The Museum is housed in the 1905 Friends Boarding Home which looks very much as it did when retired Quakers and single school teachers lived there in its early days. As the gateway to the Quaker Historic District in Waynesville, Ohio, the Friends Home operates as a cultural center for the village, and for Wayne and Massie Townships of Warren County. It sits at the top of Quaker Hill two blocks off downtown Waynesville. Twenty-two rooms of historical exhibits are offered on three floors. Each room highlights a local community or an aspect of early Quaker life, period clothing, local medicine and education, and more! The historic Quaker District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
While closed to the general public from mid-December through March, the museum office is open throughout the winter for group tours and research requests. Call or email us and we will respond promptly.
Ghost Walks: Spring and Summer
Guided tours of either Main Street or Quaker Hill will be held on the dates shown below. The tours begin at 7:45 P.M. Pre-paid groups of 10 or more can be scheduled for other dates upon request. Reservations can be made on the Museum’s website or by phone. Children under 12 are free.
April 24th May 8th, and the 22nd
June 12th, and the 26th July 10th, and the 24th
August 14th, and the 28th September 11th
October Ghost Walks
We have two separate walks available in October: Main Street Tour and the Quaker Hill Tour. Tours start at 7:45 P.M. Children under 12 are free. Both tours are entertaining and informative. Dates for these tours are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, October 1st, 2nd, 13th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 29th, and 30th. Please make reservations early since these tours fill up quickly.
Ghost Hunting Class
Enjoy classroom training from Paravizionz, a local professional ghost hunter organization. The class begins at 7:00 pm at the Museum and ends around midnight. Cookies and hot beverages will be served. Class size is limited to 30 people normally but, 15 people currently due to COVID, and tickets are non-refundable. All participants must be 16 years of age or older.
Ghostly Walking Tour
In the fall the Museum at the Friends Home culls the most fascinating and true stories of area lore to delight visitors of all ages during tours of the downtown mainstreet area. Each one-hour stroll highlights fascinating, historically based legends from the area's unique past based on first and second-hand accounts of experiences that defy explanation. A self-guided tour of the Museum at the Friends Home is included after the tour.
Quaker Hill Ghost & History Walking Tour
In the fall the Museum at the Friends Home culls the most fascinating and true stories of area lore to delight visitors of all ages during tours of the Quaker Hill area. Each one-hour stroll highlights fascinating, historically based legends from the area's unique past based on first and second-hand accounts of experiences that defy explanation. A self-guided tour of the Museum at the Friends Home is included after the tour.
Virtual Christmas Tour of Homes
Join us in supporting a good cause. We are raising money for “The Museum at the Friends Home,” a.k.a. “Waynesville Area Heritage & Cultural Center,” and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit is appreciated and will help. As you may or may not know, the museum is funded through fundraisers and donations only. Needless to say, canceling our in-person Christmas Tour of Homes is a financial impact. This year we share a virtual addition and photos/memories from the years past. We look forward to seeing everyone in person in 2021 to celebrate our 10th anniversary of the Christmas Tour of Homes in Historic Waynesville. A special thanks to Sam McConnell for filming/compiling the video and donating his time. Also, a huge thank you to David Nation and Mark Schutzler for sharing their beautifully decorated home for the virtual tour. Thank you for your continued support! We hope you enjoy the virtual tour and Happy Holidays!
Annual Garage Sale
This is the ultimate trash and treasure sale with irresistible prices. This sale a major moneymaker for the Museum to enable it to continue its mission. Many, many members of the greater Waynesville community donate items and often help sell the items. Please continue donating and buying. The dates are to be determined.
Our COVID-19 Response
We encourage you to visit coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19.
We are actively employing cleanliness practices set forth by state and local health officials. These actions include:
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Utilizing enhanced cleaning and disinfecting techniques throughout the museum
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Encouraging effective personal hygiene
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Deploying additional hand sanitizers.
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Asking that our volunteers and visitors wear masks when entering the museum
Volunteers and visitors exhibiting symptoms of contagious illness are being asked to stay home and take care of themselves.
Here are important tips to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19:
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Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough. Throw the tissue away immediately and wash your hands. If no tissue is available, cough and sneeze into your shoulder or elbow. If you cough or sneeze into your hand you should immediately clean your hands thoroughly, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.
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Wash your hands often, especially when returning home or entering a facility. When available, wash your hands with soap and warm water, rubbing your hands vigorously together to scrub all skin surfaces. Wash for 20 seconds. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps to dislodge and remove germs. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers of at least 60% alcohol are recommended. If using a gel, rub the gel in your hands until they are dry. The gel does not need water to work; the alcohol in the gel kills germs.
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Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth (“the T zone”). Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth. Germs can live for a long time (some can live for several hours or longer) on surfaces like doorknobs, desks and tables.
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When you are sick or have flu or COVID-19 symptoms, stay home, get plenty of rest and check with a health care provider as needed. Remember: keeping your distance from others may protect them from getting sick.
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Avoid close contact with someone who is sick.
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Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
For additional official information, please check the websites of the Ohio Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization.
Museum at the Friends Home Reviews
Reviews of the museum can now be submitted via TripAdvisor.
Contact Us
115 S. 4th Street, P.O. Box 12,
Waynesville, Ohio 45068
Tel: 513-897-1607
Kroger & Amazon
Did you know you can support the Waynesville Area Heritage Cultural Center just by shopping at Kroger and at Smile.Amazon.com?
It's easy when you enroll in Kroger Community Rewards®! To get started, sign up with your Plus Card below, and select the Museum.
Our number is QH895
Once you're enrolled, you'll earn rewards for the museum every time you shop and use your Plus Card!
If you shop on Amazon, add the Waynesville Area Heritage Cultural Center to the Smile.Amazon charity program and automatically give the museum a percentage of every dollar you spend from Amazon.com.