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Gas lamps, red-brick storefronts and a Victorian courthouse frame Medina's Public Square, one of the best-preserved town greens in Ohio. The county seat sits about 30 miles south of Cleveland, yet its square still feels like a small Western Reserve town.
Settlers from Connecticut laid out Medina in the early 1800s. After a fire destroyed much of the business district in 1870, the town rebuilt in brick, giving the square the unified Victorian look it keeps today. Medina also became the honey capital of the region when Amos Ives Root founded his beekeeping supply company here in 1869, a business that lives on as Root Candles.
Visitors browse the shops and cafes around Uptown Park, watch ice carvers at the February Ice Festival and tour the Christmas movie treasures of Castle Noel. Nearby, Lake Medina, the old Chippewa Lake Park and the ledges of Hinckley Reservation add easy outdoor trips.
The heart of Medina is Uptown Park, a green with a gazebo surrounded by restored 1870s brick storefronts housing shops, cafes and restaurants. Summer brings concerts in the park and holidays bring lights and a candlelight walk. Park in the free public lots just off the square and wander all the sides on foot.
The old courthouse on the west side of the square dates from the 1840s and was enlarged in Victorian Gothic style after the Civil War, with a tall clock tower that dominates the skyline. Its sandstone and brick facade is the classic photo of Medina. Admire it from Uptown Park; county offices now fill the newer annex.
Set in a former church just south of the square, Castle Noel holds a huge collection of Christmas movie costumes and props, animated department store windows from New York and themed walk-through rooms. Kids love the slide and the photo stops. Tours are timed, so book online during the November and December rush.
The Medina County Historical Society's museum fills a stately Victorian house near the square, with period rooms, local artifacts, and exhibits on the town fire of 1870 and the county's farming past. Volunteers give friendly guided tours. Opening days are limited, so check the society's schedule before visiting.
The A. I. Root Company began in 1869 as a beekeeping supply business and still makes candles in Medina. Its store sells beeswax and scented candles, seconds at outlet prices and seasonal collections. Look for exhibits about the company's honeybee history. Watch for warehouse sale weekends, which draw serious bargain hunters.
Each February, carvers turn huge blocks of ice into sculptures around the Public Square, with live carving competitions, family activities and warm drinks from the cafes. It is one of the busiest weekends of the year in uptown Medina. Dress warmly and visit after dark, when lights shine through the ice.
From late spring to early fall the farmers market fills the edge of the Public Square on Saturday mornings with local produce, honey, baked goods, flowers and crafts from Medina County farms. Grab a coffee at a nearby cafe and browse. Go early for the best choice of sweet corn and berries in midsummer.
A city reservoir on the south side of town, ringed by a flat walking path of about a mile and a half. Herons and ducks are common, and benches give quiet water views. It is a pleasant break from the square; no swimming or boating is allowed as the lake supplies drinking water.
A historic lakeside amusement park that closed in 1978 and slowly vanished into the woods has been reopened by the Medina County Park District as a nature park. Paths pass the lake shore and the site of the old ballroom and rides, with signs telling its story. It lies about 10 miles south of Medina.
A Cleveland Metroparks reservation in neighboring Hinckley Township, known for Whipp's Ledges sandstone cliffs, a lake with boat rentals and its turkey vultures, celebrated each March on Buzzard Sunday. Trails range from easy lakeside walks to rocky ledge scrambles. Wear sturdy shoes for the ledges after rain.
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