Updated: July 10, 2026
Some states put their history in museums. Ohio also left a lot of it standing by the side of the road: a granite ball that turns on its own, a bronze angel that appears to weep, and the bucket of a coal machine that once out-dug everything on Earth. Here are 15 monuments around Ohio worth pulling over for.
Ohio’s unusual monuments at a glance
| Monument | Where | Why it’s unusual |
| John Brown Monument | Akron | Abolitionist tribute on zoo property, tour-only for now |
| Ashtabula Bridge Disaster Monument | Ashtabula | Obelisk over the unidentified victims of an 1876 train wreck |
| Jesse Owens Statue | Columbus | Four gold medals in bronze, outside his namesake stadium |
| Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument | Cleveland | 125-foot column with a free museum inside |
| Point of Beginning marker | East Liverpool | Where US public land surveying started in 1785 |
| Leatherlips Monument | Dublin | A Wyandot chief’s face in stacked limestone |
| Perry’s Victory Memorial | Put-in-Bay | World’s tallest Doric column (deck closed through 2027) |
| Neil Armstrong First Flight Memorial | Warren | Lunar module replica where Armstrong first left the ground |
| William McKinley Memorial | Canton | Domed presidential mausoleum atop 108 steps |
| Haserot Angel | Cleveland | Bronze angel that appears to weep |
| Harrison Tomb | North Bend | The 9th president’s obelisk above the Ohio River |
| Harding Tomb | Marion | An open-air marble ring for the 29th president |
| Merchant Ball | Marion | A 5,200-pound granite sphere that rotates on its own |
| Garfield Memorial | Cleveland | 180-foot tower with the president’s casket on view |
| Big Muskie Bucket | McConnelsville | Last piece of the largest digging machine ever built |
John Brown Monument
About: This monument commemorates John Brown, an abolitionist whose raid on Harpers Ferry was a pivotal moment leading up to the American Civil War. Now located on a hill above the Akron Zoo, it serves as a reminder of his fierce opposition to slavery and his role in the fight for freedom. One heads up: the monument sits on fenced zoo property, so for now you can only see it on a scheduled Akron Zoo tour or a Summit County Historical Society hike. The city says regular public access is in the works.
Address: 500 Edgewood Ave, Akron, OH 44307
More Info: Summit County Historical Society
Ashtabula Bridge Disaster Monument
About: This monument remembers the tragic Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster of 1876, one of the deadliest train disasters in American history. It honors the 92 people who lost their lives when the bridge collapsed under the weight of a train.
Address: Chestnut Grove Cemetery, Grove Dr, Ashtabula, OH 44004
More Info: Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster
Jesse Owens Statue
About: Standing outside Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the Ohio State campus, this statue honors Jesse Owens, the track and field athlete who won four gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The statue celebrates his legacy as one of the greatest athletes in history and a symbol of triumph over adversity.
Address: 2450 Fred Taylor Dr, Columbus, OH 43210
More Info: Jesse Owens Statue
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument
About: This iconic monument in Cleveland commemorates the Civil War soldiers and sailors from Cuyahoga County. Standing in Public Square, it features a 125-foot column and a series of bronze relief sculptures depicting various war scenes.
Address: 3 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44114
More Info: Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument
The Starting Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey
About: This historical marker in East Liverpool designates the starting point for the survey of public lands in the United States. Established in 1785, it marks the beginning of the country’s systematic land surveys and settlement. The obelisk sits in a small roadside pull-off, and a plaque explains it was moved in 1960 to higher ground, 1,112 feet north of the true starting point.
Address: Harvey Ave (OH-39) at the Ohio-Pennsylvania line, East Liverpool, OH 43920
More Info: The Starting Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey
Leatherlips Monument
About: This intriguing sculpture in Dublin is dedicated to the Wyandot Chief Leatherlips. The monument pays tribute to Leatherlips’ legacy and his efforts to promote peace between Native Americans and settlers.
Address: 7377 Riverside Dr, Dublin, OH 43017
More Info: Dublin Arts Council
Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial
About: Located on South Bass Island, this monument honors Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s victory in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. It also celebrates lasting peace between Britain, Canada, and the U.S. The observation deck normally serves up panoramic views of Lake Erie, but it is closed for the 2026 and 2027 seasons while the park service rebuilds the upper plaza. The visitor center and grounds are still open daily in season.
Address: 93 Delaware Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456
More Info: National Park Service
Neil Armstrong First Flight Memorial
About: This monument in Warren marks the spot where Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, took his very first airplane ride as a young boy in 1936. A half-scale replica of the Apollo lunar module now sits on a mock lunar surface, and Armstrong himself came to the dedication in 2003.
Address: 2553 Parkman Rd NW, Warren, OH 44485
More Info: First Flight Warren
William McKinley Memorial
About: In Canton, this impressive memorial and museum honor the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. The structure includes a large domed mausoleum where McKinley and his family are entombed.
Address: 800 McKinley Monument Dr NW, Canton, OH 44708
More Info: McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
The Haserot Angel
About: Located in Cleveland’s Lake View Cemetery, the Haserot Angel is a hauntingly beautiful monument known for its lifelike appearance and the eerie effect of tears running down its face. It marks the grave of Francis Haserot and has become a popular spot for cemetery visitors.
Address: 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106
More Info: Lake View Cemetery
President William Henry Harrison’s Monument and Tomb
About: This monument in North Bend honors the 9th President of the United States, William Henry Harrison. The tomb and obelisk are situated on a scenic hill overlooking the Ohio River, offering a serene place to reflect on Harrison’s brief presidency.
Address: 41 Cliff Rd, North Bend, OH 45052
More Info: William Henry Harrison Tomb
President Warren G. Harding’s Tomb
About: In Marion, Ohio, this tomb marks the final resting place of the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding, and his wife, Florence. The monument is a grand white marble structure, reflecting Harding’s prominent status.
Address: Delaware Ave at Vernon Heights Blvd, Marion, OH 43302
More Info: Harding Presidential Sites
Merchant Ball
About: This unique spherical monument in Historic Marion Cemetery is a beautiful plot marker for the Merchant Family. Built in 1886, the Merchant Ball is an intricately designed granite sphere that rotates.
Address: 620 Delaware Ave, Marion, OH 43302
More Info: Historic Marion Cemetery
James A. Garfield Memorial and Tomb
About: This stunning monument in Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, honors the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield. The memorial includes a 180-foot-tall tower and a crypt where Garfield and his family are entombed. The interior, with Garfield’s casket on public view, is open seasonally from spring through fall.
Address: 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106
More Info: Lake View Cemetery
Big Muskie Bucket
About: Big Muskie was the largest single-bucket digging machine ever built, a dragline nearly 22 stories tall that mined coal in southeast Ohio from 1969 to 1991. When it was scrapped in 1999, only the bucket survived: a 220-cubic-yard scoop big enough to hold two Greyhound buses side by side. It now rests at Miner’s Memorial Park in Jesse Owens State Park, and you can climb right inside it. The park is free, and while the vehicle gate closes over the winter you can still walk in.
Address: St Rt 78 East, McConnelsville, OH 43756
More Info: Ohio DNR
Ohio monuments FAQ
What is the most famous monument in Ohio?
Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay usually takes the title. Its 352-foot column is the tallest Doric column in the world. Just know the observation deck is closed through the 2027 season for plaza repairs.
Are Ohio’s monuments free to visit?
Every monument on this list is free to see. A few interiors run seasonal hours, and the McKinley museum next to the Canton memorial charges admission, but the monuments themselves cost nothing.
What is the weirdest monument in Ohio?
Hard to beat the Merchant Ball in Marion: a 5,200-pound granite grave marker that has been slowly rotating on its base since the 1880s, and nobody has conclusively explained why. It even made Ripley’s Believe It or Not in 1929.
