Worms, Mushrooms, and Morse Code: Seven Ohio Clubs Doing It Their Own Way

If you've ever driven through rural Ohio and wondered why a grown man in a bib overall is staring intently at a patch of dirt holding what appears to be a tuning fork — congratulations, you've witnessed hobby culture in its natural habitat. We spent the last three months visiting clubs across the state, and what we found is simple: the weirder the hobby, the warmer the welcome.

Here are seven groups worth your Saturday.

1. The Buckeye Worm Charming Society — Knox County

Yes, worm charming is real, and yes, it's competitive. Competitors drive wooden stakes into a plot of grass and coax earthworms to the surface using vibrations — no digging allowed. The Knox County chapter formed in 2011 after a county fair demonstration got out of hand, and they've hosted an annual championship ever since.

How to join: Show up to any monthly practice at the Gambier fairgrounds with a garden fork and zero shame. First-timers get a mentor.

2. Rustbelt Spore Society — Cleveland

What started as four mycology nerds meeting in a Lakewood basement in 2018 has grown into a 300-member foraging collective leading guided hunts through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's edges (with proper permits, they're quick to note). Their motto: "If in doubt, don't eat it."

How to join: Attend a free beginner identification workshop, held the first Sunday of each month at the Ohio City community hall.

3. The 40 Meters Club — Dayton

Dayton is ham radio holy ground — it hosts the massive Hamvention every year — but this small circle focuses on something more specific: restoring vintage tube radios from the 1940s through '60s. Members have brought everything from a Hallicrafters SX-42 to a barn-find military surplus rig back to life.

How to join: No license needed for the restoration side. Walk-ins welcome Thursday nights above a heating supply shop on East Third Street.

4. Mohican Meadow Stompers — Ashland County

A competitive clogging troupe that practices in an actual barn and performs at every small-town festival within a two-hour radius. Founded in 2009 by two retired schoolteachers, they now carry a waitlist. The Stompers accept absolute beginners every January — "enthusiasm required, rhythm optional."

5. The Great Ohio Basement Pinball League — Columbus

Sixty-some private collectors open their basements to league play on rotating weekends. League founder Marcus Tran started it in 2016 with three machines in his Clintonville garage; the roster now includes over 40 home collections. New players are ranked gently and fed generously.

How to join: Fill out the interest form on their corkboard — yes, a physical corkboard — at the Columbus collector swap each March.

6. Hocking Hills Rock Hounds — Hocking County

Part geology club, part hiking group, part excuse to get outside. Members hunt for fossils and minerals along creek beds, and the Flint Ridge flint finds are legendary. Kids under 12 join free, and the club swears the best way to learn Ohio geology is to come home with muddy boots.

7. The Cincinnati Typewriter Underground — Cincinnati

Every third Saturday, a rotation of coffee shops hosts a "type-in" where members bring restored typewriters, fix strangers' machines for free, and mail letters to each other. Founded by a retired school secretary in 2015, the group has restored and donated over 900 machines to schools and veterans' organizations.

How to join: Just show up with a typewriter — or show up and they'll hand you one.

Why Niche Clubs Are Thriving

Every club we visited said the same thing: the internet brought them together, but the in-person meetings kept them alive. A Facebook group can organize a worm-charming tournament, but it can't hand you a mentor, a plate of potluck brownies, and a reason to leave the house on a gray Ohio Saturday.

In an age when everything is optimized and scalable, these clubs are gloriously none of those things. They're small, specific, and open-door. Pick one, show up once, and see what happens. Worst case, you've got a story. Best case — and this is the bet we're making — you've got a crowd.

Know an odd Ohio club we missed? Send it our way. We're already planning a sequel.