Ohio has long been known for its practical approach to innovation, fueled by strong industries, a central location, and a problem‑solving mindset. Booming sectors like rubber in Akron, steel in Cleveland and Youngstown, and automotive manufacturing drove breakthroughs such as Charles Goodyear’s vulcanized rubber. Its access to resources and transportation made testing and sharing new ideas easier, while inventors like the Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, and Garrett Morgan showed how hands‑on creativity could change daily life. With support from universities, major companies, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Ohio built a legacy of turning real‑world challenges into world‑changing solutions.
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08/04/2025
America 250-Ohio's Ohio Innovation Trail Seeks Your Submission
The Ohio Innovation Trail Seeks Your Submission
Ohio has a rich history of innovation that spans various fields, significantly impacting many aspects of life. Inventions related to sports, transportation, food, science, art, and more have positioned Ohio as a central player in the American industrial landscape. These inventions and their creators have helped define the state as an industrial powerhouse with both national and global influence. To celebrate these stories and encourage travel throughout the state, America 250-Ohio, in partnership with the Ohio Travel Association, is launching a driving trail called the Ohio Innovation Trail.
This is the fourth statewide trail project launched by America 250-Ohio. It joins the Ohio Air & Space Trail and the Ohio Creativity Trail. These two trails have already captured the hearts and attention of Ohioans and others, with more than 100 million impressions generated media stories thus far. The Lake Erie to Ohio River Trail launches Aug. 8.
Deadline for submission is Sept. 15, 2025.
Criteria Used for Consideration:
The scope of the Ohio Innovation Trail is to create a driving trail connecting places where visitors can learn more about inventions and inventors from, and associated with, Ohio. As this is a tourism-based project designed to encourage people to spend time in our communities and visit our museums and businesses, submitted sites must meet the following criteria. Submissions are evaluated based on their ability to meet the expectations below:
- Accessibility – Is the site open to walk-in visitors during consistent and regular hours? Is there parking? Is the schedule posted? If you are relying on call-ahead access, tours must be open to the public and posted on your website with an easy booking process.
- Relevancy – Does the site interpret a story that directly relates to how an Ohio invention or inventor shaped the future of state and national industry, culture, and opportunities?
- Visitor Experience – Is that story told on-site either through regular tours open to the public or exhibits one can easily find when stopping by the site? Is there signage directing visitors to where they can experience the story? The scope of this project is to create a trail where visitors to and through Ohio can stop and spend an hour or two at each site, learning more while being engaged in the story.
Tips Before You Submit:
Before you start the submission process, consider how your site contributes to the story of how Ohio's inventions and inventors shaped the future of state and national industry, culture, and opportunities. Consider the following key storylines as you shape your story.
- Factory tours
- Changes to livelihoods
- Ease of transportation
- Helped turn Ohio into an industrial powerhouse
- Cultural contributions in arts, culture, and sports
- Influence on science and medicine
- Creation of food and related products
- Lives of inventors
Questions?
To learn more, please join us for a Q&A Zoom call on Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. If you plan to attend the Q&A Zoom call, you must register to receive the link. Questions can also be sent to Haley Martin (America 250-Ohio Trails & Tales Project Coordinator) at haley@ohiotravel.org.
A Note for CVBs:
Please forward this Call for Submission to your partners. While we have sent this Call for Submission through various channels, you have the most direct pathway to sites that may fit this trail.
Questions?
Questions can be sent to Haley Martin (America 250-Ohio Trails & Tales Project Coordinator) at haley@ohiotravel.org.
