YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Mahoning County’s tourism effort has a new name that reflects the entire county, and a revamped website and visitor’s guide to go with it.
As part of a rebranding effort that kicked off Wednesday, the county’s convention and visitors bureau has changed its public facing name to Explore Mahoning. Unlike the previous name – Youngstown Live – the new name acknowledges the attractions that can be found throughout the county, said Megan Magnetta, executive director.
Magnetta, who took over the bureau’s top job in May, said it was necessary to not just refresh the brand but embrace everything from Lake Milton to the state line.
“The old name had been in place for a long time,” Magnetta said. “We needed to adopt something more in keeping with the growing trends in tourism and more visitor friendly and modern. Explore Mahoning is broader and inclusive of the entire county.”
The new website is punctuated with videos and sidebar stories about the arts, wineries, golf, shopping, pizza, outdoor events and more. It features pulldown menus for an events calendar, places to eat, overnight accommodations, visitor resources and more.
The 2025 travel guide can be viewed on the website and can also be ordered by mail. In the next week or so, it will be stocked in tourism info racks in area hotels, interstate highway rest stops and other locations.

Magnetta has been on the job for less than a year, but she knows the tourism bureau’s marketing efforts well. The Mahoning Valley native was the owner of McConnell Marketing, which was the agency of record for the Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau for many years.
“I came to the job knowing a lot about it,” she said.
Explore Mahoning will continue to target automobile travelers and those who live within at least a 100-mile radius.
Because of its proximity to interstates 80 and 76 and state Route 11, many travelers pass through the Mahoning Valley daily. Explore Mahoning wants to get some of these travelers to do just that.
“We are the midpoint between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and New York and Chicago,” and also from New York state and Canada and some Southern states, Magnetta said. “We are a great stopover location.”
The county’s strongest attractions include its golf courses, museums, wineries, parks and outdoor recreation.
The annual Memories of Christmas Past exhibition at The Arms Museum “has become a huge draw, bigger than we’ve ever seen,” Magnetta said. “And The Butler Institute of American Art is a huge draw.”
But the biggest attraction is a certain leisurely sport played in the warm months.
“Golf is huge for us,” Magnetta said. “We have so many amazing courses, and the hotels have stay and play packages. Visitors eat, shop and stay here. They don’t just golf.”
Though Magnetta admits its difficult to gauge the number of visitors to the county, she does have figures for their economic impact.
“We get an economic development report every couple of years, and in 2023 visitors to the county had over $1 billion in impact, including over $600 million in direct spending,” she said, adding that tourism helps support more than 10,000 jobs in the county.
Pictured at top: An image featuring Mahoning County tourism magazines. (ExploreMahoning.com)