Updated October 7, 2024: In June 2011, I wrote in my original blog about spending time with my family exploring the ruins of Tadmor, Ohio. Located in Vandalia and part of the Taylorsville MetroPark, it was, at the time, a quick trek to Tadmor to get some exercise and fresh air while checking out a historical place. All of these visits took place in the 2000s and 2010s, so the photos are old (and I think taken with a Palm Pixi!), but it’s such a unique place, I thought I’d revisit the article and refresh it some to match the vibe of my current blog. (If you happen to want to read the original rambling, personal blog version, it’s at the bottom!)

What is the historical significance of Tadmor?

Drawing of Tadmor Village, Ohio from Historical Society of Vandalia-Butler

Tadmor, Ohio was once a pretty big deal in the region because the major modes of transportation at the time relied on rail, canal, and roads and Tadmor had one of each – including National Road. Here’s a Dayton Daily News article about Tadmor that explains it better.

However, one by one these things were rerouted away from Tadmor, making the town less prosperous. The 1913 Flood was a big blow for Tadmor and soon after most or all of the townspeople moved on to greener pastures, leaving behind houses and commercial buildings, plus all of the things they had built to handle the constant stream of people and cargo that at one time came through. The stone parts of these structures are what remain – all of the wood or other objects are long gone.

Where is Tadmor, Ohio?

Tadmor is located north of Dayton, in Vandalia in the Taylorsville MetroPark. The Historical Marker Database explains how to get there really well. It’s not accessible by car – once you park, you follow a paved trail to the marker and then you can head into the woods to explore. It’s about a mile+ from the parking lot.

Is Tadmor worth a visit?

Photo of a building in Tadmor, Ohio from the Historical Society of Vandalia-Butler

For history buffs and fans of unique, free outdoor activities – absolutely yes. For people expecting a really spectacular, curated experience – absolutely not. The things that have remained are structural things like abutments for an old bridge, a building foundation or two, and remnants of the lock system. It helps to have read about it beforehand to know what you’re looking at (preferably articles that do a better, more thorough job of explaining the history and engineering things like this one and this one).

I always liked visiting because it’s interesting that it was once this thriving place in what is now the middle of the woods. It’s really surprising how much things can change with sort of disconnected changes that you/your town has no or limited control over.

Is Tadmor, Ohio haunted?

You’ll just have to visit and see what you think. You never know, maybe they call it a ghost town for a reason.

Here’s the original version of the article and a little time capsule of my original blog when I first started it. This article was published a little under a month after I started Girl About Dayton. 

This is one of my original blog articles – Originally published June 1, 2011

Tadmor, Ohio – Family 5K

Sunday, May 29, my family decided to walk our own (thus free) 5K in Taylorsville Metro Park to the historic town of Tadmor, OH.  As an avid fan of the show Life after People, Tadmor is a fascinating place to visit because it is a perfect example of what happens when people leave a town to ruin.  Now all that remains is a number of stone structures such as parts of the canal, parts of two bridges, and occasionally rocks here and there that may have been part of a structure.  When people hear about Tadmor and then actually see it for themselves, they aren’t always impressed, having expected more.  The big lesson of Tadmor and Life after People is that humans don’t really own land – we can only borrow it – and when we leave, nature reclaims the land until there is hardly any sign that humans ever existed there at all.  Sort of chilling, no?

If you think about it enough, you may come down with a full blown case of ennui.  If you already have ennui, don’t think about it at all.

On the lighter side, the walk to Tadmor is gorgeous.  You have your pick between a trail, which is easy on your joints, and a paved pathway, which is better if you’re taking a stroller.  The downside is that the tiny parking lot fills up quickly on a nice Sunday morning so have a second plan for the day in the event that it’s full when you arrive.