Museum of Ornithology
| Type | Exhibition Animals |
|---|---|
| Park Section | South |
| Built | 1903 |
| Opened | 1903 |
| Closed | 1908 |
| Length | 70 feet (21.3 meters) |
| Width | 30 feet (9.1 meters) |
The Museum of Ornithology, sometimes stylized as Ornithology Museum, was built in 1903 at Olentangy Park and featured over 3,000 specimens of rare birds and animals.
Located on the plateau,[1] the building was 30 by 70 feet9.1 by 21.3 meters.[2] Naturalist Oliver Davie moved an extensive collection of mounted birds and animals from Minerva Park to Olentangy Park.[3] It was thought that Olentangy Park would be more accessible to local university students. There, over 1,500 specimens of the 3,000 were brought from Minerva Park.[4] An aquarium was built in the center of the building - the first of its kind in Columbus.[5] Admission was free.[2]
The exhibit was no longer listed as an attraction after the 1908 season, but the building appears as "Ornithology Museum" on a 1924 park map.[1]
In 1914, the mounted bird display was purchased by the Audubon Society and was installed in the Sullivant School.[6]
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Olentangy Amusement Co. General Map. 1924.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Columbus Railway & Light Co." The Street Railway Review. Feb. 15, 1906. Vol. 16. Issue 2. Page 70. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
- ↑ "85-25 Minerva Amusement Park / The Green Line." Remarkable Ohio. Part of the Ohio History Connection. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." Sunday Columbus Dispatch. May 3, 1903. Pages 8-9.
- ↑ "Birds and Fish." Saturday Columbus Dispatch. Feb. 28, 1903. Page 11.
- ↑ "Bird Lovers Will Meet." Ohio State Lantern (Columbus, Ohio). Oct. 1, 1914. Page 3.