Editing Marion, Ohio (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Palace Theater, Marion.jpg|thumb|[[Palace Theatre (Marion, Ohio)|Palace Theatre]] (c. 1928)]]

===Performing arts===
The [[Palace Theatre (Marion, Ohio)|Palace Theatre]] (c. 1928) is a 1440-seat [[atmospheric theatre]] designed by [[John Eberson]] in the [[Spanish Colonial Revival architecture]] style.<ref>Hoffman, Scott L. ''A Theatre History of Marion, Ohio: John Eberson's Palace and Beyond''. Charleston, SCC: The History Press (2015).</ref> It has been in continuous operation since it opened on August 30, 1928. Restored in 1975, it is one of only 16 remaining Eberson-designed atmospheric theatres still in operation in the United States today. Eberson designed the theatre for Young Amusement Company, at an original cost of one-half million dollars ($8.6 million in 2023 dollars). Inside, the auditorium resembles an outdoor palace courtyard, complete with a blue sky and twinkling stars. It has many original [[Pietro Caproni]] sculpture castings. The theatre is registered on the National Register of Historic Places. Adjoining the theatre is the May Pavilion, a two-story event space for chamber orchestra concerts, jazz and soft rock bands, [[amateur theatre]] productions of plays and small cast musicals, wedding receptions, graduation parties and meetings.

The theatre presents touring artists and children's theatre. During the off-season and at other times during the year when the theatre would be otherwise dark, [[Actors' Equity Association|non-equity]] [[Amateur theatre|amateur theater]] musicals, community band concerts and high school productions are presented on the main stage and in the smaller May Pavilion. The theatre also exhibits current motion pictures.

===Museums===
'''Heritage Hall & the Old Post Office'''
The [[Old U.S. Post Office (Marion, Ohio)]] was built in 1910. It is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (1990). The building is now used as the Heritage Hall museum of the Marion County Historical Society. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of [[Marion County, Ohio]] history.

'''Wyandot Popcorn Museum'''
Heritage Hall is also home of the Wyandot Popcorn Museum, the "only museum in the world dedicated to popcorn and its associated memorabilia." Opened in 1982 prior to the second [[Marion Popcorn Festival|Popcorn Festival]], the museum's collection consists of classic antique poppers made by [[Cretors]], Dunbar, Kingery, Holcomb and Hoke, Long-Eakin, Excel, Manley, Burch, Star, Bartholomew, Stutsman and Advance. Not only is it one of only two Popcorn Museums in the world, it also represents the largest collection of restored popcorn antiques.

'''Warren G. Harding House'''
A national presidential site, the [[Harding Home]] was the residence of [[Warren G. Harding]], twenty-ninth president of the United States. Harding and his future wife, Florence, designed the Queen Anne Style house in 1890, a year before their marriage. They were married in the home and lived there for 30 years before his election to the presidency. Like [[James A. Garfield]], an earlier U.S. president from Ohio, Harding conducted his election campaign mainly from the house's expansive front porch. During the 3-month front porch campaign, over 600,000 people traveled to the Harding Home to listen to the candidate speak. Harding paid $1,000 to have a [[Sears]] catalog house built behind his home so newspaper reporters had workspace to type their stories. The press house is also open to the public. The site is being expanded to include a Presidential Center for Harding, expected to be opened in 2020, the 100th anniversary of Harding's election to the Presidency.

'''Huber Machinery Museum'''
This museum contains examples of Edward Huber's early steam and gasoline tractors and road-building equipment. [[Huber Manufacturing Co.|Huber Manufacturing]] introduced a thresher in 1875, a steam traction engine in 1898, its first motor graders in the 1920s, a primitive hydraulic control in 1926, and the first Maintainer, a tractor-sized integral motor grader, in 1943. Other Huber products included wheel tractors, agricultural equipment, and three-wheel, tandem and pneumatic rollers.

'''Marion Union Station and Museum'''
More than 100 trains pass by Union Station every day. The museum showcases an impressive collection of memorabilia and the AC Tower, which was once the main switching facility for the [[Erie Railroad]], Marion Division. During [[World War II]], thousands of soldiers passed through Union Station on their way to Europe.

===Annual events and fairs===
Marion is home to the [[Marion Popcorn Festival]], an annual event that is held in downtown Marion in September, the weekend following Labor Day. The Marion County Fair is held every year in Marion during the first week of July. Saturday in the Park is a children's festival that is held each year in Lincoln Park.

Marion is also home to [[Buckeye Chuck]], Ohio's official weather-predicting and State [[Groundhog]] known for predicting the arrival of spring on [[Groundhog Day]] (February 2).

The Rockin' Poppin' Organization is the proud host of the annual Rockin' Poppin' New Year's Eve Celebration. The annual event is held in Marion, OH leading up to midnight when an Illuminated Popcorn Ball is dropped 3 stories from a radio tower to countdown to the new year.