Amber Waves of Autumn

Day 1

Apple Hill Orchards offers your group high-quality apples, cider, jams, apple butter, candies, baked goods and popcorn. But what brings 'em back again and again is our famous apples, sweet cider and apple donuts.  Add a wagon ride, apple donut and cider.

Relax and unwind for lunch in the charming atmosphere at Troyer’s Dutch Heritage Restaurant. Smell the sweet aromas of their bakery and browse for something special in the Heritage Gift Shop. Call for current price.

Learn about the gentle, curious, and easy to care for alpacas at Hidden Hilltop Alpaca Ranch. Relax and enjoy your stay while visiting our ranch. There will be hands on time to pet the alpacas and visit the farm store to see products made from Alpaca fleece. 

Check into your host hotel in Mansfield. Contact the Mansfield CVB for a list. 800-642-8282. www.mansfieldtourism.com

Prepare to hear local legends of history come alive at Malabar Farm State Park. The Ceely Rose Story will unfold before your eyes as you hear tales performed in the restored 1896 timber frame barn in a historical dinner theatre atmosphere. Your evening will include Malabar house tour, BBQ dinner and show. Show dates October 10-12, 17-19, 2008.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Visit the wedding site of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall at the historic Malabar Farm. This 914-acre country estate, home of Pulitzer Prize winning author Louis Bromfield, was a haven for many Hollywood celebrities. The new Louis Bromfield Visitors Education Center offers over 30 interactive exhibits to let visitors explore, learn and experience agriculture, our environment and Bromfield’s legacy. Stroll through the aviary to see the natural surroundings filled with many Ohio native birds. Great shopping awaits you with Lehman’s old fashioned products and Ohio made gifts and homemade fudge. 

Enjoy a tractor drawn hayride every Saturday in October through the farm and then dine at the Malabar Farm Restaurant. Serving up more than history and featuring all natural farm products from their own farm market, fresh produce and traditional meals served to your group. 

Return to your host hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Enjoy a delicious deluxe continental breakfast served at your host hotel.

Homemade aromas remind you of days gone by at Cooper’s Applebutter and Jelly Factory where you can watch jellies and apple butter being made using grandma’s recipes. Taste these irresistibles and our homemade fudge at our Farm Market Gift Shop.  Free tour.

After viewing the massive Ohio State Reformatory building, large granite pillars, and elegant construction, some have considered the Reformatory to be a grand architectural achievement, comprising 250,000+ square feet, and combining three architectural styles: Victorian Gothic, Richardsonian Romanesque, and Queen Anne.

The Ohio State Reformatory is one of the biggest castle-like structures in the USA and one of the top 5 largest in the USA. The Reformatory houses the world's tallest free-standing steel cell block (6 tiers; 12 ranges, 600 cells). Four major motion pictures have been filmed there- Tango & Cash, Harry & Walter Go to New York, Shawshank Redemption and Air Force One.  
Available starting the last Sunday in May-September.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Brownella Cottage is a restored Victorian mansion of Bishop William Brown, turn-of-the-century national political and religious leader, complete with original furnishings. Keep a watchful eye . . . you might see the ghost of Bishop Brown! Grounds feature the Bishop’s library, covered walkways and a history museum. A hidden treasure. .

Mansfield Memorial Museum & Elektro Exhibit Museum- The museum is the oldest museum in Richland County founded in 1889.  The museum is a step back in time to the late 1800’s.  Artifacts on 2 floors of displays span from Roman to modern times.  Native American, African, Asian, military and natural history are well represented in the exhibits.  The Memorial Building that houses the museum is an architectural wonder unchanged since the building opened in 1889.  A museum not to be missed while in Mansfield.

Elektro Exhibit (History of all Westinghouse Roberts 1927-1940)- Be a part of living history.  Don’t miss this rare opportunity to view this exhibit before Elektro travels far away from Mansfield!  The Mansfield Memorial Museum is proud to honor and exhibit Elektro and his many artifacts and photos of his life excursions around the country from his birth until he disappeared from public view.  Elektro was the work of many people in the Westinghouse Mansfield Plant in 1937.  He was finished in 1938 to get him ready for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.  He was the first true robot built in the world.  He could walk, talk, smoke, blow-up balloons, move his arms, hand and fingers. 

 Alta Greenhouse offers a shopping experience for all types of lovely indoor and outdoor plants with unique items to make your home beautiful for fall. Motorcoach groups will enjoy a demonstration on making a beautiful fall centerpiece which will be given away at its completion to a guest on the coach.  

Before going home be sure to visit the Eatmor Bundt Company. Offering unique flavors of gourmet mini bundts that are guaranteed to bring back warm memories of grandma’s kitchen. Each one is homemade and individually wrapped as a special dessert for you. See them made right here in Mansfield and enjoy a pumpkin bundt. 

After a great day of touring Mansfield, make your final stop to Ed Pickens' Cafe on Main in the Historic Reed's Building in the Central Park District for Wine and Cheese Tasting. Our relaxing atmosphere, tempting wines and delicious snacks will be the perfect venue to un-wind and reflect on the day’s activities.

800-642-8282 or jpuster@mansfieldtourism.com