Pro Football and More in Canton
Most recognized among Canton’s numerous museums, the Pro Football Hall of Fame showcases all things NFL. Groups can watch replays of the Super Bowl and see the new Hunt/Casterline Pro Football Hall of Fame Card Collection. The NFL Hall of Fame Game, played in early August, is part of the ticketed enshrinement week. Also opening that week will be the Paul Brown Museum, filled with football memorabilia.
The Maps Air Museum, features 47 types of aircraft, from the one-of-a-kind 1908 Martin Glider to an F-16 Fighting Falcon, and numerous artifacts and interactive exhibits. Last summer, the museum unveiled its Ohio Military Museum, which honors more than 60 Ohio heroes and displays their memorabilia, uniforms and equipment. The Canton Classic Car Museum, in a 1914 Ford dealership, exhibits more than 45 antique and collectible cars.
The McKinley Presidential Library and Museum preserves the history surrounding William McKinley’s presidency and assassination. In a separate wing, there’s an interactive science center and planetarium. Within the library, tours of the National First Ladies Library and Museum highlight the first ladies’ dresses and teacups, as well as Ida McKinley’s home. The domed William McKinley Monument is the final resting place of the 25th U.S. president and his family.
“Groups will also want to visit the Canton Museum of Art and the Massillon Museum, which combines art and history,” said Tonja Marshall, vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Canton. “And they can extend that experience by viewing public art and visiting galleries throughout the Canton Arts District.”
Built around a state-of-the-art winery, the Tuscan-inspired Gervasi Vineyard bottles more than 20 varieties of wine, including several estate wines. The owners reinvented Canton’s last remaining working farm, which dates to the early 19th century and lies within the city limits. Classes at the Culinary and Wine Education Center offer the chance to create a meal and dine in class. Winery tours can be bookended by lunch or a tasting. Restaurants include the Bistro, the Crush House Wine Bar and Eatery, and the Piazza for outdoor dining.
On-site, the Villas, AAA Four Diamond accommodations, feature fireplaces and lake views. Scheduled to be completed in early 2019, the 24-suite luxury boutique hotel will feature heated floors, fireplaces, a delivered gourmet continental breakfast and in-room spa treatments.
Historic Tuscarawas County
The 86-mile Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail connects Lake Erie in Cleveland to New Philadelphia, approximately 20 miles south of Canton. Near Canton, the Canal Fulton Canalway Center presents the film “Our Canal Heritage,” a good introduction to a canal boat ride. The replicated St. Helena III, boat pulled by two Percheron horses, departs from St. Helena Heritage Park for one-hour cruises narrated by an onboard historian. Themed cruises and private group charters are available.
South of Canton on Interstate 77, Zoar Village was founded in 1817 when 200 German Separatists built their homes along the banks of the Tuscarawas River. Zoar, translated as “a sanctuary from evil,” became a refuge for religious freedom. The Separatists dug part of the Ohio and Erie Canal by hand, which helped pay for their land.
Today, the historic district features shops, bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants and 12 restored living-history museums. The three-acre formal garden is the village showpiece. Lantern ghost tours and Heimatfest take place in October and Christmas tours in December.
“Our knowledgeable tour guides talk about how the people lived and produced their products as groups explore the village,” said Julie Levengood-Stephon, group tour manager at the Tuscarawas County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “And the group-friendly Canal Tavern of Zoar serves German fare in an Old World atmosphere.”
