"We didn't have any specific dream about the property, but it's a dream come true," Bob Postle said in August. He was standing in front of the barn he and his wife Sue had given away seven years earlier.
If you live in Lewis Center, you've almost certainly seen that barn from Interstate 71. The Delaware Gazette estimates about 150,000 motorists see it every day, and it calls the barn possibly the most photographed structure in Delaware County. For more than 25 years, though, the only way to see it was from the highway at speed. That changed on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, when Preservation Parks of Delaware County opened the restored Delaware County Bicentennial Barn and the rest of McCammon Creek Park to the public.
Between now and Nov. 19, the barn has posted open-house hours when anyone can come in for free. After that, the published calendar shifts to private bookings for 2027.
The front door faces away from the freeway
The ceremonial ribbon cutting took place on Friday morning, Aug. 21, at the barn's front entrance, which the Gazette pointed out is on the side that doesn't face the freeway. The side drivers know is the back. To get to the front, take Bale Kenyon Road, not the interstate. The Barn Area entrance is at 6840 Bale Kenyon Road, Lewis Center.
Admission is free. Parking includes 38 spaces next to the barn, plus 73 more in the main McCammon Creek Park lot. Inside, the main room is the Patrick J. Tiberi Event Hall, named for the former congressman. There is also a lobby honoring Kokosing and a welcome entry named for the Kaplan Family. The Gazette mentions chandeliers, a detail that's hard to picture from the highway.
"Because of Bob and Sue, this would not be possible," Tiberi said at the ceremony.
What the highway view never showed
The barn dates to the early 1900s. It became one of Ohio's 88 Bicentennial Barns when artist Scott Hagan painted it with the Ohio Bicentennial logo ahead of the state's 200th birthday in 2003. The Delaware Gazette and 1808Delaware both date that painting to 1999, while Preservation Parks' April 2026 project FAQ gives 1998. Hagan painted one barn in each of Ohio's counties, and he finished the last one in 2002. This barn was chosen partly because it stood right next to I-71. Bob Postle believes that visibility has made it one of the most photographed Bicentennial Barns in the state.
The logo you see today is new paint. Hagan came back in early August 2026 to repaint it, more than 25 years after he first painted it.
The barn itself has also moved. Preservation Parks' May 2025 plan called for taking the original structure apart carefully and rebuilding it on a new foundation about 50 feet from where it had stood. The rebuild kept the details that only show up close: the Vermont green slate roof, the cupola, the original wood siding, the hand-hewn beams, and the traditional timber frame. A new annex is attached to the barn. It holds a service kitchen, accessible restrooms, a universal changing station, storage, and office space, and lower-level classrooms are planned for future education programs.
The project cost $4.68 million, and Equity Construction Solutions of Hilliard did the work. Funding came from three places: a One-Time Strategic Community Investments Grant awarded through Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly, private donations raised by the Preservation Parks Foundation, and Preservation Park District funds. The Postles donated the barn in 2019, and the renovated building honors Sue's parents, Jim and Gay McCammon.
Why this fall is the window
The barn is now also a rental venue, and its booking page already says "Make your reservation today for 2027." For Delaware County residents, a weekend rental starts at a four-hour minimum of $1,000. The fall open house costs nothing and doesn't require a reservation. Here is every remaining date on the posted public schedule, as of Oct. 4:
- Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Oct. 6 through Nov. 17
- Thursdays, 1 to 3 p.m.: Oct. 8 through Nov. 19
- Second Mondays, 5 to 7 p.m.: Oct. 12 and Nov. 9
- Weekend days, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Sunday, Oct. 11, and Sunday, Nov. 8
If you work regular weekday hours, you have four options left: the two Monday evenings and the two Sundays. The September dates in each series have already passed.
October 10 adds another reason to visit. The Heroes Not Forgotten 4-Miler starts at 9 a.m. that Saturday, and it starts and finishes at the Bicentennial Barn. The barn's Sunday open house is the next morning.
Two rules apply to the whole park. Alcohol isn't allowed anywhere on Preservation Parks property, and that includes the patio outside the barn. Park hours also change on Nov. 1. Gates close at 9 p.m. through Oct. 31, then at 7 p.m. through the end of February.
The barn sits in the middle of 248 acres
The barn is just one part of McCammon Creek Park. The park covers 248 acres in three areas: North at 52 acres, the Barn Area at 88, and East at 108. The North Area opened in 2024, and the Barn and East Areas opened with the barn this August. Preservation Parks bought the land between 2015 and 2024 using Clean Ohio Greenspace grants and park levy funds.
"This is a moment that has been at least 10 years in the making," said Mary Van Haaften, executive director of Preservation Parks.
| Trail | Area and entrance | Length | Surface | Terrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Fox Trail | North, 3675 E. Orange Rd. | 1.25 miles | Gravel | Moderate elevation change |
| Harvest Trail | Barn, 6840 Bale Kenyon Rd. | 1.0 mile | Gravel and grass | Slight elevation change |
| Autumn Trail | Barn, 6840 Bale Kenyon Rd. | 0.5 miles | Gravel and grass | Steep elevation change |
| Sycamore Bend Trail | East, 7093 Bale Kenyon Rd. | 1.4 miles | Gravel and grass | Slight elevation change |
All four trails add up to 4.15 miles, so you can walk the whole park in one fall afternoon. Orange Township's paved multi-use path links all three areas, so you can walk or bike between them without moving the car. Leashed pets are allowed on the trails. If you have a short visit, Harvest and Autumn both start at the barn and add up to a mile and a half. Autumn is the one with the steep climb.
Orange Township Trustee Erica Fouss said at the opening that each section "has its own character," and added, "My subdivision backs up to this, so I know I'll be here often."
What hasn't been built yet
Preservation Parks' development plan for the park has one dated item and three undated ones. Restrooms in the Barn Area are scheduled for 2027. The Barn Area canopy walkway, the North Area restroom and Adventure Zone, and a Barn Area shelter, stage, and farm-themed playground are all listed as TBD.
The canopy walkway goes back to the park's 2022 master plan. The Columbus Dispatch described it then as a walk among the trees, next to an adventure area for climbing, yoga, and parkour. None of those pieces has a date yet. For now, the park is the barn, four trails, and the path that links them.
If you're putting together a Lewis Center weekend that includes a stop like this, the Evans Farm town center is close by. Our Lewis Center neighborhood page covers more of the area.
At Ayana Realty Group, we follow changes like this because they're part of what makes a Lewis Center address feel like home, from a new trailhead to a landmark you can finally walk into. If you have questions about the area around McCammon Creek Park, or want to talk through what's being built nearby, reach out and we'll walk through it with you.
