Fall is the Perfect Time to Visit The World’s Largest Basket in Ohio

A couple of months ago, my family took a nice little road trip to Columbus, Ohio to visit the Lego World experience. My 9-year-old son, Rollins, is a Lego fanatic and also loves to explore new cities. Somehow he knew that there were some random local attractions like "Giant Rubber Stamp" and a field full of huge concrete ears of corn. He also told us about the World's Largest Basket that was nearby. My mom is a big fan of baskets, so we decided to surprise her and stop to take a look. She was SO excited, just look how cute she is!

Why is The World's Largest Basket in Ohio?

In our search for directions, we found out that the giant basket was actually used as headquarters for the brand, Longaberger which was wildly popular in the 90's and early 2000s. The building is an exact replica of one of the best-selling market baskets. My grandmother, Katherine "Lucy" Cravens used to sell them and that's how my mom became such a fan. She still collects them any time she comes across one in good condition or that she doesn't have yet.

What Happened to Longaberger Basket Company?

Longaberger closed in 2018 for various reasons. Some site management issues, the economy, or the fact that the baskets were sold with a multi-level marketing sales model, but nevertheless, the epic woven office building is now left empty. Look how teeny tiny we are on the steps of the entrance.

Had to zoom in to see us, and show just how massive this basket really is.

Are Longaberger Baskets Still Made?

Even though the company was purchased and rebranded to include other home decor along with the baskets, there was no need for such a massive office building. Luckily, you can still visit the vacant basket and the associated Longaberger Homestead nearby.

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How About Them Apples?

Longaberger had such a fan base at the time, that they used to give tours of the space and the nearby Longaberger Village where the World's Largest Apple Basket is located. If you're gonna see one, you might as well venture over to see the other. The Homestead and store are closed, but you can park really close and just walk over for your photo op.

It's honestly a little eery to see everything empty that looks like it should be bustling with people. This is the perfect time to visit as the leaves on the trees turn color for the fall season. When we went, it did not look like the rustic pictures we saw online. I am assuming it was recently painted. I wonder if there are plans to get any of the areas up and running.