We too the Christmas tour of the Franklin Castle. It had been on my list of things to do for some…read moretime. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and seemed very invested in the history of the castle. Oh! My! The castle is rich in history. My guess is you could take three different tours and learn something new from each one. We were only allowed to take photos of the first floor. The other floors had Air BnB rooms. Everything from the paranormal phenomena to the tunnels from the carriage house to Lake Erie were fascinating.

Fun fact: The castle is haunted!…read more I recently had an unexpected chance to visit Franklin Castle in Ohio City, and it was a very interesting experience. The Victorian mansion is ornate and makes you feel the weight of its history. The ornate stonework, hidden passageways, and eerie ambiance all add to its mysterious charm. It's definitely picture-worthy whether you're walking by or walking in. The event organizers were friendly. I was at the castle for pop art show held by Zack Webb. It was so fun to see the juxtaposition of history/antique and bright pop art. There was no guided tour, just a hang out in the main area of the house, and basement lounge (both very cool). If you're into history, architecture, or the paranormal, Franklin Castle is a must-see. Although I didn't see or feel any ghosts. It's equal parts creepy and captivating. Whether you're a Clevelander or a visitor, go see it!

I just want to let Tarot and Psychics be aware of Stacia. She got rid of a couple of really good…read morereaders and psychics, all because of being jealous/or didn't like their personalities. If she didn't like their craft, don't go around them. Maybe she could have just not talk to them, or even go near them. I was really disappointed when the owner of Haunted Hill View Manor, didn't even defend/or talk to the other talented readers and psychics. It's sad it can take one person to wreck people from going back to an event. The owner also needs to have the tours go down to where the vendors are. I have heard complaints some hardly get anyone in their room because they don't have the tours go down the vendor hall. Haunted Hill View Manor is a cool place, from what I understand. It's just disappointing the owner wouldn't talk to the others, who were blackballed by Stacia.

Oh my gosh this was so much fun! My friends and I went on the 1.5 hour tour followed by the 1.5…read morehour paranormal investigation. The energy in the building was palpable! We enjoyed the heck out of the experience and can't wait to do another investigation! The only thing were a little disappointed about was that the initial tour ran well over and cut into our private investigation time. This made the investigation very rushed. Overall, though, I can't wait to go back!

This stately mansion is perched atop a hill overlooking the northwestern PA city of Meadville. It…read morewas built in 1843, and is presently owned by the Crawford County Historical Society which offers tours and other elaborate and unique events. It's a desirable destination for those who enjoy being engulfed in the past. It was referred to as the "Mount Vernon of Meadville" in the town's local newspaper in 1938.

Can't believe I am the first to review this place. If you are in the area, drop by and walk the…read moregrounds. They have tours of the main house Wednesday through Sunday starting at noon. Takes about an hour and a half. It's free but they ask for donations. Look it up online. To much local history to go into here but the place is fabulous inside.

I stopped at the Hagen History Center on my way through Erie since I wanted to check out the Frank…read moreLloyd Wright office that they have on exhibit. The Hagen is located in a couple of buildings near Gannon University. Fairly recently the Hagen acquired the FLW office that he used in San Fransico near the end of his career; the Hagen built a special building to house the office along with other exhibits. While the FLW office has been on display other places, at the Hagen you are actually able to go into the office and look around, which is a real treat. To start the Hagen has a number of displays before you enter the office giving information on Frank Lloyd Wright, his designs and even identifies the buildings in the region that you can tour. The office itself is relatively small, just a compact reception area, 3 workstations and a small office that Wright used to meet with clients. The office has the feeling of being a Wright design, clean lines, natural materials, and innovation. An interesting element of the installation is that the Hagen has placed photos of what the office looked out to in the windows so you get an idea of how it looked in San Francisco. The Wright office is less spectacular than most Wright designs, it had to fit into a commercial building and was more of a satellite office for work in California. It is a nice visit if you are in the area or are a Wright completist. I did check out some of the Erie history exhibits on the second floor of the building, they seemed to be well presented and a nice look at various elements of Erie history. I was happy I stopped and checked out the Wright office at the Hagen, but it is not worth a special trip and there are much better examples of Wright buildings in the Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York that I would recommend you tour. This might be a great start if you are taking a trip through Erie to see Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob or doing the Buffalo Wright tour.

OH what fun ! stumbled upon this place right next to the Erie Art Museum - the place i never got…read moreinto beyond the front door( -see my other reviews ) The historical Society is on the top floor and looks a bit like a cluttered library stuffed full of books and, well, stuff ! The people inside saw me browsing and quickly came to ask if they could help and explained their hours etc they were very nice to me ! the Cashier's House is also in this building and even though it was in the middle of "moving within the building" they let me tour on my own anyways LOL it is a three story house and i accidentally went to the third floor unattended to have a look around no one seemed bothered by that even tho sightseers were supposedly not to go there the elevator took me right up there so...why not look around LOL ! ? not that security is lax cause there appeared to be cameras all about and on each floor - i wonder if anyone noticed me ? LOL LOTS of fun artifacts in the Cashier's House Victorian stuff to make is appear like a lived in home of that time period .... beside that there is a small Maritime museum of shipwrecks and an interesting but small room of Telephone history in Erie LOL LOTS of stuff in there it seemed well organised lots of old phones and phone books switchboards and wires and cables and insulators what a delight ! all in all a great visit for me even if i was the only one there for a good hour and oh yes .... the front desk guy let me in for free cause they were renovating the Cashier's House - i bet i never get THAT price again ! LOL !

Maybe you're not familiar with the story of Sojourner Truth, which would be a shame. Born in 1797…read moreas Isabella Baumfree, she was an abolitionist and activist for black civil rights, women's rights and alcohol temperance. Born a slave in New York, she escaped to freedom in 1826. She gave the speech "Ain't I A Woman?" in 1851 which became widely known during the Civil War. She went on to recruit black troops to fight for the Union Army and continued to fight for women's rights and civil rights until her death. That famous speech was given at the Ohio Women's Right's Convention here in Akron and to honor that, the United Way of Summit County and Akron has named this space for her in 2023, placed a statue and quotes. It's next to where the Convention was held. It's a pretty space, landscaped and completely handicapped accessible. Check it out. [Review 1353 of 2024 - 272 in Ohio - 22376 overall]

If you are a fan of local history, enjoy old architecture, like looking at antiques, and hearing…read moreinteresting stories about people, then I highly recommend visiting. Tours are by appointment, and can be arranged via the Zelienople Historical Society. There are two museums within walking distance of each other, the Passavant House, and the Buhl House. Each house tour runs for approx. 45 minutes, and is led by a volunteer docent from the society. There is a suggested donation of $5 per person for the tour (which includes both houses). There is so much to see inside these two houses, and the docents were very interesting and knowledgeable. Also, there are gardens behind each house, and these can be viewed at any time since they are outdoors, and there is no charge just to view the gardens (The gardens at Passavant House are very nice, and include lots of heirloom vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees which are all labeled. Also there is a beautiful pavilion where you can sit and relax). The garden at Buhl house has flowers and a fountain, plus a spring that is running through a tunnel underneath the house. If you are in the area, do check out these magnificent homes that are now museums. Also, there are places to eat and shop within walking distance. We ate lunch at the Historic Kaufman Tavern after our tour . . . Cheers!

It's difficult to rate this, since it's a free tour. But it did not meet my expectations at all…read more My family and I went on a Statue tour downtown on a Sunday morning. There was an older male who was our tour guide. Now, I've been on several other city tours before, both in Cleveland and other cities, so I've seen a wide range. This tour wasn't my favorite, and I wouldn't recommend it. Our tour guide was pretty arrogant. Instead of trying to impress us with the history of our city, he tried to prove he was superior by all the things he's done. Okay? Like idc, pal ! He wasn't open to any questions, requests, or feedback of any kind. It was his tour and he did things his way, and that was THAT! No engagement whatsoever. The "facts" were really just one generic sentence written from a page. (Other tour companies provide stories about what we're seeing, you know, like history!) At the end of our tour though, there was a man who played Tom Johnson who was PHENOMENAL though. He should be the one giving all the tours !!!!

Patty was a very good guide. We had a group outing for one of the December tours about the historic…read morehotels of downtown CLE. It was a seasonal holiday tour and the city was sparkling. They provided us with hot chocolate and cookies at the start of the tour, as well as a complimentary gift to choose from several options. I picked a tumbler with the Take a Hike logo. You also get a drink coupon for the bar at the Arcade to use after the tour or at another date. What a great touch! For a little over 30 bucks, you get a 90 minute tour, which I think is probably pretty close to the national average for a walking tour, especially considering it comes with some swag. We had a special guest, Mr. Schofield, who acted in character and told us a bit of history about one of the stops, which was a clever touch. The only suggestion I have is to have a warming stop or two in the middle of the tour. (We did have one, but that was close to the end of the tour.) I love learning the history, but honestly by the last stop I was kind of checked out because it was so cold. I would love to come back in the summer. Patty told us the summer tours are free! They also have a passport program where you collect stamps for each tour you take and can earn prizes and stuff. What a great concept!

What a fun way to spend a Saturday night. It was great to learn about the haunted history of…read moreCanton, Ohio. The operator of the tour did a wonderful job of researching the buildings we went to on our walking tour. I've been to Akron haunted walking tour but this was my first time on her Canton one.

I have been on several guided tours, and this one, hands-down, is my favorite! The Downtown Akron…read morehaunted tour was informative, fun, and full of amazing history. Laurie is a professional, personable guide, and she does so much research in order to give the best tour possible, which I appreciated and admired. I highly recommend Black Cat Tales & Tours if you want to have a fun night out with an engaging and knowledgeable guide.

What a great adventure for the family! We enjoyed it a lot. We had 12 year olds and older teen. Our…read moreguide, Sam, was fantastic! He had really good stories. We tour was one hour and a half. If you are passing by Titusville or live nearby, you would enjoy it. It was my first experience on Segway as well. I struggled for the first 10 minutes.