As in years past, we are sharing regular updates over the summer months in terms of events and attractions located within an easy driving distance of Galion and southeast Crawford County.

We always preface these ideas by reminding our readers that the Crawford County area is full of interesting attractions and engaging events which are in your own backyard.

Today we’re traveling a bit to the east to the city of Akron.

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens has opened for the 2023 season on April 1, and is offering the Manor House exhibit, ‘Connections: Love & The Ties that Bind,’ is a look at relationships within the Seiberling family.

The current season includes a robust line‐up of public programs and new education programs.

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is a notable national landmark, one of the largest and most significant American country estates that still exists from the industrial era of the early 20th century. Built between 1912 and 1915 by F.A. Seiberling, co-founder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and his wife, Gertrude, the estate sprawls over 70 acres and boasts a majestic Tudor Revival style manor house, lush gardens, and several outbuildings. The name “Stan Hywet,” derived from the Old English, translates to “stone quarry,” an apt description of the property’s original feature.

The manor house at Stan Hywet is a marvel of architecture, filled with handcrafted details and modern conveniences that were ahead of their time. The interior of the house contains over 65 rooms, each intricately decorated and filled with artifacts from the Seiberling family. The beautiful gardens, designed by renowned landscape architect Warren H. Manning, feature a variety of styles and plantings that change with the seasons. Visitors can tour the estate, explore the manor house, walk through the gardens, and learn about the history and legacy of the Seiberling family, who played a significant role in Akron’s growth and prosperity.

The Connections exhibit explores the personal relationships in the multi‐
generational household of F.A and Gertrude Seiberling. There is a particular focus in the exhibit on the six Seiberling children and how their connections made through marriage affected not only the family dynamic, but the community around them.

Visitors may choose a self‐guided tour or one of the guided tours offered this season, including the Guided Manor House Tour, the Nooks & Crannies Tour, and beginning in May, the Guided Garden Tour. The Outdoor History Tour, a companion to the “Nooks” tour is offered monthly through September.

New education programs include a class on building a pollinator garden on May 20 and an evening to view the Perseid meteor shower on August 12.

There’s also the Father’s Day Car today; Off the Vine: An Evening Pairing of Food & Wine on August 18; the Molto Bella Auto Show arriving on September 10, and Ohio Mart from October 5‐8. Murder in the Mansion takes place on select nights in October, and Deck the Hall is select evenings November 24‐December 30.

More information about registration and purchasing tickets for all education and public programs will be available at stanhywet.org. Through November 12 Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is open for daytime tours Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM; the last admission is at 4 PM. The estate is closed to the public on Mondays. Hours of operation for public programs (special events) may be different, and are posted on the website.

Source: Stan Hywet; Photo: Creative Commons License