Oberlin College Commencement & Reunion Special Weekend Tours
Friday, May 22 – Sunday, May 24
Tours are open to anyone attending the college’s events as well as the general public.
Guided tours and history walks require advance registration due to limited capacity.
History walks are weather dependent and may be cancelled by the Oberlin Heritage Center. Registrants may request a refund or transfer to another history walk offering if the tour is canceled.
Register HereFriday, May 22
10:00am-4:00pm: Self-Guided “Oberlin Origins” Tours (last entry at 3:30pm)
Location: Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074)
Move at your own pace through the Oberlin Heritage Center’s 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. Tours are accessed through a provided tablet or your personal smart phone. Cost: $3/adult; free for college students and children under 18. Walk-ins are welcome.
3:00-4:00pm: Guided Tour of the Jewett House by Fanny Jewett
Location: Jewett House (73 S. Professor St.)
Learn about Frank Fanning Jewett, Sarah Frances (Fanny) Gulick Jewett, Charles Martin Hall, the Aluminum Reduction Process and life in Oberlin during the Progressive Era on this 45-minute guided tour of the Oberlin Heritage Center’s 1884 Jewett House. Additional topics include architecture, interior design, social reform, and student boarders who stayed with the family during their time at Oberlin College. This experience includes a costumed living history portrayal of Fanny Jewett. Cost: $6/adult; $3/college student; and free for children under 18. Advance registration is required as space is limited.
Saturday, May 23
10:00am-4:00pm: Self-Guided “Oberlin Origins” Tours (last entry at 3:30pm)
Location: Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074)
Move at your own pace through the Oberlin Heritage Center’s 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. Tours are accessed through a provided tablet or your personal smart phone. Cost: $3/adult; free for college students and children under 18. Walk-ins are welcome.
10:00am-11:30am: Freedom’s Friends: Abolition & the Underground Railroad History Walk
Location: Front Steps of the First Church in Oberlin (106 N. Main Street, Oberlin, OH 44074)
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. 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. Guests on this guided history walk offered by the Oberlin Heritage Center will hear about the historic decisions that shaped Oberlin’s growth as a station on the Underground Railroad and stories of the individuals and events that marked Oberlin as one of the most active abolitionist communities in Ohio. Cost: $10/adult; $5/students; free for children. Advance registration is required as space is limited.
1:30-3:00pm: Architecture History Walk
Location: Meet at the flagpoles on southeast corner of Tappan Square / across from the Hotel at Oberlin
Enjoy a leisurely stroll on this 75-minute tour offered by the Oberlin Heritage Center which explores Oberlin’s architecture and the people who shaped the area around Tappan Square. 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. Cost: $10/adult; $5/students; free for children. Advance registration is required as space is limited.
3:30-5:00pm: Civil War to Civil Rights History Walk
Location: Front Steps of the First Church in Oberlin (106 N. Main Street, Oberlin, OH 44074)
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. Cost: $10/adult; $5/students; free for children. Advance registration is required as space is limited.
Sunday, May 24
10:00am-4:00pm: Self-Guided “Oberlin Origins” Tours (last entry at 3:30pm)
Location: Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074)
Move at your own pace through the Oberlin Heritage Center’s 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. Tours are accessed through a provided tablet or your personal smart phone. Cost: $3/adult; free for college students and children under 18. Walk-ins are welcome.
10:00-11:15am: One Step More: Oberlin Women’s History Walk
Location: Meet at the flagpoles on southeast corner of Tappan Square / across from the Hotel at Oberlin
In 1834, John J. Shipherd pledged Oberlin’s commitment to “the elevation of female character” through education. Little did he know, there was dynamite in that promise, and women carried the matches. This 75-minute walking tour explores how powerful women made good on Shipherd’s promise and shaped what it meant to be a woman in Oberlin and beyond. This tour was developed by alumna Jen Graham (OC Class of 2012). Cost: $10/adult; $5/students; free for children. Advance registration is required as space is limited.
2:00-3:30pm: Freedom’s Friends: Abolition & the Underground Railroad History Walk
Location: Front Steps of the First Church in Oberlin (106 N. Main Street, Oberlin, OH 44074)
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. 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. Guests on this guided history walk offered by the Oberlin Heritage Center will hear about the historic decisions that shaped Oberlin’s growth as a station on the Underground Railroad and stories of the individuals and events that marked Oberlin as one of the most active abolitionist communities in Ohio. Cost: $10/adult; $5/students; free for children. Advance registration is required as space is limited.