Our Trip to Canton, Ohio! A Fun Place For Families!

GIVEAWAY is now over. 

If you’re from Ohio you probably remember the snow storm that we had last week.  You know the one where we were all told to stay off the roads?  Well, our family likes to live on the WILD side. Since we had already accepted an offer from Canton and Stark County Convention and Visitor’s Center to come spend two fun-filled days in Canton, Ohio, we decided to head on down; snow and all.

While our family loves to travel we are always looking for ways to save.  This is where short trips can be a huge money saver!  What’s great about Canton is that not only is there so much to do but it’s only a one tank trip from most cities in Ohio.  On our quick trip to the area we were able to visit a local eatery, stay in a beautiful hotel, and visit the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

We stayed overnight at Hampton Inn & Suites and just loved it.  We felt pampered as soon as we walked in the door.  The little, FREE extras such as evening cookies, exercise room, a huge hot tub, cool pool, a full self serve breakfast and a 24-hour beverage center with tea, hot chocolate, and coffee, made us feel so special.  The whole hotel was spotless and very clean and I was impressed that they wash the duvet covers after every guest.  It was nice not to worry about the blankets

As with most kids, my children love to swim.  After a few hours at the pool we headed out to eat.  Thanks to all the suggestions left on my Facebook page with local restaurants, it was easy to find a place for dinner.  Papa Bear’s Italian Restaurant was not only well priced but also was one of the best dinner’s we’ve had in a long time.  The interior was quaint, the service superb, and the prices fit out budget.  My husband and I both remarked that we will definitely have to visit again next time we are in town.

McKinley Presidential Library & Museum.

The next morning after a full FREE breakfast in the hotel lobby and another quick swim, we headed out to visit two area museums.  First up was the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum.  While this museum honors the 25th president who built his early career in Canton, Ohio, it’s much more than just a presidential museum.  Inside you can find many different exhibits including, Discover World, the McKinley Gallery, the Street of Shops, the Keller Gallery, the Hoover-Price Planetarium, Ramsayer Research Library and The Stark County Story. The McKinley National Memorial, burial site of President William McKinley and his family, is also on the Museum grounds.

All of our kids LOVED the McKinley Museum!  While my husband and I were interested in all the the historical information, they were able to check out all the hands-on activities.  The Discover World area had life-sized dinosaurs, live animals, a crawl through cave and much more.  It was nice to see my little ones having fun while still learning.

Another favorite in the museum is the Street of Shops.  This area transports you back to an earlier time when life was simpler.  This life-size replica of a historic town, allows you to visit different stores, a fire station, a hotel and more. Kids can even slide down a real fire pole!  In this area they also have a model train layout that my littlest son didn’t want to leave.

Through February 18th, their Keller Gallery is offering the exhibit, Life in Miniature.  This dollhouse exhibit features all new dollhouses and miniatures on loan from miniature enthusiasts in their community. Highlights include a large Victorian dollhouse from the museum’s collection and a recently donated scale model of the Hoover homestead in North Canton.

Two must-not-miss activities for your little ones at the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum are the giant Timken bearing ride and the Hoover lift.  My kiddies had such fun spinning in the Timken ride and were amazed when they were lifted up into the air by the suction of a vacuum.

Be sure to check out the special activities planned for McKinley day on January 26th.  This fun filled day will have activities for the whole family and admission will only be $5!  Find out more details about this event or to plan your own family day out head over to their website.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Next stop on our little trip was to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  While my youngest is a man of few words, one he does say is, “football”.  We can’t pass a field without him shouting out one of his favorite words.  While he was amazed my the number of footballs that were there, my husband and I truly enjoyed seeing all the memorabilia and even learning about the sport.

When we first entered we were greeted with very friendly and knowledgeable staff.  Our family picture was taken in front of a green screen which was later turned into some really fun pictures.  You can pick which photos you want and purchase them in the lower level of the building.

It was interesting to see the amount of memorabilia that has been collected and that was on display.  While I was most interested in the display on how the Hall of Fame came to Canton and the older items such as a football from the 1890’s and the uniforms from those early years my husband was excited to see EVERYTHING!  I think he read every plaque and checked out every interactive exhibit there was.  He was in heaven!

One of the coolest displays was the Hall of Fame Gallery.  This room holds the busts (those are the bronzed heads … see I learned something) of those inducted into the Hall of Fame.  This darkened room just gives off such an awe of greatness.  To look around and see all the talent from over the years was inspiring.  This room also has interactive touchscreens which will share information about each inductee.  My kiddos really enjoyed the 3D Superbowl ring in here too.  If was neat to see it from so many different angles.

After walking around a bit, it was nice to sit down in Pro Football Today Gallery and watch the bloomers film.  It was something the whole family enjoyed and the bleacher seating was a nice touch.

Inside the Super Bowl theater we watched a personal and action packed short film called The Road to the Superbowl.   This high energy film shared the two-time, heartbreaking Superbowl loss of the New England Patriots to the NY Giants.  My kids loved that the seats moved half way through and the giant screen really kept their attention.  Right after the movie you can see many of the rings won; the display is just beautiful.

Two more interactive exhibits are located in the lower section including a Madden game.  Be sure to check out your pictures that were taken at the beginning of the tour. and visit the gift shop.  Their large gift shop has a little something for everyone!

There is so much to do in Canton, Ohio so head over to Canton and Stark County Convention and Visitor’s Center to start planning your own one-tank trip!  Whether it’s a romantic weekend or short trip with the kids you’ll be sure to find plenty of activities or even just a wonderful place to relax.  You can even check out this page to find a bunch of FREE things to do in Stark County!

While in town, be sure to visit their visitor’s center which is located right around the corner from the Hall of Fame.  During your stop, you can get learn a lot about the area from a friendly employee as well as be able to pick up a whole slew of brochures about area lodging and activities.

Thanks to the Canton Visitor Center and The Pro Football Hall of Fame I was offered 4 tickets to give away!  To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter entry below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  This was not a paid review. In exchange for my review I was given free tickets to both museums and a free night stay at Hampton Inn and Suites.  I can assure you that I will always give you my honest opinion and only share about things that I feel my readers will enjoy.  All opinions are my own.