Welcome to, “A Day In Lima Ohio”! But first, an introduction….during the twentieth century, Lima experienced the typical boom and bust years of Ohio’s other industrialized cities. In the early twentieth century, the oil industry continued to prosper as did Lima’s production of railroad products. As the oilfields dried up and Americans chose car and truck over railroad traffic, Lima suffered. Today, Lima is experiencing a resurgence with a lot of new and exciting projects in the works! #Limaohio Ohio History Central
A day in Lima Ohio is not complete without a visit to the historic downtown…
Stop in to see Artspace/Lima gallery and shop across the street at Alter Ego Comics. Dine on some amazing food at The Met, 318, the Meeting Place on Market, and Old City Prime. Grab an amazing ice cream or a giant shake at the Hollander on Main. See a show at the Lima Veteran’s Civic Center/Crouse Performance Hall. Attend a concert of the Lima Area Concert Band or the Lima Symphony Orchestra. Check out the up-and-coming Ohio Theater and see what it has to offer! Don’t miss the famous downtown Kewpee Restaurant, a circa-1930’s diner which is the 2nd oldest hamburger franchise in the nation. Other great downtown eateries to try include Zinum 12 (bar), or Joey’s Italian Deli and Subs. See free music downtown in the summer (titled Curtain Call) from 5-7 pm at the Happy Daz Patio.
A little down the road on Market street…
More culture awaits at the MacDonell House Victorian Mansion, Allen County Museum, Children’s Garden, and the Lima Public Library. Keep heading west on Market, Elm, and High streets to see the beautiful historic homes and post office from a bygone era.
Other entertainment options include…
The Encore/Amil Tellers live theater and the Regal Cinema Movie Theatre that host a variety of shows. Have fun learning at the Schoonover Observatory in Schoonover Park, skating at the Edgewood Skate Arena, bowling at Westgate Entertainment Center, and swimming at the Winona Lake Swim & Tennis Club or at the community pools around the area (Delphos, Ada, Wapak, Spencerville). Other interesting stops include the Ft. Amanda Memorial Park and Canoe Livery (visit the civil war site and then rent a canoe down the river), shop at the Lima Mall, watch races at the Limaland Motorsports Park, attend an event at the Allen County Fairgrounds, or shop at Lima’s seasonal Farmer’s Market.
Spend a day camping, hiking, or relaxing…
Swim, play or lounge about at the Ottawa Metro Park Beach and campground or see a live concert at the Park’s Amphitheater. Then take a leisure walk along the well-marked path, past the disc golf area, to the Lauer Historical Farm. Other nice walks include a stroll through Faurot Park and Woodlawn Cemetery, a walk around Bresler Reservoir, or the quiet trails of the Lippincott Bird Sanctuary (no pets). Visit these posts to see other Lima parks and trails, especially Lima’s Rotary River Walk.
Other unique places of interest include…
…the John H. Keller Memorial Railway Exhibit, Lima Fire Fighters Memorial Museum, and the Veterans Memorial Freedom Flag Monument. Shops to explore include Crankers Cycling, For the Love of Quilts, Simply Torn, The Amish Merchant, Lox Salon, Crystal Vision, One River Collective, Groamy’s CD’s and Tapes, Barnes and Noble, and Blooms.
Find delicious treats at…
Whippy Dip Icecream, Starbucks, MelloCreme Donuts, Dash & Joey’s Gourmet Smoothie & Juices, Sara’s Sweets, Coffe Amor, Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn, Bread, and Batter Lima, The Grind Cafe, Menchies, Pete’s Icecream, Cold Stone, Tim Hortons, Pat’s Donuts, Biggby Coffee, and Planet Health Nutrition Center. And don’t forget to check out the cool new downtown Vibe Coffeehouse and Cafe and Shawnee Station coming soon.
Dine-in or get take out at a variety of great places, including;
Olive Garden, Bangkok Bay, Thai Jasmine, Fat Jack’s Pizza, Vino Bellissimo’s, Mara’s Gourmet, LuLu’s Diner, Rigali’s Pizza Village, Beer Barrel, Cracker Barrel, Applebees, Panera, Bob Evans, Pizza Station, Old Barn Outback, Fazoli’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Milano’s Cafe, Bandido’s, Rapid Fire Pizza, Mellow Mushroom, Chipotle, Five Guys, IHOP, Panda Express, Golden Corral, Bellacino’s, Penn Station, Jimmy John’s, Mark Pi’s, Happy Dayz, Bella Notta’s Pizza, Yamato Steakhouse of Japan, Hunan Gardens, La Charreada, El Cazador, 12 East, Red Lobster, W.G. Grinders, Captain D’s, Buffalo Rings and Wings, Texas Roadhouse, Western Sizzlin, and the Shawnee Country Club.
Did you know that Lima is a college town? Lima has the following colleges and universities: The Ohio State University at Lima, Rhodes State College, and the University of Northwestern Ohio. Ohio Northern University is also nearby in Ada, Ohio.
And last but not least, don’t miss Lima’s Optimist Safety City – a recreated miniature city of Lima for educational school and group tours. Lima is a great place to raise a family with top schools in Shawnee and Bath Townships.
Don’t overlook this great stop as you travel to nearby Indian Lake, Greater St Marys Lake Visitors Region, Put-In-Bay, Detroit, MI, Fort Wayne, IN, or Dayton, Findlay, Toledo, Cincinnati, and Columbus.
I hope you will visit and check off everything that is on your Lima Ohio Bucket List!
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