Marion, Ohio feels like a comfortable, lived-in small city with a compact historic downtown, steady local events and museums (including the Warren G. Harding Home), parks and enough restaurants and coffee shops to make multi-week stays pleasant and restful.
Columbus (≈50 miles) and Mansfield (≈25 miles) are an easy drive for bigger museums, nightlife, an international airport and weekend options, so you get small-town calm with quick access to urban amenities.