Children absolutely love the Deeley-Rudin Centennial Playground at Riverside Park in Mount Vernon, Ohio.  I think this new playground is "Super Fantastic" and it has really added a new dimension of fun to Riverside Park.  The Centennial Playground addition at the Mount Vernon Riverside Park was a major accomplishment and made possible by our local Rotary and required a $100,000+ investment with the help of local contributors and a few local businesses.  Our community owes a debt to those who made this gorgeous playground a reality.  Thank You!    

The playground surface features a unique shredded soft rubber type floor which makes it MUCH more forgiving for children than the more common gravel base.  The playground features swings, multiple slides, a small walking bridge, a climbing area, a lookout, steering wheels and benches for parents so they can enjoy watching their children play.  This park and playground is so fun that when it's time to call it a day and head home the children will beg "can we just stay for 5 more minutes" and that is when you know they had a spectacular day. 

This community highlight is part of our 365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio series featured on knoxcountyohio.com community and real estate website.  

This feature is part of our ongoing series "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio".  Premiere Theatre in Mount Vernon, Ohio has been a spectacular addition for our community.  There was a time not that long ago that Knox County Ohio had a small movie theatre that featured just 2 screens and today Premiere Theatre features 7 movie screens which is pretty amazing for a community the size of Mount Vernon and Knox County.  Several of the movie screens are full blown stadium theatres with upgraded seating with cup holders and surround sound experience.  It wasn't that long ago that local residents would have to travel to Columbus, Mansfield or Newark for a comparable movie experience and now you can enjoy a great movie stadium theatre experience without having to leave Knox County.  Premiere Theatre has recently gone through a significant expansion and remodel during the past year adding more movie screens, a new 3D theatre system, a seating upgrade and they even updated the look and feel with modern decor.

Premiere Theatre is located at 11535 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050 and their movie line is  (740) 392-2220.  Mount Vernon Ohio movie Showtimes Online.  If you enjoy evenings out and would like to combine dinner and a movie you will be pleased to know that there are popular restaurants including Chinese, Mexican, steakhouse, pizza & Pasta, fast food, ice cream and they are all located within minutes of the theatre.   

We have created a special link with other community amenities that we have featured at 365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio.  Be sure to check it out.  

Today our "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio" series highlights one of the more popular parks in Mount Vernon.  Wolf Run Regional Park consists of over 288 acres of gorgeous rolling land which features over 5 miles of trails, a nice fishing pond, a kids play area that features boulders for climbing and a 2 acre dog park.  The focus of our feature today is on the 2 acre dog park.  The park is located on Yauger Road just east of Upper Gilchrist Road and just outside of the city limits of Mount Vernon, Ohio.  

The Wolf Run Dog Park is an amazing place for people to take their dogs and let them run off-leash, sniff around like dogs love to do and they can play catch and fetch with their masters in a securely fenced environment.  There are some nice park benches which makes it a little more relaxing experience for some pet owners because they can have a seat while watching their dogs play.  The park is situated on a beautiful country setting and it has gorgeous backdrop of mature trees along the north side of   the park.  

Here are a few things you will want to know before visiting the park with your dog.  I copied down a few of the rules off their posted notice.  You need to keep your dog in sight and under voice control at all times.  Keep your dog leash in-hand at all times and owners of little dogs should stay close by your dog.  Owners must possess a device for removal of droppings.  Dogs must be licenses and vaccinated.  Only dogs and people are allowed in the park.  No aggressive or sick dogs allowed.  If your dog becomes unruly or plays rough, leash it and leave immediately.  Female dogs in heat and dogs under the age of four months are prohibited.  Use at your own risk.  Owners are responsible and liable for actions and behaviors of their dogs at all times.  Users are limited to three dogs per visit.  Dogs may NOT be left unattended at any time.  Keep park gates closed at all times.  No food or glass containers are allowed.  Children under the age of twelve are prohibited in the park.  Older children must be supervised by a parent or guardian.  A criminal citation may be issued for violation of these rules.  

"365 Things to Do in Knox County Ohio" is about sharing ideas and inspiring you to do fun things and experience the many amenities of  our Knox County Ohio community.  When you hear someone say "there's nothing to do" I want you to be able to tell them about our list of "365 Things They Can Do in Knox County Ohio".  I love and I've lived here for over 41 years and am proud to call Knox County home.

Sam Miller  

Mount Vernon, Ohio has so many fun things to do especially considering the community only has a population of around 16,000 people.  Today I visited one of Mount Vernon's 8 parks and I had a little fun during my lunch at the Park on Cougar Drive near the Mount Vernon Nazarene University.  This public park is specifically for flying remote controlled airplanes which are often referred to as R.C. Planes.  This is a super fantastic park because there are no power poles, no electric lines, there aren't any big trees with branches and the land is nice and level.  If you have ever flown or tried to land an R.C. airplane you will appreciate the open space and design of this large and open park.  

I am a huge fan of pretty much any product that utilizes modern technology ranging from the GPS in my SUV, the Apple iPad, DSLR cameras, iPhones, portable cellular broadband networks...for some reason I really dig technology.  Today I got my first chance to test out a new piece of technology that I plan to use for our real estate business...an iPad controlled drone helicopter.  The plan is to shoot aerial footage using an HD quality camera mounted on our helicopter and do real estate fly overs and capture very unique video and photo opportunities that were never before possible with the more traditional digital camera setups.  Today I only shot in standard resolution because it was very windy plus I haven't mastered the balance and stability controls yet so my flying has a little added motion.  Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to view the video.

This video is part of our series "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio".  Each day we are sharing something fun or unique about one of the many communities within Knox County Ohio.  If you are interested in reading a few highlights about our cities and villages be sure to visit Mount Vernon Ohio, Apple Valley Lake, Centerburg Ohio, Danville Ohio, Fredericktown Ohio, Gambier Ohio and Howard Ohio.  If you are interested in viewing a detailed list of our available homes for sale in Knox County Ohio be sure to hoover your mouse over our button at the top of this page titled "Buying".  We have created spealty search options so that you can view homes by school district, view homes in price order and even homes with acreage.  

If you like this page feel free to share it with friends or copy and paste the link onto your Facebook page.  To view other community amenities that we have featured be sure to click on 365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio for an auto populated list of more fun things to do Knox County Ohio. 

The Knox County Career Center is the home of a truly magical place and it's called the Children's Garden.  The name is a little misleading because the Children's Garden is much more than a garden and folks of all ages will be caught up in the beauty of this unique attraction.  The Knox County Career Center's website features a wonderful description that I believe is very fitting;

"Surrounded by a honeysuckle-covered wrought-iron gate, the plants, flowers and structures paint a playful vibrant backdrop for the innocence of childhood present within every step and every breath in the Garden.  As the colors and seasons change, the atmostphere of the Garden remains the same --playful, alive and growing with excitement.  The multicolored open-air steel amphitheater is a place for children to view performances or just sit and let their mind wonder".  

The Children's Garden has a little something for everyone and permeates a feeling of peaceful relaxation.  The Garden is a hotpot for all types of photographers who want to capture the perfect photo.  Photographers love all the colorful backdrops, flowers , landscaping, unique structures, water gardens and it's filled with fun features that are sure to create a picture perfect smile.  

The Children's Garden is located at 206 Martinsburg Road, Mount Vernon, Ohio on a half acre of land adjacent to the Knox County Career Center and between the Mount Vernon Middle School and the Mount Vernon Nazarene University.  

This blog is part of our "365 Things To Do in Knox County Ohio".  We have also created a real estate link that features available Mount Vernon, Ohio homes for sale.  

As part of our "365 Things To Do In Knox County Ohio" we are taking a short ride to Gambier, Ohio and visiting the Kenyon College Campus.  The Kokosing Gap Trail Bike Path passes directly through Kenyon and is situated next to the 70+ million dollar Kenyon College Field House and Athletic Center.  This is the location where you will find a beautifully restored locomotive, rail car and caboose.

This is a great experience for all ages and if you haven't climbed onto a train this is your opportunity to feel like a kid again and experience it.  If you have children or even grandchildren, be sure to bring them with you because the train is kid friendly and they can climb on the train and even ring the special bell that is on the locomotive.  You are welcome to bring your bikes, roller blades and walking shoes because after you check out the train you might just fall in love with the paved bike path which will take you on a journey through the countryside on bridges, over a river, streams and even through a gorgeous stone tunnel.  If you spend 5 minutes or 50 minutes looking at this train, I am confident that you will agree that this train is another one of the many treasures that Knox County Ohio has to offer.  

It's going to be my pleasure sharing with you 365 Things To Do In Knox County Ohio over the next 12 months.  This evening I visited the Mount Vernon High School ball fields where I did a little kite flying.  Tonight was an absolutely gorgeous April evening and I shot this video right before the sunset.  The ball fields are located just across from Memorial Park on Mount Vernon Avenue and they are very close to the Kokosing Gap Trail Bike and Walking Path.  The reason I like this location is because there are no power lines nearby and you have plenty of room to launch your kite without getting it tangled up in trees or power lines.  I also love this location because if your kite decides to make a crash landing you typically don't have to worry about destroying it.  Kite flying is also a lot of fun regardless if you're a 7 year old kid or 70 years old adult.  I am 43 years old and every time I fly a kite it is amazing how my busy life seems to fades away.  If you are looking for some fun and a few moments to clear your mind, kite flying in Knox County Ohio is hard to beat.   

knoxcountyohio.com is a real estate website that features Knox County Ohio homes for sale, Knox County Ohio lots and land for sale and community information relating to all the cities and villages within Knox County Ohio such as Mount Vernon, Apple Valley Lake, Centerburg, Danville, Howard, Fredericktown and Gambier.

The Hiawatha Water Park and Pools in Mount Vernon, Ohio is a very special place and a proud accomplishment of our community.  When I was opening my mail today I opened up a new brochure with the latest schedule and pricing for the Hiawatha Water Park and Pools.  The basic schedule highlights opening in June through August with hours ranging from 12 noon to 7:45 p.m.  There is a little disclaimer on the closing time which says "Manager will determine pool closure due to inclement weather" which I am sure is for safety purposes due to rain and storm conditions.  This year they are once again offering season pass options and I have scanned their brochure and have included the actual 2017 rates and I have featured them at the very bottom of this page for you.

The embedded video below is a quick and fun look at the Hiawatha Water Park and Pools.  I am often asked how I was able to keep the video camera from getting wet while taking a wild ride down the water slide.  The trick was to enclose the video camera inside a ziplock plastic bag and hold the clear plastic bag tightly over the lens to eliminate a distorted video image. 

There are special pricing brackets for memberships purchased before May 1st, 2017!

A Household Membership for Mount Vernon Residents is $180.00 and for Non-Residents, $200.00

Individual Memberships (Ages 6-59) for Mount Vernon Residents are $85.00 and for Non-Residents, $100.00

Child Memberships (Ages 1-5) for Mount Vernon Residents are $45.00 and for Non-Residents, $60.00

Senior Citizen Memberships (60 and over) for Mount Vernon Residents are $50.00 and for Non-Residents $65.00

Swimming lessons are offered at a first come, first serve basis to those purchasing a seasonal membership.  Sign ups for lessons and opportunity for purchasing your memberships will be held Wednesday, May 10th and Thursday May 11th between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.  The Hiawatha Water Park and Pool has many added bonuses, including use of patron lockers, just bring your own lock!  In order to be eligable to purchase a residential membership, members must reside within the Mount Vernon City School District.

The daily rates for The Hiawatha Water Park and Pool are as follows:

Individual Passes (ages 6-59) are $7.00 between the hours of 12 noon and 5:00 p.m. and $5.00 after 5:00 p.m.

Children's Passes (ages 1-5) are $4.00 between the hours of 12 noon and 5:00 p.m. and $3.00 after 5:00 p.m.

Senior Citizen Passes (ages 60 & up) are $6.00 between the hours of 12 noon and 5:00 p.m. and $4.00 after 5:00 p.m.

Children (under 1) are at no cost!

The Hiawatha Water Park and Pool is located at 100 Sychar Road in Mount Vernon, Ohio and hours are between 12:00 noon and 7:45 p.m. from June through August.  If you have any questions prior to the season, feel free to call the City Hall Auditor's office at 740-393-9521.  Once the park is open, call 740-393-0288 for any questions.

If you enjoy this atmosphere, consider moving to Mount Vernon, Ohio! Click HERE to explore all of Mount Vernon Ohio's Homes For Sale.

Make memories that will last a lifetime with family and friends in one of Mount Vernon, Ohio's most proud community accomplishments!

• Service Areas:  Mount Vernon, Ohio and Apple Valley Lake in Knox County Ohio
• Sam Miller Real Estate Team  http://www.knoxcountyohio.com
• Office (740) 397-7800 or 1-800-282-9096, samsells@sammiller.com