Akron History Center to Open April 5 

The new Akron History Center will open to the public on Saturday, April 5 in downtown Akron at 172 South Main Street.

Members of the public may visit the free museum celebrating Akron’s Bicentennial between 1:00pm and 5:00pm on April 5. A private invitation-only ceremony will precede the public opening. The Center will be open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10:00am – 2:00pm in April. Additional times will be added during the Bicentennial year. Admission is free.

“ The mission of the Akron History Center is to create an enduring, long-lasting, free museum-quality exhibit about Akron’s history ,” says David Lieberth, president of the non-profit corporation that raised the funds to create the Center’s exhibits. “We hope to inspire residents, educate young people and welcome visitors to our community.” Lieberth also serves as Executive Secretary of Akron’s Bicentennial Commission.

Operated by the Akron-Summit County Public Library in cooperation with the Summit County Historical Society and the non-profit Akron History Center, Inc., the Center features more than 60 exhibits displaying more than 100 historic artifacts with stories told on more than 30 video screens.

“We are honored and excited to partner with the Akron History Center and the Summit County Historical Society in presenting and operating this exciting addition to downtown Akron, “ says Pam Hickson-Stevenson, Executive Director of the Akron-Summit County Public Library, which operates the Center. “The Akron Public Library, the precursor to today’s Library system, was founded just 50 years after Akron so it is fitting that the Library is involved in this tribute to the city we love and call home.”

Akron History Center, governed by a 15-member board of volunteers, raised $2.2 million to
fund the project. The initial investment was a $500,000 grant from the City of Akron, followed by support from Akron’s foundations, businesses and individuals. Eighty-three donors to the project are recognized in the Center. A new group, the Diamond Business Guild, made up of 27
companies in business in Akron for 60 years or more, raised more than $700,000 for the Center.

Plans for a new museum for the city were conceived more than 40 years ago at the Summit
County Historical Society. The Akron History Center became possible when six historic buildings
on Main Street were acquired by the Bowery Development Group in 2016. The $42 million project
includes 92 apartments, the CRAVE restaurant, and an engineering firm. In 2023, the Akron
History Center Inc was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and developed plans for the
Center, which showcases 200 years of Akron history for the city’s Bicentennial celebration.

“Because history is being made in Akron every day, the Center is a work in progress,” said
Leianne Neff Heppner, president and CEO of the Summit County Historical Society. “It will
continue to change and will commemorate signature events from the city’s past. “ Artifacts
collected and preserved by the Society since its founding in 1924 are displayed in the Center.

The design of the Center was conceived by Barrie Projects of Cleveland Heights. Dennis and Kathy Barrie also created the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement in Las Vegas, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, and the National Museum of Psychology in Akron.

Communication Exhibits Incorporated (CEI) of Canal Fulton designed and fabricated the Center’s exhibits. The company has created exhibits for industry and museums for more than 40 years.

The Akron History Center will complement a new curriculum on local history being developed by the Akron Public Schools.

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