Oberlin College Parents Weekend Special Tours
Friday, November 7-Sunday, November 9, 2025
- The 11/9/2025 Freedom’s Friends History Walk Registration is closed and due to weather, the tour will be moved to inside the Monroe House. We are not accepting additional walk-ons or registrations at this time. Thank you for your understanding.
Please note that our guided tours and history walks are booking quickly and the tour you want to join may say “sold out.” If you are interested in joining a sold out tour, we recommend showing up prior to the tour start time to see if there are cancellations that will free up spots. We are also taking names for a waiting list for some of our tours, so you may try calling our office at 440-774-1700.
Tours are open to anyone attending the college’s events as well as the general public. Guided tours and history walks require advance registration.
Register HereFriday, November 7
10:00am-3:00pm: Self-Guided “Oberlin Origins” Tours (last entry at 2:30pm)
Location: Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074)
Move at your own pace through the Monroe House (1866), exploring stories that outline Oberlin’s founding, the college’s promise of co-education, the community’s commitment to abolition, and more. Tour information is provided via a tablet. Cost: $3/adult; free for students and children. No reservations required.
2:00-3:00pm: Guided Tour of the Jewett House provided by Fanny Jewett
Location: Jewett House (73 S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074)
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/adults; free for students and children. Advance registration is required as space is limited.
Saturday, November 8
10:00am-5:00pm:Self-Guided “Oberlin Origins” Tours (last entry at 4:30pm)
Location: Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074)
Move at your own pace through the Monroe House (1866), exploring stories that outline Oberlin’s founding, the college’s promise of co-education, the community’s commitment to abolition, and more. Tour information is provided via a tablet. Cost: $3/adult; free for students and children. No reservations required.
10:30am-12:00pm: 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)
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 history walk are guided by a docent from the Oberlin Heritage Center who discusses 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.
Cost: $10/adult; $5/students; free for children. Advance registration is required as space is limited.
1:30pm-3:00pm: 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.
3:30pm-4:45pm: Architecture History Walk
Location: 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.
Sunday, November 9
10:00am-12:00pm:Self-Guided “Oberlin Origins” Tours (last entry at 11:30am)
Location: Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074)
Move at your own pace through the Monroe House (1866), exploring stories that outline Oberlin’s founding, the college’s promise of co-education, the community’s commitment to abolition, and more. Tour information is provided via a tablet. Cost: $3/adult; free for students and children. No reservations required.
10:30am-12:00pm: Freedom’s Friends: Abolition & the Underground Railroad History Walk
*The 11/9/2025 Freedom’s Friends History Walk Registration is closed and due to weather, the tour will be moved to inside the Monroe House (73 1/2 S. Professor St.). We are not accepting additional walk-ons or registrations at this time. Thank you for your understanding.
Location: Front Steps of the First Church in Oberlin (106 N. Main Street, Oberlin, OH 44074)
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 history walk are guided by a docent from the Oberlin Heritage Center who discusses 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.
Cost: $10/adult; $5/students; free for children. Advance registration is required as space is limited.