The Ohio History Center near the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus has shut down temporarily. Much of the building will remain closed until December.
The distinctive building, visible from I-70 just north of downtown Columbus, houses exhibits of ancient and historic artifacts, items used in daily life by early settlers of Ohio and a huge reconstructed mastodon skeleton. The marketing manager for the Ohio History Connection, Neil Thompson, said the building was closed after officials discovered a potential problem with its fire safety system.
“Collections are safe. People are safe. And that’s one of the reasons that we made a decision like this," Thompson said in an interview.
Thompson said the gallery and museum will remain closed for the next couple of months.
“We’re going to keep that closed until early December so that we can complete these building upgrades without any interruptions," Thompson said. "Some things that you are doing when you are working in the museum area, it’s just not a great idea to have a lot of people around. It can interrupt their experience and it can be a safety issue.”
Renovations had been planned at the center anyway. Thompson said the staff will continue to work at the center. He said the archives and library will be available by appointment.
Some popular outdoor events will not be affected. Thompson said All Hallows' Eve and winter holiday events at the outdoor Ohio Village will go on as planned.
