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- Cities of the United States
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- Akron: Recreation
Akron: Recreation
Sightseeing
Sightseeing in Akron might start where the city itself started—with the Ohio & Erie Canal. The original canal route has been transformed into a recreational and historical education zone called the CanalWay, which was designated as a National Heritage site in 1996. The 110-mile area can be explored by biking or walking all or part of the 60 miles of Towpath Trail along the route where mules once towed barges, or by driving the CanalWay Ohio National Scenic Byway that stretches from Canton to Cleveland, or by riding the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Both the Byway and the Railroad pass near destinations such as Inventure Place, Akron's Northside, the Visitors Center for the Canal, Rockside Road, and Quaker Square. The original Quaker Oats Company building has been converted into a unique center for entertainment, shopping, and dining; the silos of the old factory can be rented as lodging in one of Akron's most memorable hotels.
The CanalWay transports visitors to downtown Akron by way of the Northside District, a collection of restored buildings, outdoor sculptures, unique cafés, galleries, and restaurants in the city's reborn city center. Northside makes a good jumping-off point for a tour of Akron history; just north of the train station in Northside are the nine locks that allowed barges to climb the canal from Little Cuyahoga River to the Portage Summit. The restored Mustill Store reflects the 19th century canal-era design and houses a visitors center with exhibits on local industry related to the canal.
The Glendale Cemetery was established in 1839 and reveals much of the history of Akron in its engravings and epitaphs. A restored 1876 Gothic chapel remains on the grounds, and mausoleums exhibiting Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Gothic, and Art Moderne influences line Cypress Avenue as it runs through the grounds.
At the Goodyear World of Rubber Museum on East Market Street, visitors can retrace the beginnings of vulcanization, observe modern rubber production processes, and check out an Indy 500 race car with Goodyear tires.
Heading south and east through downtown, visitors will come upon the National Inventors Hall of Fame, which honors the creative and brave individuals who have advanced technology and the sciences over the course of the country's existence. The Inventors Workshop onsite stimulates innovation and problem-solving in visitors who participate in interactive and fun exhibits, demonstrations, and experiments. Camp Invention provides a week-long immersion experience during the summer for children in grades two through six, and older students can compete in the Collegiate Inventors Competition sponsored by the museum.
The Akron Zoological Park is home to more than 400 animals in exhibits such as the Tiger Valley habitat, the Bald Eagle Exhibit, the Otter Exhibit, and the Penguin Point Exhibit. The aviary and Lemur Island are perennially popular attractions. As an accredited world conservation zoo, the Akron Zoo coordinates breeding programs to conserve endangered species. The zoo offers seasonal and special events throughout the year, including Spring Surprise, Senior Safari, Boo at the Zoo, and Snack with Santa.
The home of Dr. Bob, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous back in 1935, is open to tourists. It all started in a tidy house on Ardmore Avenue when Bill Wilson helped Dr. Robert Smith kick his alcohol addiction. The two opened the house to other alcoholics, creating a grassroots addiction treatment program that is thriving today.
Other must-see attractions include Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens (former home of Goodyear co-founder Frank Seiberling), St. Bernard Church, the American Marble and Toy Museum, and the Pan African Culture and Research Center on the grounds of the University of Akron.
Arts and Culture
The Akron Art Museum is undergoing extensive renovations that are expected to be unveiled in 2006; in the interim, temporary exhibits are scattered throughout the city to keep the taste for art alive. When reopened, the museum will be expanded to 65,000 square feet of soaring architecture with tripled gallery space and increased outdoor exhibit areas. The museum's collections include works of Warhol, Stella, Bourke-White, and Callahan.
The Akron Symphony is the headliner for local performing arts; comprised of a symphony orchestra, a youth symphony
The E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall at the University of Akron hosts musical performances (both national and local), plays and musicals. The performance hall has joined forces with Broadway Across America, one of the largest live theater production companies in the U.S., and now offers a Broadway in Akron series. The Civic Theatre in Akron participates in the Broadway in Akron series production and provides an elegant venue for musical, dramatic and comedic performances. Nationally-recognized musical performers are often booked at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls.
The Ohio Ballet, a professional company in residence at the University of Akron, performs classical and more contemporary ballet pieces. The Children's Ballet Theatre in Akron was founded in 1993 to provide a pre-professional performance opportunity for select young dancers from 10 to 18 years of age. The Children's Ballet Theatre annually performs "The Nutcracker" and has become recognized for productions of "Coppelia" and "Cinderella."
The Weathervane Playhouse is a community theater that produces a year-round schedule of family theater, musicals, and contemporary comedies and dramas. The 2004-2005 season offered an eclectic mix, ranging from "Winnie the Pooh" and "Forever Plaid" to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The Playhouse holds classes in Hands-On Theater, audition tactics, and musical theater techniques in addition to summer camps for younger performers.
Akron is home to the largest professional dinner theater in the world—in its 51,000 square feet of space, the Carousel Dinner Theatre can entertain up to 1,000 guests with dinner and a show.
Arts and Culture Information: Akron-Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau, 77 E. Mill Street, Akron, OH 44308; telephone (330)374-7560; toll-free (800)245-4254
Festivals and Holidays
The cold of the Ohio winter means festivities are either inside or on the ski slopes in January—early in the month, the One Act Play Festival takes place at the Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, while a number of races and demo events are occurring at nearby Boston Mills and Brandywine ski resorts. Ski and snowboard events continue throughout February, and the heart can be warmed by the Valentine Exhibit held each year at Hower House Victorian mansion. The Akron/Canton Home and Flower Show in February awakens thoughts of spring, with gardening seminars held in the John S. Knight Center. March is a month of festival as well as weather extremes, with the Annual Spring Needlework Show and the Fists Against Hunger Martial Arts Tournament. March also brings an Akron tradition of wintry night hikes in anticipation of spring.
Earth Day activities and resumption of baseball season herald the arrival of spring in April. Akron's newest extravaganza is the National Hamburger Festival, to be held each Memorial Day weekend in celebration of an all-American culinary creation. The first festival is expected to take place in May of 2006 in downtown Akron.
Fathers Day in Akron is observed with the high-flying antics of the Aero Expo air show at the Akron Fulton Airport. Throughout the weekend, aerobatic performances are staged by modern military aircraft and the Tuskegee Airmen. The AA Founders Day Celebration in mid-June coincides with the Riverfest Irish Festival in Cuyahoga Falls. Toward the end of June, Boston Mills Ski Resort hosts its annual Artfest, with juried fine arts and crafts shows featuring more than 160 artists.
The Fourth of July weekend sets off musical and culinary fireworks with the Akron Family Barbecue at Lock 3 on the Canal. Rib vendors, carnival rides and games, street entertainers, and children's activities light up the July nights. At the end of the month, the annual Akron Arts Expo coordinates a juried art show with more than 165 exhibitors, plus food and live entertainment. July winds up with the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships at Derby Downs. In the heat of August, folks from around the region dress up in Civil War garb for the Annual Civil War Encampment and Reenactment held at Hale Farm and Village.
During the entire month of September, locals take advantage of cooler temperatures by indulging in Metro Parks' Fall Hiking Spree, following any of the 13 trails that wander through prime fall foliage. Two festivals at the end of the month say goodbye to summer (the Annual Mum Fest at Lake Anna Park) and hello to fall (the Annual Loyal Oak Cider Fest at Crawford Knecht Cider Mill). In October, the Annual Wonderful World of Ohio Mart is held at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, while the Akron Zoo celebrates Halloween with Boo at the Zoo. The month of November ushers in the Annual Holiday Mart at the Summit County Fairgrounds Arena, followed by the Holiday Tree Festival at the John S. Knight Center later in the month. The annual Christmas Music Spectacular in mid-December has become a beloved tradition, and FirstNight Akron is catching on as a family-friendly, alcohol-free way to see in the New Year.
Sports for the Spectator
The big event in Akron is the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship Finals, held each August at Derby Downs. Since 1934, the Soap Box Derby has been encouraging youth to build and race their own non-motorized vehicles. The race has become increasingly sophisticated and now has three divisions ranging from beginners in the Derby to more advanced participants to a Masters Division. The festivities last for a week and are attended by locals, celebrities, and sports personalities from across the country.
From April to September, hardball fans enjoy Akron Aeros games at beautiful Canal Park Stadium. The Aeros are the AA farm team affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, drawing half a million fans each season. The Akron Racers are one of six national pro fast-pitch women's softball teams; games are played at Firestone Stadium.
The University of Akron Zips play a number of sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, providing college sports fans with football, baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, and track events. Cleveland is also home to several professional teams, including the Indians baseball franchise, the Browns football team, the Cavaliers basketball organization, and the Barons hockey club.
Sports for the Participant
The City of Akron organizes year-round individual and team sports through its recreation bureau, including basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball, volleyball, and weight training at local community centers operated by the city. Akron also maintains a championship golf course; Good Park Golf Course is located on the west side of the city and offers watered tees, greens, and fairways during golf season. A snack bar and pro shop are onsite as well. Riverwoods Golf Course provides nine holes for public use, and Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links has an 18-hole course located in the Portage Lakes area. Valley View Golf Club has 27 holes. Mud Run has a nine-hole course and a driving range.
The Metro Parks system, which serves Akron and the greater Summit County community, maintains more than 8,700 acres of recreational and educational space. A 33-mile Bike and Hike Trail provides safe workout areas for cyclists and walkers, and the extensive trail systems throughout Metro Parks are appropriate for light hiking and mountain biking in the warmer seasons and cross-country skiing in the winter.
Camping, boating, swimming, and fishing can be enjoyed within the bounds of Portage Lakes State Park in Akron. The Portage Lakes formed when chunks of glacier settled in depressions in the ground; the resulting plants in the area are unique and consist of tamarack trees, skunk cabbage, and cranberry. A wide variety of animals and birds can be observed near the lakes, and anglers can fish for largemouth bass, walleye, bullhead, carp, pickerel, pan fish, and channel catfish.
Great fishing can also be experienced on Lake Erie, otherwise known as the "Walleye Capital of the World." Besides walleye, anglers can hook smallmouth bass, yellow perch, salmon, and silver bullet steelhead. For a fish-eye view of the lake, it's possible to scuba dive into the depths of Lake Erie to explore a number of shipwreck sites.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park contains more than 125 miles of hiking trails that cross a variety of habitats and ecosystems. Some trails are accessible to all visitors; others are more challenging, though elevation change on the trails is relatively minimal. When winter hits, sledding and cross-country skiing fun can be had at the Kendall Lake Winter Sports Center in the Park. All trails can be accessed by snowshoe, and Kendall Lake often reaches sufficient thickness for ice skating.
The Road Runner Akron Marathon has gained a reputation as one of 50 great marathons in the U.S., based on the organization of the race and the quality of the course. Participants can choose to run the full marathon or be part of a marathon relay team. The event kicks off with inspirational speakers and a pasta party, followed by a celebration at Canal Park Stadium after the race has ended. A Kids Fun Run is also available.
In the winter months, the Brandywine and Boston Mills Ski Resorts are the scene of downhill skiing, snowboarding, and sledding galore.
Shopping and Dining
The former Quaker Oats Factory has been given new life as the Quaker Square Complex, home of unique specialty stores, galleries, and restaurants. The Trackside Grille in Quaker Square serves up food and displays of authentic railroad artifacts. The shopping experience continues in local shops throughout the downtown area. The Summit Mall on West Market Street is anchored by Dillard's and Kaufmann's stores and houses more than 120 vendors beneath its roof. The Plaza at Chapel Hill incorporates a collection of 45 stores and an 8-screen theater. Don Drumm Studios and Gallery in Akron features works by more than 500 artists in a gallery that spans two buildings. Foodies will appreciate the West Point Market, a 25,000 square foot buffet of gourmet foods such as Belgian chocolates, premium wines, imported caviar, homemade breads and a convenient café.
Akron's dining scene is continental, in reflection of its immigrant past; Italian and Chinese eateries abound, as do Mexican restaurants. Many culinary tastes are represented, however, including Cajun, Thai, Korean, Indian, French, Greek, Japanese, and Irish. Establishments range from homey cafés to fine dining bistros. The Menches Brothers Restaurant experience commemorates the invention of two American favorites by the local Menches Brothers of Akron: hamburgers, and the cornucopia ice cream cone. After-dinner coffee can be found at a small selection of local coffee houses.
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