The annual Fall Lantern Tours will give visitors a chance to explore Schoenbrunn Village by lantern light Sept. 11-12 in New Philadelphia, highlighting life in the Ohio Country 250 years ago as the nation approached the American Revolution.
The tours are scheduled from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 at Schoenbrunn Village, 1984 E. High Ave., according to a community announcement.
Guests will follow a luminaria-lit pathway through the historic village while learning about daily life in the 18th-century Moravian community. The event is tied to the national America 250 commemoration and will focus on conditions in the Ohio Country a quarter millennium ago.
Apple cider and molasses cookies will be available while supplies last.
"Exploring Schoenbrunn Village by lantern light is a unique and enlightening experience," said Tanner Immel, site superintendent for Schoenbrunn Village. "We hope families from all over the state will visit for these special tours."
Founded in 1772 as a Moravian mission among the Delaware Tribe of American Indians, Schoenbrunn was Ohio's first Christian settlement. The community was abandoned in 1777 after growing pressures from settlers and British-allied American Indians during the early years of the Revolutionary War.
Schoenbrunn Village is recognized as the site of several firsts in Ohio, including a settlement, church, schoolhouse and civil code.
Today, the restored village includes the original cemetery, 18 reconstructed log buildings, gardens, a church and a visitor center featuring a museum and gift shop.
The event will offer participants an opportunity to experience the historic site after dark while learning more about its place in Ohio history and the broader story of America's founding.
Tickets may be purchased through the Ohio History Connection store at ohiohistorystore.com or at Schoenbrunn Village.
Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children ages 7-17. Children 6 and younger and Ohio History Connection members are admitted free.
Additional information is available by calling 330-808-4815.
For information about the America 250 initiative, visit america250.org. Information about Ohio History Connection programs and events is available at ohiohistorystore.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Lantern tours bring Schoenbrunn Village's Revolutionary-era history to life