Why You Should Visit Marietta, Ohio

Located along the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers, on the West Virginia border, Marietta, Ohio is the oldest city in Ohio and one of the most beautiful towns in the eastern United States. With a number of historic sites, an active downtown, and natural beauty throughout the town and surrounding Washington County, Marietta is an undiscovered jewel deep in southern Ohio.

A town of approximately 15,000, Marietta boasts no shortage of activities. A short, beautiful walk across an old railroad bridge spanning the Muskingum River leads to Harmar Village, which features a number of buildings dating to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, including Marietta's original post office and a variety of shops and restaurants. The village also is home to the Toy and Doll Museum, as well as the Soda Museum. Many merchants, including the Fenton Art Glass Company and My Favorite Things, a fudge company, offer old-fashioned products throughout Harmar Village.

Marietta's historic attractions aren't limited to Harmar Village. The Valley Gem Sternwheeler, an antique-style paddleboat, offers daytime and dinner cruises around Marietta, for reasonable rates ($9 for adults, with discounts for seniors and children). Marietta hosts the Sternwheel Festival each September the weekend after Labor Day, with the Valley Gem and other paddleboats from around the country. Some visitors may want the steamboat experience while staying on land. For them, the Becky Thatcher offers fine dining on its permanently-moored steamboat on Front Street, while the Ohio River Museum offers tours of the steam towboat W.P. Snyder Jr. and historical information on the Ohio River throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. In addition, a trolley tour runs all summer, providing a narrated trip through Marietta, its architecture, and its history. With 18 museums in and nearby Marietta, American history buffs will have a ball in this small town.

For those who prefer the modern life, Marietta's downtown is lively and distinctive. With Marietta College located just blocks away, the downtown has a number of taverns, including the Double D - a sprawling, loud college bar that occasionally features Jell-O wrestling - along with a number of smaller, more laid-back establishments such as the Town House, a small but enjoyable pub. A walk down Front Street finds not only bars but restaurants and shopping, along with a number of historical markers detailing the town's history (the markers themselves are made in Marietta, according to the Visitors Bureau website.)

At the corner of Front Street and Greene Street, in the heart of Marietta's downtown, sits the Lafayette Hotel, a magnificent Victorian hotel listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel's west wing offers suites and rooms with stunning views of both the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers, and several suites offer covered balconies. The Lafayette offers reasonable rates for spectacular accommodations (smaller rooms can be had for as low as $60 during the week, and multi-person suites are often offered for less than $200); it even boasts a comedy club on Saturday nights between November and April in its upscale lounge. For the more budget-conscious visitor, national chains, including Best Western, Super 8, and Econo Lodge have locations in Marietta, though none match the location or the style of the Lafayette.

Just off Marietta's downtown district is the brand new Marietta Aquatic Center at the city's Indian Acres Park. Featuring a lazy river, water slides, a splash playground and more, the Aquatic Center is an attraction for both children and adults, and like much of Marietta's attractions, retains a reasonable ticket price (just $6 for adults and $5 for children under 18).

Away from Marietta's downtown, the region's natural beauty is its main selling point. Driving to Marietta is itself an adventure, with the winding back roads of southern Ohio and northern West Virginia offering picturesque trips through small towns, across covered bridges, and, to the south, over West Virginia's scenic mountains. Just east of Marietta, the Wayne National Forest offers hiking, biking, fishing and hunting, while a recently completed RiverTrail runs behind Marietta's downtown. The RiverTrail, along the Muskingum River, runs 1.8 miles, according to the town's visitor bureau, and is designed for both bikers and pedestrians.

With so much to see and do, Marietta is an excellent destination for a romantic weekend, a family outing, or a day trip while touring the eastern United States. Whether you enjoy nature, shopping, history, or bar-hopping, Marietta offers small-town charm and big-city attractions.