Bring a Group

Group tours must be reserved at least three weeks in advance. Group tours will be limited in size and must be arranged accordingly with the Museum Education & Tour Manager in advance.

If you have any questions or concerns about our history walk operations, or would like to make a reservation, please call 440-774-1700 or email the Museum Education and Tour Manager


Tour Logistics

Thinking of bringing a group of eight or more people? Visitors of all walks and ages enjoy touring the Oberlin Heritage Center, including families, bicyclists breaking after fifty miles of hard work, businesses treating their employees, and special interest groups that want to see something new (or old)! Whether you've lived in Oberlin forever or are new to the area, you'll find much to enjoy.  Tell us your needs and interests and we will tailor the tour. 

If you are a leader of a youth or school group, see our page for Youth Group Tours. If you have questions or want to schedule a tour, please call the Museum Education and Tour Manager at (440) 774-1700 or email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

  

Tour Times

Tour Fees

See the Group Tour Information for details about reserving a tour and cancellation policies.  Group leaders might also be interested in our outreach programsAccessibility and ADA page


Tour Options:

Upstairs/Downstairs Guided Tour: Small Town, Big Stories

Visit three historic buildings at the Oberlin Heritage Center: the Monroe House (1866), the Little Red Schoolhouse (1836) and the Jewett House (1884). 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 tour takes approximately 90 minutes and can be modified to focus more attention on one building or subject, or abbreviated to accommodate a different schedule depending on the interests of your group. Special requests must be arranged well in advance of your tour date.

You may also request a walking tour element for your group tour, either in place of visiting one of our buildings, or in addition to the "standard" tour. For example, you may wish to visit the Monroe House and Little Red Schoolhouse, and then, instead of visiting the 1884 Jewett House, request a short walking tour to nearby abolition-related sites.

Note: A virtual tour is also available as an outreach program.


Historically Inaccurate Tour

Are you a myth buster? Can you call someone’s bluff? Come test your skills on this fun, thought-provoking 75-minute tour of the Oberlin Heritage Center's three historic buildings. This tour will include some Oberlin and national historical myths along the way, and at the end, we’ll explore what is fact or fiction. This tour is available year-round.


Music in the Home Tour

Listen and learn how music was used for entertainment, fellowship, and teaching in nineteenth and early twentieth-century homes during this 60-minute guided tour of the historic properties at the Oberlin Heritage Center. Musicians and non-musicians alike will enjoy his opportunity to view musical artifacts up-close and hear sounds of the times. This tour is available year-round.


Freedom’s Friends: Underground Railroad and Abolitionist History Walk

“Oberlin is perhaps the most important station along the whole line of the Underground Railway. It has rendered the most important services to Freedom. It is second only to Canada as an asylum for the hunted fugitive.” Hear stories about Oberlin’s most famous freedom seekers and people known to have helped them make their way to freedom. This 90-minute guided history walk is available for group reservations from April through October.

Note: The content of this history walk is also available as a bus tour and an outreach program.


Scholars and Settlers History Walk

Learn about the earliest residents of Oberlin and hear fascinating stories of the triumphs, debates, and scandals linked to the landmarks around Tappan Square. Compare the buildings of today to the buildings of yesteryear using historic photographs and walk away with a lively appreciation of Oberlin's unique heritage. This hour long guided walking tour is available for group reservations from April through October.  The tour can be modified to focus on particular buildings or monuments, but this must be arranged in advance. 

 

Oberlin Architecture History Walk

Enjoy a leisurely stroll on this 1 hour-long tour which explores Oberlin’s architecture with a focus on such individuals as Walter Blythe, Cass Gilbert, and Minoru Yamasaki. This walk provides an opportunity to view an array of historic buildings that feature various styles including Gothic Modernist, Neo-Classical Revival, Romanesque, Late Victorian, and Queen Anne Revival.

 

"One Step More": Oberlin Women's History Walk

In 1834, John J. Shipherd pledged Oberlin’s commitment to “the elevation of female character” through education. Little did he know, there was dynamite in that promise, and women carried the matches. This illustrated 75-minute walking tour explores how Oberlin confronted and defined issues of femininity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Hear stories of powerful Oberlin women including Lucy Stone, Marianne Parker Dascomb, Adelia Field Johnston, Mary Church Terrell, and Lucy Stanton Day, and learn how they used John J. Shipherd’s promise to shape what it meant to be a woman in Oberlin and in the United States.


Civil War to Civil Rights History Walk

This 90-minute tour highlights historic events that reveal both Oberlin's progress and setbacks in race relations dating from early Oberlin all the way up to the 21st Century. Learn how Oberlin was a leader in abolition, participating heavily in events such as the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, the Raid on Harpers Ferry, and the American Civil War, but also struggled with its own issues of equality and racism during these early years and later through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Civil Rights, and today.


Radicals and Reformers History Walk

Walk with us through historic 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.  Meet near the entrance of the cemetery to begin this historic journey.


Small Downtown, Big Stories History Walk 

The people and places of downtown Oberlin have come and gone.  The history is rich with stories of generational commitment to serving the community. This tour draws on oral histories of those who lived through shaping and preserving the “small town-ness” that is such a part of Oberlin’s charm.  Learn the history of some of the buildings, but mostly learn of the people who once walked these streets and called Oberlin home in this 60-minute history walk.

Note: this walk is offered on special weekends at this time and if requested, should be booked in advance.

 

Step-On Guides for Bus Tours

Request a step-on guide to provide the historic narrative to a driving tour of Oberlin. Please note that we cannot provide a bus or motorcoach – we can only provide the guide who will "step-on" to your bus or motorcoach. Pricing and availability for this specialty tour varies, so please contact our tour coordinator with questions and requests. More information can be found under Bus Tours of Oberlin.

If you have questions, need additional information, or would like to schedule a tour please contact the Museum Education and Tour Manager, by email or by calling 440-774-1700.


 

The Amazing Oberlin Race!

Click above to learn about this exciting group offering.  Teams challenge each other to a smartphone-based scavenger hunt of local landmarks!

 

Foiled Again! The Aluminum Mystery Experience

Do you enjoy mysteries? Do you like science or puzzles? If so, Foiled Again! The Aluminum Mystery Experience is perfect for your families, friends, teams, or clubs! Join us at the Oberlin Heritage Center and book this private mystery experience where your group will have a chance to help Professor Jewett solve the mystery of where his aluminum science notes went inside the Jewett House. Immerse yourself in the late 1800s as he helped his student, Charles Martin Hall discover the Aluminum Reduction Process. This teamwork-based activity is best suited for detectives over the age of 9. We recommend groups between 3-8 participants.

 

Detectives will meet at the Jewett House after booking their group online here. This experience is $20 per group, but OHC members receive a 10% discount. Groups are private once booked. Inquiries regarding additional dates can be directed to the Museum Education and Tour Manager at 440-774-1700 or via email.