Our History
Keeping families together
The 1st Ronald McDonald House in Columbus opened on 18th Street in March 1982 when an old apartment building was purchased and renovated. The new facility was met with a great deal of excitement from the local community, and especially the new partner Nationwide Children's Hospital. As the hospital grew, so did the need to provide a place to stay nearby. So in 1988, capacity was increased to a total of 28 rooms, along with several other specialty areas that helped to make the House a home, where families could come together and help one another through the good times and the bad.
Most recently, in conjunction Nationwide Children's Hospital's exciting expansion project, a beautiful 80 room Ronald McDonald House was opened in July 2008, making it the second largest Ronald McDonald House in the world. Located only 200 steps away from Nationwide Children's Hospital, the House is designed to meet the needs of families from throughout Ohio, the United States, and in fact the world.
Each year, nearly 3,000 families stay at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, spending over 20,000 nights at our home-away-from-home. Want to learn more? To schedule a tour email Ryan.
