Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Oberlin (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Weltzheimer/Johnson House, Allen Memorial Art Museum, and Apollo Theatre. Also, be sure to include Tappan Square in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Oberlin (Ohio).
Table of Contents
Weltzheimer/Johnson House
Historical landmark in Oberlin, Ohio. The Weltzheimer/Johnson House is a Usonian style house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Oberlin, Ohio. It was constructed in 1948 and 1949. Now owned by Oberlin College, it is operated as part of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. The house was originally named the Charles Weltzheimer Residence.[1]
Allen Memorial Art Museum
Art museum in Oberlin, Ohio. The Allen Memorial Art Museum is an art museum located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it is run by Oberlin College. Founded in 1917, the collection contains over 15,000 works of art.[2]
Address: 87 N Main St, 44074-1161 Oberlin
Apollo Theatre
Theater in Oberlin, Ohio. The Apollo Theatre is a 1913 art-deco moviehouse located in Oberlin, Ohio and maintained by Oberlin College. It is notable as one of the earliest theaters to screen "talkies" and for its use as one of Northeast Ohio's film forums.[3]
Address: 19 E College St, 44074-1612 Oberlin
Tappan Square
Park in Oberlin, Ohio. Tappan Square is a public park and National Historic Landmark at the center of Oberlin, Ohio. The park initially opened in 1885, on 13 acres of city-owned land at the bequest of Oberlin College benefactor Charles Martin Hall. It was designed by the esteemed duo of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and John Charles Olmsted. The square in Oberlin was named in the 1940s, in honor of Arthur and Lewis Tappan, wealthy merchants of New York City who supported Oberlin College in its early days and who were ardent abolitionists. The square was previously known as College Park or the Campus. Until 1965 it held the Historic Elm, under which John Jay Shipherd and Philo Stewart were said to have knelt and prayed to God and on which spot they decided to found the town. The square held college buildings for many years, including a five-story brick college classroom and men's dormitory called Tappan Hall. As the buildings on the square grew older, the area was cleaned up as a green space for the community, removing the buildings, in accordance with the provisions of the will of Charles Martin Hall.[4]
Address: N. Professor/N. Main, 44074 Oberlin
Oberlin Heritage Center
The Oberlin Heritage Center is a non-profit 501 organization, governed by an 18-member Board of Trustees. The organization is funded by memberships, annual fund contributions, investments, grants, fund-raising projects and planned gifts. Over 700 members hail from Oberlin and elsewhere in Lorain County, as well as from across the country.[5]
Address: 73 1/2 S Professor St, 44074-1523 Oberlin
Oberlin College
Liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of higher learning in the world. The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. In 1835, Oberlin became one of the first colleges in the United States to admit African Americans, and in 1837 the first to admit women. It has been known since its founding for progressive student activism.
The College of Arts & Sciences offers more than 50 majors, minors, and concentrations. Oberlin is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association and the Five Colleges of Ohio consortium. Since its founding, Oberlin has graduated 16 Rhodes Scholars, 20 Truman Scholars, 12 MacArthur fellows, 4 Rome Prize winners, 7 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 4 Nobel laureates.[6]
Address: 173 W Lorain St, 44074-1073 Oberlin
Christ Episcopal Church
Church in Oberlin, Ohio. Christ Episcopal Church is a historic church at 156 S. Main Street in Oberlin, Ohio.
It was built in 1855 and added to the National Register in 1978.
In addition to weekly masses, the church offers weekday community meals and a home stay program.[7]
Address: 162 S Main St, 44074-1629 Oberlin
Firelands Association for the Visual Arts
Museum, Art gallery, Shopping
Address: 39 S Main St, 44074-1662 Oberlin
Oberlin College Library
Library in Oberlin, Ohio. The Oberlin College Libraries is a system of libraries located in Oberlin, Ohio comprising the Mary Church Terrell Main Library, Clarence Ward Art Library, Conservatory Library, and Science Library.
The recipient of the ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in 2002, the Oberlin College Libraries are recognized for superior collections and services. The library system has more than 2.4 million items of print and media materials, as well as extensive online journals and research databases. OCL is a member of the OhioLINK consortium which provides rapid access to an additional 50 million volumes from colleges and universities across Ohio. On October 6, 2018 the Main Library located in the Mudd Center, was renamed for Oberlin graduate Mary Church Terrell (class of 1884, 1888, and Hon. 1948), who is held in high esteem because she was one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree[8]
Congregational Church of Christ
Church in Oberlin, Ohio. Congregational Church of Christ is a historic church at W. Lorain and N. Main Streets in Oberlin, Ohio. Currently the church is occupied by a United Church of Christ congregation. Richard Bond did drawing for the church.
The church was built in 1842. For 37 years it was led by prominent abolitionist Charles Grandison Finney, who was also president of Oberlin College. Other abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Ralph Waldo Emerson led meetings here. Prominent speakers have included Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Booker T. Washington, Mark Twain and President Woodrow Wilson. The Congregational Church of Christ was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[9]
Ginko Gallery & Studio
Museum
Address: 19 S Main St, Oberlin