WHEELING, W.Va. (May 18, 2021) – The Museums Committee of Oglebay Institute is once again hosting its popular garden tour for its spring fundraiser. The Secret Gardens Tour and Garden Market takes place Saturday, June 12.
Tourgoers will visit and explore five of the area’s loveliest gardens, meet the passionate gardeners who create these lavish outdoor spaces and enjoy outdoor marketplace shopping with dozens of vendors.
Guests can begin the self-guided tour at one of two locations—either the Mansion Museum in Oglebay or Three Labs Salvage, 142 W. Main Street, St. Clairsville—where they can purchase a detailed map to each location. The location of the gardens is kept secret until the day of the tour.
Each stop—two in Wheeling and three in St. Clairsville—reveals an elegant host garden tucked away in a charming neighborhood. Guests will discover landscapes displaying the special interest of each homeowner and get creative ideas to take home to their own backyards.
The Garden Market will be located along the brick pathways, porches and grassy areas outside the Mansion Museum in Oglebay. It is a lovely outdoor setting filled with merchants and artisans selling items such as home décor, woodworking, plants and garden items, soaps and lotions, antiques, artwork, textiles, purses and totes, pottery, baskets, jewelry and more. Marketplace shopping is open 9 am to 2 pm and is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be available for purchase.
Tickets for the garden tour can be purchased in advance or the day of, beginning at 10 am. Last tickets will be sold at 2 pm. Guests have until 4 pm to complete the tour.
From butterfly bushes, majestic trees and fragrant perennial beds to garden sculptures, ponds and decorative brickwork, Secret Gardens’ tourgoers will find plenty of features to please the senses.
Hydie Friend and David Miller chair the Secret Gardens Tour for the Committee of the Museums of Oglebay Institute. Chairs of the vendor market are Kassie Edwards and Lisa Jorden. Other committee members also assist them.
Proceeds from the event directly benefit the Museums of Oglebay Institute.
The Museums of Oglebay Institute include both the Mansion and Glass Museums, located in Oglebay, and offer the public an elegant glimpse into the past. Once the summer home of millionaire philanthropist Earl W. Oglebay, the Mansion Museum offers 13 period rooms, the Wymer General Store and Sinclair Pharmacy collections and a changing exhibit in the Sauder Gallery. The nearby Glass Museum houses the finest collection of Wheeling glass in the country.
For more information, please call the museums at 304-242-7272. Tickets for the Secret Gardens Tour can be purchased at the door or in advance at www.oionline.com.