The Great Bend Museum

Why visit us?

• Free and open Tuesday-Saturday 12-4
• Roughly 2000 pieces of Jackson County history on display
• Fun for visitors of all ages

Who We Are

   Founded in 1972 by the Jackson County Historical Society, the museum tells the histories of Jackson County and the Ohio River’s Great Bend region with objects, photographs, and archives. The museum is located in the former Lock 22 powerhouse in Riverfront Park.
    It is joined by the Sayre Log Cabin, which was moved to the park from Cow Run (near Cottageville) in 1982. Furnished in the manner of an 1800s century homestead, the Cabin depicts the everyday lives of the Sayre family and other early pioneer families of Jackson County.
   In 2020, the Historical Society gave the museum and collection to the City of Ravenswood to carry on its mission of preserving and promoting county history.

What is The Great Bend?

   The Great Bend is a notable geographic feature where the Ohio River bends back on itself in a narrow horseshoe shape. It has been identified and named in maps as far back as the 1700s and George Washington specifically claimed two land tracts on it, one at Ravenswood and one at Millwood. It felt appropriate to name our regional history museum after this landmark which has seen over three centuries of recorded history in the area.