The recent encounter Officer Riley had with the 1st amendment auditor, Steven Kelly, was a perfect…read moreexample of how to deal with Internet Frauditors. Ofc. Riley was polite and professional, while Steven Kelly called her foul names. Great job Officer Riley.

I have not had anything to review with APD really.With that said...What can I do for the Akron…read morePolice.

Professional, dedicated, courteous, and respectful are only a few words that describe the officers…read moreof the University of Akron Police Department! One afternoon I went to their main station to submit my prints as part of a background check, and was promptly greeted by an attendant at the window. The officer who ran my prints was friendly, pleasant, and cordial, all of which left me with a positive experience. Like all college police agencies, these officers are tasked with providing a safe and crime free campus for students, faculty, and anybody transiting through. Locked out of your car, no problem! Need a safety escort late at night, just ask! And if you have to report an incident, make that call. So, if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can call them, you can always count on the men and women of the UAPD!

Hower House is a historical home in downtown Akron that is stunning and unique both inside and out…read more It's quite surprising inside with spacious rooms on three levels and gorgeous woodwork and chandeliers. The rooms are lavishly furnished and decorated. The Christmas tour is especially good this year (2025). I highly recommend a visit if you haven't seen this lovely house. There is a small free parking lot in the back (enter from S. Forge St.) and then you walk around the house to enter at the front door. The gift shop on the lower level has some very nice merchandise and is fun to visit after touring the house.

This Second Empire style mansion is quite lovely. I had visited here once before during undergrad,…read morebut that has been well over 20 years ago. The volunteer docents are very friendly. The home has lots of beautiful decor and they had recently decorated for the holidays (a little early, but I wasn't disappointed to see how lovely of a job they had done). No photos are allowed inside. I found this to be disappointing. The gift shop was closed the day I visited because the employee didn't show up. The carriage house was also closed, because something was needing to be fixed. So I can't comment on either of those two things. Apparently most days they offer coffee and tea, but not the day I was there. The house had a delicious aroma of coffee brewing, though. The Hower family was very well-traveled. I enjoyed seeing items they had brought back from the many countries they had visited to adorn the beautiful home. I couldn't figure out if the tour was supposed to be guided or not. The docents kind of followed me around and told me facts about certain things, but I could have sworn they said it was self-guided when I walked in. It was fine, and certainly a nice gesture, but sometimes I like kind of wandering at my own pace. The docents are also reluctant to talk about the ghost stories. There have been a variety of things published about this house being haunted, and I remember a couple grad students lived at the house as care-takers when I was in school. They had heard and seen some interesting things at night. When I asked a couple of the volunteers about the things that go bump in the night I got a very quick "This house is not haunted" reply. Hmmm......

Main Library is such a great resource in downtown Akron. It's a spacious, modern facility with…read morefriendly staff and a HUGE physical collection. I can always find books and movies, and I've heard great feedback on the tools provided in the Maker Space. I love the magazine archives, and I've attended events in the auditorium there. Parking is easy in the garage on High St with one hour free if you pick up a validation slip at the security desk.

Gorgeous building, excellent selection of almost every kind of media, functional online database,…read moreand staff is always helpful with finding things and overall are kind in general.

Akron, if you didn't know it, is the Rubber Capital of the World. It remains the home of the…read moreGoodyear Tire Company and Goodrich and others. As a tribute to the people who helped make it what it is, this statue was unveiled in 2021 by mayor and others. It was sculpted by Zanesville artist Alan Cottrill and modeled after the 1920s tire worker on the cover of "Wheels of Fortune," a book by former Beacon Journal writers David Giffels and Steve Love. It stands at a roundabout at the intersection of Mill Street and Main Street. The plaque reads, "This commemorative statue pays tribute to the lives of Akron rubber workers and their families, and the essential part they played in establishing our city's identity as the Rubber Capital of the World." I didn't spot it at the time, but the main base is in the shape of Summit County and the taller portion is in the shape of the Akron city limits. You'll need to climb to a higher floor in the library to look down and spot it. [Review 1348 of 2024 - 267 in Ohio - 22371 overall]

Located in downtown Akron near the public library, this marker points out a relatively recent…read morehistorical event. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Five Depression-era strikes against many of Akron's rubber companies culminated in a giant "sit-down" strike against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, the industry's leader, in February and March of 1936. The fledgling United Rubber Workers (URW), created in September 1935, used the tactic of being at work but not working that had been pioneered by rank-and-file workers in a successful 1934 strike against the General Tire and Rubber Company. After a peaceful month-long strike, the URW won recognition from Goodyear and reached a settlement on March 22. The 1936 Akron Rubber Strike was one of the earliest successes for the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO), sparking a wave of industrial organizing and similar strikes in 1936 and 1937. The "sit-down" strategy extended beyond the rubber industry and was instrumental in the founding of the industrial union movement in the United States." This is marker 32-77 and it was erected in 2003 by The Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Tri-County Regional Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and The Ohio Historical Society. There is metered street parking nearby. [Review 1349 of 2024 - 268 in Ohio - 22372 overall]

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]

I've been here twice recently: once for trick or treat with my son and once for a holiday open…read morehouse specifically for members of a couple other historical sites in Akron. Both times were interesting and I learned a lot at the open house. The trick or treat was more fast-paced, so not a lot of time to ask questions about the history, but the open house was very relaxed and I had lots of great conversations with the docents. This house is very haunted, especially by Martha in the upstairs bedroom in the back of the house. I also walked over to the John Brown house. I had never been there. I am still confused about who exactly John Brown was. He was loved and hated; he was revered and despised. That house is much smaller than the Perkins house, but it is open to the public and there is some interesting history there too. They were also housing an art exhibit featuring barns of Ohio. (See my photo with this). My son's favorite part of our October visit to Perkins was the sheep grazing on the lawn outside with the beautiful autumn colors in the background. I learned the other day that they are "borrowed" for the summer and autumn, and then go to warmer pastures in the summer.

From the owner: Founded in 1924, the mission of Summit County Historical Society, a 501(c)3 corporation, is to…read morepreserve and interpret the history of Summit County and Akron, and to educate regional communities about the people and events that have shaped our rich history. The Society owns and manages several properties including the Perkins Stone Mansion, home of Akron's founding family; John Brown House, home of the internationally recognized abolitionist; and Old Stone School in downtown Akron - a partnership with Akron Public Schools. Two of the properties are open to visitors, the John Brown Home and the Perkins Stone Mansion.