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Group Tours and School Visits

Welcome! Visitors of all walks and ages come to tour the Oberlin Heritage Center. We have many school and homeschool groups visit us throughout the year. Youth groups have included Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, clubs, and after school organizations. Adult and mixed adult and children groups have ranged from family reunions, to bicyclists taking a break after fifty miles of hard work, to interest groups who want to see something new (or old)! We welcome all visitors and are ready and willing to tailor the tour to meet your needs and interests. Although all visitors are welcome, the tour will be of most interest to adults and children above the age of 7 years. Please see the guidelines below about scheduling and our facilities. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a tour, please call (440) 774-1700 or email tourinfo@oberlinheritage.org.

Standard Group Tour of the Oberlin Heritage Center
The standard Oberlin Heritage Center tour takes approximately 75 minutes. The tour includes a visit to three historic sites: the Monroe House (1866), the Little Red Schoolhouse (1836) and the Jewett House (1884). Visitors learn about the founding of Oberlin, African American history, the Underground Railroad, women's history, scientific discovery, and turn-of-the-century reform movements. The standard tour can be modified to focus more attention on one building or subject, or abbreviated to accommodate a different schedule depending on the interests of the group. This must be arranged well in advance of the tour date. For additional tour options please see our Tour Add-Ons & Special Services.

Special Youth and School Group Tours
Some groups may wish to have their tour tailored to address certain educational topics, help fulfill badge requirements, or include a walking tour of other historic sites in Oberlin. We are ready to work with you to make the tour fit your needs and interests. More information about specialty tours can be found by viewing our Tour Add-Ons and Special Services page, and we have a page describing how our tours meet Ohio Academic Standards.

Walking Tour of Historic Oberlin
The Oberlin Heritage Center also offers walking tours of downtown Oberlin. Learn about the earliest residents of Oberlin, hear fascinating stories of the triumphs, debates, and scandals linked to the landmarks around Tappan Square, and walk away with a lively appreciation of Oberlin's unique heritage. Visitors will be able to compare the buildings of today to the buildings of yesteryear using historic photographs of Oberlin's earliest structures. This hour and fifteen minute guided walking tour is is available for group reservations from April through October. Guests will also be able to join us for scheduled walking tours in the summer, so be sure to check the Calendar of Events in the future. The tour starts at the Oberlin Heritage Center's Monroe House at 73 1/2 S. Professor Street. Whether you've lived in Oberlin forever or are new to the area, you'll find much to enjoy. Walking tours take about an hour and fifteen minutes and are recommended for those aged 14 and above. The tour can be modified to focus on particular buildings or monuments, but this must be arranged in advance. The tour will be cancelled and can be rescheduled or refunded if it is raining at the start time.

Group Tour Reservations, Scheduling and Fees

• Group tour admission for the Oberlin Heritage Center or the walking tour is $6 per adult and $3 per child under 18. There is no charge for adult chaperones for children's groups. Members participating in group visits may tour the Oberlin Heritage Center for free and receive the discounted rate of $4 per adult for the walking tour.
  
  
• Group tour reservations are made Tuesday through Saturday. Please make your reservations at least one month in advance to guarantee the date and time you prefer to visit.
  
  
• A non-refundable deposit of $50 (or full payment if your total tour fees are less than $50) is required to secure your reservation.
  
  
• Full payment for you tour (less the non-refundable deposit) is due two weeks before the tour or the tour reservation may be released.
  
  
• If any reservation information changes between the time that the reservation is made and the date of the actual tour, please notify us as soon as possible (i.e., change of time for the tour, change in number of visitors, etc.)
  
  
• In the event you need to cancel this reservation, cancellation must be received by our office in writing a minimum of 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival via U.S. Mail or facsimile to (440) 774-8061. Without 48 hours written notice your tour fee will not be refunded. With 48 hours notice of cancellation, your tour fee is refundable, adjustable, or transferable less than the initial non-refundable deposit of $50.
  

The Day of Your Tour

• Tours begin at the Monroe House located at 73 1/2 South Professor Street (at the back of Oberlin College's Conservatory of Music parking lot). Groups are asked to arrive at the agreed upon time. If you will not be able to arrive on time, please call. We cannot guarantee having a docent (tour guide) available should you arrive earlier than the tour start time, or 15 or more minutes later than the designated tour time. Should you arrive 15 or more minutes later than the designated start time, you will forfeit your tour fee.
  
  
• You are welcome to explore our Museum Store and Visitor Information brochure rack at the Monroe House before or after the tour, but space is limited.
  
  
• Large groups will be divided into smaller groups of approximately 12-15 people per docent. We cannot accommodate more than one motor coach or school bus of visitors at a time. (Suggestion: One half of a very large group can explore other sites in Oberlin while the other half visit the Oberlin Heritage Center, then the two groups can switch. Please see our website or ask for suggestions for places to visit, stay, and dine.)
  
  
• School, Youth and Homeschool Groups: If your group contains students of a variety of ages, it is helpful if you divide them up by age groups. Please make chaperone assignments before arriving at our site. We request that you provide one adult chaperone per five students. Chaperones are expected to assist the docents and intervene if any children are distracting others on the tour.
  
  
• We ask that visitors keep in mind that they are visiting historic sites and house museums that contain irreplaceable artifacts and furnishings. Touching or sitting on our historic furnishings is prohibited. Please remind your group in advance to stay with the docent and to "look with your eyes and not with your hands."
  
  
• Smoking, food, and drinks are not allowed inside the buildings.
  
  
• Please turn off cell phones and pagers before the tour begins.
  
  
• Restrooms are only available for emergencies.
  
  
• Non-flash photography is permitted, but any commercial use requires written permission of the Oberlin Heritage Center's Executive Director. Flash photography is not permitted.
  

Parking and Bus Unloading

• Visitors who arrive by car should park in the Oberlin Heritage Center parking lot behind the James Monroe House. This lot is located off of West Vine Street, behind the Midas Muffler. After parking your vehicle, follow the sandstone and brick walkway to the front door of the Monroe House. Please see the provided map.
  
  
• Bus tours should unload in front of the Monroe House. Access to this drop off point is via the Conservatory of Music parking lot on South Professor Street (just north of the Jewett House at 73 S. Professor Street). If the bus remains in the Conservatory of Music parking lot, the bus driver should not leave the vehicle unattended. You may be asked to move the bus and come back at the end of the tour.
  

Important Information Regarding Restrooms and Lunch Facilities

• We regret that we do not have adequate restrooms for large groups and do not have an indoor facility where groups can eat bag lunches. Please let us know in advance if you need assistance in finding a place for a bathroom break and/or a place for your group to eat their bag lunches and we will do our best to help you.
  

Accessibility

• The Oberlin Heritage Center's buildings are historic and contain stairs. Visitors who wish to see the full tour need to be able to climb stairs. If visitors are unable to do so, docents are happy to provide materials that illustrate the architecture and furnishings of the upper rooms. Visitors who need to sit may request a folding chair.
  
  
• Two of our buildings have wheelchair-accessible first floors; the third building does not yet have a wheelchair-accessible entrance. Please be aware that the Oberlin Heritage Center is in the process of determining ways to provide better access for the differently-abled in the future. We are committed to making our museum accessible to the differently-abled, and are willing to modify the tour and/or make special arrangements if contacted ahead of time.
  
  
• Guests who have difficulty hearing are encouraged to ask the docent to wear an audio amplifying device that we have available.
  
  
• The entire walking tour is wheelchair accessible, barring poor weather conditions. Visitors should be aware that there will be few opportunities for sitting during the tour. Visitors are advised to use the restroom before arriving at the Oberlin Heritage Center, dress appropriately for the weather, and wear good walking shoes.
  

For More Information

• If you have any questions or would like to arrange a group tour, please call our Museum Education and Tour Coordinator Liz Schultz at (440) 774-1700 or send an email to tourinfo@oberlinheritage.org.
• Special thematic tours and other services are available upon request. For more information, please see the information on specialty tours.
• Download a copy of the Group Tour Guidelines.