15 Best Things to Do in Kent (Ohio)

In search of the best things to do in Kent, Ohio? Kent is the largest city in Portage County, Ohio, United States. 

The city was known as Tree City during the late 1800s because a professor and horticulturist named John Davey planted many trees in the entire city and taught people how to cater to the newly cultivated trees.

Kent City is filled with unique attractions that any tourist will love to visit, including the Kent State University, Kent State University Museum, The Portage Hike and Bike Trail, and many others.

Kent, Ohio, is an awesome place to visit. With our well-curated list, you are sure not to run out of ideas for places to visit in Kent, Ohio.

Let’s explore the top things to do in Kent, Ohio.

Things to Do in Kent, Ohio

1. The Portage Hike and Bike Trail

The Portage Hike and Bike Trail is a multipurpose trail system with different parts of the trail maintained by the City of Kent, the Portage Park District, Kent State Juvenile, and the City of Ravenna. 

The trail is a major East-West connection between the primary trail systems in Northeast Ohio. The trail was created through collaboration amongst the Portage Park District, Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, Kent State University, the City of Kent, the City of Ravenna, and Franklin and Ravenna Township.

The Portage Hike and Bike Trail is perfect for great outdoor fun. It would be best if you visited with your friends and family to have a fun biking or hiking experience.

The trail goes past the apple orchard, then the Towner Woods, and plunges further. The paved trails make hiking or biking easy and fun for everyone. Hiking on this trail is one of the fun things to do in Kent, Ohio.

Address: The Portage Hike and Bike Trail, Kent, OH 44240, United States

2. The Kent Stage

The Kent Stage is one of the best places to visit in Kent, Ohio. The theatre has stood the effects of time. It was built in 1926 as a silent film and vaudeville theatre.

The Plain Dealer recognized the theatre as the most outstanding Acoustic Venue in Northeast Ohio. They hold about 150 concerts yearly at the Kent Stage, including the Kent Blues Fest, Kent Folk Festival, film festivals, the Kent State Around Town Music Festival, and the Kent Reggae Fest.

The theatre is also the abode for a full-service bar named All Folked Up, which provides visitors with tasty beverages. Kent Stage has a capacity seating of 642 persons.

This destination is also an excellent choice if you are searching for a place to host your special events such as birthday parties, weddings, corporate meetings, school activities, lectures, fundraisers, movie filming, and others.

Address: 175 E Main St, Kent, OH 44240, United States

3. May 4 Visitor’s Center

We highly recommend you visit the May 4 Visitors and Historic site while you’re exploring Kent State University Campus. The destination holds a lot of history. It should make up your list of the top things to do in Kent, Ohio.

The May 4 Visitors Center is in Taylor Hall. It has a video concerning the happenings of May 4, 1970, with interviews with some students and people who got injured during the event. It also houses historical artifacts and a permanent exhibition of the student anti-war movement.

Outside the Kent University May 4 Visitors Center, you can go on a self-guided tour of the 18-acre land recently and officially branded as a National Historic Landmark.

 Admission into the Visitor’s Center is free for everyone.

Address: 300 Midway Dr, Kent, OH 44243, United States

4. MadCap Brew Co

Are you a beer enthusiast? If yes, then among your itinerary of what to do in Kent, Ohio, should be visiting the MadCap Brew. The brewery is housed in an old engineering workshop from the late 1940s.

It still keeps its original cranes and brick walls, giving the entire building an antique yet modern industrial outlook. The renovation of the 15,000 square feet brewery produced an entertaining atmosphere for people to drink delicious beer.

The brewery features 12 rotating taps with various types of beer, such as Hazy IPA, Hefeweizen brewed with lactose and vanilla, and Pilsner and Imperial Stouts. They also serve non-alcoholic drinks, including Sprite, Diet Coke, Coke, and others.

MadCap Brewery is an excellent place to host your private events. There are ten old German beer garden tables. The brewer does not serve food, but visitors can bring theirs.

Address: 1422 Mogadore Rd, Kent, OH 44240, United States

5. Cooperrider-Kent Bog State Nature Preserve

Exploring Cooperrider-Kent Bog State Nature Preserve is one of the best things to do in Kent, Ohio, especially if you are a nature enthusiast. The Nature Preserve encircles the Kent Bog and the rest of the Wisconsin Glaciation. 

The Cooperrider-Kent Bog State Nature Preserve is a boreal, coniferous forest having numerous spruce, tamarack, and fir trees. The tamarack tree is popular in upper areas of Alaska and Canada and can resist extreme cold temperatures. 

The Kent Bog features acidic waters and distinctive environmental conditions which have assisted it in its survival. The biggest stand of tamarack trees in Ohio can be seen in the bog.

The Nature Preserve got its name from Tom S. Cooperrider, an author, botanist, and emeritus professor of biological sciences at Kent State University. He made enormous contributions to research about Kent’s bog and flora.

One of his books, titled Botanical Essays from Kent, talks about the natural history of this region and centuries, primarily on the Kent Bog.

Coniferous trees are deciduous and lose their needles during winter, so the KentBog wears a distinct look during this season.

The Nature Preserve has a 1.5-mile loop trail that is adequately maintained. Visitors can have a walk on this trail to explore different areas of the preserve and capture scintillating views of the area.

Address: 1028 Meloy Rd, Kent, OH 44240, United States

6. Kent State University Museum

If you are a historian, the Kent State University Museum is one of the best places to visit in Kent, Ohio. 

The museum houses an incredible collection of historic textiles, decorative arts, and fashion. Visitors will see works of prominent designers and artists and even those not famous from different parts of the globe.

The Kent State University Museum was established in 1982 with Jerry Silverman and Shannon Rogers School of Fashion and Merchandising. It provides the faculty, staff, and students with vital hands-on experiences.

You can check out their website for information about their forthcoming events and exhibitions. The Kent State University Museum proudly shares news about upcoming exhibits, events, and other stories regularly, as it hosts many exhibits throughout the year.

Address: 515 Hilltop Dr, Kent, OH 44240, United States

7. Cracked Escape

An ideal way to spend fun time with friends, family, and even colleagues from work is to check out the Cracked Escape in Kent. This place provides an immersive fun experience for its users and should be a must-see attraction for anyone.

The Cracked Escape Room provides a thrilling experience as guests are locked in a room to find clues, decipher puzzles and fulfill tasks in one or more rooms to complete a particular objective at a said time, which is usually 60 minutes.

Put your cognitive skills to the test when you visit this facility to complete different tasks. The Cracked Escape rooms feature different themes and complex puzzles to entertain and challenge every player.

Address: 4613 Camp Phillips Rd C, Weston, WI 54476, United States

8. Beckwith’s Apple Orchard

This family-owned and managed apple orchard has been in operation since 1878. It has been a popular landmark in Kent, Ohio. If you are looking forward to having exceptional moments with your loved ones or friends, this might just be the perfect place for you.

Visitors can have a walk around Beckwith’s Apple Orchard or bring a bike along with them to ride on the opposite Portage County Bike and Hike Trail.

The Towner Woods are just a few distances away from the bike route. The Orchard has lots of amazing views to feed your eyes.

The workers pick, select, wash, clean, and package every fruit to find in the Orchard properly for visitors to buy in their gift shop. You cannot bring pets into the Orchard, but you can take them for a walk on the opposite Portage County Hike and Bike Trail.

Their season starts in late July with nectarines, corn, and peaches. Pumpkins, gourds, and apples. Ciders are available during the fall. Exploring this Orchard should make up your itinerary list of what to do in Kent, Ohio.

Address: 1617 Lake Rockwell Rd, Kent, OH 44240, United States

Planning a road trip to Ohio, here is a list of Newark attractions, and Bowling Green attractions, for a fun Ohio road trip.

9. 101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

Three best friends from Kent established the 101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall in 1996. They are one of the best bars around. If you are looking for a place to hang out with friends and family, this attraction might just be the best place for you.

101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall provides residents, Kent State University, and visitors with excellent beer options. 101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall features over 700 beer brands and 500 wine options, a moonshine/bourbon bar, and rotating craft beer.

This attraction is well known for having the most extensive and creative selection of craft beer in Ohio. Their staff are super friendly.

Address: 115 N Willow St, Kent, OH 44240, United States

10. Water Street Tavern

If you are looking for a place to unwind and have a good time with your friends and loved ones, then the Water Street Tavern is just the right place to visit.

Water Street Tavern is a top-tier destination in Kent, Ohio, where locals and tourists can enjoy good food and drinks and have lots of fun.

It features a private party room, a rooftop patio, a stage for live musical performances, 20 HDTVs, and a kitchen that serves excellent food. There is something for everyone who comes here.

This place is also the official Away-Game Watch Party Venture and Post-Game Party Headquarters of Kent State University Athletics.

Water Street Tavern is also an ideal location to host your special events. Plain Dealer, Cleveland Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Scene Magazine, Daily Kent State, and others have listed this bar as the “Best College Bar” many times.

Address: 132 S Water St, Kent, OH 44240, United States

11. Maplecrest Golf Club

One of the top things to do in Kent, Ohio, is to play some rounds of golf with friends and loved ones at the Maplecrest Golf Club.

The Maplecrest Golf Club was established in 1928 in the undulating hills of Northeast Ohio. Over the years, the golf club has undergone many renovations and improvements. It has now become part of the highly-rated golf courses in Ohio.

It features an 18-hole championship golf course with a spectacular landscape, amazing tree-lined fairways, and other beautiful, unique features that make it distinctive from other public golf courses.

To preserve its course layouts and landscaping, the Maplecrest Golf Club has greenhouses onsite to grow shrubs, trees, plants, flowers, and others. Its extensive driving range, well-maintained landscape, and large putting green should make this place a must-see.

Address: 219 Tallmadge Rd, Kent, OH 44240, United States

12. North Water Brewing Company

One place to visit during your vacation in Kent is the North Water Brewing Company, whether you are a beer lover or a casual drinker.

North Walter Brewing Company is at Kent”s NorthWest Corner, and the company was newly labeled the “Mill District.”

This Brewery produces top-notch, full-flavored craft lagers and ales using the very best ingredients and modern brewing techniques. They manufacture varieties of beer products to meet their customer’s satisfaction. 

It is a place for adults and families to meet, converse with other tourists, enjoy local music, and have a great time over a bottle of great beer. They are also deeply involved in environmental sustainability. 

Address: 101 Crain Ave, Kent, OH 44240, United States

13. Crooked River Adventures

An ideal way to enjoy your vacation in Kent is to go kayaking or canoeing with Crooked River Adventures. It is one of the fun things to do in Kent, Ohio. The adventure company is a family-owned and run company that provides visitors with kayak services.

Crooked River Adventures provides families with all the gear and equipment so they can have a great time on the Cuyahoga River. They offer kayaks, vests, and instructions to guide you throughout your stay.

Their location provides visitors with easy access to the Cuyahoga River, and there is also a restaurant where visitors can have a taste of delicious meals before or after their adventure.

The river is quite peaceful, an ideal place to relax and have a laid-back experience. If you are looking forward to having a splendid afternoon with your family, there should be a must-see destination for you.

Address: Kent, Ohio, United States

14. OutRage Rage Room

If you would like to engage in something physical and fun, then an ideal place to visit in Kent, Ohio, is the OutRage Rage Room.

The OutRage Rage Room is a place for people to let out their anger. They offer a safe, entertaining environment for residents and tourists who want to partake in destructive desires and those wishing to indulge in something new.

They provide players with all the gear for safety, including hard hats, face masks, protective wear, gloves, and others. It is a perfect place to visit for Team Building. You can host special occasions here, including birthday parties, Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties, and others.

Address: 1464 S Water St, Kent, OH 44240, United States

15. The Kent State University

Another popular destination to check out when you visit Kent is Kent State University. It is a well-known landmark in this city and should be a must-see.

Kent State University was founded in 1910 as a college for coaching public school teachers. The University is listed as part of the top 100 national public universities in U.S. News. It is the third largest University in the state of Ohio.

Visitors can check out the famous sculpture known as “We Are Fine,” constructed by artist Cosmo Campoli concerning the gunshots on the university campus in 1970.

You can take a walk around Kent State University to see its magnificent buildings and beautiful landscapes. There are benches to sit on and enjoy the surrounding views and beautiful atmosphere.

Address: 800 E Summit St, Kent, OH 44240, United States

For more fun in Ohio, check out our guides on things to do in Springfield, things to do in Yellow Springs, and things to do in Columbus 

Plan Your Trip to Kent

Kent, Ohio, is certainly one of the perfect vacation destinations for any traveler planning an ideal getaway trip with family and friends. The city has many incredible locations to make your stay worthwhile and memorable.

Have fun!