Visit Fort Loramie Shelby Ohio and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the charming little town of Fort Loramie in Ohio! Experience the historic centre with old buildings and the unique Deutsches Lager Museum. Enjoy the traditional beer garden atmosphere in August at the Oktoberfest event.
Honestly, if you’re looking for “Fort Loramie Sights”, you’ll get the picture of a sleepy small town that hardly knows anyone – and that’s my favorite reason I come here. The city was built in 1837 around the old military post forum named after the French-German officer Loramie and has survived more than a few old barns since then. McLean Township, which surrounds the whole, is a piece of Ohio-Land that has hardly changed since the first pioneers pushed their carts across the unconsolidated paths.
I usually drive over the US route 127, which is practically pulsating through the heart of Shelby County, and when I turn into the main road, you immediately feel the mix of historical reverence and the quiet resignation that there is nothing more “hip”. Nevertheless, there are a few corners I do not consider to be self-evident: the old town hall, which today serves as a café – no joke, that is actually a place where you get a coffee that tastes better than what you would find in the city. And then the annual county-fair stands that brings a little more life into the dusty fields every year.
When you arrive by train, you get to the small station of Sidney, because Fort Loramie has no own – this is a small indication that you are not landing here in a tourist paradise, but in a real, slightly cynical Ohio-Kornfeld. And that’s what makes the charm I appreciate at the “Fort Loramie Sights”.
So, next time you drive over the highway to Ohio, let's go Lake Loramie State Park stop – this is my personal top sight, and I swear the water is not only a mirror for the sun, but also a pretty good place to refresh the soul while you ask why you came here at all. I spent a whole weekend there because I thought a little fishing would calm me down; the result was a carp that almost wrapped me around the neck, and a campfire that I almost completely washed because I had forgotten the barbecue. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then all of them will emerge from the circle with their caravans.
Directly next to the lake lies Fort Loramie Historical Society Museum, a small but fine building that has more charm than any hip art gallery in Cleveland. I don't understand the hype for modern pop-up exhibitions, but there are real artefacts from the 19th. Century, including an original carriage that I almost thought of as a film requisite. The entrance is free, and the staff is so friendly that they even offer you a piece of cake from the canteen – no joke, that was a piece of apple cake I still remember.
A short walk through the main road leads you to St. Michael’s Catholic Church. The building is a real example of neo-Gothic architecture, and the stained glass windows throw a light game that almost makes you believe you would be in another time. I heard a concert there from the local school band; the acoustics was so good that I thought it was a recording studio. If you ask yourself if you should pray there – no, this is not necessary, the building is more a museum of architecture fans.
If you are a real sports fan (or just want to suck up the local culture), then you have to Fort Loramie High School Football Stadium visit – the field that the “Redskins” (yes, that’s their official name, and yes, that’s a bit controversial) brings to trembling every autumn weekend. I was there at a game that I actually only visited from curiosity, and suddenly I found myself in the middle of the choir of fans who shouted “Go Red!” loudly. The stadium has no huge video walls, but an old venerable wooden gallery, which every time someone sits on it, gives the whole a certain charm that you never find in modern arsenic.
A small but fine place I look over again and again is this Fort Loramie Public Library. This is not only a place to read, but a social center where you can sit in a cup of coffee in the reading room and listen to local newspaper archives. I found an old city planning document there that showed how the village was originally built around the river – a real treasure for historical lovers. And yes, the WLAN works, so you can turn your Instagram story live while you feel like a real intellectual.
A short detour to Fort Loramie Community Center is worth looking for a place where the locals spend their spare time. There is an indoor swimming pool that is almost crowded in the summer, and a gym that is used more by the villagers than by tourists. I took part in a yoga course where the instructor told more about the history of the village than about the right attitude – that was kind of refreshing.
And finally, if you ask yourself what else you can do in this tiny little spot Ohio, look at this Fort Loramie Park that extends around the village core. There is an old, slightly sloppy monument that reminds of the establishment of the place, and a small playground that is used more by the children of the city than by the tourists. I once made a picnic with a few locals, and we discussed the best fishing spots on the lake – a real insider talk you don't find in every guide.
So, next time you think about where you want to spend your next little break, remember: Fort Loramie Attractions are not exactly the first ones to find in a guidebook, but that makes the charm. And if you try one or another local dish – for example the famous pancakes from the diner on Main Street – then you have the full package: a bit of history, a bit of nature and a lot of local peculiarity that reminds you that not every trip has to lead to the big metropolises.
The first stop I always recommend is that Loramie Lake State Park. I spent the weekend there several times because the water is surprisingly clear and the fishing places are almost always free – at least until the weather suddenly hits and suddenly everyone shows up with a rowing boat. The car park is small, but parking at the lake shore usually works, except for the long Saturday afternoons, as it becomes a real problem. I don't quite understand the hype about the “pure nature” campaign, but the possibility of grilling a few chels from the shore while the children build in the sandbox Buddies is really great.
A short trip to Sidney leads you to Shelby County Historical Society Museum. The building itself is an old bank building that can hardly be overlooked because it is labeled with a huge, slightly rusted metal panel “History Lives Here”. I found an old map that shows how the area was once traversed by canals – a real Aha moment, considering that today only a few rusted bridges are left. The entrance is free, and parking is an open field behind the museum, which is rarely full unless a local flea market takes place.
If you're ready to drive a little further, that's National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton a must. I was there on a rainy day, and that was actually a lucky case: The huge aircraft hangars almost seem like cathedrals in the dark. The exhibition is so extensive that you easily lose half the day, and the staff is surprisingly friendly – they even give a few insider tips, which planes should not be missed. Parking is a huge, free parking lot, but it fills up quickly when the museum has special exhibitions.
A little less touristic, but authentic, is the Great Miami River Trail. I explored the route from Fort Loramie to Dayton once by bike, and that was a mix of quiet field paths and short sections of town. The signage is not always perfect, but it makes the charm – you almost feel like a 19th explorer. Century that happens to have a modern bike. Along the way, there are several small parking spaces that are usually empty, except for weekends when local joggers take over the route.
A short detour to the east leads you to the heart of Ohio Amish Country. I discovered a small café that serves only “coffee and cake” because the word “restaurant” in the Amish community is a foreign word. The landscape is an endless mosaic of fields, barns and horse-drawn carriages, which walk along the country roads. Parking is practically always possible at the edge of the road as long as you do not arrive in the middle of the harvest time – there are tractors everywhere that block the way.
Another secret tip is that St. Marys River State Wildlife Area, located just a few kilometers south of Fort Loramie. I spent a weekend with my dog there, and the area is a paradise for birdwatchers – especially in autumn when the geese return from Canada. There is a small visitor centre that is barely observed, but there you get current information about the trails. Parking is a simple gravel path that is almost never full unless a hunting trip is underway.
Last but not least, Shelby County Fairgrounds Don't forget about Sidney. I have seen the annual County Fair there, and that was a mix of sugar cane, beef upgrades and a lot of local craftsmanship that you hardly see. The fairgrounds are open all year round for smaller events, and parking is a huge open area that almost always offers enough space – only on the main events it becomes narrow.
Whether you are looking for nature, history or a touch of rural idyll, the surroundings of Fort Loramie have more to offer than you would suspect at first sight. The places mentioned show that the region is full of surprising experiences that can delight every modern traveler – and all this is just a cat jump from the actual Fort Loramie Attractions removed.
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