Akron · Kent · Canton — 150 sourced places

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Akron · Kent · Canton

rubber, football, Barberton chicken & the Galley Boy

Akron 45 places · area 1 of 6

Downtown, Highland Square, North Hill & Firestone Park

Photo: Dillguy9 · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

1 Must see within Akron

Swensons Drive-In (original, Wallhaven)

Pop Swenson started selling burgers from his station wagon at Buchtel High in 1933 and opened this South Hawkins drive-in in 1934; it's still the flagship of Akron's signature burger, the Galley Boy, run to your car by sprinting curb-hops. Signal Akron readers' Best Burger 2025; Beacon Journal readers' bracket winner 2026; Reader's Digest's best burger in Ohio.
40 S Hawkins Ave, Akron, OH 44313

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Photo: Brandon Bisel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

2 Must see within Akron

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

The 65-room Tudor Revival country estate Goodyear co-founder F.A. Seiberling built in 1912–15, with 70 acres of Warren Manning landscapes and an English garden — Akron's grandest house, a National Historic Landmark and the place Alcoholics Anonymous was born (Henrietta Seiberling introduced Bill W. to Dr. Bob in the Gate Lodge, 1935).
714 N Portage Path, Akron, OH 44303

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3 Must see within Akron

Akron Civic Theatre

John Eberson's 1929 Loew's atmospheric movie palace — a Moorish courtyard under a domed ceiling of twinkling stars and drifting clouds — restored and still Akron's main stage for touring shows and concerts.
182 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308

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Photo: Nyttend · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

4 Must see within Akron

Dr. Bob's Home (birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous)

The 1914 house where Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson worked out AA's principles and recruited its first members in 1935 — a National Historic Landmark (2012) kept as a museum and a pilgrimage site for the millions in 12-step recovery.
855 Ardmore Ave, Akron, OH 44302

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5 Must see within Akron

Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza

Where Sojourner Truth gave her 'Ain't I a Woman?' speech at the 1851 Ohio Women's Rights Convention (Old Stone Church site). A plaza and statue were dedicated on the speech's anniversary, May 29, 2024, beside the 1981 Ohio Historical Marker. Free.
37 N High St, Akron, OH 44308

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6 Must see within Akron · Italian & pizza

Luigi's Restaurant

Downtown Akron's Italian landmark since 1949 (Ciriello family), its brick entry papered with signed celebrity photos and a line out the door late at night. Signal Akron readers' Best Pizza 2025; No. 1 pizza and No. 1 Italian in Akron Life's 2026 330 Flavor Awards.
105 N Main St, Akron, OH 44308

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Photo: Sleepydre · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

7 Must see within Akron

Akron Art Museum

Akron's art museum: the 1899 Renaissance Revival former post office joined to Coop Himmelb(l)au's 2007 'Roof Cloud' steel-and-glass Knight Building — modern and contemporary American art, free admission.
1 S High St, Akron, OH 44308

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8 Must see within Akron

Derby Downs (All-American Soap Box Derby)

The WPA-built 1936 hill track in southeast Akron where kids in gravity-powered cars have raced the All-American Soap Box Derby world championship every July since 1946.
789 Derby Downs, Akron, OH 44306

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9 Must see within Akron

Diamond Grille

Akron's frozen-in-time 1935 steakhouse — neon sign, phone booth, Sputnik chandeliers — and the haunt of tour pros like Tiger Woods during Firestone weeks. No. 1 Best Restaurant in the 330 (with sister Kingfish), Akron Life 330 Flavor Awards 2026.
77 W Market St, Akron, OH 44308

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Photo: Geographer365 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

10 Must see within Akron

Akron Zoo

Compact, well-loved accredited zoo on Perkins Park in west Akron — Komodo dragons, snow leopards, Grizzly Ridge and the Journey to Madagascar building.
500 Edgewood Ave, Akron, OH 44307

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11 Must see within Akron

Strickland's Frozen Custard (original, Triplett Blvd)

Bill and Florence Strickland opened this walk-up stand in 1936 on the same spot it still occupies; Bill, an Akron Pure Milk man, built his own batch freezer to keep air out of the custard. A spring-to-fall Akron ritual and a WKYC top-15 Northeast Ohio ice cream pick.
1809 Triplett Blvd, Akron, OH 44306

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12 Must see within Akron

Saffron Patch

Family-owned North Indian kitchen in the Merriman Valley since 1997. Signal Akron readers' Best Ethnic/International Food in both 2025 and 2026, and a 330 Flavor Awards Best Indian winner; Akron Life features it in its Merriman Valley guide.
1238 Weathervane Ln, Akron, OH 44313

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13 Must see within Akron · Italian & pizza

DeCheco's Pizzeria

Family-run Firestone Park pizzeria since 1993. Won the Akron Beacon Journal's 2025 best-pizza-in-Akron reader bracket (nearly 4,000 votes) and Signal Akron's 2026 Best Pizza after two years as runner-up. Second shop at 1581 Canton Rd, Ellet.
2075 S Main St, Akron, OH 44301

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Photo: Nyttend · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

14 Worth the detour within Akron

Cascade Locks Park & Mustill Store

The staircase of seven Ohio & Erie Canal locks that lifted boats 70 ft to the Akron Summit, the canal's highest point; the restored c.1847 Mustill Store at Lock 15 is now a seasonal canal museum on the Towpath Trail.
Cascade Locks Park, N Howard St, Akron, OH 44308

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Photo: Leeking337 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

15 Worth the detour within Akron

Glendale Steps

242 hand-dressed sandstone steps the WPA laid in 1936–37 up a 200-ft slope — Gertrude Seiberling's idea, designed by Warren Manning — a Depression-era monument in a city the rubber layoffs hit hard.
Glendale Ave & S Walnut St, Akron, OH 44302

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16 Worth the detour within Akron

Summit Lake Nature Center & Summit Lake Trail

Summit Metro Parks' urban nature center on Summit Lake — the Ohio & Erie Canal's high point — born of the Knight/Kresge-backed Reimagining the Civic Commons program, with the 2.75-mile Summit Lake Trail looping the lake onto the Towpath. Free.
411 Ira Ave, Akron, OH 44301

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Photo: IanManka · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

17 Worth the detour within Akron

Goodyear Airdock

The 1929 airship hangar beside Akron Fulton airport — at completion the largest building in the world without interior supports, big enough to make its own indoor weather; it built the Navy's Akron and Macon. Seen from outside (private).
1210 Massillon Rd, Akron, OH 44306

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Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey, creator · Public domain · loc.gov · Documentation compiled after 1933 · Library of Congress

18 Worth the detour within Akron

Perkins Stone Mansion & John Brown House

Summit County Historical Society's two houses on Akron's west side: Col. Simon Perkins's 1837 Greek Revival stone mansion, and across the road the c.1830 house abolitionist John Brown rented from Perkins in 1844–54 while they ran a sheep and wool partnership.
550 Copley Rd, Akron, OH 44320

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Photo: Dillguy9 · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

19 Worth the detour within Akron

7 17 Credit Union Park (Akron RubberDucks)

Downtown's 1997 HOK-designed ballpark (Canal Park until 2025), home of the Double-A Akron RubberDucks (Guardians affiliate), with the Ohio & Erie Canal running behind the left-field wall.
300 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308

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Photo: Dillguy9 · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

20 Worth the detour within Akron

Quaker Square

Ferdinand Schumacher's oat mills became Quaker Oats; its 36 120-ft concrete grain silos (1932) were later turned into a hotel with perfectly round rooms — now University of Akron dorms, with the complex slated for a hotel revival.
135 S Broadway St, Akron, OH 44308

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21 Worth the detour within Akron

Glendale Cemetery & Civil War Memorial Chapel

Akron's 1839 rural garden cemetery (88 acres, National Register) — rubber barons and founders in a wooded ravine, and the restored 1876 Gothic Revival chapel the GAR's Buckley Post built for Summit County's Civil War dead.
150 Glendale Ave, Akron, OH 44302

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22 Worth the detour within Akron

Hower House Museum

28-room Second Empire Italianate mansion (1871) of 'Father of Akron Industry' John Henry Hower, designed by Akron Plan architect Jacob Snyder; deeded to the University of Akron in 1970 and on the National Register (1973). Open for tours with the Hower family's world-travel collections.
60 Fir Hill, Akron, OH 44304

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23 Worth the detour within Akron

Lock 3 Park

Downtown Akron's civic park on the Ohio & Erie Canal, reopened in November 2024 after a $17.5M rebuild with a performance pavilion, gardens and winter ice-skating ribbon; home of the Akron Children's Museum. Free.
200 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308

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Photo: Cards84664 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

24 Worth the detour within Akron

E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall

The University of Akron's 2,955-seat hall (1973, opened with a Carlos Chávez world premiere), home of the Akron Symphony and Broadway tours presented with Playhouse Square.
198 Hill St, Akron, OH 44325

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25 Worth the detour within Akron · Italian & pizza

Parasson's Italian Restaurant

The Parasson family's restaurant traces to 1940s downtown Akron and Tonyo's Pizza in Barberton; the Beacon Journal calls a visit 'a trip to the past' and Akron Life readers ranked it No. 2 Italian in the 330 (2026).

959 E Waterloo Rd, Akron, OH 44306

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26 Worth the detour within Akron

Bob's Hamburg

Akron's first hamburger joint (1931, Bob Holbrook), still using its original grill and fridge — a tiny counter that Ideastream calls the place that stays the same while restaurants come and go.

1351 East Ave, Akron, OH 44307

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27 Worth the detour within Akron

Good Company (Akron)

The nostalgic burger-and-shake bar's Akron outpost, opened March 2024 in the old Spotted Owl space — on Akron Life's 20 Best Restaurants for 2026 and Cleveland Magazine's Akron picks.

60 S Maple St, Akron, OH 44302

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28 Worth the detour within Akron

F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm

Summit Metro Parks' nature-study preserve on land Goodyear founder F.A. Seiberling owned — the park district's first nature center, a rock garden, ponds and a suspension bridge over the ravine.

1828 Smith Rd, Akron, OH 44313

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29 Worth the detour within Akron

Sand Run Metro Park

995-acre Summit Metro Park opened in 1929 along the Sand Run Parkway ford, with 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps shelters and the Mingo Trail through oak-beech woods into the Seiberling Nature Realm. Free.

1300 Sand Run Rd (Sand Run Pkwy), Akron, OH 44313

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30 Worth the detour within Akron

Kenmore Boulevard Historic District

Main street of the former city of Kenmore (annexed 1929), the first Akron neighbourhood business district on the National Register (2019): intact streetcar-era storefronts, live-music venues, recording studios and Lay's Guitar Shop (50+ years).

Kenmore Blvd (12th–17th St SW; pin at Lay's Guitar Shop, 974 Kenmore Blvd), Akron, OH 44314

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31 Worth the detour within Akron

The Lockview

A former indie-music venue on Main St near the University of Akron turned the area's best-loved craft-beer bar, with a grilled-cheese menu to match.

207 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308

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32 Worth the detour within Akron

Mr. Zub's Deli & Bar

Highland Square's movie-themed deli and bar, on Cleveland Magazine's Highland Square must-visit list and Akron Life's stuffed-sandwich roundup.

795 W Market St, Akron, OH 44303

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33 Worth the detour within Akron

Ken Stewart's Grille

Restaurateur Ken Stewart's flagship — Signal Akron readers' Best Fine Dining and one of Akron Life's 20 Best Restaurants for 2026.

1970 W Market St, Akron, OH 44313

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34 Worth the detour within Akron · Italian & pizza

Papa Joe's Iacomini's

The Iacomini family's Merriman Valley dining room, open since 1932 — Akron's celebration-dinner standby. Signal Akron readers voted it the city's best restaurant in 2026.

1561 Akron Peninsula Rd, Akron, OH

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35 Worth the detour within Akron

Ido Bar & Grill

Firestone Park tavern that has been an Akron tradition since World War II. Signal Akron readers' Best Burger 2026, and an Akron Life Burger Week pick.

1537 S Main St, Akron, OH 44301

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36 Worth the detour within Akron

The Eye Opener

Wallhaven breakfast-and-brunch spot, one of the first in town to pour cocktails with breakfast. Signal Akron readers' Best Breakfast 2025; profiled by Akron Life.

1688 W Market St, Akron, OH 44313

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37 Worth the detour within Akron

Frank's Place on Market

Highland Square neighborhood bar-restaurant around a horseshoe bar, its walls a museum of T-shirts from Akron landmarks and businesses; founder Frank Horvath retired after 30 years and the new owners kept the traditions. Signal Akron Best of the City 2026 Best Burger winner (the West Market Classic on a Massoli's bun) and a Beacon Journal Local Flavor pick.

549 W Market St, Akron, OH 44303

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38 Deep cut within Akron

Firestone Metro Park

258-acre Summit Metro Parks unit begun with a 1949 gift from Firestone Tire & Rubber: wetlands and marshy meadows along the Tuscarawas River and the old canal-feeder Tuscarawas Race, a sledding hill and 175+ recorded bird species.

2620 Harrington Rd, Akron, OH 44319

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39 Deep cut within Akron

Goodyear Theater

Goodyear Tire & Rubber's 1920 company hall (1,686-seat auditorium, gym, classrooms) on the old East End campus, reopened in 2016 as a 1,450-seat concert theater anchoring the East End redevelopment. NRHP-listed as Goodyear Hall; covered by Ideastream and Akron Life.

1201 E Market St, Akron, OH 44305

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40 Deep cut within Akron

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. Taphouse

A Summit Brew Path mainstay brewing regional classics like Labrador Lager; the Sour Haus is up the street at 529 Grant St.

587 Grant St, Akron, OH

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41 Deep cut within Akron

Lock 15 Brewing Co.

North Hill brewpub that Signal Akron readers voted best bar/brewery in both 2025 and 2026; an official Summit Brew Path stop.

21 W North St, Akron, OH

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42 Deep cut within Akron

Sweet Mary's Bakery

A small downtown bakery, four chairs at a low orange counter facing the window, with cases of macarons, cheesecakes, croissants and scones. Signal Akron readers voted it Best Bakery in 2025 and again in 2026, and Akron Life readers picked it in Best of the City 2024.

76 E Mill St, Akron, OH 44308

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43 Deep cut within Akron

750ml Wine Bar & Boutique

Part wine shop, part wine bar and restaurant in Pilgrim Square on the Akron–Fairlawn line. Signal Akron readers' Best Date Night 2025; Akron Life listing.

2287 W Market St, Akron, OH 44313

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44 Deep cut within Akron · Coffee & cafés

Nervous Dog Coffee Bar (West Market)

Akron roaster-café since 2006 (spun off from Coco's Cafe), with a moody bar-like room on West Market. Signal Akron Best of the City coffee/tea winner and Akron Life Best of the City 2025 Best Coffeehouse (#1).

1530 W Market St, Akron, OH 44313

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45 Deep cut within Akron

Diamond Deli

Downtown Akron deli feeding office workers and University of Akron students. Voted Best Deli (#1) in Akron Life's Best of the City 2025 and in the Akron Beacon Journal's downtown weekday-lunch guide. Measured: 4.7 stars on 279 reviews, #6 in a USA TODAY Network ratings roundup of Ohio restaurants.

378 S Main St, Akron, OH 44311

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Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit 26 places · area 2 of 6

1 Must see within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Blue Door Cafe & Bakery

Marine-veteran pastry chef Michael Bruno's 2009 café — No. 6 on Yelp's national Top 100 Brunch Spots (2024, per WKYC) and a Cleveland Magazine, Scene and Akron Life favorite.

1970 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223

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2 Must see within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Gorge Metro Park

Summit Metro Parks' gorge of the Cuyahoga River at the falls the city is named for — the Gorge Trail along sandstone ledges to Mary Campbell Cave ('Old Maid's Kitchen'), where a captive 1759 girl was held, below the High Level Bridge.

1160 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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Section of the Hudson Historic District — Photo: Kevin Payravi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

3 Must see within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Hudson Historic District & Village Green

A New England village transplanted to the Western Reserve: Greek Revival and Federal houses around the green and James Ellsworth's 1912 clock tower, with Western Reserve Academy ('the Yale of the West') and its 1838 Loomis Observatory a short walk away.

Main St (OH-91) & Aurora St, Hudson, OH 44236

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4 Must see within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit · Italian & pizza

Russo's

Chef-owner David Russo's Italian-Cajun roadhouse, opened August 2002 on State Road (a Peninsula address, though the building is in Cuyahoga Falls), with the bar wrapped around the hot line. Russo spent 13 years in Louisiana kitchens under Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. Reviewed by Cleveland Magazine ('Down South') and Cleveland Scene ('Russo's on the Rise'), featured by Akron Life, and listed among Akron Life's 2026 330 Flavor Awards results.

4895 State Rd, Peninsula, OH 44264

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5 Must see within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Dean Martin's Lanning's

Bath Township's special-occasion steakhouse over Yellow Creek (opened 1970); bought in 2020, renovated (~$2M) and relaunched as Dean Martin's Lanning's with tuxedoed service and a dress code. Cleveland Magazine: 'a classic Akron restaurant reimagined'; Akron Life feature on the transformation; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence (2022).

826 N Cleveland-Massillon Rd, Akron, OH 44333

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6 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Twins Days Festival (Glen Chamberlin Park)

Every first full weekend of August since 1976, ~2,000 sets of twins converge on Twinsburg — the world's largest gathering of twins, in the town named for Moses and Aaron Wilcox, the identical twins who bought it in 1819.

Glen Chamberlin Park, 10260 Ravenna Rd, Twinsburg, OH 44087

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7 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Deep Lock Quarry Metro Park

73-acre Summit Metro Park (not an NPS unit) south of Peninsula: Berea-sandstone quarries opened in 1825 for the Ohio & Erie Canal, cast-off millstones from Ferdinand Schumacher's oat mills (later Quaker Oats) and the canal's deepest lock, on the 1.4-mile Quarry Trail. Free.

5779 Riverview Rd, Peninsula, OH 44264

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8 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Tallmadge Circle & First Congregational Church

A white Federal-style church (1821–25) standing alone inside the town's eight-spoke traffic circle — the Western Reserve's most photographed meetinghouse, which marked its bicentennial in 2025.

115 Tallmadge Circle, Tallmadge, OH 44278

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9 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Liberty Park & Twinsburg Ledges

Summit Metro Parks' largest natural area (3,000+ acres): the Twinsburg Ledges' conglomerate cliffs and glacial slump blocks, and an accessible nature center with live native animals.

9999 Liberty Rd, Twinsburg, OH 44087

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10 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Boston Mills / Brandywine Ski Resorts

Northeast Ohio's ski hills since 1963 — two once-rival resorts in the Cuyahoga Valley, combined in 1990 and run by Vail Resorts since 2019: 18 trails and 11 chairlifts.

7100 Riverview Rd, Peninsula, OH 44264

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11 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Western Reserve Academy

Founded 1826 as Western Reserve College — the 'Yale of the West' — on a New England-style campus whose 1836 chapel is on the National Register; the 58-acre historic campus anchors Hudson's village green.

115 College St, Hudson, OH 44236

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12 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Tiki Underground

A shipwreck-themed tiki bar behind a carved cedar door, moved from Hudson to Front St in 2022.

1832 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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13 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Flury's Cafe

Lee and Bertie Flury opened this breakfast café in 1966. Kimberly White bought it in 1994 and moved it from Sackett Avenue to a downtown Front Street corner in 2015. Signal Akron's 'Taste This' featured its croissant breakfast sandwich, and it appears in Roadfood and Scene's all-day breakfast round-up. Open Wednesday to Sunday mornings.

2202 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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14 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Szalay's Farm Market

A third-generation family sweet-corn farm in the Cuyahoga Valley that has grown corn for more than 90 years. Its market sells corn by the dozen, and outdoor stands roast it with sandwiches, lemonade and sundaes. Weekends bring music, and autumn brings a corn maze. Signal Akron and Akron Life both send readers here for local sweet corn. Seasonal.

4563 Riverview Rd, Peninsula, OH

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15 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Shawarma Brothers

Sibling-run Middle Eastern carryout opened 2017 ('where east meets west'). Profiled by Akron Life ('Middle Ground'), in Cleveland Magazine's Cuyahoga Falls best-restaurants guide, and measured as Ohio's #2-rated restaurant (4.8 stars, 250+ reviews) in a USA TODAY Network ratings roundup.

1808 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223

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16 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit · Italian & pizza

Michael Angelo's Winery

Hybrid winery-eatery opened in 2018 by baker-winemaker Michael Angelo Ciocca and his brother Matt, with a big, lively patio. Named in Cleveland Magazine's Northeast Ohio's Best Wineries and voted the region's top winery in its 2026 readers' poll; on the Beacon Journal's 2025 Greater Akron outdoor-dining list and WKYC's NE Ohio wineries feature.

5515 Broadview Rd, Richfield, OH 44286

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17 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Beau's on the River

Chef Beau Schmidt's riverside dining room in the Sheraton Suites; Schmidt was Akron Life readers' 2026 Best Chef and Best Restaurateur.

1989 Front St (Sheraton Suites), Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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18 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Darby's on 59

Cuyahoga Falls gastropub on Akron Life's 20 Best Restaurants for 2026 and Cleveland Magazine's Falls best list.

2764 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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19 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Tip Top Restaurant & Catering

Stow family restaurant voted Best Breakfast (#1) in Akron Life's Best of the City 2025 readers' picks and reviewed by the Akron Beacon Journal ('Tip Top Restaurant in Stow offers tip-top homestyle meals').

3428 Darrow Rd, Stow, OH 44224

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20 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit · BBQ, soul & Southern

Big Eu'es BBQ

Opened 2016 by culinary-school grad Eugene Wilson and named for his father. Voted Best Barbecue (#1) in Akron Life's Best of the City 2025, profiled in Akron Life ('Family Style') and by WKYC.

1730 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223

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21 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Moe's Restaurant

Moe Schneider's from-scratch restaurant (1998) in a former Front Street supermarket — a fine-dining room plus a tavern side. On Cleveland Magazine's 'Cuyahoga Falls' 18 Best Restaurants and Bars' (fresh seafood, lamb, unique appetizers) and written up by Akron Life ('There's Moe to Come').

2385 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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22 Worth the detour within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit · Mexican & Latin

El Mesón (Cuyahoga Falls)

Family Mexican kitchen with an open patio on Portage Trail. On Cleveland Magazine's Cuyahoga Falls best-restaurants guide (which singles out the chori pollo fajitas) and voted 2nd Best Mexican Restaurant in Akron Life's 2026 330 Flavor Awards.

657 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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23 Deep cut within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Blue Canyon Kitchen & Tavern

Chef Brandt Evans' ridge-top restaurant built like a national-park lodge, with views over miles of woodland. Reviewed by Cleveland Magazine ('Red-hot and Blue') and Cleveland Scene; its rock-waterfall patio is on the Beacon Journal's 2025 Greater Akron outdoor-dining list.

8960 Wilcox Dr, Twinsburg, OH 44087

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24 Deep cut within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

Butcher & Sprout

Farm-to-table casual restaurant in the Watermark Village block on Front Street, partnered with The Farmer's Rail. In Cleveland Magazine's Cuyahoga Falls best-restaurants-and-bars guide and profiled by Akron Life ('Go Green at Butcher & Sprout').

1846 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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25 Deep cut within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit · Mexican & Latin

Spicy Sombreros

Stow Mexican restaurant. An Akron Beacon Journal Local Flavor pick (twice, incl. its 2025 'restaurants Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce should try' list) and Akron Life Best of the City 2024 readers' pick for Best Patio Dining.

4976 Darrow Rd, Stow, OH 44224

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26 Deep cut within Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit

HiHO Brewing Co.

Cuyahoga Falls' first brewery (2017), in a 1920s car dealership on Front Street with a taproom over the Cuyahoga. In Cleveland Magazine's beer guide and '12 Must-Go Places in Cuyahoga Falls', and voted Best Cuyahoga Falls Hot Spot by Akron Life readers.

1707 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221

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Kent & Portage County 18 places · area 3 of 6

Kent State, Ravenna, Aurora

1 Must see within Kent & Portage County

Ray's Place

Downtown Kent's bar-and-grill since 1937 and the town's standing answer to 'where should we eat': Best Restaurant in Portage County in Akron Life's 2026 Flavor Awards and a perennial KentWired Best of Kent winner.

135 Franklin Ave, Kent, OH 44240

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2 Must see within Kent & Portage County

Over Easy at the Depot

Kent's breakfast institution, now in the 1875 Atlantic & Great Western depot above the Cuyahoga (two-hour Sunday waits). Kent Stater Best of Kent 2026 — first place, Best Breakfast; Ohio Magazine Best Hometowns (Kent); News 5 and The Portager covered the move into the depot.

152 Franklin Ave, Kent, OH 44240

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3 Must see within Kent & Portage County

May 4 Visitors Center (Kent State May 4 Site)

Kent State's museum of the May 4, 1970 shootings, when Ohio National Guardsmen killed four students and wounded nine during an anti-war protest — in Taylor Hall beside the 18-acre National Historic Landmark site, with the outdoor walking tour, Prentice Hall lot markers and the Don Drumm 'Solar Totem' bullet hole.

300 Midway Dr (Taylor Hall), Kent, OH 44242

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4 Must see within Kent & Portage County

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park

Small state park of Sharon-conglomerate ledges in northeast Portage County — squeeze-through crevices (Fat Man's Peril, Devil's Icebox), Cascade and Minnehaha falls, and a newer glass-bottom overlook.

12440 OH-282, Garrettsville, OH 44231

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5 Must see within Kent & Portage County

Kent Dam & Kent Industrial District

Completed in 1836, the arched Kent Dam is the oldest masonry dam in Ohio and the only one tied to a canal lock (the Pennsylvania & Ohio Canal); bypassed in 2004 to free the river, it was kept because Kent loves it — the waterfall centrepiece of a riverside park and the old mill district.

Cuyahoga River at downtown Kent, OH 44240

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6 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County

Goodyear Wingfoot Lake Airship Hangar

Built 1917, the oldest airship base in the world and still the home port of the Goodyear Blimp — 'the Kitty Hawk of lighter-than-air.' No public tours; watch the airships launch from the viewing lot or from across the water at Wingfoot Lake State Park.

Wingfoot Lake, Suffield Township, OH 44260

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7 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County · BBQ, soul & Southern

Mike's Place

Kent's oddball institution: a huge, joke-filled menu (Jedi Jan's Sandwich of Meta Perversion and the like), large portions, award-winning barbecue and kitschy decor. Kent State students voted it Best Restaurant in Best of Kent 2025. Scene ('We Like Mike') and Ideastream's 'Beyond the Dish' have both covered it.

1700 S Water St, Kent, OH 44240

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8 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County

Cooperrider-Kent Bog State Nature Preserve

Ice-age kettle bog with Ohio's largest stand of tamarack trees, seen from a half-mile boardwalk loop; an ODNR state nature preserve expanded with local partners. Free.

1028 Meloy Rd, Kent, OH 44240

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9 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County

Brimfield Bread Oven

Northeast Ohio's first wood-fired bakery, a European-style shop in Brimfield run by Jud and Genevieve Smith since January 2016, baking 'on a curve' as the 54-square-foot brick oven cools. Named among Cleveland Magazine's best bakeries, featured on WKYC's Behind the Menu, and on Cleveland Scene's list of destination restaurants worth the drive. Marked its 10th anniversary in January 2026.

3956 State Route 43, Kent, OH 44240

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10 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County · Coffee & cafés

Scribbles Coffee Co.

A downtown Kent coffeehouse since 2007 with house-roasted organic beans and a board-game library, a Kent State student haunt. Readers voted it Best Coffee in Kent in the student paper's Best of Kent polls in 2023, 2024 and 2026, and it appears in Cleveland Magazine's coffee guide and Akron Life's coffee features.

237 N Water St, Kent, OH 44240

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11 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County · BBQ, soul & Southern

Joe's Barbecue

Austin-trained Joe Menendez's roadside smoker at Route 43 and Tallmadge Road in Brimfield, open Friday-Sunday until it sells out (600-800 lb a day). Cleveland Scene (Douglas Trattner) calls it some of the best barbecue in the region; in Cleveland Magazine's best-bites coverage and the Beacon Journal.

1299 Tallmadge Rd, Kent, OH 44240

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12 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County

Brady's Leap Park

The narrow Cuyahoga gorge where, around 1780, frontier scout Capt. Samuel Brady is said to have leapt 21 feet across the river to escape capture — Kent's founding legend, now a small city park with a marker.

229 Gougler Ave, Kent, OH 44240

13 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County

The Kent Stage

A 1927 movie house (Portage County's first talkie, The Jazz Singer, 1928) reborn in 2002 as a 642-seat folk-and-roots concert hall — ~150 shows a year and home of the Kent Folk Festival; KentWired readers' Best Local Music 2026.

175 E Main St, Kent, OH 44240

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14 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County

West Branch State Park

5,000+ acres around the 2,650-acre Michael J. Kirwan Reservoir (Army Corps, 1965; state park since 1966): beach, boating, camping and about 12 miles of single-track mountain-bike loops.

5708 Esworthy Rd, Ravenna, OH 44266

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15 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County · Italian & pizza

Lucci's Place

Kent's slice shop for 30-plus years — KentWired Best of Kent pizza four years running and the Plain Dealer's Best Pizza in Portage County (2016).

405 E Main St, Kent, OH 44240

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16 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County

The River Merchant

A small upscale New American room beside the Cuyahoga just outside downtown Kent, with a wine market of more than 350 bottles and craft beers. It is on Akron Life's 20 Best Restaurants for 2026 and won Best Date Spot in Best of Kent 2025.

911 N Mantua St, Kent, OH

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17 Worth the detour within Kent & Portage County · BBQ, soul & Southern

Bistro on Main

Kent bistro on West Main at the Stow line, run by brothers Aaron (chef) and Jason Ruggles. Reviewed by Akron Life ('A Good Bistro on Main') and recommended by the Akron Beacon Journal's Local Flavor team in 2025.

1313 W Main St, Kent, OH 44240

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18 Deep cut within Kent & Portage County

Laziza

A two-storey downtown Kent kitchen whose Lebanese entrées the Beacon Journal's Local Flavor column called 'fragrant, spicy pleasures'. It has a 4.5 rating from 500-plus OpenTable reviews (a popularity measure only) and has since added a craft-American menu alongside the Lebanese one.

195 E Erie St, Kent, OH

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Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green 14 places · area 4 of 6

1 Must see within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Belgrade Gardens

The 1933 birthplace of Barberton chicken: Serbian immigrants Mike and Smilka Topalsky fried chicken in lard and served it with fresh-cut fries, slaw and a tomato-rice 'hot sauce' descended from Serbian djuvece — the plate every Barberton chicken house since has copied.

401 E State St, Barberton, OH

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2 Must see within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Anna-Dean Farm Barns (O.C. Barber)

Match king O.C. Barber's 3,500-acre model farm (1909–20), meant as a prototype for scientific agriculture; the surviving National Register barns — Barn No. 1, the Colt Barn, Piggery, Creamery and Machine Barn — are the town founder's monument and the Barberton Historical Society's tour.

Anna-Dean Farm, Barberton, OH 44203

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3 Must see within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Pav's Creamery (Portage Lakes original)

Portage Lakes ice-cream stand since 1969, now with shops in Green, North Canton, Bath and Cuyahoga Falls. Akron Life readers' Best Ice Cream (2023, 2025); on Ohio Magazine's roadside ice-cream stands list; Cleveland Magazine on its boozy shakes.

3769 Manchester Rd, Akron, OH 44319

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4 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Portage Lakes State Park

Eight glacial and canal-feeder lakes (2,000+ acres of water) south of Akron, built as reservoirs for the Ohio & Erie Canal — boating, swimming beach, fishing and the Turkeyfoot Lake trails.

Portage Lakes, Coventry Township, OH 44319

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5 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Akron Fossils & Science Center

Small hands-on natural-history museum in Copley — fossils, live reptiles and a mini 'Dino Dig' — with nature trails out back.

2080 S Cleveland-Massillon Rd, Copley, OH 44321

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6 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Lake Anna Park

A 21-acre park around a spring-fed 10-acre glacial lake at the heart of downtown Barberton, named by city founder O.C. Barber after his only daughter, Anna Laura. It has a bandstand gazebo for summer concerts, the city War Memorial, and a statue of Barber.

Lake Anna Park, downtown Barberton, OH

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7 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green · Italian & pizza

The Twisted Olive

An Italian-American restaurant and pub in Green's Southgate Park, with a sprawling deck and covered patio over two ponds. It was the only Ohio restaurant on OpenTable's 2022 list of America's 100 best for outdoor dining, as reported by WKYC, and it is on Akron Life's 20 Best Restaurants for 2026.

5430 Massillon Rd, Green, OH 44720

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8 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Silver Creek Metro Park

Summit Metro Parks' former Harter Dairy Farm (Civil War-era barn) with a spring-fed 50-acre lake, swimming beach, boat rentals, disc golf and bridle trails. Free.

5000 Hametown Rd, Norton, OH 44203

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9 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Kingfish Seafood

Hospitality Restaurants' East Coast-style seafood house in Montrose, behind a lighthouse tower and with a New England summer-home dining room. It won Best Restaurant in Akron Life's 2026 330 Flavor Awards and was praised in Cleveland Magazine's review.

115 Montrose West Ave, Copley, OH 44321

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10 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Hodge's Cafe

Barberton tavern since 1975 (Bill 'Hodge' Hodgkinson; now run by his daughter). Roadfood calls its hand-formed half-pound burgers a standard of hamburger excellence; the Akron Beacon Journal's National Cheeseburger Day picks note it has been voted Best Burger in Barberton for 30 years running.

897 Wooster Rd W, Barberton, OH 44203

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11 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Sunrise Social

Bright Green-township brunch café. One of the Akron Beacon Journal's '8 restaurants we recommend when asked where should I eat in Akron' and profiled by Akron Life ('Get next-level breakfast and brunch at Sunrise Social').

3875 Massillon Rd, Uniontown, OH 44685

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12 Worth the detour within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green · BBQ, soul & Southern

Great Oaks Tavern

Board-game tavern in a former Wadsworth bowling alley. The Akron Beacon Journal's Local Flavor review ('great fun in Wadsworth') praised the depth of flavor; the Medina Gazette covered its opening.

210 Great Oaks Trail, Wadsworth, OH 44281

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13 Deep cut within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

Beau's Grille

Chef Beau Schmidt's long-running grill in the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn, with a covered 70-seat terrace. Profiled repeatedly by Akron Life ('Well Grilled Beau', 'Slice of Home', past Best of the City patio wins) and on the Beacon Journal's 2025 Greater Akron outdoor-dining list.

3180 W Market St, Fairlawn, OH 44333

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14 Deep cut within Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green

35° Brix

French-American restaurant and wine bar in Green's Heritage Crossing plaza, named for the sugar level of ice wine. In Akron Life's 'Gourmet Food in the City of Green' and on the Canton Repository's Stark-area patio round-up.

3875 Massillon Rd, Uniontown, OH 44685

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Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark 35 places · area 5 of 6

1 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Bender's Tavern

Canton's oldest restaurant (1902), in the Jacob family since 1932 — it survived Prohibition and a 1988 fire, and George Halas and Jim Thorpe dined here the week the NFL was formed in 1920. On the Canton Repository foodie panel's 11 best in Stark County.

137 Court Ave SW, Canton, OH 44702

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Hall of Fame building exterior, Canton, 2006 — Photo: Coemgenus · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

2 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Pro Football Hall of Fame

The shrine of American football, opened 1963 in the city where the NFL (as the APFA) was founded at Ralph Hay's Hupmobile showroom in 1920 — busts of every enshrinee in the Hall of Fame Gallery, the Lombardi trophies, and the August enshrinement week that takes over Canton.

2121 George Halas Dr NW, Canton, OH 44708

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3 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

McKinley National Memorial

The domed granite mausoleum (1907) on a hill above Canton where the assassinated 25th president, Ida and their two daughters are entombed — 108 steps up, with a view over the city.

800 McKinley Monument Dr NW, Canton, OH 44708

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4 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Glamorgan Castle

Alliance's castle: a three-storey mansion built 1904–09 for Col. William Henry Morgan of the Morgan Engineering Co. and named for his father's birthplace in Wales. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Restoration plans were in the news recently.

1025 S Union Ave, Alliance, OH 44601

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5 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Basil Asian Bistro

The Ly family's downtown Canton bistro, nearly three decades in — first-named on the Canton Repository foodie panel's 11 best Stark County restaurants and on Cleveland Magazine's Canton must-go list.

585 Market Ave N, Canton, OH 44702

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6 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark · Italian & pizza

Gervasi Vineyard (The Bistro)

A 55-acre Tuscan-style winery resort on Canton's north side — 30-plus wines, three restaurants, villas and a spa; The Bistro made the Canton Repository panel's 11 best in Stark County.

1700 55th St NE, Canton, OH 44721

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7 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

First Ladies National Historic Site

NPS site in downtown Canton telling the stories of America's First Ladies: the education & research center in the 1895 City National Bank building and, a block south, the Saxton McKinley House (331 Market Ave S), Ida Saxton McKinley's family home where William and Ida lived.

205 Market Ave S, Canton, OH 44702

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8 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Grapes in a Glass

Downtown Canton wine bar — the only Stark County establishment with a Wine Spectator award: its 10th recognition and 5th Best of Award of Excellence (2026), one of 16 in Ohio (Canton Repository).

575 Market Ave N, Canton, OH 44702

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9 Must see within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark · Italian & pizza

Sylvester's North End Grille

Jackson Township Italian grille voted Best Restaurant in Stark County in Akron Life's 2026 330 Flavor Awards (#1 in the 330 in 2022). Reopened after an 18-month closure caused by a car crash into the kitchen (Canton Repository).

4305 Portage St NW, North Canton, OH 44720

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10 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Canton Palace Theatre

Canton's 1926 John Eberson atmospheric theatre (National Register), with a Spanish-courtyard auditorium under a starry sky ceiling and its original Kilgen theatre organ — films, concerts and the Canton Symphony's pops.

605 Market Ave N, Canton, OH 44702

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Harry Bartlett Stewart Property — Photo: Nyttend · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

11 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Quail Hollow Park

The H.B. Stewart family's 1929 manor house and 700 acres of meadow, woods and gardens near Hartville — a state park from 1975, run by Stark Parks since 2016, with manor tours on summer Sundays.

13480 Congress Lake Ave, Hartville, OH 44632

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Haines House, Alliance, Ohio — Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

12 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Haines House Underground Railroad Museum

1830s home of abolitionists Ridgeway and Sarah Haines, a station on the Underground Railroad — freedom-seekers hid in the attic. National Register (1974); restored by the Alliance Area Preservation Society and one of 15 stops on Ohio's Underground Railroad Trail. Tours first weekend monthly, Feb–Nov.

186 W Market St, Alliance, OH 44601

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13 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Stark County Courthouse

George F. Hammond's 1895 Beaux-Arts courthouse wrapped around the 1870s building, its clock tower crowned by four trumpeting angels, the 'Trumpeters of Justice'. Where young William McKinley began his law career. Free to view.

115 Central Plaza N, Canton, OH 44702

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14 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

McKinley Presidential Library & Museum

Stark County Historical Society's museum at the foot of the McKinley Memorial: the largest McKinley collection anywhere, a walk-through 'Street of Shops', the Discover World science hall and a planetarium.

800 McKinley Monument Dr NW, Canton, OH 44708

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15 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Hoover Historical Center

The Hoover family farmhouse in North Canton, now Walsh University's museum of the company that made 'hoover' a verb — free guided tours through a collection of antique vacuum cleaners and the town's company history.

1875 E Maple St, North Canton, OH 44720

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16 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Canton Museum of Art

Stark County's art museum in the Canton Cultural Center, strongest in 19th–20th-century American works on paper and contemporary ceramics — on Cleveland Magazine's Canton must-go list.

1001 Market Ave N, Canton, OH 44702

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17 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Sippo Lake Park

A 300-acre Stark Parks lake park in Perry Township, bought in 1977 with a federal block grant covering Sippo Lake and 100 surrounding acres, with hiking, biking, fishing and boating. Stark Parks recently added an accessible kayak and canoe launch.

5300 Tyner St NW (East Sippo entrance), Perry Township, OH

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18 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

MAPS Air Museum

Military Aviation Preservation Society's working museum (est. 1990) on the west side of Akron-Canton Airport: 60+ historic aircraft, many restored by volunteers, in two galleries with an archive. One of Cleveland Magazine's 21 must-go spots in Canton.

2260 International Pkwy, North Canton, OH 44720

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19 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Hall of Fame Village)

The ~23,000-seat stadium beside the Pro Football Hall of Fame that hosts the NFL Hall of Fame Game and Enshrinement, and the OHSAA state football finals through 2026 — centrepiece of the Hall of Fame Village campus.

1835 Harrison Ave NW, Canton, OH 44708

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20 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Papa Gyros (Cleveland Ave)

A Greek-rooted Stark County mini-chain, serving oversized gyros and Mediterranean plates since 2001, with three Stark locations (this one on Cleveland Ave NW, plus Everhard Rd/Belden Village and Alliance). Picked by the Canton Repository's foodie panel among 11 Stark County favorites; Akron Life's Flavor blog called it the 'papa of all gyros.'

2045 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44709

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21 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark · Coffee & cafés

Walkie Talkie Espresso & Coffee

Lindsey King's 2019 coffee shop in a repurposed gas station, a bright orange-and-white building in Canton's Logan neighborhood about five minutes from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ohio Magazine and Akron Life (twice) have featured it, and Cleveland Magazine put it among Canton's 21 must-go spots.

504 15th St NW, Canton, OH 44703

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22 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark · Italian & pizza

Mike's Pizza & Deli Ohio (Fourth Street Collective)

A downtown Canton shared space: Deli Ohio's window-lined sandwich shop by day, Mike's Pizza's New York-style pies by night, with The Woodshop brewery bar from UnHitched Brewing's Adam Longacre. The Canton Repository picked Mike's among 15 must-visit eateries for Hall of Fame visitors and Deli Ohio among its 10 Stark lunch spots. Ohio Magazine's '12 Reasons to Visit Canton' sends readers here.

328 Walnut Ave NE, Canton, OH 44702

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23 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Hartville MarketPlace & Flea Market

Grown from a 1939 livestock auction into a 12-acre market: two covered pavilions, up to 800 outdoor vendors in season and a two-storey indoor MarketPlace of 110+ shops, drawing about a million visitors a year (Mon/Thu/Fri/Sat).

1289 Edison St NW, Hartville, OH 44632

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24 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Hartville Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery

Hartville's Amish-country family restaurant and bakery since 1966 — nostalgic, scratch-made, and on the Canton Repository panel's 11 best in Stark County.

1015 Edison St NW, Hartville, OH 44632

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25 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Table Six Kitchen + Bar

'Always busy and consistently good' — on the Canton Repository panel's 11 best Stark County restaurants and Akron Life's Winning Eats in Canton.

6113 Whipple Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720

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26 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark · Italian & pizza

Lucca

A downtown Canton Tuscan-inspired kitchen using local ingredients: hand-made pastas, Prime steak, seafood. Chosen by the Canton Repository's foodie panel as one of 11 Stark County restaurants to eat your way through, and featured by Visit Canton among downtown's dining anchors.

228 4th St NW, Canton, OH 44702

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27 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Sparta Steakhouse & Lounge

Family-run Canton steakhouse with 60+ years behind it, now cooking weekly-changing Greek, Italian and international specials around the traditional steaks. Voted 2nd Best Steakhouse in Akron Life's 2026 330 Flavor Awards; listed by Visit Canton.

1101 12th St NW, Canton, OH 44703

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28 Worth the detour within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Fromage du Monde

Downtown Canton's artisan cheese house — world cheeses cut to order, dine-in flights, a deli counter and grazing boards. One of the Canton Repository's picks in 'Eat your way through downtown Canton'; listed by Visit Canton.

340 4th St NW, Canton, OH 44702

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29 Deep cut within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Jackson Bog State Nature Preserve

58-acre state nature preserve (1980) in Jackson Township — really a calcium-rich, spring-fed fen — with a boardwalk through wetland meadows holding 20+ plants rare in Ohio, including carnivorous species that bloom in summer. Free, dawn to dusk.

7984 Fulton Dr NW, Massillon, OH 44646

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30 Deep cut within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Canton Classic Car Museum

Downtown Canton car museum founded in 1978: an unrestored 1937 Ahrens-Fox fire truck, a 1922 Holmes Victoria built in Canton, plus vintage advertising and toys. Picked in Akron Life's '6 Things to Do in Canton This Summer'; listed by Visit Canton.

123 6th St SW, Canton, OH 44702

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31 Deep cut within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark · Italian & pizza

Lucia's Steakhouse

A family-owned Belden Village steakhouse whose lineage goes back to the 1940s, when it was The Hob Nob. Akron Life's 'Winning Eats in Canton' singled out its filet and its Italian-style veal; Visit Canton lists it for 'the best steaks in town.'

4769 Belpar St NW, Canton, OH 44718

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32 Deep cut within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Wild Thyme Eatery

Opened 2022 by an Armenian family who came to Canton from Georgia in 2005 — the only Armenian/Georgian kitchen in the region. Picked in Akron Life's '6 newer spots to eat in Canton' and Visit Canton's international-cuisine guide.

2226 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44709

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33 Deep cut within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark · Coffee & cafés

Dough Co. Doughnuts & Coffee

Family-owned Jackson Township doughnut shop. One of Cleveland Magazine's 21 must-go spots in Canton and ranked in Akron Life's 2026 330 Flavor Awards Best Doughnuts (reader vote).

4742 Hills and Dales Rd NW, Canton, OH 44708

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34 Deep cut within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

Fronimo's Downtown

Downtown Canton bistro with a formal room but a casual, buzzy feel. On Cleveland Magazine's 21 must-go spots in Canton and the Canton Repository's 'Eat your way through downtown Canton' guide.

315 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44702

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35 Deep cut within Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark

The Bistro of Oakwood

Upscale-casual Plain Township bistro (2014) with house-made desserts. The Canton Repository's review says it 'shines' and it's on the Repository's Stark County patio round-up; listed by Visit Canton.

2664 Easton St NE, Canton, OH 44721

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Massillon & southern Stark 12 places · area 6 of 6

Massillon Museum building — Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (resized)

1 Must see within Massillon & southern Stark

Massillon Museum (MassMu)

Downtown Massillon's art-and-history museum, best known for the Immel Circus — a hand-carved miniature circus lot filling 100 sq ft, ringed with real circus posters and costumes — plus Paul Brown and Tigertown football collections.

121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, OH 44646

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2 Must see within Massillon & southern Stark

Paul Brown Museum

Massillon's shrine to 'Tigertown' football — a 30-foot timeline of Massillon Tiger history from 1891, the early pro Massillon Tigers, and Paul Brown, who coached here before Ohio State, the Browns and the Bengals. Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Ohio's largest high-school field, is across town.

121 Lincoln Way E (inside the Massillon Museum), Massillon, OH 44646

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3 Must see within Massillon & southern Stark

Spring Hill Historic Home

1820s farmhouse of Quakers Thomas and Charity Rotch, a verified NPS Network to Freedom Underground Railroad station — with the secret staircase used to move freedom seekers through the house.

1401 Springhill Ln NE, Massillon, OH 44646

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4 Must see within Massillon & southern Stark

Amish Door Restaurant & Village

Opened 1977 as a 48-seat restaurant and grown into a village with a bakery (watch the bakers through a window), inn and market — Stark County's gateway to Amish Country. Featured in Ohio Magazine's Amish Country food guides and by Visit Canton.

1210 Winesburg St, Wilmot, OH 44689

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5 Worth the detour within Massillon & southern Stark

Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

The WPA-era 1939 home of the Massillon Tigers — one of the winningest high-school programs in America — renamed in 1976 for Paul Brown, who coached here before Ohio State and the pros; 16,600 seats on Friday nights in Tigertown.

1 Paul E Brown Dr SE, Massillon, OH 44646

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6 Worth the detour within Massillon & southern Stark

Lock 4 Park (Ohio & Erie Canal)

Stark County's last fully intact Ohio & Erie Canal lock (stone, 1827; in use to 1913) on the Congressman Ralph Regula Towpath Trail north of Canal Fulton, with the old mill raceway and a fishing dock. Free.

6600 Erie Ave NW, Canal Fulton, OH 44614

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7 Worth the detour within Massillon & southern Stark

Lions Lincoln Theatre

Massillon's 1915 movie palace (Guy Tilden design), saved from demolition by the Massillon Lions Club in 1982 and run by volunteers as a 684-seat performing-arts and classic-film house. Heritage Ohio feature; Cinema Treasures history; Clio entry.

156 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, OH 44646

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8 Worth the detour within Massillon & southern Stark

Chloe's Diner

A converted Massillon service station packed with owner Jeff Doll's classic cars, motorcycles and neon — part diner, part museum; an Ohio Magazine road-trip pick and on the Canton Repository panel's 11 best in Stark County.

112 1st St NE, Massillon, OH 44646

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9 Worth the detour within Massillon & southern Stark

The Wilderness Center

Nonprofit nature center founded 1964 on 1,600+ acres: 10 miles of trails through forest and prairie, Wilderness Lake, an observation tower, bird-viewing room and astronomy building. Free every day of the year.

9877 Alabama Ave SW, Wilmot, OH 44689

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10 Deep cut within Massillon & southern Stark

Canal Boat Lounge

A family-owned neighborhood bar and grill since 1994, just off the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Canal Fulton. Ohio Magazine picked it as one of three just-off-the-trail bars, a stop for cyclists and St. Helena III canal-boat riders. Visit Canton includes it in its Canal Fulton must-dos.

119 S Canal St, Canal Fulton, OH 44614

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11 Deep cut within Massillon & southern Stark

Miller-Doan Tavern

Neighbourhood tavern in historic Canal Fulton with a patio and a family-tree wall tracing the Miller and Doan families. The Canton Repository's review called its patty melt one of the best in a long time; listed by Visit Canton.

122 Cherry St E, Canal Fulton, OH 44614

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12 Deep cut within Massillon & southern Stark

Sisters Century House

Family-run breakfast-and-lunch room in Canal Fulton's historic district, overlooking the Ohio & Erie Canal where the St. Helena III canal boat launches; once voted Stark County's best breakfast. In Akron Life's 'Crossroads: Canal Fulton' and Visit Canton's Stark11 Canal Fulton must-dos.

123 S Canal St, Canal Fulton, OH 44614

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How we choose

Named sources recommend every place; review sites never do. Each is pinned to its door and status-checked. Closed places stay, marked closed.

Must see: The places to plan a visit around, graded within each area.
Worth the detour: Strong picks, worth going out of your way for.
Deep cut: For the curious: smaller, odder, more local.

Within each area: by tier, then by named sources, never by popularity. We don’t add ratings, prices or opening hours of our own.

Follow changes — an RSS feed of every closure and status check in this guide.

About this guide

150 places in 6 areas, each recommended by at least two independent sources (63 in all) or one institution such as Michelin.

Every place was checked open and pinned between 3 Oct and 3 Oct 2026. Closed places stay, marked closed.

Photos for 29 places; the rest show a designed cover.

How we choose → Insights →

68 sights and 82 places to eat across Akron, the north-Summit towns up toward the Cuyahoga line (Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson), Kent & Portage County, Barberton and Wadsworth, and Canton, North Canton & Massillon. Each is traceable to the source that named it. The canon is its own: Serbian-style Barberton chicken with hot rice, the Swenson’s Galley Boy, Strickland’s frozen custard, Taggart’s Bittner, Bender’s Tavern and North Hill’s Nepali & Bhutanese kitchens — plus the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Stan Hywet, the McKinley memorial and the May 4 site at Kent State.

Akron · Kent · Canton

Akron · Kent · Canton

Akron 45 places · area 1 of 6

Swensons Drive-In (original, Wallhaven)

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

Akron Civic Theatre

Dr. Bob's Home (birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous)

Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza

Luigi's Restaurant

Akron Art Museum

Derby Downs (All-American Soap Box Derby)

Diamond Grille

Akron Zoo

Strickland's Frozen Custard (original, Triplett Blvd)

Saffron Patch

DeCheco's Pizzeria

Cascade Locks Park & Mustill Store

Glendale Steps

Summit Lake Nature Center & Summit Lake Trail

Goodyear Airdock

Perkins Stone Mansion & John Brown House

7 17 Credit Union Park (Akron RubberDucks)

Quaker Square

Glendale Cemetery & Civil War Memorial Chapel

Hower House Museum

Lock 3 Park

E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall

Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson & North Summit 26 places · area 2 of 6

Kent & Portage County 18 places · area 3 of 6

Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth & Green 14 places · area 4 of 6

Canton, North Canton & eastern Stark 35 places · area 5 of 6

Massillon & southern Stark 12 places · area 6 of 6

How we choose

Keep Akron · Kent · Canton offline

Filters

How this guide was made

How the cuisine filters were policed

Web-searched and fact-checked