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Tourism Award of Excellence Hall of Fame
Since 2005, Destination Mansfield – Richland County has honored those members, individuals, events and partnerships that have demonstrated excellence and helped to propel our local tourism industry forward.
We wanted to call attention to those who made major contributions to Richland County’s tourism industry and educate the public at large how their contribution to played a significant role in strengthening it. Tourism Excellence Award winners are presented their award and honored at our Annual Meeting.
Nominees must meet at least 4 of the following criteria to be eligible to be considered for an award of excellence:
- Increased tourism in Richland County and North Central Ohio.
- Significantly added to the tourism product offering of Richland County and North Central Ohio.
- Helped gain positive statewide and/or national Public Relations or Press.
- Made significant improvements to their lodging property, attraction, recreational or food services facility, sports venue, etc.
- Advanced tourism through a unique concept, niche, new market, or collaborative partnership.
- Having achieved sustained excellence in tourism.
Below are honorees listed by the year they received their award of excellence.
2023
- BibleWalk (Museum of Woodcarving)
- Buckeye Imagination Museum
- Ohio Bird Sanctuary (Treehouse Classroom)
- Mansfield Art Center (Foundation Art Education Center)
- Kingwood Center Gardens (Garden Gateway)
- Hudson and Essex (Prohibition at the Caverns)
- The Blueberry Patch & 1285 Winery
- Richland B&O Trail (Trailhead Signage)
- Pleasant Hill Lake Park Deluxe Log Cabins
- North Central Ohio Industrial Museum
- The Mansfield Playhouse
- Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (Terminal Renovations)
- Snow Trails (Valley Lodge)
- The Mansfield Memorial Museum (Frank P. Lahm Aviation Museum)
- Historic Ohio State Reformatory (Shawshank Museum)
2019
- Mansfield Motor Speedway
- Discover Richland Partnership (Little Buckeye Children’s Museum, Ohio Bird Sanctuary, Kingwood Center Gardens, and Richland Carrousel Park)
- The Barnyard Park
- Mansfield Barber Expo
- Inkcarceration Festival
2018
- Dinner with Grace (BibleWalk)
- Ed Pickens’ Events & Catering (Ed Pickens)
- Shawshank Hustle (Roger & Christina Bowersock)
- Pleasant Hill Lake Park (Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District)
2017
- Wayne’s Country Market
- National Championship Runoffs (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Sports Car Club of America)
- The Shawshank Experience (Dr. Maura Grady & Dr. Tony Magistrale)
- Wine & Ale Trail (1285 Winery, Cypress Hill Winery, The Happy Grape Wine Bar & Bistro, Laxton Hollow Brewing Works, The Phoenix Brewing Company, The Vault Wine Bar, and Wishmaker House Winery & Wine Bar)
2016
- The Phoenix Brewing Company
- BibleWalk – Walk of the Parables
- Little Buckeye Children’s Museum
- The Brickyard – Final Friday Concert Series (Downtown Mansfield, Inc.)
2015
- Richland B & O Trail (Richland County Park District)
- Wishmaker House Bed & Breakfast/Winery and Wine Bar
- Pumpkin Glow (Kingwood Center Gardens)
- Mansfield Mehock Relays (Mansfield City Schools)
- Adam Schuster Memorial Tournament (Mansffield Liederkranz)
- Rock-n-Ribs (North Central State College Foundation)
2014
- Teri Myers Design
- Art of the Brick (Mansfield Art Center)
- NASCAR Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 ( Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course)
- Shawshank Woodshop (Bill Mullen and Bob Wachtman)
2013
- Oak Park Tavern
- Glen’s Surplus
- Tree Frog Canopy Tours
- Ohio Dreams Action Sports Camp
- Tough Mudder Ohio (City of Mansfield and Tough Mudder)
2012
- Athens Greek Restaurant
- First Friday Shop Hop (Downtown Mansfield, Inc. and Engwiller Properties)
- Oak Hill Cottage
- Olivesburg General Store
- Snow Trails
2011
- Haunted Bissman Building
- Ohio Civil War Collectors Show and Artillery Show
- Heart of the City Cruise In
- Mansfield Trilogy: “Ceely”, “Phoebe” & “Louie” (Malabar Farm State Park and Mark Jordan)
- NASA National Championships (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and NASA)
- Mohican Wildlife “Art” Weekend
2010
- Malabar Farm Restaurant
- The Great Mohican Indian Pow Wow
- Ohio State Reformatory
- Renaissance Performing Arts Association
- Weirick Communications, Inc.
2009
- The Blueberry Patch Greenhouse & Blossom’s Café
- Ed Pickens’ Café On Main
- Prairie Peddler Festival
- Squirrel’s Den
- Mansfield Bicentennial
2008
- Kingwood Center
- Louis Bromfield Visitors Education Center (Malabar Farm Foundation and Malabar Farm State Park)
- Vertical Descent Tubing Park (Snow Trails)
- Eatmor Bundt Company & Twisted Fig Tea Room
- Deer Ridge Golf Club
- Haunted Prison Experience (Ohio State Reformatory and Haunted X Team)
2007
- Mohican Wildlife Weekend (MWW Committee: Malabar Farm State Park, Gorman Nature Center, Ohio Bird Sanctuary, Mohican School in the Out of Doors, Mohican State Park & Resort)
- Comfort Inn Splash Harbor Bellville
- Chautauqua (The Ohio State University at Mansfield)
- Miss Ohio Scholarship Program
2006
- BibleWalk
- Richland County Fairgrounds
- Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course/True Sports
- Richland Carrousel Park/Historic Carousel District
- Elektro (Mansfield Memorial Museum)
2005
- NASCAR Craftsman Series (Mansfield Motorsports Speedway)
- Johnny Appleseed Outdoor Drama
- Ceely Rose (Mansfield Playhouse & Malabar Farm State Park)
- Ghost Hunts (Ohio State Reformatory)
- Ohio State Men’s Bowling Tournament (Mansfield Men’s Bowling Association, Lex Lanes & Park Lanes)
- Richland Racing Hospitality (SCCA National Championship Runoffs)