August 27 (Friday at 11:00 a.m.) Tappan Square History Walk. Learn about early residents and hear stories of triumph and misfortune. Walk away with a lively appreciation of Oberlin’s unique heritage and buildings. Tickets must be purchased 48 hours in advance either on the website (www.oberlinheritage.org) or at the Monroe House’s Museum Store. Tickets are not available at the starting point for the tour. $6 per adult, with $1 discount for OHC members; free for children less than 18 years (most likely to be enjoyed by children 9 years of age and up). The walk is approximately 60 minutes. History walk may be cancelled and fees refunded if fewer than 5 people pre-register or if it is raining at the tour start time.

August 28 (Saturday at 11:00 a.m.) Freedom’s Friends History Walk. This walking tour showcases Oberlin’s important role in the history of abolition and the Underground Railroad. Tickets must be purchased through the website (www.oberlinheritage.org) or at the Monroe House’s Museum Store. Tickets are not available at the starting point for the tour. $6 per adult, with $1 discount for OHC members; free for children less than 18 years (most likely to be enjoyed by children 9 years of age and up). The walk is approximately 75 minutes long. History walk may be cancelled and fees refunded if it is raining at the tour start time.

August 28 (Saturday, 3 – 4 p.m.) I Spy Oberlin: History and Architecture Scavenger Hunt for children ages 5-11 with an adult companion.  Families will be guided through historic Oberlin while keeping their eyes peeled for historic markers, decorative details, and Oberlin oddities.  Fun and engaging for all!  Reservations required; fee $5 per child.  Location: The "hunt" begins at the Monroe House and takes place outside in fair weather.  We will "spy" inside our historic buildings if it is raining.

August 31 (Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.) History of Northern Ohio’s Amusement Parks. Summer vacation isn’t complete without enjoying the fun and thrills that accompany a trip to an amusement park! Take a step back in time with Oberlin Heritage Center Summer Assistant, Maria Surovy, through this virtual visit to many of northern Ohio’s favorite theme parks, some long-gone, while others continuing to thrive. The illustrated presentation is based on research done by Surovy in fulfillment of her master’s thesis toward her M.S. degree in Historic Preservation from Ball State (Indiana). Maria Surovy is a middle school social studies teacher at The Ratner School in Pepper Pike. She has taught Oberlin Heritage summer camps for several years. Location: Kendal at Oberlin’s Heiser Auditorium. Free and open to all.

September 3 (Friday at 11:00 a.m.) Tappan Square History Walk. Learn about early residents and hear stories of triumph and misfortune. Walk away with a lively appreciation of Oberlin’s unique heritage and buildings. Tickets must be purchased 48 hours in advance either on the website (www.oberlinheritage.org) or at the Monroe House’s Museum Store. Tickets are not available at the starting point for the tour. $6 per adult, with $1 discount for OHC members; free for children less than 18 years (most likely to be enjoyed by children 9 years of age and up). The walk is approximately 60 minutes. History walk may be cancelled and fees refunded if fewer than 5 people pre-register or if it is raining at the tour start time. 

September 4 (Saturday at 11:00 a.m.) Freedom’s Friends History Walk. This walking tour showcases Oberlin’s important role in the history of abolition and the Underground Railroad. Tickets must be purchased through the website (www.oberlinheritage.org) or at the Monroe House’s Museum Store. Tickets are not available at the starting point for the tour. $6 per adult, with $1 discount for OHC members; free for children less than 18 years (most likely to be enjoyed by children 9 years of age and up). The walk is approximately 75 minutes long. History walk may be cancelled and fees refunded if it is raining at the tour start time.

September 10 (Friday at 11:00 a.m.) Tappan Square History Walk. See details at September 3 entry.

September 11 (Saturday at 11:00 a.m.) Freedom’s Friends History Walk. See details at September 4 entry.

September 18 (Saturday at 11 a.m.) Walk with us this fall on the new “Radicals and Reformers History Walk” through Westwood Cemetery. This guided tour promises a pleasing balance of Westwood’s scenic landmarks and stories of some of the many spirited men and women of Oberlin who simply refused the status quo. Find out which resident was remembered as “gentle, soft-spoken, tolerant and yet nobody’s fool.” Visit the headstone of the man who escaped from slavery (twice!) and later served on the Oberlin village council. Fee is $6 per adult with a $1 discount for OHC members, and children under 18 attend free (history walks are recommended for children ages 9 and up). Space is limited and reservations are strongly recommended and can be made at www.oberlinheritage.org or at the Monroe House front office (73 ½ South Professor Street). Meet near the entrance of the cemetery to begin this historic journey. Walk may be cancelled and fees refunded if it is raining at the tour start time.

September 19 (Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.). Docent Training Introductory Workshop  Love Oberlin and its history and want to help share it with others? Consider becoming an Oberlin Heritage Center volunteer docent. Being a docent is a great way to learn more about Oberlin and its unique history whether you are new in town or have lived here forever. Take a complimentary tour before the training to see whether docenting is your “cup of tea.” This fun and diverse group of all ages and backgrounds meets periodically throughout the year for informational gatherings, field trips, and more. Some docents specialize in tours for adult groups while others especially enjoy children’s groups or tours for walk-in visitors. Talk to Museum Education and Tour Coordinator Liz Schultz (e-mail: tourinfo@oberlinheritage.org or phone: 440-774-1700) for a free tour ticket for a prospective docent or for more information. Pre-registration is required.

September 25 (Saturday at 11 a.m.) Radicals and Reformers History Walk through Westwood Cemetery. See details at September 18 entry.

September 25 (Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.) The Oberlin Heritage Center is taking part in Smithsonian Magazine’s 6th Annual Museum Day by providing free tour admission to visitors plus one guest who present the Museum Day Admission Card. A printed version of this card is available in the September 2010 Smithsonian issue and the downloadable version is available at the Museum Day website, www.Smithsonianmagazine.com/museumday . This annual celebration involves hundreds of museums around the country and allows for one day only the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian’s Washington, D.C.-based properties to be emulated throughout America. Don’t miss this great opportunity to take a tour of the Oberlin Heritage Center or to visit another participating museum that day!

September 30 (Thursday at 7:15 p.m.) Liz Schultz, Museum Education and Tour Coordinator of the Oberlin Heritage Center, will present an illustrated program about Oberlin’s picturesque Westwood Cemetery. Dedicated in 1864, Westwood’s design reflects the park-like Rural Cemetery Movement of the 19th century and today contains a rich variety of symbolism, individuality, and scenery that is enjoyed by Oberlin residents and visitors alike. Liz will talk about the history of the cemetery and highlight some of its unique features and monuments. She also will discuss the Westwood gravestone inventory, an amazing project undertaken by Oberlin Heritage Center volunteers, which is an excellent source of information for family genealogists, researchers, and historians. A gravestone inventory database, the result of thousands of volunteer hours and years of planning and implementing, is now hosted on the Heritage Center website (www.oberlinheritage.org). Location: Kendal at Oberlin Heiser Auditorium; free and open to the public. Note that this program is offered in connection with the new “Radicals and Reformers” Westwood Cemetery History Walk, being offered four Saturdays this fall. See History Walk details elsewhere in the Events Calendar or visit www.oberlinheritage.org for more information.

October 2 (Saturday at 11 a.m.) Radicals and Reformers History Walk through Westwood Cemetery.
See details at September 18 entry.

October 5 (Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.) Todd Arrington, Chief of Interpretation and Education for the National Park Service’s James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor will present “The Republican Party, the Civil War, and the West.” What led to the creation of this new political group in 1854 which quickly became a major player on the national scene? How did it rise from a small Midwestern coalition to a powerful party controlling Congress and the presidency just six years later? This presentation will examine the early years of the Republican Party and will look especially at the West, the region in which the party was formed and where it had its strongest legislative impact. The Republicans’ domination of Congress during the Civil War and enactment of several bills opposed by the slave owners of the South also will be highlighted. Location: Kendal at Oberlin Heiser Auditorium. Free and open to all.

October 9 (Saturday at 11 a.m.) Radicals and Reformers History Walk through Westwood Cemetery.
See details at September 18 entry.

October 15 (Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Community Arts and Culture Day – No School / Lots of Fun! Area youngsters have the day off because of NEOEA professional development teacher workshops, and the Oberlin Heritage Center is once again partnering with local arts and culture organizations to offer FREE family fun for this day-off-from-school. Primary school-aged children will enjoy a variety of games and crafts at the Little Red Schoolhouse. Perfect your ring toss skills, make a silhouette portrait, heft the water buckets, ring the old school bell, and more. Children must be accompanied by an adult (who may have even more fun!). Families may also take a guided mini-tour of the first floor of the historic Monroe House at any time from 11:00 to 3:00.

October 23 (Saturday from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.) Portrait Unveiled! Oberlin’s First Settler Peter Pindar Pease. Celebrate the unveiling of a previously unknown portrait of the town’s first settler, Peter Pindar Pease (1795-1861) as this new gem is added to the Oberlin Heritage Center collection. Painted in 1842 by Pease’s nephew, artist Hiram Alonzo Pease (1820-1881), the portrait was donated to the Heritage Center last year by Peter’s great-great-granddaughter, Susan Pease Morgenthaler, of Yuma, Arizona. The painting recently was restored by McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory of Oberlin through the generosity of an anonymous donor. Learn more about Pease, who arrived in Oberlin via ox wagon on April 19, 1833 with his wife and five children (including nephew, Alonzo) to help clear lands given to John J. Shipherd for the Oberlin Colony. Following the event, the portrait will hang in the newly refurbished Monroe House front parlor. Join us for this up-close view of the portrait, its subject, and the artist in Heiser Auditorium, Kendal at Oberlin. Free and open to the public.

November 13 (Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Be a Good Ancestor Workshop: Collecting and Preserving Your Family History, Stories, Photographs and Artifacts This two-part workshop is a great way to learn from the pros, Oberlin Heritage Center staff members Pat Holsworth and Prue Richards. They have extensive experience and advanced training in archival and artifact preservation, genealogy and oral history. The morning session will address proper care of artifacts, documents, textiles and photographs. The afternoon session will provide guidance on genealogy and oral history. The fee is $55 for the full-day workshop ($50 for Oberlin Heritage Center members), which includes lunch and an optional half-hour individual follow-up consultation (scheduled at a later date) with either of the presenters. Those who choose to attend only the morning or only the afternoon session will pay $35 ($30 for Oberlin Heritage Center members). If half-day participants wish to add lunch to one part or the other, the cost is an additional $10. Download a Registration Flyer.  Questions?  Call (440) 774-1700. Presented at the Oberlin Depot and limited to 25 participants.

November 16 (Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.) Oberlin Heritage Center’s Oral History Committee volunteers will read excerpts from oral history interviews focusing on Oberlin Memories of the World Wars. There’s much to learn (or reminisce about) from these first-hand experiences of the war efforts and their impacts on lives at home. Local residents will recognize many of the names of those whose stories have been woven together for this evening’s oral history presentation. Others simply will appreciate the many and varied memories brought forth from these history-making events. Co-sponsored by the Oberlin College Archives, the program will be presented at Kendal at Oberlin’s Heiser Auditorium and is free and open to all.

December 14 (Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.) A Life Recorded One Day at a Time: Fannie Bailey, Oberlin, and the Civil War. Fannie White Bailey kept a journal while living with her husband James in Oberlin in the 1850s and 1860s. During the Civil War, Fannie recorded the daily events of her life and those of her community. The journal provides a glimpse into the Oberlin home front and illuminates the complex and diverse nature of how the national conflict altered Ohioans’ lives. Presented by Kelly D. Selby, a Walsh University assistant professor of history. Location: Kendal at Oberlin’s Heiser Auditorium. Free and open to all.
 

 

Please note: Most Oberlin Heritage Center lecture programs are free and last about one hour with first-come, first-served seating. Exceptions are noted in the descriptions.  Members receive a discount for programs for which there is a fee and other benefits. Not a member yet? Please join today! Your support is greatly appreciated!