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The Akron area benefits from a long list of fun museums, with exhibits that range from accessible family entertainment to deeply introspective artwork and local history. Whatever you’re interested in, one of these four museums likely has something you’ll enjoy.
This fairly new museum is a great place for kids to learn about all sorts of topics through hands-on, interactive exhibits. This museum has areas with huge building blocks, racing mini-cars, and other fun activities that teach kids about mechanics, light, wind, art, medicine, fitness, senses, and plenty more.
The building is medium-sized and keeps its exhibits close together so that adults don’t need to run around as their children explore. Give Akron Children’s Museum a visit if you have any kids below the age of 10, and check up on it every so often for new exhibits.
Looking for a smaller museum and a piece of local and worldwide history? This charming building doesn’t seem like a historical attraction from a distance, but it’s actually the home of Robert Holbrook Smith — also known as Dr. Bob — who created the Twelve Step Program and Alcoholics Anonymous. A longtime drinker through most of his life, he eventually quit through spiritual guidance and personally treated over 5,000 alcoholics, never charging for his services. This museum shows how AA came to be within the personal home of Dr. Bob and his wife Anne.
Akron’s signature museum of the humanities is a great place to expand your thinking; what you see may even shock you. Exhibits like Gross Anatomies show the strange, perverse ways that the living and non-living forms interact, while simple exhibits like Family show how much emotion and meaning are present in one well-taken photograph. The Please Touch exhibit is fully interactive, encouraging visitors to touch the works in ways that make their meanings come to life. These and other experiences are available for a limited time, so check out Akron Art Museum soon.
Set in the University of Akron and free to attend, this museum is a great choice for those who would like to learn more about the study of the human mind. The largest and most intriguing item is a simulated shock generator. It was used in the Stanley Milgram obedience studies where 65% of participants fully complied with orders to shock an innocent person.
There are other exhibits and attractions that shine light on studies by Freud, Scanner, and other landmark members of the field. The museum has a mix of kid-friendly interactive exhibits and more in-depth attractions.
Between these four diverse museums, anyone in Akron can find a memorable story or interesting sight. From the quaint and inspiring home of Dr. Bob to the gigantic and daunting glass architecture of Akron Art Museum, there’s always something to appreciate. Be sure to check them out every new season, as each place often adds or removes exhibits.