Farnam Museum, Richfield

Farnam Museum wasn't always a museum. Originally, it was a manor built by Everett Farnam in 1834. He and his wife raised five children on the premises, and plenty of flora, too—one pine tree planted in the 1800s still shades the property today. Over the years, the Western Reserve-style manor has weathered plenty of ups and downs. At its peak, it housed a lively Danish restaurant; at its nadir, it fell into such deep disrepair that snakes took up residence in its rooms.

Today, it's open to the public as a museum, thanks to the preservation efforts of the Farnam Foundation. Modern visitors learn about watershed moments in American history, like the War of 1812 and the Civil War, all through the lens of Farnam's life. They also mingle at the manor's seasonal events, like the haunted tours of the grounds held around Halloween.