There's more to do in Stark County than football. Options include art, pinball, wine, beer

USA Today

22-07-2025

Football, football, football.
The famous sport is an integral part of Stark County's identity. During the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival especially, when the NFL's greatest players are honored.
That's when Canton will be in the spotlight. And thousands of football fans will flock here for the enshrinement and related activities.
But there's more to Stark County than football. And if festival visitors or Stark County residents are looking for a change of pace and other cultural attractions to explore, they're in luck because the Canton-Massillon area is loaded with them.
Museums, historic sites, good eats and cool stuff. Here are several alternatives to touchdowns and field goals:
1. Massillon Museum
Massillon is as football loving as you can get. Legendary coach Paul Brown has close ties to the city and its football heritage. And the high school team won a state championship in 2023.
But the city also boasts the Massillon Museum, a diverse hub of art and culture while also paying tribute to the city's affinity for football.
Permanent and rotating exhibits are spread over multiple floors. Paintings, sculptures, photography and other artistic mediums are showcased.
Permanent exhibits include the Immel Circus Gallery, a fascinating portal into the past. Ancient circus memorabilia is displayed, including posters, costumes and souvenirs. There's also an elaborate miniature model of a throwback circus featuring hand-carved pieces.
The 100-square-foot miniature circus contains 2,620 pieces: 36 elephants, 186 horses, 102 assorted animals, 91 wagons, seven tents, and 2,207 people.
And for those craving football, check out the Paul Brown-themed exhibit area. Just like the rest of the museum, it's highly informative, expertly curated, and is chock-full of mementoes and documents.
Massillon Museum is at 121 Lincoln Way E. Admission is free. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
2. Hartville
Looking for a place to relax and enjoy the outdoors while still being within a reasonable driving distance of the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Hartville is your place, and it has two must-see attractions. Hartville MarketPlace & Flea Market and Maize Valley Winery and Brewery.
The indoor marketplace has shops, home furnishings, jewelry, clothing, baked goods and more. And the outdoor flea market is a sprawling maze of vendors who sell produce, sports cards, antiques, comic books and other items.
Hartville MarketPlace & Flea Market are at 1289 Edison St. NW.
For more details and hours, go to https://www.hartvillemarketplace.com.
Just outside Hartville is Maize Valley, 6193 Edison St. NE.
Nestled smack-dab amid farmland, Maize Valley has a restaurant and marketplace while serving a wide variety of craft beer and wine. Indoors is rustic and outdoors is bucolic.
More than 20 wines are made from grapes harvested on three-and-a-half acres, including award-winning varieties. Specialty drinks include wine slushies, and mocktails and cocktails made with a blueberry lavender syrup using lavender grown on the grounds.
Sixteen craft beers are on tap at Maize Valley, and beer is also canned and sold on-site.
Seasonal events are also offered.
3. Presidential history and more
Canton offers two stops for presidential history: McKinley Presidential Library & Museum and the National First Ladies Library & Museum.
However, the McKinley Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, does more than pay homage to late President William McKinley. The museum also features historical exhibits such as the "Street of Shops," as well as a research library, interactive science center and planetarium. Also on-site is the McKinley National Memorial.
Special exhibits include "Grandma & Grandpa's Attic" in the Keller Gallery, featuring vintage toys, clothing, furniture and other artifacts from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Admission is $15 to $17 at the family-friendly museum. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Not far away in downtown Canton is the National First Ladies Library and Museum, which is dedicated to preserving and honoring the history of women who resided in the White House, from Martha Washington to Melania Trump.
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A new exhibit is visually stylized and influenced by pop music star Taylor Swift's massively successful "Eras Tour." Acclaimed artist Giulietta Tripoli designed "The Eras Exhibit: 250 Years of First Ladies Progress and Power."
The exhibit chronicles the evolution of the role of presidential first ladies, and features intriguing mementoes, novel souvenirs and prized antiques from different time periods.
As the only National Historic Site dedicated to all U.S. first ladies, the library and museum is partnering with the National Park Service on the exhibit.
The First Ladies museum is at 205 Market Ave. S in downtown Canton. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and is closed Sunday and Monday. Tickets cost $7 for adults; $6 for seniors; and $5 for children age 18 and under.
4. Canton Museum of Art
The Canton Museum of Art is a blend of new and permanent exhibits showcasing an array of styles and mediums.
Current exhibits, on display through late July, include the eco-art of John Sabraw and "Art & Activism."
Sabraw's work focuses on the Earth's ecosystem while "Art & Activism: Perspectives from the CMA Collection" showcases diverse artists spanning 100 years.
Another exhibit "This Riverbed is a Cradle," featuring the sculptural fiber art of Michelle Wentling.
The art museum's permanent collection focuses on American works on paper from the 19th century forward, with an emphasis on watercolors and American ceramics from the 1950s through today.
Watercolor artists include Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent and Alice Schille, in addition to important oils, prints, drawings and other works by Andy Warhol, Clyde Singer, M.C. Escher, Julian Stanczak and Roy Lichtenstein.
Periods range from Impressionism and Realism to American Regionalism and Abstract Expressionism.
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission costs $8 for adults and $6 for those ages 60 and older. Children ages 12 and younger are admitted free. Admission is free on Thursdays.
5. The outdoors
Stark County touts shopping plazas and Belden Village Mall, as well as multiple museums and communities big and small.
But it also offers the oasis of nature at The Wilderness Center in the Wilmot area, Beech Creek Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve in the Alliance area, and Quail Hollow Park in the Hartville area. There's also The Towpath Trail along remnants of the Ohio & Erie Canalway.
Canal Fulton is a lovely place to access the Towpath Trail. Dining options include both casual and upscale, including Canal Boat Lounge and Bocca Grande and Italian Steakhouse. Another incentive for hiking or biking is the reward of a stop at Cherry Street Creamery.
Nature lovers also can retreat to the Walborn Reservoir and Deer Creek Reservoir, both in the Alliance area and part of Stark Parks.
6. Gervasi Vineyard
Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa is a unique destination in Stark County, drawing visitors from near and far.
With lodging, multiple dining options, a gift shop, spa and live music offerings, Gervasi has continued to evolve and diversify across the grounds of the 55-acre Tuscan-inspired estate.
Lodging options include a restored farmhouse and Italian villa while offering vineyard views and private patios. Restaurants include upscale Italian dining at The Bistro; wine and food at The Crush House; and open-air dining at The Piazza.
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Specialty coffee and handcrafted cocktails are served at The Still House. The Cave is a wine tasting and barrel room. Private dining rooms also can be reserved.
Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NE in Canton. For more information, go to https://www.gervasivineyard.com.
7. Cool shops in the Canton area
Looking for vintage clothing, vinyl records, rare books and unique gifts and goods?
Stark County offers local boutiques and businesses that transcend online shopping trends.
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Quonset Hut in Canton, a longtime business under new ownership, is a curated assortment of merchandise, including vinyl records, clothing, incense, disc golf equipment, jewelry, and rock music and pop culture-themed memorabilia and clothing.
Opened in 1969, the unique shopping experience is a Canton original at 3775 Cleveland Ave. NW at the corner of 38th Street NW.
The Corduroy Cat in Hartville, 106 E. Maple St., is a hub of throwback fashion.
The downtown Hartville shop specializes in well-preserved T-shirts, hats, apparel and secondhand fashion from prior decades, particularly the 1990s and 2000s.
The store is closed Tuesdays but open noon to 6 p.m. the rest of the week. Merchandise includes rock music and pop culture-themed shirts, sports attire, jeans and other garments.
Western Stark County offers a grassroots shopping experience at Hosner Gallery in Massillon.
The artisan marketplace sells handcrafted and homemade wares, including artwork, woodwork, pasta sauce, premium olive oil, sourdough bread, herbal products, soap, plants, jewelry and more. Other goods are honey, chocolates, pretzels, pizza, body scrubs.
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Store hours are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The business is closed Monday. Hosner Gallery is at 7997 Hills and Dales Road NE, near Irish Pub & Grill.
Another gem of a store is A Cornucopia of Cool Books, a sprawling curated collection of used hardcover books, including classics, bestsellers, non-fiction, rare works and material from nearly every genre imaginable.
A Cornucopia of Cool Books is at 3830 Tuscarawas St. W in Mellett Plaza, next to Chinatown Kitchen.
8. Finney's Arcade
Finney's Arcade and Parlor gives football fans an excuse to visit downtown Canton for a reason other than the Grand Parade.
Old-school and new video games and pinball machines fill the vintage interior of Finney's at 417 Market Ave. N. Ice cream, pie and candy complete the experience. Both adults and kids are welcome.
Video games include Ms. Pac-Man, Jurassic Park, California Speed, Donkey Kong, Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, Super Monaco GP, Gorf and NBA Maximum Hangtime.
Pinball machines include The Addams Family, Willy Wonka, White Water, Pulp Fiction, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Uncanny X-Men and Total Nuclear Annihilation. Other games are air hockey, Combo Boxer and Clawmania.
The house beer is Finney's Brew Skee Ball, a cream ale crafted by UnHitched Brewing Co. in Louisville. Cocktails include the McKinley Delight, a blend of bourbon, vermouth, maraschino, absinthe and lemon peel.
Reach Ed at [e-mail]. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint.