The Ohio State Fair Butter Cow is greeting 2026 fairgoers from a new setting inside the renovated Dairy Products Building, where upgraded climate control, expanded visitor space, and modernized facilities are giving the century-old tradition a fresh presentation.
The overhaul is one of the most substantial updates to the historic Dairy Products Building in decades, preserving a staple that has attracted generations. The Butter Cow remains the main draw, now presented in a theater-style layout to improve sightlines and handle larger crowds.
Lead butter sculptor Paul Brooke said the renovation has already changed the experience for the team that creates the annual display. “The building’s all new. It’s air-conditioned now,” Brooke said, adding that the improvements are remarkable for one of the fairgrounds’ oldest structures.
Ohio State Fair Butter Cow
Behind the scenes, the sculpture demands careful planning and strict temperature management. “The butter has to be at certain temperatures to do the sculpting that we do,” Brooke said. “As long as that stays consistent, it lets us create the display.”
According to Jenny Crabtree, senior vice president of communications for the American Dairy Association Mideast, the display uses roughly 2,000 pounds of butter each year, underscoring its status as one of the fair’s headline attractions.
Scott Higgins, president and CEO of the American Dairy Association Mideast, said improving the building has been a long-standing objective. “When I first came here, I always had this mindset that we need to continue to improve,” he said.
The renovation introduces new windows, refreshed entrances, larger workspaces, enhanced refrigeration and freezer capacity, upgraded kitchen areas, and a more centralized placement for the Butter Cow exhibit. Among the changes, Higgins highlighted one feature above the rest. “Having air conditioning, honestly, it’s going to make it such a better experience,” he said.
The Butter Cow tradition at the Ohio State Fair dates back more than a century. The fair notes that the first butter cow-and-calf sculptures appeared in 1903 during a contest sponsored by The Ohio State University and the Dairy Processors of Ohio. The display grew so popular it became a permanent fixture. Since the Dairy Building opened in 1925, a new Butter Cow has been unveiled annually alongside a themed companion sculpture reflecting Ohio culture and current events.
Visitors can continue to see the Butter Cow alongside dairy exhibits, ice cream, milkshakes, and other fair favorites, now inside a cooler, more accessible building. The long-running focus on dairy mirrors broader efforts to support young people in the field, such as Holstein Foundation scholarships honor three dairy students.