Self-Guided Exploration

At OHC

Around Town

Other Attractions

General Self-Guided Tour Information

Advance registration is not required for OHC’s self-guided tours.

Unless otherwise indicated, tours are free for Oberlin Heritage Center members, college students with a valid ID, and children under 18 accompanied by an adult. OHC also participates in several reduced tour admission programs.

Tour guests who have health, accessibility, or sensory concerns may reach out to the Museum Education and Tour Manager to arrange an alternative experience. More information may also be found on the Find Us/Accessibility page.

Questions? Contact: Museum Education & Tour Manager or call 440-774-1700.

Self-Guided Oberlin Origins Tour at OHC

Are you unable to attend a guided tour? Then drop by during OHC’s open hours for a self-guided experience of the popular Oberlin Origins tour. Guests may choose to tour the 1866 Monroe House with or without a provided tablet containing a plethora of stories about the building, the families who lived there, and the events and individuals that shaped Oberlin’s first one hundred years. Topics include Oberlin’s beginnings as a Christian Perfectionist community, coeducation, and abolition.

Tour Times:
Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00am-3:00pm (last entry at 2:30pm), year round

Tour Fee:
$3/adult

Self-Guided Tours Around Town

Monuments and Marvels Biking Tour

The tour is designed for bicyclists, but can also be followed on foot or by car. It takes you to historic sites such as First Church, the John Mercer Langston House, the Soldier’s Monument, Westwood Cemetery, and the Oberlin Heritage Center.

Oberlin Service Men and Women – A Highlight Tour in Westwood Cemetery

This tour includes an introduction to Oberlin’s historic cemetery, local reactions to the nation’s involvement in various wars and conflicts dating back to the Civil War, and stories of Oberlinians who served in the military and war relief efforts.

Westwood Cemetery’s Black Civil War Soldiers

This scenic tour through historic Westwood Cemetery will uncover the stories of the African American Oberlinians who fought in the American Civil War (1861-1865) on behalf of the Union Army. Ready for fight for the Union and the freedom of millions, these men overcame discrimination and obstacles in order to serve.

Oberlin Heritage Center – Nature Highlights

Explore the plants and animals of our park-like grounds within the city of Oberlin. Learn a bit about lichens to lilies!

History of the Schools of Oberlin

Learn about the history of public education in Oberlin, visit locations of where former schools were located, hear oral history recollections from students of the twentieth century, and explore how the school system and buildings evolved into the Oberlin City Schools of today. 

“Charles Martin Hall and Oberlin’s Aluminum Connection”

One of Oberlin’s most famous alumni is Charles Martin Hall, who graduated with the class of 1885. Hall was determined to find a cheap and efficient way to produce aluminum–which at the time was a semi-precious metal that cost as much per pound as gold because a cheap manner of refining it had not been invented. Within a year of his graduation, helped by his sister Julia (also an OC alumna), Hall perfected his electrolytic process, which reduced the cost of aluminum production by 90%. Hall then founded ALCOA, and the rest, as they say, is history.

A Walking Tour of Jewett-Related Sites in Oberlin

Created for “Jewett Day” in 2013, this two-page brochure includes photographs, information and a map to seven local landmarks related to Frank Fanning Jewett and Sarah Frances Gulick Jewett. Mr. Jewett taught chemistry at Oberlin College and Mrs. Jewett was an author of multiple health and hygiene books during the Progressive Era.

More izi.TRAVEL Free Tours 

These additional free tours can be accessed using your computer, mobile device, or by downloading an app through your favorite app store. 

  • Oberlin History Highlights – A Short Introduction
  • Oberlin College: The First Century
  • More Oberlin History Highlights: The Struggle for Racial Justice
  • Oberlin’s African-American Community: Historic Groveland

Westwood Cemetery 

Visit our Westwood Cemetery page to download brochure and booklet guides to Oberlin’s historic cemetery.

    Bicycle Resources

    Check out this page for rider resources, including fix-it and comfort stations, nearby trails, bicycle clubs, and local regulations.

      Other Local Attractions

      Allen Memorial Art Museum

      Apollo Theatre

      Common Ground (canopy tours and nature programs)

      Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (art gallery)

      Frank Lloyd Right House (Weltzheimer / Johnson House)

      Oberlin College (events)

      Oberlin Public Library

      Oberlin Underground Railroad Center (special events)

      Phillis Wheatley Center (special events)

      Splash Zone (Swimming and Exercise Metro Park)

      Wilson Bruce Evans Home Historical Society (33 East Vine Street; work in progress)

      Historic Downtown Oberlin (A National Register District with many shops and restaurants)

      Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market (seasonal)

      Welcoming churches

       

      Parks

      Bill Long Nature Preserve (intersection of Morgan and Pyle-South Amherst Roads)

      College Arboretum (entrance south of the Morgan Street Reservoir or behind Johnson House, 216 South Professor Street)

      Martin Luther King, Jr. Park (northwest corner of Pleasant and Vine Streets)

      Morgan Street Reservoir (199 Morgan Street)

      Oberlin City Parks (full list)

      Oberlin Depot Park (246 South Main Street)

      Oberlin Preserve (425 West Hamilton Street)

      Tappan Square (downtown Oberlin)

      Westwood Cemetery (429 Morgan Street)

      Wright Park (southwest corner of Main and Vine Streets)