For those of you who have ever wondered who the Ohio
Exploration Society is, we have decided to put together this page to let
you know what we're about. If you have any other questions about the OES
that is not answered on this page please feel free to email with your inquiry.
The Ohio Exploration Society is a group of urban
explorers and paranormal investigators who reside in the state of Ohio.
Members of the OES vary in age, education, and profession, as to include
people from all walks of life. We, however, share one thing in common,
the desire to explore and preserve the history and legends of not only
historical, but abandoned and forgotten sites in Ohio.
Click Here to meet our members.
The OES is a non-profit organization in the sense that
we are a free, volunteer-based organization. We are not a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization, although we one day hope to be. We are
currently working on the documents that need to be filed to officially
register with the United States and the State of Ohio as a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization, but it has been a slow process. Since we do not
charge for anything we do, any revenue generated from
donations or purchases made at our
online stores will go directly back into
the OES for things like paying web-hosting fees, covering travel costs,
and upgrading equipment. Any donations or purchases made are not tax
deductible since the OES does not yet possess 501(c)(3) status.
The Ohio Exploration Society was formed in the summer
of 2000 in Columbus, Ohio. Originally consisting of three members, the
OES began exploring old cemeteries around Franklin County. During the
first few months of the society's existence, no photos were taken and no
historical information was researched. Then in October of that year, the
three members decided to create a website to document the locations they
were visiting. The original six pages of the website were uploaded and
the OES' presence on the Internet began. The OES also investigated
haunted locations while exploring. It wasn't until the fall of 2004 when
the OES officially began offering private paranormal investigations to
property owners. With nearly two gigabytes of material on the website
today, the OES has gown drastically as a group and as a resource of
information to those interested in the lost and forgotten histories of
Ohio and its legends.
In the most basic sense, the OES explores and
documents the history and legends of locations we have visited.
Sometimes in full gear, wearing coveralls and respirators, and sometimes
armed only with a camera, the OES visits man-made and natural wonders
around the state. We have visited everything from well-known historical
sites to abandoned prisons to dilapidated cemeteries to beautiful parks.
We photograph and document these locations, publishing them on our
website for all to view and enjoy.
The OES wants to raise the general public's awareness
level about all of the wonderful, but forgotten sites in Ohio. Every day
thousands of people pass these types of places on their way to work,
while walking their dog or enjoying a vacation. Some may notice these
places, ponder about it for a few moments and then go about their lives.
They will never know that the namesake of the road they're driving on is
buried in that old run-down cemetery at the corner. They will never know
that there was once a bustling factory or ancient earthwork on the site
of a new shopping center where they just purchased their Gap jeans. That
is why we do this. So these places that are being overcome by new
development, or just plain forgotten, will survive in the photos that we
take and in the minds of those who know about them.
The Ohio Exploration Society enjoys giving back to the
community. The OES has adopted several lots at
Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus. Our
members are responsible for the care and upkeep of these lots. Some of
the lots that we have adopted are the
Hayden Mausoleum, "Georgie's" grave, and the John Barr lot. The OES
also helped clean the nearby Green Lawn
Abbey during the summer/fall of 2004. If you would like to adopt
your own lot at Green Lawn Cemetery, stop by the Green Lawn office for
the paperwork or apply online by
clicking here, it's free.
If you would like to help the Ohio Exploration
Society, there are a few things you can do. If you know of a lost,
forgotten or historical place that you would like to see on the website,
fill out our Exploration Submission Form. If it's a haunting that you
know of, use our Hauntings Submission Form. If you have photos that you
would like to contribute, please email . Any contributions will be credited to you, if you so desire.
If you would like to help financially, please consider making a
donation. We also have several
Online Stores where we sell OES-branded
merchandise, and an online Gear Shop where
you can purchase the equipment you will need to explore abandoned
locations and investigate the paranormal. Any funds generated from
donations or the online stores go directly back into the OES.
OHIO
EXPLORATION
SOCIETY
P.O. Box 972
Pickerington, Ohio 43147