Zoar Village

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Zoar Village

This quaint German village was founded in 1817 by religious dissenters called the Society of Separatists. The Society named their village Zoar, which is taken from the bible and means "place of refuge". Zoar today is an island of Old-World charm in east-central Ohio. Many of the German-style structures built by the Zoarites have been restored and are open to the public as Zoar Village State Memorial. Others are privately-owned, and serve as residences, shops, restaurants and bed and breakfast inns.

Visitors can experience the life of the agrarian Separatists by visiting the eleven restored buildings (recently added Town Hall Museum, and Ohio Erie Canal Museum, Number One House, or "Kings Palace", Kitchen, Dining Room/Magazine Complex, Garden House, Bakery, Tinshop, Dairy and Springhouse , Wagon Shop, Blacksmith Shop and the original Zoar Store), which are staffed with costumed interpreters and furnished with period items made or used by the Separatists. Buildings may be staffed, and others open by guided tour. Volunteers give craft demonstrations and interpret the history during the the guided and self guided tours.Yearly special events include the Harvest Festival, and Christmas in Zoar. Bi-yearly events include the Civil War reenactment, the Historic Zoar Garden Tour and luncheon , and Applefest.

The Historic Zoar Garden is a 2 1/2 acre flower garden, based on the communal society's religious beliefs. The garden is open year round and free to the public. Zoar now hosts a trail head for the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The trail is 2.9 miles long, and runs from Zoar to Fort Laurens in Bolivar, Ohio.