Whitehall offers visitors ways to explore through specific park amenities and local history. Those who include walking trails, recreational activities or historical sites in their travel plans will find a range of options in the city’s parks and along the National Road.
Choose parks by activity
At Whitehall Community Park, amenities range from scenic walking and nature trails to an 18-hole disc golf course and a canoe and kayak launch on Big Walnut Creek. Trails, disc golf and a place to launch canoes and kayaks are all available at this named location. The park lets visitors choose based on a specific activity, rather than limiting a visit to just one type of recreation.
The other parks offer different features, too. Lamby Lane Park has a fully paved loop trail. Norton Field Park also has a loop trail for walking. John Bishop Memorial Park has walking trails and a splash pad. If you’re looking for a paved loop trail, consider Lamby Lane Park; if you’d like to combine trails with a splash pad, you’ll find both at John Bishop Memorial Park.
The John Bishop Park Hockey Rink is a versatile dek hockey rink. For organized play, it can be reserved daily from 4 to 8 p.m. in one-hour time slots. Outside reserved times, it is intended for open community play. If you’re planning a visit for organized play, confirm the reservation terms beforehand. Central Bark offers fenced dog parks with agility equipment and water stations. Operating conditions there can vary with the weather.
Whitehall’s local history
Whitehall Community Park is home to the Whitehall Historical Society’s headquarters, housed in a relocated Lustron house. The building was originally constructed in 1949 at 5099 Spring Valley Road in London, Ohio. London is about 40 miles west of Columbus. The house’s current location in the park and its former address in London provide a tangible architectural link to local history.
Another historical connection leads to what is now John Bishop Park. Before the Civil War, John T. Ward established a station on the Underground Railroad at his home on the National Road, now U.S. Route 40, east of present-day Hamilton Road. It served to support enslaved people on their journey north. The house stood in the area of today’s park; this historical account concerns its function at the time, not a present-day building described here.
Plan your visit around events
The Whitehall Historical Society holds public meetings on the second Thursday of every month, starting at 6:30 p.m. Check the dates before your trip if you’d like to attend a meeting. Market on the Green is a weekly municipal farmers market in Whitehall, Ohio. Check the listed dates before heading out for the market, too. This makes it easier to organize park activities, local history and potential events around what matters for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Grove City, Canal Winchester, Columbus, Obetz, Lockbourne, Gahanna, Worthington, Groveport
For the broader travel overview: Franklin.
