Join Main Street Kent and the Kent Historical Society & Museum for Ohio Open Doors, a multi-day series of events created to celebrate the historic buildings and rich history of Kent, OH — and other communities in our state.
We have so much planned for the community and visitors who love to learn about and experience the history of our great city.
Attend any or all of the free planned events, and take your own tours of the incredible town of Kent, OH.
Tap Talks: History of Music in Kent – Sept. 15
The Ohio Open Doors celebration begins at 7pm with a special Tap Talks at North Water Brewing featuring three local authors who together have chronicled Kent’s pivotal role in the history of Rock music from the 1960s until today.
Our speakers will be:
~ Jason Prufer, author of Small Town, Big Music
~ Chas Madonio, author of Bars, Bands, and Rock and Roll
~ Ryan Brannon, author of Touring from Kent–Rock Bands on the Road.
Please note: Signing up for this event does not guarantee a seat, so please arrive early; seating will be first-come, first-served.
 Kent Historical Society & Museum Open House – Sept. 16
Join us at the Kent Historical Society Museum Open House at 237 East Main Street from 4 to 7 pm. Enjoy special cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and tour exhibits that highlight Kent’s journey as a mill town, a canal town, a railroad town, and a college town. Click below to learn more and sign up for this free event!
 Kent State University Museum Tour – Sept. 17
Tour the Kent State University Museum from 5 to 7 pm to view one of the world’s most important collections of fashion, textiles and decorative arts, spanning the mid-1700s through the present. With an historic collection of more than 30,000 objects and seven gallery spaces, the museum on the Kent State University Campus brings together Town and Gown in this historic venue. Click below to learn more and sign up for this free event!
 Historic Pub Crawl – Sept. 18
Join us for Happy Hour at the 1875 Erie Depot on Franklin Avenue for a Historic Pub Crawl. Built as a railroad station in 1875, the Depot housed the first Library in Kent until it moved to the Carnegie Library building at the corner of River St. and Main St. Learn more about the history of this iconic Kent treasure and other important buildings on the block including those that now house the Venice Cafe & Erie Street Kitchen, The Loft, Dominick’s, and the famous Ray’s Place.
Presentation will take place at Over Easy at the Depot and outdoors on Franklin Ave. Bars will have drink specials available for purchase for indoor and outdoor enjoyment.
 Historic Landmark Building Tour – Sept. 19
This mobile tour of Historic Landmark Buildings along River and Gougler begins at 11 am. Stops include the Carnegie Library, now the Kent Free Library; the former Congregational Church, now Bell Tower Brewing; Franklin Township Hall, one of the oldest buildings in Kent; and the Unitarian Universalist Church, completed in 1868 on land donated by Marvin Kent.
Limited spaces available for this free event, so sign up now!
 Historic Homes Tour – Sept. 20
Beginning at 2 pm, our Historic Homes Tour will provide an inside look at three iconic West Main Street homes including the Lilac Gardens, lovingly restored in recent years; the Masonic Temple, Marvin Kent’s spectacular home built from 1880 to 1884 and maintained in pristine condition since 1922 by the Masons; and the Patton House, donated by Emma Patton to Kent Coterie, the historic social and literary organization founded in Kent in 1896, taking its name from the term for a “circle of friends.” It is a long-standing women’s group with ties to the city’s history.
*Please note, there are three ticket types available for this event. We will have one group start at each of the three homes, then rotate until all three groups have toured all three. Your ticket will indicate where you will start the tour.