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.
2025
- Ohio Bird Sanctuary – Avian Encounters Area, Hospital and Visitor Center Upgrades
- Historic Ohio State Reformatory – Escape Rooms & Hancock Heights
- BrandRichland – Community Branding Video
- Songwriters Series – Valley Media Productions
- Black Fork Brewery
2024
- City of Shelby and the Shelby CIC
- Historic Ohio State Reformatory
- Phoenix Brewing Company
- BrandRichland
- Dan Lew Exchange
- Inkcarceration Festival
- YMCA of North Central Ohio – Mansfield
- Marshall Park
- Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
- Buckeye Imagination Museum
- Richland Gro-Op Cooperative
- Chef Jacques
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)