The city of Akron has flourished because of its location between the Cuyahoga River, which connects to the Great Lakes, and the Tuscarawas River, which connects to the Ohio River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. With various gardens and parks, a zoo and museums, Akron is a small city with lots to see and do.
Akron was once known as the Rubber Capital of the World. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was founded here in 1898 and its headquarters remain to this day. Visit the Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, the home of Goodyear executive F.A. Seiberling. Tour the 65 opulent rooms of the mansion or stroll through its manicured gardens.
If you are an animal lover, make sure to visit the Akron Zoo. Observe more than 700 animals and nearly 100 different species at this wildlife park. The zoo is dedicated to breeding programs intended to preserve endangered species. The park is split into six themed areas meant to mimic different regions of the globe. See snow leopards in the Legends of the Wild section or watch grizzly bears in the Grizzly Ridge area.
Akron has several museums. Experience history firsthand at Hale Farm and Village with its meticulously recreated 19th-century life on a rambling farm. Take part in a cooking demonstration or walk through the heritage garden and farmyard. Visit the Akron Art Museum, home to an extensive permanent collection as well as a constant rotation of traveling exhibits. The museum’s structure itself is notable for its 2004 redesign that incorporated the original building into a new, thoroughly modernistic structure with a glass exterior.
Fly into Akron-Canton Airport, 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Akron. Rent a car or take the METRO bus into the city. Whether you visit to investigate the area’s history, explore Ohio’s only national park, at the nearby Cuyahoga Valley, or just enjoy the downtown restaurants and shopping, Akron is full of attractions and activities to catch your interest.
