Between South Bend And Toledo Is Ohio’s ‘Fountain City’ With A Lively Entertainment District

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Ohio has come into its own as a tourism destination over the last few years. The state welcomed a record 242 million visitors in 2024, beating the record set the previous year by more than 3 million. Many of those visitors are bound for large cities like the Midwest foodie capital of Columbus, or want to take in natural landmarks like the stunning rock formations of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. But Ohio is also dotted with charming small towns that make excellent off-the-beaten-path destinations, and Bryan, Ohio, is a prime example.

Bryan is a town of about 8,600 people located in the northwest corner of the state, about an hour’s drive west of Toledo and roughly the same distance northeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana (which is also where you’ll find the closest major airport, Fort Wayne International). It was founded in 1840 on land donated by its namesake, John A. Bryan, to serve as the seat of Williams County. The town’s most prominent landmark is the French Baroque Williams County Courthouse, which first opened in 1891 and today serves as the centerpiece of Courthouse Square, Bryan’s main hub for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Bryan has earned its fair share of accolades. It was ranked 30^th in Norman Crampton’s book “The 100 Best Small Towns in America,” has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for 35 straight years, and is a candy-lover’s mecca, considered the Dum-Dums Capital of the World and the Candy Cane Capital of the World. These unique claims to fame, along with its welcoming charm and wealth of entertainment options, mean it has a lot to offer visitors.

The independent shops and restaurants around the courthouse give downtown Bryan a vibrant atmosphere, especially in the summer, when you can take advantage of its Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA). Within this zone, anyone over 21 can drink alcoholic beverages purchased from one of the nine DORA establishments. These include popular restaurants like Zazarac’s, which is known for tasty tapas and unique cocktails, and Tacos Nachos, an authentic Mexican restaurant serving dishes like huaraches, menudo, and elotes that aren’t often found on Midwest menus.

If you want to see a movie, the historic Bryan Theater is a three-screen, first-run theater that first opened in 1940 and still has its original marquee out front. It’s also in the DORA zone, so you can bring a beverage to enjoy while you watch. For music, Kora Brew House & Wine Bar has live performers on Tuesday through Saturday nights, while Club Bentley’s is a dance club that features both live acts and DJs. You can also check out the family-owned Stoney Ridge Winery, about 5 miles north of downtown, for live music every Friday and Saturday. For live theater, the Williams County Community Theater is one of the oldest such groups in Ohio and usually puts on four plays each year, so you can check the schedule online to see if any are happening during your visit.

There are even more ways to have fun in Bryan during the summer. The Fountain City Amphitheater in Moore Park has a free concert series, along with hosting events like comedy nights, kids’ story times, and the Fountain City Festival annual musical in July. The town is at its most festive during the Bryan Jubilee, a 3-day event with rides, carnival games, and shows that happens every June.

Bryan became known as Fountain City early in its history, thanks to its abundant artesian wells. It’s built over the Michindoh Glacial Aquifer, a natural source of mineral water. At one time, there were as many as 500 wells flowing in Bryan, with many households maintaining private fountains they used for refrigeration as well as drinking water. Bryan’s drinking water still comes from wells, though today there are only seven active, managed by the Municipal Water Department.

Bryan’s sweeter claims to fame can be traced back to 1906, when the family-owned Spangler Candy Company first opened its doors. The company is America’s largest manufacturer of candy canes, producing 2.7 million every day, earning the town its nickname as the Candy Cane Capital. Spangler also makes other household-name candies like Sweethearts, Bit-o-Honey, and Dum Dums, which is arguably its most recognizable candy brand. Not only does the company make about 12 million Dum Dum lollipops daily, but the Bryan Water Tower is painted with eight classic Dum Dum flavor wrappers in homage to the beloved hometown company. You can satisfy your sweet tooth at Spanger Candy World, a free interactive museum and shop where you can learn about and sample all of Spangler’s sweet treats.

For folks who want to explore Bryan’s less sugary history, the Williams County Courthouse is a great place to start. You can admire its distinctive 160-foot-tall red brick clock tower as you wander around Courthouse Square, then head next door to the Local History & Genealogy Center at the Williams County Public Library to find out more about Bryan’s past and people. For more regional history, drive about a half-hour south to the charming Maumee River town of Defiance to check out the monuments in Old Fort Defiance Park.