Explore cryptids, ghost stories, and unexplained mysteries as authors M. Kristina Smith and Kevin Moore separate fact from legend. Join us for a fascinating look at Ohio’s strange and storied past.

Across city and country, Ohio echoes with tales of creatures, ghosts, and other unexplained phenomena. A monster that appeared to be half man and half dog and wielding a 2-by-4 terrorized a small Northwest Ohio town during the summer of 1972. Over the years, visitors to a quiet Cincinnati suburb claim to have been accosted by a human-size, leathery frogman lurking near the riverbank. For generations, hikers and hunters have reported seeing Bigfoot throughout forests across Ohio, and some of the most notorious and well-documented UFO encounters on record have taken place here. Authors M. Kristina Smith and Kevin Moore parse urban legends from history as they explore the unnatural side of Ohio’s heritage.

Unnatural Ohio: A History of Buckeye Cryptids, Legends & Other Mysteries was published by The History Press in September 2023. It was based on a special exhibit at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums on Ohio folklore and legends that was in display in 2020 and 2021. The authors, Kevin Moore and M. Kristina Smith, both work at the museum.