Malabar Farm State Park

08/27/2026

IF WALLS COULD TALK, the exterior walls of the Big House would be heard sighing a grateful, "Thank you!" to an anonymous couple for their generous donation which enabled the Big House to undergo extensive restoration. We at Malabar Farm also extend our sincere thanks to these donors for their kindness! Loose and peeling paint was removed, some wood was replaced, the house was power-washed, and the historic home was treated to beautiful, fresh paint.

Providing this meticulous care and loving restoration, the Mariola Sons Construction workers were grateful to be a part of the Big House’s history. Tour Guide Jim King gave the workers a Big House tour, so they could appreciate their part in the historic home’s story and maybe someday tell their grandchildren that they got to be a part of the house’s care. Associate Lexi especially appreciated the study filled with books and the many butterflies outside on the well-tended bushes. “You can really tell the care that goes into the property,” she said. "This is the biggest house I've ever worked on. Probably the biggest house I'll EVER work on in my life!" laughed fellow worker, Christian. Associate Hannes shared, “It is cool to think about the history of this place, how many people have worked on it before. It’s really cool to be a part of that! While scraping old paint, we discovered that the metal grapes and vines used to be red and were black before that... It’s amazing working here. It’s really beautiful.”

Mariola Sons Construction, as you’re wrapping up this project, thank you for your excellent work. And a very BIG thank you to our anonymous friends, whose generosity and commitment to the preservation of the historic Big House made this restoration possible. If walls could talk, they might not need to. They might simply beam with appreciation and pleasure.

08/21/2026

Be there AND be (1/8 of a) square!
(We’re talking about a lively square dance, of course; nothing boring about it!) Tomorrow night (Saturday, 8/22) from 7 - 10 pm is the August Barn Dance at Malabar Farm State Park! The music is live, the cost is free, and the atmosphere is fun! No experience required and all ages are welcome. Water ($1) and pop ($2) will be available for cash-only purchase in the adjacent corncrib.

Can’t make it to this one? The September Barn Dance will be 9/26 and the October one will be 10/31, so square away your schedule now and make plans to join us! 🤠🎶

08/20/2026

*** Update *** We called, you answered!!! Thank you so much, everyone! Vendors, packets will be going out next week (8/31-9/4) with your parking passes, etc., so be watching your mailboxes. We are so excited for a fantastic festival to celebrate Ohio's heritage and our 50th anniversary of being an Ohio State Park!

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Craft Vendors - would you like to be a part of celebrating Ohio's rich cultural history while also joining in the celebration of Malabar Farm's 50th anniversary of being an Ohio State Park? Ohio Heritage Days 2026 will feature live music and entertainment, a wide variety of traditional and modern crafts, pony rides, horse-drawn wagon rides, historic demonstrations, living history camps, antique tractors, self-guided tours of the Big House and the Ceely Rose House, and food trucks, all on the 50th anniversary of the ribbon cutting for Malabar Farm becoming one of the Ohio State Parks!

We are looking for vendors of traditional and modern crafts. A 10'x10' outdoor space is free for first year vendors and $50 for returning vendors. Interested in joining us? Call 567-483-4070 (landline) or email [email protected] for an application. (Note that we do not use any outside event planners. Please beware of scammers. Emails will always end in .ohio.gov.) We hope you will join us for this beloved family-friendly event that offers free admission and free parking!

08/17/2026

To soar with wings like eagles! About 6 months ago, Ohio Division of Wildlife Officer Payton Phenicie found a juvenile Bald Eagle that had been hit by a vehicle, resulting in the bird suffering two fractured tibiae. He transported her to the Ohio Bird Sanctuary, where Dr. Elizabeth Congdon performed successful surgeries, and the bird received half a year of rehab, including some mid-night care. This morning, with over 30 in attendance, Dr. Congdon and Officer Phenicie released this one-and-a-half-year-old female Eagle atop Mt. Jeez at Malabar Farm. She took to the skies and soared! 🦅

Additional photos in the comments!

08/14/2026

🩵 “May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.”

For many, one of the symbols of happiness is the Bluebird. We are happy to share an update on the number of fledged Eastern Bluebirds here at Malabar, with appreciation to the Malabar Farm Foundation for their investment in new boxes 🪺 two years ago!

As of today, 81 Bluebirds have fledged this spring/summer, with 9 more anticipated to fledge by the end of the month. (To say that they have fledged means they have left the nest - usually around 19 days after hatching - and have started to learn how to fly, but they still rely on their parents for food and protection while their bodies grow out of clumsiness.)

Even if we can’t literally say that we each have 🎶 Mr. Bluebird on our shoulders or that we have actually seen Bluebirds fly over the rainbow, when we see the graceful, undulating blue flash of Bluebirds at Malabar Farm, it does make our hearts sing with happiness. We hope that you get to come and have the blessing of seeing them, too! 🩵

Many thanks to Tom & Carolyn Bachelder and Chris McQuillen for their work cleaning boxes, counting eggs and fledglings, sharing photos with us, and sharing records with the Ohio Bluebird Society!

08/11/2026

🐾 Dear Dogs of Malabar,

A question that we get quite frequently is whether you, well-behaved pup that you are, are allowed to bring your person to walk at Malabar. The answer is a resounding yes! We are a people-friendly park!

Please make sure that you wear your tags (both the one with your human’s name and address and the one your vet gave you after your rabies vaccination) and that your person always holds your leash (max 6 ft in length). If your person is still getting leash trained and needs to be reminded, don’t underestimate the persuasive power of your puppy eyes! (You know you’ve got ‘em!)

On your walk, you will notice that your person will be carrying some bags. This is because you have adopted a thoughtful, conscientious, wonderful human who cares about the experience of others. They very much like to carry things in these bags and you can help! If nothing comes to mind, just keep walking – you’ll come up with something!

While you’re here for your walk, remember that a great feature of Malabar Farm is our indoor People Park! They call it the Visitor’s Center, but the People Park is an excellent place for one of your humans to safely go off leash (while you wait outside with another person who holds your lead, scratches you in the right spots, and tells you you’re a good dog). In the People Park, your human can practice social interaction and have learning opportunities, and it’s a way for you as a responsible human owner to make sure your person stays hydrated (Insider scoop: it’s not puddle water. But they’re people – they can handle it!).

Of course, if you are a service dog who has been trained to perform a specific task for your person, we thank you for your dedicated service and invite you to accompany your human in the People Park.

Dogs of Malabar, we hope you enjoy your visit! There are wonderful smells to tickle your nose, beautiful trails on which you can walk off some energy, and other friends who will probably stop to say hello (The human ones will consistently greet the wrong end of you, but what can you do? They love a sweet doggy face and there’s no changing them.).

We look forward to seeing you at Malabar sometime soon when you bring your person for a W-A-L-K!

Love, your dry-nosed friends at Malabar Farm

* Thanks to Teddy, Schatzie, and Jax for permission to photograph them with their people!

08/07/2026

08/07/2026

As our world throws itself headlong into all things virtual, digital, and artificial, do you ever just want to make things with your own hands? How about to touch a bowl formed by lathe and chisel in a local woodshop, wrap your neck in a scarf knitted with wool that was spun and dyed by its maker, or close your eyes as a buckeye candy (which, the day before, had been carefully hand dipped with a toothpick into glossy chocolate and set out on wax paper to cool) nearly melts in your mouth?

Yes? Then it’s time to mark your calendar for the 2026 Ohio Heritage Days which will be held at Malabar Farm on September 26 & 27. Enjoy handmade traditional and modern crafts, live music and entertainment, historic re-enactments and demonstrations, antique tractor displays, free self-guided tours of the Big House and the Ceely Rose House, wagon rides, and delicious food with free admission and free parking! The 49th annual festival runs from 10 am - 4 pm both days.

So, CARVE some time out of your schedule to SPIN some time at the farm and get a TASTE of what Ohio Heritage Days is all about!

07/29/2026

Hot shredded chicken sandwiches, creamy mac and cheese, and tangy sloppy joes. 😋 When everyone arrives for the reunion, with their Crock-Pots full of deliciousness, you’ll be glad that the Malabar Shelter House is equipped with 8 duplex outlets – plenty for all the slow cookers that arrive!

The Shelter House, a short distance from the parking lot with a paved path for easy accessibility, offers 15 picnic tables, a grill, overhead lights, a drinking fountain, plenty of grassy space for co****le, football, or frisbee, and proximity to the playground. The nearby Visitor’s Center, open 8-5, has an interpretive area, bathrooms, and (10-5, Tuesday – Sunday through October 31) a gift shop with some unique and local offerings.

The Shelter House can be reserved at ReserveOhio.com for $60/day (+$6.50 reservation fee). Then you can turn your attention to making your “famous” BBQ meatballs and Crock-Pot Pizza Dip!

(Click the images for recipes! 😋)

07/28/2026

** Update - phones, internet, and registers are back up! **

Birds and butterflies are up, but our phones, internet, and Gift Shop registers are down. Come enjoy visiting farm animals and watching wildlife, but if you’re trying to reach us or are in the mood for shopping, please be patient. Thank you!