STATEHOUSE NEWS

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—In honor of those killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio to be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Ohio from sunrise to sunset on September 11, 2025.

Governor DeWine asks that all Ohioans observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. to honor the innocent lives lost as a result of the terrorist attacks.

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UPDATE: The deadline to apply has been extended. The Application Process will be available until Sept. 29, 2025 at 6 p.m. Applicants will be notified on Oct. 1, 2025.

(Columbus, OH)—The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) and the Capitol Square Foundation (CSF) are pleased to announce that 81 schools will be awarded Transportation Grants for the 2025-2026 academic year. The online application will open on Monday, Sept. 15, at 9 a.m. and remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22.

The grants will help schools defray bus transportation costs for field trips to the Ohio Statehouse and its museum. Each grant’s amount will be based on one-way mileage from the visiting school to the Ohio Statehouse.

Since the creation of CSF’s program in 2009, tens of thousands of students from all 88 counties in Ohio have visited the Ohio Statehouse through the assistance of these grants. “Thanks to Honda's generous support, students can visit the Ohio Statehouse, providing them with a firsthand experience of how state government works.” said Charles Moses, CSF Chair, “It’s an opportunity in furthering their civic education in a way a textbook cannot.”

27 grants will be awarded in each of three mileage categories:
1 to 50 miles ($200)
51 to 100 miles ($300)
101+ miles ($400)

This year, teachers and administrators will have eight days to submit applications. CSRAB will use a random number generator to choose 27 schools from each mileage category.

“We are excited to welcome students from around the state to experience history and government at The Ohio Statehouse,” said Megan Wycuff, CSRAB Executive Director. “We are so grateful for the Capitol Square Foundation’s continued support in making this educational opportunity available to Ohio schools.”

The Transportation Grants will be available to any school in Ohio that receives state funding. Grants are limited to students in the 4th through 12th grades during the 2025-2026 academic year. Only one Transportation Grant will be awarded to each school, regardless of the number of buses or students visiting the Ohio Statehouse. Additionally, schools must have a minimum of 20 students on their field trip in order to be eligible for a grant, and recipients must schedule and attend a guided tour of the Statehouse in order to receive their funds. Please contact Dayna Jalkanen at tours@ohiostatehouse.org with questions or for additional information.

Only online applications will be accepted and must be submitted by an authorized teacher or school administrator. Applications will be accepted for eight days, from Sept. 15-22. Grant recipients will be notified of their status by Sept. 24, 2025.

Detailed information about the program is available, and the online application will be posted on the website: https://www.ohiostatehouse.org/visit/school-and-group-tours/school-bus-transportation-grant-program.


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UPDATE:

All tickets are sold out. Please consider our free daytime tours on Halloween Day, Oct. 31, 2025.

Columbus, OH—Tickets for the Ohio Statehouse Haunted Tours are on sale. The historical tours will take place Friday, Oct. 17; Saturday, Oct. 18; Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25 at the state Capitol.

TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT MUST BE PRE-ORDERED.

Ticket prices are $16 for adults ages 18 and older and $8 for students ages 12 to 17. The tours through the darkened halls of the building depart every half hour between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Affordable event parking will be available in the Statehouse Underground Garage.

Tickets may be purchased in three ways:
· Online at statehouseshop.com
· In-person at the Statehouse Museum Shop on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse
· Over the phone by calling 614-728-9234

Participants who dare to embark on an adventure through the dark chambers and haunted hallways of the Statehouse will hear spooky tales from Ohio’s past combining history with legend. Guides with lanterns will lead visitors through one of the country’s oldest functioning capitol buildings to create an eerie environment that is most appropriate for ages 12 and older.

Arrive early or stay late to shop at the Statehouse Museum Shop until 8:30 p.m. or take part in a craft table that honors R.L. Stine, the Ohio author of the Goosebumps book series. Get goosebumps in Columbus this October!

A few eerie ongoing exhibits at the Ohio Statehouse are open to the public. Learn about the Mystery of the Origin of the Headless Horseman, and about Camp Chase, the Civil War prisoner of war camp in Columbus.

Pictures from previous years are available at ohiostatehouse.org/galleries/haunted-tours-photos.

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(Columbus, OH) – The Capitol Café will have a grand opening tomorrow, Wednesday, September 3 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse.

Online ordering is available here and under our “Quick Links” section at Ohiostatehouse.org

The Capitol Café is open at the Ohio Statehouse Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.


See below for a message from our partners at L.A. Catering and LifeCare Alliance.

Capitol Café isn’t just about great coffee (Yes, we’re proudly serving Crimson Cup Coffee!) and delicious, locally sourced food, it’s a social enterprise with heart. Every bite and sip you enjoy helps power the mission of LifeCare Alliance, a local human services nonprofit dedicated to helping senior adults and individuals facing medical challenges or disabilities live safely and independently in their own homes.

The café will offer a vibrant menu of fresh, seasonal items, quick grab-and-go options, and warm, welcoming service. Even better? Online ordering is on the way, making it easier than ever to grab your favorites on the fly - stay tuned for details!

We’re counting down the days to opening and can’t wait to share our menu and grand opening celebration.

Mark your calendars for September 3 - we’ll see you at the Capitol Café!

About LifeCare Alliance
Founded in 1898 in Columbus, Ohio, LifeCare Alliance is dedicated to helping people live on their own terms with dignity and independence. LifeCare Alliance is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization providing basic-needs and healthcare services to individuals facing challenges stemming from medical conditions, disabilities, or aging in place. We help people live with more dignity and independence through three key focus areas: Nutrition, Health, and Support services.

About L.A. Catering
L.A. Catering is a proud division of LifeCare Alliance that has served the local community with outstanding nutrition and health programs since 1898. All profits from L.A. Catering are invested back into our community through LifeCare Alliance programs and services to support older adults, medically challenged and disabled individuals in Central Ohio. This means that birthday parties, boxed lunches, cookouts, graduations, holiday parties, reunions, and weddings catered by L.A. Catering make a difference our community.

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UPDATE-- See new 2025 photos of the installation on our website, https://www.ohiostatehouse.org/galleries/flags-for-9-11-in-2025
PHOTOS
(Columbus, OH)— The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will commemorate the 24th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, with a memorial flag display on the west lawn of the Ohio Statehouse. A short program will begin Monday, September 8 at 5:15 p.m. on the west steps of the Ohio Statehouse and will feature remarks from state officials. After the program, volunteers from across central Ohio will install the 2,977 flags that comprise the memorial beginning at 5:45 p.m.

The Ohio Statehouse has been the venue for the annual 9/11 memorial from 2002 through 2025, only missing 2020 due to the pandemic. The flags represent the 2,977 victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93. When seen from above, the design represents the World Trade Center towers, with a space in the shape of the Pentagon and an open strip representing the field in Pennsylvania. Located on the West Lawn of the Ohio Statehouse, the memorial will be open to the public from 7 p.m. Monday, September 8 until 12 p.m. Friday, September 12.

The September 8 program will include brief remarks by several dignitaries from the state government in Ohio including:

• Representative Michael Dovilla, Ohio House District 17


• Senator Hearcel Craig, Ohio Senate District 15, Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board


• Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and


• Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon.

The flag display is a memorable and moving scene on the Ohio Statehouse lawn. The volunteers installing the flags include individuals from across the State of Ohio. The flags will be checked daily by staff and volunteers. Deinstalling the flags will take place on Friday, September 12 at noon.

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Today Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered that, in accordance with the President of the United States of America and in remembrance of the victims of the shooting in Minneapolis, the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the state of Ohio until sunset on August 31, 2025.

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The Ohio Statehouse continues to make mechanical upgrades in downtown Columbus. A crane lift this weekend requires closures on the east side of Capitol Square.

Third Street will be closed between Broad Street and State Street beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 15 and will remain closed on Saturday, August 16.

The Ohio Statehouse will be open during regular hours, but the walking entrance at Third Street and Veterans Plaza will be closed on Saturday. Please enter and exit the building on the State Street side or at the sliding doors in the parking garage’s green level.

The Statehouse Underground Parking Garage will be open during the crane lift. Driving entrances and exits on Third Street will be closed. Vehicles may enter and exit on Broad Street and State Street.

Visitors are welcome in the Ohio Statehouse during the crane lift. Walk-in tours begin at 12, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. in the Map Room on Saturday. For safety, no one will be allowed on the second and third floors of the Senate Building.

Your patience is appreciated during the crane lift and continuing construction projects.

See attached map for more details.

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will perform scheduled electrical and HVAC maintenance on Sunday, August 10 through Wednesday, August 13. The scheduled system upgrades will ensure the safety and comfort of the building’s occupants and require the shutdown of the entire Capitol Square complex.

No public access of the building will be available until Thursday, August 14 to allow for A/C systems to properly cool down the building. The building will be made accessible to staff and stakeholders only on Wednesday, August 13.

No public parking will be permitted Sunday, August 10 through Tuesday, August 12. Existing monthly parking pass holders will still be able to access the garage through the South Entrance and Exit only. Lighting and elevators will not be affected. The parking garage only will be made accessible to the public on Wednesday, August 13. Older Posts Newer Posts