Akron / Canton, Ohio (One-Day Tour)
This tour can be combined with Cleveland travel packages

Akron / Canton’s history is colorful, painful, diverse and inspiring.  Located in the untamed frontier of the Western Reserve, access to the outside world was both arduous and expensive.  There was a great deal of talk of constructing a canal through the area.  By 1825 this region – now known as Akron / Canton – had its first canal under construction.  Because of this exceptional initiative, Akron / Canton quickly grew into a significant city on the new frontier.  In the years following, Akron / Canton would grow from her humble beginnings as a canal town into a major municipality whose name is now recognized throughout the world.

CUYAHOGA VALLEY SCENIC RAILROAD

On the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad students will experience the fun and adventure of riding the train on one of the oldest, longest and most scenic excursion railways in the country.  You'll ride comfortably in vintage climate-controlled coaches built in the 1940s and 1950s.  They will enjoy an unforgettable journey through the heart of the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park, along the Cuyahoga River and the historic Ohio & Erie Canalway.

HALE FARM & VILLAGE

In 1810 Jonathan Hale settled in the Cuyahoga Valley with his young family.  After living in a small cabin for 15 years, he used material from his property to build a three story brick house.  Three generations of his family lived in this home and farmed the property.  In 1956 his great-granddaughter bequeathed the farm to the Western Reserve Historical Society.  Today the museum spans over 140-acres within the Cuyahoga National Park.  Period crafts are made on the premises with skilled artisans demonstrating glassblowing, blacksmithing, spinning, weaving, candlemaking and basketmaking.  Farm animals are also in residence.

HARRY LONDON CHOCOLATE FACTORY

At the turn of the 20th century fine confections were associated with the delicate hand-craftsmanship of the Swiss or the rich, smooth cream and butter used by the Belgians.  In Canton Gilbert London was teaching his son Harry the fine art of confections by using recipes and techniques from the family’s European traditions.  Through humble beginnings Harry London created a small kitchen in his home.  This would be just the beginning of where the finest chocolates in the world would be created.  A guided tour and the Chocolate Gift Store await your group.

HOWER HOUSE

Hower House was completed in 1871 by John Henry Hower, a leading Akron industrialist who was active in the milling, reaping and cereal industries.  Hower and architect Jacob Snyder designed this house in the Second Empire Italianate style.  The floor plan features rooms radiating from a large octagonal center hall.  This 28-room mansion, listed as a National Historic Landmark, is capped with a mansard roof and soaring tower and is filled with hundreds of treasures and furnishings the Hower family collected from around the world.

NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL OF FAME (INVENTURE PLACE)

This unique museum celebrates those whose patented inventions, life-saving tools, labor-saving devices and technological innovations have become the basis of the American economy and society.  Within the Hall you can wander through worlds of innovative genius in the exhibits and explore new worlds at the Inventors Workshop.  Through hands-on, minds-on activities and exhibits, the museum offers fun educational programming that helps students unlock the inventive spirit that exists within us all.

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a one-of-a-kind attraction.  Students will enjoy more than 80,000 square feet of exciting exhibits including the dynamic Hall of Fame Gallery highlighting the greats of pro football with interactive touch screen kiosks paying tribute to each individual Hall of Fame Member.  Next, its ‘Football as You've Never Experienced It’ in the GameDay Stadium Theater – a state-of-the-art turntable theater delivering the full force of pro football energy right into your lap.  Then, enjoy interactive fun at the Football Toss Cage, Tele-Trivia Game, QB-1 Call-the-Play Theater and the new NFL Madden Football experience.

STAN HYWET HALL & GARDENS

In 1898 F.A. Seiberling founded the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, naming it after Charles Goodyear, the inventor of the vulcanization process for rubber.  Like many of his industrialist peers, F.A. Seiberling had architectural aspirations.  Between 1912 and 1915 he and his wife, Gertrude, built their country estate and named it ‘Stan Hywet’ (Old English for stone quarry) – the property’s most prominent natural feature.  In 1957 the Seiberling family donated Stan Hywet to a non-profit organization so that the public could enjoy and experience a noteworthy chapter in American history.  Above the Manor House entryway the crest bearing the motto Non Nobis Solum (Not for Us Alone), welcomes guests as warmly today as it did a century ago.  Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is Akron’s only National Historic Landmark and Save America’s Treasures project.  It is accredited by the American Association of Museums.  Your visit includes a guided tour of the home and self-exploration of the grounds.

Discovery Tours, Inc.
24719 Dundee Drive
Cleveland, OH 44143

TOLL FREE NATIONWIDE
P:  (800) 590.2669
P:  (216) 531.8884
F:  (216) 531.8885
info@discoverycleveland.com

Home | Student Tours | Baseball Tours | Motor Coach Tours | Cruise Adventures
Natural Heritage Tours | Vacation Getaways | Group Travel | Railroad Adventures
Disney World Vacations | General Tour Information | Frequent Traveler Program
Travel Shows | Newsletters | Downloads | Site Map | Contact Us

Copyright © 2008 Discovery Tours, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Legal Notices.
Discovery Tours and find more to discover are service marks of Discovery Tours, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.