The Capitol Square Foundation was the driving force behind placing Ohio’s original 1802 and 1851 Constitution on permanent display at the Statehouse. The Foundation continues to maintain and improve the exhibit.
The constitution is located in the Statehouse Museum on the ground floor. Two original pages of each version of the constitution are on display at any given time and the pages are rotated to protect their structural integrity.
Ohio is the only state that displays its constitution in its capitol building.
The Ohio Constitution of 1802 is particularly notable because at the time of its adoption it was the only constitution in the world that made slavery illegal. Following the model of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the newly adopted constitution established Ohio as a free state. The Ohio Constitution established a system of public education in Ohio, the first of its kind in the nation.
