The Ohio History Connection is being joined by the Northwest Territory Museum Society and the Washington County Public Library to construct a new Ohio River Museum to meet the changing needs of visitors in the 21st century.
The new Ohio River Museum will serve as a hub for river-connected stories across time to the benefit of the local and regional community. This will be the third iteration of the Ohio River Museum in Marietta to engage visitors in the history of the Ohio River and its importance to statehood, economic development and culture.
The original River Museum opened in 1941 in the basement of Campus Martius Museum in Marietta, and it was replaced 30 years later by a standalone Ohio River Museum that opened along the bank of the Muskingum River off Front Street in 1973.
The 1941 project was a collaborative effort among the Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen organization, residents of Marietta and the Ohio History Connection.
The Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen organization is our long and ongoing partner in telling the story of life on the Ohio river. The Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen are instrumental in providing collections for the Ohio River Museum and the restoration of the W.P. Snyder Jr., the historic steam-powered sternwheel towboat moored on the Muskingum River at the site of the museum.
Neil Thompson, Public Relations Manager
614.917.9348
Credit: Courtesy of the Ohio History Connection
The Ohio History Connection is a private, nonprofit organization that functions as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology, natural history and historic architecture across a network of 50-plus sites, 1.8 million collections items and hundreds of exhibits.
These duties include overseeing stewardship of the Ohio River Museum and Campus Martius Museum in Marietta on behalf of the state, which owns the sites. These museums are managed locally by the Northwest Territory Museum Society on behalf of the Ohio History Connection.
The museum will be built on the site of the previous Ohio River Museum, which will be demolished.
The new building will align to Front Street and its entrance will be from the existing parking lot. The placement will be consistent with the historic district in which it is located.
The rear portion of the building will include a walkout to the bank leading down to the Muskingum River and the moored W.P. Snyder Jr. towboat.
Demolition is underway for two of the three buildings in the previous museum complex. The final building is being used for storage of collections items while construction of Phase 1 and 2 proceed.
Phase 1 for the new museum will involve completion of the main facility, which is expected to open in fall 2026. This phase will include the Washington County Local History & Genealogy Archive and the museum’s public amenities, such as the lobby, a gift shop and meeting/event rooms.
Phase 2 will include completion of the exhibit hall of the museum, final building demolition and final sitework/landscaping. The exhibit hall is expected to open in 2027.
The general contractor for the project is Lepi Enterprises of Zanesville.
The budget for the entire project, both phases 1 and 2, is $14.3 million.
We have received $11.6 million in public funding from:
The balance will be from private fundraising and grants, which still are in process.
Phase 1 of the project has been fully funded from public funding sources and private contributions.
More than 50% of the funding has been secured for Phase 2, but efforts are ongoing to secure additional private contributions and grants.
The entire area under roof is more than 29,000 square feet – which includes the lower level and outdoor decks. The interior of the building is 15,800 square feet.
Go to https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/ohio-river-museum/ and https://mariettamuseums.org/ohio-river-museum/.
