GRAB LIFE RIGHT HERE CITY LIFE. OUTDOOR LIFE.

Experience Akron/Summit County

Hot metropolitan places alongside cool outdoor spaces. You decide which vibe will satisfy — we’d like to think you’ll enjoy it all.

PIONEERING INDUSTRIALISTS. Rock Stars (Grammy Award winners and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee). Outrageously Influential Inventors. Sports Phenoms (we’re sure a “certain someone” comes to mind immediately). Societal Thinkers and Contributors. Simply put: Just Really Cool People. Throughout history, these are the men and women who have called Akron/Summit County home.

Greater Akronites (aka Summit Countians) constructed a firm foundation upon which our community comfortably rests. Twenty-first century metropolitan places are adjacent to some of our nation’s most breathtaking natural spaces, resulting in an undeniably engaging combination of experiences.

Social, ethnic and cultural diversity planted deep roots when immigrants traveled from around the country to Greater Akron, seeking work on the canal. From those roots, an innovative spirit and an adamant conviction for dignity, rights and ideas quickly blossomed. In May 1851, Sojourner Truth attended the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in downtown Akron and presented her world-famous “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech. Through hardships, the community has thrived, meeting the demands of a war and solidifying the region’s role on the national stage. B.F. Goodrich, the Quaker Oats Co. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. were among the founders. Once known as the “Rubber Capital of the World,” the area still reigns as one of the world’s leading polymer centers, sets the pace for biomedical discoveries and celebrates a culture that only knows how to look forward!

Visitors and residents delight in the defiantly diverse arts, culture and entertainment offered here. Experience productions, films and concerts at community and professional theaters. Live entertainment, dance and world-class orchestras provide audiences hours of memorable performances. The Akron Art Museum boasts national and international modern artists, with other galleries showcasing neighboring communities. The sports scene is just as robust, with activities covering a spectrum of interests every season. We even have a ski resort! Take part in or play spectator to recreational pursuits, including: the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby, Kaulig Companies Championship and the Akron Marathon Race Series, presented by Summa Health.

Outdoor sporting sites round out the offerings with golf courses and racetracks, such as MGM Northfield Park’s horse racing.

Attractions in Greater Akron offer guests a glimpse into history — the homes, monuments and markers built with the wealth achieved from early industrial success. Hale Farm & Village lets visitors experience life during the mid-1800s, while Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the former estate of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. co-founder F.A. Seiberling, transports visitors into the world of an elegant 1915 English Tudorinspired mansion.

Greater Akron’s natural landscape promises incredible views and adventures. The area is not only home to Summit Metro Parks, but it proudly boasts Ohio’s only national park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, for a combined footprint of nearly 50,000 acres. Get in touch with nature at the Akron Zoo by traversing the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail or riding the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (you can even bring your bike aboard).

Major malls, shopping centers and specialty outlets can be found in the area. Favorites include acclaimed Akron artist Don Drumm’s Studios & Gallery offering one-of-a-kind gifts for every occasion and Ohio’s largest purveyor of organic and wholesome products, Mustard Seed Market & Café. Foodie fanatics will never go hungry, and your palate will thank you for sampling the area’s array of delicious tastes.

Place your head on a pillow with accommodations to match every budget in all corners of the county, allowing you to rest (just enough) to hit the ground running for another day in Greater Akron!