Current & Past Exhibitions

Experience Westerville's past through the themed exhibitions of artifacts on display in the Westerville History Center & Museum.

Displays change periodically, showcasing different items and artifacts from the Westerville collection based on a central theme, including descriptions and historical content.

Prohibition! Expectation vs. Reality

2019-2020

Travel back in time to the Prohibition era (1920-1933), when it was illegal to buy or sell alcohol in the United States. From unintended consequences to unexpected outcomes, experience what life was like back then with interactive displays of historic objects, audio clips, photo-ops, and more.

Topics include:

18th Amendment
African Americans & the Prohibition era
Anti-Saloon League
Fashion
Female outlaws
Gangsters & organized crime
Jazz music
Propaganda & persuasion
Pros/cons
Speakeasies
Suffrage movement & the Prohibition era
Westerville’s role
Wet or dry: arguments for & against

A national issue with Westerville roots, learn about the part Westerville played in the passage of the 18^th amendment, 100 years later. Delve into the role of the Anti-Saloon League – headquartered where the Westerville Public Library now stands - who used marketing and campaigning savvy to persuade the nation to vote themselves dry. Discover the long-lasting effects of the era and how it made way for organized crime, societal freedom for women, the rise of jazz music, and more.

Share about your experiences, hashtag #anythingbutdry.

Though there is no age restriction for entry, please note that this exhibit covers historical topics related to alcohol, including bootleggers, organized crime, speakeasies, and other unseemly legacies of the Prohibition era. No alcohol will be served.

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Virtual Exhibit

Breaking the Ice: Trailblazing Women of Westerville

For over 200 years, women with passion, persistence, and courage have shaped the course of Westerville's history. These women had bold visions. They saw potential, overcame challenges, and enacted change. One Westerville reporter described the first woman who rode a bicycle through town as having "broken the ice." Many other local women, from librarian to cryptologist, Marine to musician, broke the ice in their own creative ways.

Sometimes Westerville served as the focal point of their pioneering efforts, and other times it served as a springboard, launching their innovation into the wider world. Wherever they landed, these Westerville women transformed their communities with their impressive accomplishments. As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage on a national level this year, we also remember the women who trailblazed the way close to home.

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