Stark: Football History, Museums and Nature

Stark combines cultural history with parks, lakes and trails. In Canton, museums and historic sites tell stories of football and the McKinley family; outdoors, forests, wetlands and bodies of water shape many of the described destinations. If you’re looking for a hotel in Stark, your planned visits and dates can help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

Football History and Places Connected to McKinley

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton because the American Professional Football Association, later renamed the National Football League, was founded there on September 17, 1920. The museum and attraction honor the achievements and accomplishments of the greatest legends of professional football. Its exhibits tell the sport’s story through interactive technology and artifacts; the interactive area also includes a Madden EA Sports video game suite. A gallery on William McKinley’s life contains the world’s largest collection of McKinley artifacts.

Other places in Canton also highlight the family’s history: The Saxton McKinley Home is the only surviving residence in Canton’s hometown with direct historical ties to President William McKinley. The First Ladies National Historic Site consists of two downtown properties: First Lady Ida Saxton-McKinley’s home and a visitor center. The McKinley Presidential Library & Museum is a family-friendly history and science museum. Its grounds include the McKinley National Memorial, the burial place of the president and his family.

Museums, Art and Events

The Canton Museum of Art presents between 12 and 14 exhibitions each year. Its cultural program includes Free Family Days, Canton Arts District First Fridays, gallery talks and behind-the-scenes tours. Program dates may change; check the schedule before your trip. The Massillon Museum is another cultural destination where art and history come together.

The MAPS Air Museum features more than 55 types of aircraft and over 130 exhibits of historical artifacts and interactive displays. The museum is also a war memorial. Its Gallery of Heroes contains a relic from the battleship USS Arizona, which was attacked at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The annual Stark County Fair takes place at the Stark County Fairgrounds in Canton. If you’d like to plan your stay around a program or the fair, check the dates before making plans.

Forests, Trails and Parks

Quail Hollow Park covers more than 700 acres of rolling meadows, swamps, and pine and hardwood forests surrounding a 40-room house. The paved Nature for All Trail differs from the other natural-surface trails, which run near spring pools, wetlands, and coniferous and deciduous forests. There is also a moderately challenging mountain biking loop that runs mostly through hardwood and coniferous forests.

The Congressman Ralph Regula Towpath Trail offers 26 miles for hiking and biking in Stark County. Its flat, shaded terrain follows the Tuscarawas River through hardwood forests and rural and urban landscapes. Various access points connect the trail north to Cleveland and south to Tuscarawas County. These details give you different considerations when choosing between a longer route and trails with surroundings shaped more by forests and wetlands.

Shorter trails have their own features, too: Petros Lake Park has a one-mile Mindfulness Walk with ten mental health stations. The Petros Lake Loop Trail is 1.20 miles long, surfaced with limestone gravel, and runs around the 13-acre lake. For those interested in the night sky, Fry Family Park is a certified Urban Night Sky Place and the first park in Ohio to receive this designation.

Lakes, Water Activities and Wildlife Watching

Deer Creek Reservoir covers 334 acres and is surrounded by nearly 1,000 acres of forest in northeast Stark County. Activities include boating with electric motors, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding; there is also a shoreline kayak launch and an accessible kayak launch. Wildlife that can be seen there includes bald eagles, ospreys, migrating waterfowl, white-tailed deer and coyotes. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Sippo Lake Park covers 300 acres; its trails run near the lake shore and through wetlands and forests. Sippo Lake Marina rents boats and other watercraft and has an accessible kayak launch. Since seasonal marina offerings may change, check before your trip. For a different natural setting, the nearly 1,800-acre Walborn Reservoir has seven miles of trails through pine forests, oak and hickory forests, and wildflower areas. Pairs of mature eagles have used the area for nesting for more than two decades. Walborn Marina rents rowboats, motorboats, SUP boards, canoes and kayaks.

Plan Visits Around Dates and Interests

Public tours of Magnolia Flouring Mills are typically offered during the annual Canal Days Festival in early August. Richard Elson built the mills in 1834 along the route of the Sandy & Beaver Canal; they remained in the Elson family for 171 years and were acquired by the Stark County Park District in 2005. The site includes a section of the canal behind the mill and Dam #6. Check the festival dates before traveling for a tour.

For another way to explore local offerings, the Hall of Fame Hops Craft Brewery Trail is available as a free digital pass for use on a smartphone. Travel arrangements may also factor into your hotel choice: Akron-Canton Airport provides access to SARTA buses that serve travelers in Stark County. Transit connections and service may change; check the details relevant to your stay before traveling.

Discover more destinations: Navarre, Canton, North Canton, Massillon, Alliance, Portage County, Delaware County, Sandusky County.

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