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Middletown is a city on the Great Miami River in southwest Ohio, roughly halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton. It grew along the Miami and Erie Canal and became a major steel town after the American Rolling Mill Company, Armco, was founded here in 1899; the big steel works still operate on the city's east side.
The historic downtown along Main Street and Central Avenue is filled with late 19th and early 20th-century buildings, many now being revived with restaurants, breweries and arts spaces. The restored Sorg Opera House from 1891 is the showpiece, and the Middletown Arts Center and Pendleton Art Center give the city a creative streak.
Each July, the Ohio Challenge hot air balloon festival fills the sky over Smith Park, and the Great Miami River Trail offers miles of paved riverside cycling. Thrill seekers can even skydive at the city's regional airport. Cincinnati, Dayton and Kings Island are each within about half an hour.
A grand Victorian opera house built in 1891 by tobacco businessman Paul Sorg, restored as a venue for concerts, comedy, films and community events. Its ornate auditorium is one of the oldest of its kind in Ohio. Check the calendar for shows, and look for occasional open houses and tours.
A community arts center with rotating gallery exhibitions of regional artists, an annual juried show and classes in painting, pottery and other crafts for adults and children. Admission to the galleries is free. It is a relaxed stop for art lovers, with a small gift shop of local work.
A large historic building downtown converted into dozens of working studios for painters, sculptors, jewelers and other artists. On open studio nights you can wander the floors, meet the artists and buy work directly from them. Check the schedule, as studios are mostly open during events.
A walkable historic downtown along Main Street and Central Avenue, with landmark buildings such as the old Masonic Temple, the Rose Furniture building and the US Hotel. New restaurants, breweries and shops are moving into the restored storefronts. Take a self-guided walk and stop for lunch.
A popular summer festival held each July at Smith Park, where dozens of hot air balloons launch at dawn and dusk and light up the night during the balloon glow. Expect live music, food vendors, crafts and plenty of family activities. Arrive early for launches, which depend on calm weather.
A large city park on the north side of Middletown with open fields, a pond, sports areas and walking paths. It is best known as the home of the Ohio Challenge balloon festival, and the open lawns are pleasant for picnics and kite flying the rest of the year. Parking is free.
Middletown's section of the Great Miami River Trail, a long paved path following the river through southwest Ohio toward Dayton and beyond. It is flat, scenic and ideal for cycling, running or a gentle walk, with river views and shady stretches. Trailheads near downtown have parking.
A long-established skydiving center at Middletown Regional Airport, offering tandem jumps for first-timers and training for licensed skydivers. Watching the parachutes land is free and fun even if you stay on the ground. Book tandem jumps ahead; jumps depend on the weather.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Constantin Knapp, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
