FRIDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 23-25: OBERLIN COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT
The Oberlin Heritage Center is delighted to offer a slate of specially-scheduled tours and history walks in celebration of Oberlin College’s Commencement Weekend. Tours are open to the public as well as commencement weekend attendees.
Friday, May 23
10:00am-3:00pm: Self-Guided Tours of the Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor Street)
Move at your own pace through the 1866 Monroe House, exploring stories that outline Oberlin’s founding, the college’s promise of co-education, the community’s commitment to abolition, and more. Tour is accessed through a provided tablet.
$3/adult; free for students and children under 18. No Registration Required.
Saturday, May 24
10:00am-5:00pm: Self-Guided Tours of the Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor Street)
Move at your own pace through the 1866 Monroe House, exploring stories that outline Oberlin’s founding, the college’s promise of co-education, the community’s commitment to abolition, and more. Tour is accessed through a provided tablet.
$3/adult; free for students and children under 18. No Registration Required.
11:00am-12:00pm: Jewett House Tour w/ Fanny Jewett (73 S. Professor St.)
*Please note this tour starts at 11:00am rather than its typical 11:30am start time on other Saturdays.
Learn about Frank Fanning Jewett, Sarah Frances Gulick Jewett, Charles Martin Hall, the Aluminum Reduction Process, and life in Oberlin during the Progressive Era on this guided tour of the 1884 Jewett House. This tour includes a costumed living history component. Additional topics include architecture, interior design, social reform, and student boarders who stayed with the family during their time at Oberlin College.
$4/adult; $2/student; free for children under 18. Advance registration is required, and space is limited to 14 participants. REGISTER HERE
1:30-2:45pm: Architecture History Walk (meet at the flagpoles on Tappan Square across from the Hotel at Oberlin, corner of Main and College Sts.)
Enjoy a leisurely stroll on this 75-minute tour which explores Oberlin’s architecture with a focus on such individuals as Walter Blythe, Cass Gilbert, Denise Scott Brown, and Minoru Yamasaki. This walk provides an opportunity to view an array of historic buildings that feature various styles including Gothic Modernist, Neo-Classical Revival, Romanesque, Late Victorian, and Queen Anne Revival.
$10/adult; $5/student; free for children under 18. Advance registration is required, and space is limited to 20 participants. REGISTER HERE
3:30-5:00pm: Freedom’s Friends: Abolition & the Underground Railroad History Walk (front steps of the First Church in Oberlin, 106 N. Main St.)
Prior to the Civil War, as many as 3,000 African Americans passed through or lived in Oberlin after escaping from slavery. The town was said to be second only to Canada as an asylum for freedom seekers. This guided history walk is provided by the Oberlin Heritage Center and presents the historic decisions that shaped Oberlin’s growth as a station on the Underground Railroad and the individuals and events that marked Oberlin as one of the most active stations. Hear stories about Oberlin’s most famous freedom seekers and people known to have helped them make their way to freedom on this 90-minute neighborhood walking tour.
$10/adult; $5/student; free for children under 18. Advance registration is required, and space is limited to 40 participants.
REGISTER HERE
Sunday, May 25
10:00am-3:00pm: Self-Guided Tours of the Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor Street)
Move at your own pace through the 1866 Monroe House, exploring stories that outline Oberlin’s founding, the college’s promise of co-education, the community’s commitment to abolition, and more. Tour is accessed through a provided tablet.
$3/adult; free for students and children under 18. No Registration Required.
10:00-11:30am: Freedom’s Friends: Abolition & the Underground Railroad History Walk (front steps of the First Church in Oberlin, 106 N. Main St.)
Prior to the Civil War, as many as 3,000 African Americans passed through or lived in Oberlin after escaping from slavery. The town was said to be second only to Canada as an asylum for freedom seekers. This guided history walk is provided by the Oberlin Heritage Center and presents the historic decisions that shaped Oberlin’s growth as a station on the Underground Railroad and the individuals and events that marked Oberlin as one of the most active stations. Hear stories about Oberlin’s most famous freedom seekers and people known to have helped them make their way to freedom on this 90-minute neighborhood walking tour.
$10/adult; $5/student; free for children under 18. Advance registration is required, and space is limited to 40 participants.
REGISTER HERE
1:00-2:15pm: Architecture History Walk(meet at the flagpoles on Tappan Square across from the Hotel at Oberlin, corner of Main and College Sts.)
Enjoy a leisurely stroll on this 75-minute tour which explores Oberlin’s architecture with a focus on such individuals as Walter Blythe, Cass Gilbert, Denise Scott Brown, and Minoru Yamasaki. This walk provides an opportunity to view an array of historic buildings that feature various styles including Gothic Modernist, Neo-Classical Revival, Romanesque, Late Victorian, and Queen Anne Revival.
$10/adult; $5/student; free for children under 18. Advance registration is required, and space is limited to 20 participants. REGISTER HERE
3:30-5:00pm: Civil War to Civil Rights History Walk (front steps of the First Church in Oberlin, 106 N. Main St.)
This 90-minute tour highlights historic events that reveal both Oberlin’s progress and setbacks in race relations dating from early Oberlin all the way up to the 21st Century. Learn how Oberlin was a leader in abolition, participating heavily in events such as the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, the Raid on Harpers Ferry, and the American Civil War, but also struggled with its own issues of equality and racism during these early years and later through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Civil Rights, and today.
$10/adult; $5/student; free for children under 18. Advance registration is required, and space is limited to 30 participants. REGISTER HERE