Learn about the Mystery of the Origin of the Headless Horseman, and about Camp Chase, the Civil War prisoner of war camp in Columbus.

Pictures from previous years are available at ohiostatehouse.org/galleries/haunted-tours-photos.

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