The beautiful Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, Ohio is a fun day out for families in Northeast Ohio. At just a bit over an hour from our home in Mansfield, it was a convenient drive. Upon the walk from the parking lot, it felt like we’d arrived at an English manor, not the outskirts of Akron. The Stan Hywet Hall is not just a historical home, it is a 70-acre destination. There are large, blooming gardens, a conservatory, and a themed play area.
I was worried about visiting the larger-than-life home and grounds with our youngest (age 4), but the home is so large that the space isn’t tight and stressful. After the self-guided home tour, there is plenty of room to run around the grounds and burn off any leftover energy. I suggest that kids and adults wear good walking shoes, as you will definitely get in your steps!
The History of the Stan Hywet Hall
The Stan Hywet Hall was the former estate of F.A. Sieberling and his family. Sieberling was co-founder of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Stan Hywet means, “stone quarry;” the home was named after an abandoned quarry on the north side of the property.
The Tudor-style mansion took 4 years to build and is the 6th largest historic home museum open to the public. It has 18 bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool, and 23 fireplaces. The home is over 64,500 square feet!
Visiting Stan Hywet Hall in Akron with kids
The Stan Hywet Hall closes for the winter for restoration and cleaning. The home typically reopens for the season around the first of April.
Visitors can take a guided or self-guided tour of the home. Because we were with our young children, we chose to do the self-guided tour. The museum employees were still kind enough to give our kids a scavenger hunt for them to look for fun objects throughout the home. While they enjoyed this, they spent most of their time memorized by the large rooms and unique furnishings.
There are many stops throughout the self-tour that will interest kids. Our children were fascinated with the indoor swimming pool (I thought it looked like a death trap, lol), the massive dining table, and the upstairs bedrooms. My favorite room was the breakfast room. I also adored the flower-designing room, which makes more sense once you consider the size of the gardens.
The best part for children is the Playgarden. This interactive section has a splash pad, outdoor bowling, a Model T, and a house-like playground. Our kids had to be torn away from this space — they didn’t want to leave. For this reason, I’d try to visit when the weather allows for plenty of time in the Playgarden and the other outdoor places.
In the summer months, don’t miss the Butterfly House. Our family also enjoyed seeing all of the fruit plants in the Corbin Conservatory.
The Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens are located at 714 Portage Path, Akron, OH 44303. They are closed on Mondays. Military and AAA discounts are available. We visited for free using our NARM reciprocal benefits.
Looking for things to do nearby? Combine this with a trip to Summit Metro Parks or spend a long summer evening in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Where to stay nearby: The Courtyard Akron or the BLU-tique Hotel
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