STATEHOUSE NEWS

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will celebrate Black History Month with free educational programs every Tuesday in February at noon in the Statehouse Atrium. Topics include West African music and dance, Freedom on the Frontier, Black Communities in Cincinnati and and history programs by the Underground Railroad and Freedom Center and the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Admission is free. Reservations are not required, but large groups and schools are encouraged to RSVP to tours@ohiostatehouse.org. American Sign Language interpretation will be available, however please RSVP to tours@ohiostatehouse.org for reserved seating.


Scheduled noon presentations include:

Feb. 3- A Century of Black History Commemoration: Preservation & Truth

Music and Dance presented by The Thiossane Institute

Join the Thiossane (pronounced cha-sahn) Institute for a special performance and experience the richness of West African culture through dance and music to create a space of learning and growth through traditional African culture.



Feb. 10- Freedom on the Frontier: Native & African-American Paths to Liberty in Revolutionary-Era and Early 19th-Century Ohio

This program is recommended for ages 10 and up.

This panel discussion explores how Native nations in Revolutionary-era and early 19th-century Ohio created unexpected pathways of settlement for African-descended people fleeing slavery or increasingly restrictive laws. Through case studies and frontier history, the program reveals how Native traditions of adoption, sanctuary, and mobility challenged European and U.S. notions of citizenship and slavery. This program will also discuss Black life on the frontier and how African-American and Native-American cultures interacted, including multi-racial communities.


Feb. 17- Exhuming the Archives: Early Black Settlement Communities of Cincinnati

Presentation by The National Underground Railroad and Freedom Center

This program is recommended for ages 13 and up.

This presentation will explore the Social Justice Curator’s recent investigative efforts to learn more about the inhabitants who called Little Africa, Bucktown, and Little Bucktown home in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. By sourcing newspaper archives and census data, she will demonstrate how she uses the resources of her public library to learn about the surrounding built environment.


Feb. 24 – The Green Book in Columbus

Presented by the Columbus Metropolitan Library

Join Columbus Metropolitan Library staff members from the Local History and Genealogy Department to learn about the Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide published from 1936 to 1966 to help Black Americans navigate the dangers of segregation and discrimination while traveling the U.S. Explore the history of the guide, Central Ohio Green Book sites, and the people who made them possible in our community.

Each program will be live-streamed and recorded by OhioChannel.org.

Located on the ground floor, the Capitol Café is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Statehouse Museum Shop is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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(COLUMBUS, OH) — Members of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will meet Thursday, January 22, 2026 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. The business meeting will be held in the State Room (room #108) and will begin at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is open to the public.

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Columbus, OH—The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) welcomes visitors to a variety of festive events this December at The Ohio Statehouse. All holiday gatherings are free and open to the public.

The Ohio Statehouse Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting kicks off the season on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Join us as Governor and Mrs. DeWine, along with Santa and Mrs. Claus, light the holiday tree. Guests are encouraged to enjoy cookies, music, crafts, dance performances and much more. The Statehouse Museum Shop and Capitol Cafe will also be open.

Listen to the beautiful music as choirs from all over Ohio sing at noon at the Ohio Statehouse on weekdays from Dec. 8 through Dec. 19. Visitors are welcome to bring a lunch, or purchase one from the Capitol Cafe, and relax while listening to talented student performers. The concerts will be livestreamed each day at noon on OhioChannel.org.

Performances at noon include:

Dec. 8 Hamilton Township High School Chamber Singers
Dec. 9 Warren High School Treble Chorus & Handbell Choir
Dec. 10 10 a.m. - Harp Concert by Olivia Claggett
12 p.m. - Danville High School Choirs
Dec. 11 Harvest Temple Christian Academy Choir
Dec. 12 Grandview Heights High School, The Grandview Singers

Dec. 15 Global Impact STEM Academy Choir
Dec. 16 Grove City High School Chorale & Harmonia
Dec. 17 Centennial High School Choir
Dec. 18 John Glenn High School, JG Company
Dec. 19 Hilliard Davidson High School, Blue Kids on the Block


Visitors can also enjoy special savings during the Snowman Sale at the Statehouse Museum Shop. Beginning on Dec. 9, the first one hundred shoppers may scratch off a snowman card to reveal a surprise discount up to 40% off an entire purchase. Some exclusions apply; see the Shop staff for details.

Your holiday guests may enjoy free walk-in tours at the Ohio Statehouse every day, except on state holidays. The Statehouse is closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day. For tour groups of ten or more people, please call 614-728-3726 to reserve your date and time.

CSRAB warmly welcomes everyone to experience the beauty, history, and holiday spirit at The Ohio Statehouse this season.

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(Columbus, Ohio) – The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) and the Capitol Square Foundation (CSF) announce that the nomination process for the 2026 “Great Ohioans Award” is now open and the CSF is accepting nominations. The Great Ohioan Award commemorates Ohioans who have played a significant role in an event or series of events of lasting significance in world, American or Ohio history. To be selected for the Great Ohioan Award, the nominee must have resided in Ohio for a minimum of five years. In addition, at least 25 years must have passed since the event in which the nominee participated is being commemorated. Nomination deadline is Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

The list of Great Ohioans includes 65 people with notable achievements. John Glenn, Dorothy Dandridge and U.S. Grant are among the names of those who made their mark in our history. An exhibit at the Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center lets visitors learn about the recipients of the Great Ohioan award and discover how they affected local, national and world history. The display uses videos, facts and photos to explore the life and legacy of each Great Ohioan.

For more information on the Great Ohioan Award and to nominate an individual, please visit ohiostatehouse.org and https://ohcapitolsquarefoundation.org/great-ohioans/


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Save the Date:
Thursday, December 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Ohio Statehouse is having its annual Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting!

Complete the Holiday Passport book by visiting our multiple community-partners craft stations to win a gift and enjoy various dance groups and choir performers and a K9 demonstration. Don’t miss your chance to take a picture with different mascots as well as Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Our Capitol Café and Statehouse Museum Shop will be open for a quick bite and perusing for holiday gifts.

This family-friendly event is completely free and a great way to kick-off the holiday cheer!

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(Columbus, OH) – The Capitol Square Review & Advisory Board (CSRAB) is pleased to announce “Flags of Honor,” a new rotating exhibit at the Ohio Statehouse that commemorates Ohio military service personnel.

Provided in partnership with the Motts Military Museum Inc. of Groveport, Ohio, the exhibit series highlights the service and sacrifice of Ohio’s men and women in uniform.

Located in the south light court of the Capitol, the display features uniforms, equipment, and personal artifacts from Ohio veterans. Also on view are American and Ohio flags that belonged to these service members during their tours of duty.


The first exhibit in the “Flags of Honor” series opens the week of Veterans Day and features Edward I. Arthur of Lancaster, Ohio. Arthur served in the U.S. Army’s 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, B and D Troops during the Vietnam War in 1966, 1967, and 1970. He earned two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star with Valor and five Air Medals, one with a “V” device.

Arthur’s Air Medal with “V” Device citation reads:

“Specialist Four Edward Arthur distinguished himself by heroism in action on 11 May 1967, while serving as an aerial observer and gunner with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry during a combat aerial reconnaissance mission near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam. When his observation helicopter flew over a large force of heavily armed Viet Cong and began to receive intense automatic weapons fire, Specialist Arthur immediately returned the fire and denied the enemy access to a heavily fortified area. When armed helicopters arrived on station, Specialist Arthur, with complete disregard for his own safety, dropped smoke grenades to mark the location of the fleeing enemy. As a result of his effective fire on the enemy and his identification of their positions, 32 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army soldiers were killed and 11 weapons, a radio, and numerous documents and medical supplies were captured. Specialist Arthur’s personal bravery and devotion to duty under intense hostile fire are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.” -The Ohio Military Hall of Fame

Born in Columbus in 1935, Arthur began his military career at age 13 with the Ohio National Guard. He later served with CIA forces in Cuba and rejoined the U.S. Army multiple times, including service during the Vietnam War. Following his military career, Arthur worked in law enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the FBI. He passed away in 2015.

The free exhibit featuring artifacts from the Motts Military Museum Inc. collection is on display in the south light court from Nov. 10, 2025 through July 31, 2026.

The Ohio Statehouse is open for visitors daily, except on state holidays. It will be closed on Veterans Day.

In addition to the “Flags of Honor” exhibit, the Ohio Statehouse and Capitol Square grounds feature numerous tributes to military service. Veterans Plaza, located along Third Street, will display 88 Ohio flags flying in observance of Veterans Day. Two granite walls feature excerpts from letters written by Ohioans during wartime, spanning from World War II to the first Gulf War.
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Contact:
Mike Rupert, Communications Manager
Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board
614-728-4185 ¦ mrupert@ohiostatehouse.org ¦ ohiostatehouse.org

Warren Motts, Founding Director
Motts Military Museum Inc.
5075 S. Hamilton Road
Groveport, Ohio 43125
614-836-1500 ¦ info@mottsmilitarymuseum.org ¦ mottsmilitarymuseuminc.com

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In honor of the life and service of former Vice President Dick Cheney, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has ordered 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, and will remain until sunset on the day of his funeral.

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio) —In honor of the life and service of Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Nicholas P. Cayton, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has ordered 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 Mahoning County, the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center, and the Rhodes State Office Tower today, and will remain until sunset on the day of his funeral. Older Posts