Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, and many other devices that make our lives fuller and simpler, was born in Milan, Ohio, in 1847. The Edison Birthplace Museum features a collection of rare Edisonia, including examples of many of Edison's early inventions, documents, and family mementos. The Birthplace is open February through November and is located at 9 Edison Drive in Milan, Ohio (near Exit 7 of the Ohio Turnpike).
Telephone (419) 499-2135.

John Wayne was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907, in this modest 4-room home in Winterset, Iowa. Restored to reflect its appearance in 1907, the Birthplace of John Wayne boasts an impressive collection of memorabilia such as the eyepatch worn in True Grit, a hat from Rio Lobo, and hundreds of rare photographs of the Duke.