Holmes County library StoryWalk turns Deer Run Park into outdoor reading path

Families in Holmes County do not need a big budget or a full-day plan to make a reading trip out of an afternoon. At Deer Run Park in Millersburg, the Holmes County District Public Library’s StoryWalk turns the paved path beside the Central Library into an outdoor book trail, where children and caregivers can walk, read and keep moving at the same time.

A public amenity built from library dollars

The StoryWalk grew out of a grant the Holmes County District Public Library received in April 2021 from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, with the award routed through the State Library of Ohio. The library worked with the Village of Millersburg to install the pages around the paved walking path at Deer Run Park, tying a county literacy project to a park already familiar to local families.

That mattered because the project was not designed as a one-time novelty. On Jan. 26, 2021, Millersburg council approved teaming with the library on story walks in the park, with the library covering the costs and themes set to change twice a month. In practice, that made the StoryWalk a repeatable public feature, not just a program on a calendar, and it gave families a reason to come back without needing a ticket or a special registration.

How the StoryWalk works on the ground

The format is simple, which is part of its appeal. Pages from a children’s book are displayed along the route, so a walk becomes an interactive reading experience rather than a stand-alone stroll. Children can stop at each page, point out the pictures and keep going at their own pace, while adults get an outing that mixes literacy with movement and outdoor time.

The Holmes County District Public Library’s StoryWalk page showed Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman at the time of a page snapshot, a reminder that the installation can rotate titles while keeping the same basic structure. Freedman’s book was published in April 2019, so the path also works as an introduction to a relatively recent picture book rather than an old standby that never changes.

That rotation is what makes the StoryWalk useful for repeat visits. A later Holmes County District Public Library Facebook post indicated that new stories are posted periodically at Deer Run Park, which means parents, grandparents and homeschoolers have a built-in reason to return and find a different book along the same walking path.

Why Deer Run Park fits this kind of literacy project

The location helps the idea work. Deer Run Park sits in Millersburg beside the Central Library, so the StoryWalk connects two public spaces that already serve families in the village. The route is also around a paved path, which makes the experience easier to use for a wide range of ages and abilities than a more rugged trail would be.

The opening event in July 2021 made that transformation visible. The library officially unveiled the StoryWalk at Deer Run Park in a ceremony called “Walk With Me: A Community Adventure in Literacy,” and Michele Skolmutch, the library’s director of Children’s Services, addressed a gathering of village officials and library patrons. The event marked the park as more than open grass and open space, giving it a clear identity as a place where reading and recreation meet.

Village administrator Nate Troyer captured that shift bluntly when he said Deer Run Park had once been “pretty much just grass that had to be mowed.” The line underscored how the park changed from a basic maintenance job into a public amenity with a visible use, one that families can see and experience for themselves.

A practical stop for parents, grandparents and visitors

The StoryWalk works best for people looking for an easy outing that still feels intentional. Parents can use it as a short after-school activity, grandparents can pair it with a walk, and visitors can see a part of Millersburg that blends local infrastructure with early literacy instead of separating the two.

Because the titles change and the route stays in place, the StoryWalk gives Holmes County families a familiar destination with enough variety to stay useful. In a county where accessible activities matter, Deer Run Park now offers a walk that asks children to read, move and come back for the next story.