Overview
Kent is a college town in Northeast Ohio. Kent, the home of Kent State University, is a quaint town with a very diverse community where northeast Ohio locals mix with students from across the state nation and globe. Kent is also home to many annual events, such as its annual Folk Music Festival.
12 sights · 24 things to do · 17 places to eat · 6 bars & cafés · 2 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Kent
Kent State University
Kent State, a public research university founded 1912 as a teachers' college, offers 300 degree programs on eight campuses. The main campus in Kent houses 28,800 of the system's 42,500 students. Programs include nursing,…
May 4 Visitors Center
The May 4th Visitors Center surrounds the area where the May 4th Shootings occurred. The Visitors Center has an exhibit that helps provide context to the shootings including larger scale conflicts such as the Vietnam War…
Kent State University Museum
The Kent State University Fashion Museum is in Rockwell Hall, and features historical and cutting-edge articles of fashion.
Center for the Performing Arts
This building is the core of the Kent State Performing Arts programs. The basement houses the Performing Arts Library which features some special collections. The first floor houses the Ludwig Recital Hall for musical pe…
The Kent Stage
See a production at the primer theater of Downtown Kent. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is often shown here.
Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute
Birthplace of the Twisted Numeric LCD (when it was in Smith Hall). Has an art installation outside, and occasionally offers conferences. The building interior is normally off limits, but is sometimes opened up for semina…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 20°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jul and May.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- CAK Akron Canton Regional Airport, Akron — 17 mi away. Directions
- CLE Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland — 32 mi away (major hub). Directions
State Route 59 is the main east–west highway, following East and West Main Streets and Haymaker Parkway. Summit Street is another major east-west road mainly on Kent's eastern side, passing through and linking much of the Kent State campus. Fairchild Avenue is an important east-west road on the city's west side connecting with Stow and Cuyahoga Falls. State Route 43 is the main north–south highway, mainly following North Mantua and South Water Streets. SR 43 connects Kent with Interstate 76, approximately 3 mi to the south via exit 33 in Brimfield and to the Ohio Turnpike/Interstate 80 and the eastern terminus of Interstate 480, approximately 7 mi to the north via Turnpike exit 187 in Streetsboro. Both SR 43 and SR 59 are four to five-lane roads within the city limits. State Route 261 passes through the southern and eastern edges of the city and is a four-lane divided highway for a short distance with the remainder a two-lane highway. It serves as a bypass between SR 43, SR 59, and Summit Street on Kent's south and eastern sides and to Tallmadge on the southwest.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $135–$135 a night (typical $138), from 2 listed prices.
- Typical meal: about $6 per person at listed restaurants.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$160, mid-range ~$180, comfortable ~$230.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Kent State University, Kent Hack Enough, The MuseLab
- Lunch Kent State Student Center
- Afternoon Black Squirrel Festival, Kent State Planetarium
- Dinner Eastway Center
- Evening The Patio
Day 2
- Morning Kent State University Museum, FS², Fashion Tech Hackathon
- Lunch Euro Gyro
- Afternoon Wick Poetry Center, Center for the Visual Arts
- Dinner Laziza
- Evening 157 Lounge
Day 3
- Morning Kent Historical Society & Museum, The Kent Stage, Kent 'Round Town
- Lunch Franklin Square Deli
- Afternoon Kent Heritage Festival, Crooked River Adventures
- Dinner Guy's Pizza
- Evening Zephyr Pub
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Kent, a city of 30,071 (2016) people on the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio, is part of the greater Akron area.
Established in 1805 as Franklin Mills, a settlement that exploited the river to operate water-powered mills. 1830s and 1840s development was based around the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal. Franklin Mills was a waypoint on the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War; abolitionist John Brown operated a tannery here from 1836-1837 (the site is now John Brown Tannery Park, a nature park on the Cuyahoga River) and Woodard’s Tavern was a station on the Underground Railroad (the tavern building is gone, although a private home once occupied by Joshua Woodard and his wife Rebecca Wordon still stands).
In 1864, the settlement was renamed for Marvin Kent, who brought the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad maintenance shops to town. Kent has been a college town since Kent State University was established in 1910 alongside its sister school in Bowling Green.
Kent is infamous as the site of the Kent State massacre, in which unarmed college students at Kent State University were shot by members of the Ohio National Guard (killing four and wounding nine others) on 4 May 1970 during a protest against the US military bombing of Cambodia. This created a counter cultural legacy that continues to this day.
The aftermath of the shootings inspired protest music, notably from Bruce Springsteen and Crosby Stills and Nash. The event also inspired locals who would later become founding members of DEVO and The Pretenders to change the style of their music.
Kent offers public bus service and hike-and-bike trails, Kent is "The Tree City". The town has nearly 20 parks and preserves with a number of annual festivals related to Earth Day, folk music and the U.S. Independence Day.
Watch
Get in
By car
State Route 59 is the main east–west highway, following East and West Main Streets and Haymaker Parkway. Summit Street is another major east-west road mainly on Kent's eastern side, passing through and linking much of the Kent State campus. Fairchild Avenue is an important east-west road on the city's west side connecting with Stow and Cuyahoga Falls. State Route 43 is the main north–south highway, mainly following North Mantua and South Water Streets. SR 43 connects Kent with Interstate 76, approximately 3 mi to the south via exit 33 in Brimfield and to the Ohio Turnpike/Interstate 80 and the eastern terminus of Interstate 480, approximately 7 mi to the north via Turnpike exit 187 in Streetsboro. Both SR 43 and SR 59 are four to five-lane roads within the city limits. State Route 261 passes through the southern and eastern edges of the city and is a four-lane divided highway for a short distance with the remainder a two-lane highway. It serves as a bypass between SR 43, SR 59, and Summit Street on Kent's south and eastern sides and to Tallmadge on the southwest.
By bus
By plane
Go Kent State University Airport (1G3)
Kent State University also operates its own small General aviation airport in nearby Stow, Ohio, which is for educational and public use. It is in Stow (not in Kent), a 10-minute drive or an hour-long walk to Kent.
Get around
By bus
By bike
Kent is a very bike friendly town! Covered bike parking is often available, and the PARTA Kent Central Gateway has bike lockers for completely enclosed storage. The Kent State Student Center has a free self-service bike repair station outside.
By foot
Kent is a very walkable city due to its compact size and dedicated walkways like the Lester Lefton Esplanade.
Go Lester A. Lefton Esplanade (Lesplanade)
A path that goes from Downtown through Kent State University, and to Dix Stadium. The biggest pedestrian path in Kent. Walkers should stay out of the bike lanes on either side of the esplanade, and bikers should stay out of the center walking lane.
See
See Kent State University
Kent State, a public research university founded 1912 as a teachers' college, offers 300 degree programs on eight campuses. The main campus in Kent houses 28,800 of the system's 42,500 students. Programs include nursing, liquid crystals, business, history, library science, aeronautics, journalism and fashion design.
Museums
See May 4 Visitors Center (May 4 Memorial)
The May 4th Visitors Center surrounds the area where the May 4th Shootings occurred. The Visitors Center has an exhibit that helps provide context to the shootings including larger scale conflicts such as the Vietnam War. Informational packets are available near the site when the Visitors Center is closed. Often offers special programming around May 4th.
See Kenneth W. Berger Hearing Aid Museum and Archives (Hearing Aid Museum)
Created by accident in the 1960s due to a misprint in a news article, this museum of hearing aid technology that houses over 3000 hearing aids, making it among the largest collections in the world. The collection includes devices and patents dating back from 1830's to the digital age.
Fine arts
See Center for the Performing Arts (PABO)
This building is the core of the Kent State Performing Arts programs. The basement houses the Performing Arts Library which features some special collections. The first floor houses the Ludwig Recital Hall for musical performances, as well as several dance rooms and theaters.
Science
Do
Activities
Festivals
Do FS² (Annual Fashion Show)
Kent State's spring fashion show. This event showcases student work and alumni success in the field of fashion. Tickets for the event are available at the Performing Arts Box Office (PABO) in the center for the Performing arts, which is in a different building then Rockwell Hall.
Hackathons & computer science
Kent State University has a large, active, computer science program, and this is reflected in many of its facilities and annual events. You don't have to be a Kent native or student to work in this scene, so don't be a stranger.
Sports
Most of the Kent State sports facilities are far from the campus and downtown; some walks to some facilities from campus are not wheelchair friendly. Be sure to allow for ample time to walk, or take a PARTA bus to the game.
Parks and nature
Do Standing Rock
Standing Rock is a unique rock positioned above the Portage River. Rumored to have been a meeting place for Native Americans before Kent was established.
Do Ernest B. Miller Trail
An easy walking path along the Cuyahoga River. Near the site of "Brady's Leap" where Samuel Brady is said to have jumped across the Cuyahoga River in 1780 while fleeing Native Americans.
Buy
Shop Kent State University Bookstore (The Bookstore)
Travelers might find the bookstore's selection of charging cables, umbrellas, water bottles, bookbags, clothing, cosmetics, and memory cards useful, if somewhat overpriced. Besides books the bookstore sells Kent State brand apparel, stationary, and computers.
Eat
Coffee shops
Eat Scribbles Coffee
Has books and coffee. Lets you scribble on paper topped tables with crayons.
Eat Bent Tree Coffee
A coffee shop that also offers classes and blends for sale.
Eat Tree City Coffee
A modern coffee shop near Acorn Alley.
On campus
Eat Rosie's Rations (Rosie's Diner)
Kent State's Late Night Diner and convenience store. Sells breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert 22 hours a day. The food is very greasy and often hastily cooked, but on the flip side it's relatively cheap and it's quick. In the morning and around lunch Rosie's is pretty quiet, but at night, especially on Thursdays and Fridays, it gets loud and rowdy with a bar like atmosphere. You have to operate the register yourself - paying with a card here is far easier than paying with cash. Hold onto your receipt until your number is called and don't be afraid to ask if it gets loud. Requires a Kent State student ID to enter after midnight. Offers late night delivery. The grocery part is open 24/7 during the school year and offers a good balance between junk food and healthy food, but it's a little pricey for a traveler.
Eat Eastway Center
The second floor of Eastway houses the Eastway Fresh Food Company, a dining hall frequented by freshmen and vegans. Downstairs there is a deli and market. Eastway Deli is popular with upperclassemen and can prepare custom sandwiches. Eastway Market carries a small selection of international brands outside the usual fare.
Eat Kent State Student Center
The first and second floors of the Kent State Student Center serve as the primary dining hall of the area. The Hub is on the first floor and serves branded fast food alongside branches of local restaurants. The Hub has bagel, sub, pretzel, Asian, and Mexican specialty resaurants. Because the Hub is a favorite with students, between 11AM and 2PM they don't accept meal plan to accommodate commuter students and visitors - conversely the times immediately before 11AM and immediately after 2PM are extremely busy. Also on the first floor is the Kent Market, which is a small convince store in a nook that also sells soup and bent tree coffee. On the Second floor is the Kent Market 2, which handles the influx of students between 11AM and 2PM. Besides American food, the Kent Market 2 also has Italian and Indian options, as well as a deli.
Budget
Eat Euro Gyro
Pizza, wings, gyros, and sandwiches. They also have bar and drink specials. A large 1-topping pizza is $5 on Wednesday. Open late.
Eat Wild Goats Café
Really good place for breakfast or lunch. They have great coffee, and food that is fresh. Try the corned beef hash.
Mid-range
Eat Guy's Pizza
Fresh ingredients from local vendors. In addition to the regular and specialty pizza pies, nine different fresh salads are on the menu, as are subs, calzones, and traditional and boneless wings.
Eat Franklin Square Deli
In addition to its wide array of sandwich selections, they offer a full breakfast menu, soups and dessert items. The restaurant provides quick, courteous service and maintains a large local customer base.
Eat Mike's Place
Mike's place has a huge menu, and all items have an unusual name (Ms. McNaster's Disaster, the Nunsiatta Devita, etc.). The atmosphere is similar to Dick's Last Resort's.
Eat Ray's Place
Bar and restaurant, popular with college students and locals. Burgers, sandwiches, food and drink specials, great variety of beers. Serves a relaxed public.
Eat Taco Tantos
Made from scratch delicious Mexican style foods. Huge tacos, burritos, tostados, taco salads, pizzaritos , chips and salsa. Can call ahead for pick up or place order in the tiny store. One can place an outdoor by phone and can pick up their order from the outside carryout window at the nextdoor Zephyr Bar. If you want a beer with your food then you have to go to Zephyrs. The website is a little outdated and food is a little more expensive but totally worth it.
Splurge
Eat Bistro on Main
Bistro is dark and quiet, with an extensive wine list and innovative menu selections.
Eat Laziza
Laziza is a Mediterranean-style restaurant in the downtown Kent area that offers lunch and dinner dining. The menu here offers steaks, seafood and Mediterranean specialties. The space here features two levels available for dining, a bar and an area for private parties. The restaurant also provides catering services for private events and functions.
Eat Popped!
Popped offers a variety of hot popcorns, from butter or caramel to more unusual flavors such as Baja or Cayenne. Also offers gift tins of cold popcorn.
Drink
Drink Zephyr Pub (The Zeph)
Zephyr has a reputation as a friendly drinking establishment that's not really frequented by any one social group. Plenty of groups get together here, whether they're current KSU students or grads from long-ago gathering for a casual night. Customers use the large outdoor patio as long as the weather permits and service on the patio is every bit as good as inside.
Drink The Patio
Sells pulled pork sandwiches, mac and cheese, and has a build your own burger bar. Has many TVs. Despite the name, it's underground and lacks a patio.
Drink 157 Lounge
Serves sake, wine, whiskey, beer, rum, gin, scotch, tequila, vodka and bourbon alongside sushi and tempura desserts.
Drink The Dome
Entertainment venue offering DJs, stand up comedians and live bands
Sleep
Stay Kent State University Hotel (KSU Hotel)
A high end hotel and conference center owned and operated by Kent State University. The hotel features the nineteen 10 slow food-style restaurant and bar specilizing in angus beef steaks and pizza. The hotel includes complimentary Wi-Fi, and a salt water pool.
Stay Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites
Includes complementary Wi-Fi, coffee, breakfast, fitness center, business center, newspaper, and a heated indoor pool. This hotel is on the edge of Kent proper and walking to anywhere meaningful from here is difficult, but it's one of the few hotels in the area.
Respect
Smoking
Kent State is a non-smoking campus. All forms of smoking, vaping, and hookah are prohibited on campus. Off campus smoking is somewhat more tolerated, but still generally prohibited near many locations.
May 4th
On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard killed 4 students and shot 9 others. Although there was an ongoing anti-war protest, not all the victims were protesters, and some were just walking to class. One of the victims was even enrolled in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. The site of the May 4th Shootings is a solemn location. Please respect the location and victims of the shootings.
Go next
Local
Place Ravenna
The county seat of Portage County. Ravenna has nice architecture and a tall flagpole.
Place Youngstown
A city with a resurgent arts scene to the east of Kent. Home of Youngstown State University.
Nearby
Stow
City / town · 11 listings · 5 mi away
Ravenna
City / town · 14 listings · 6 mi away
Tallmadge
City / town · 13 listings · 6 mi away
Streetsboro
City / town · 15 listings · 6 mi away
Cuyahoga Falls
City / town · 36 listings · 8 mi away
Hudson
City / town · 24 listings · 8 mi away
Akron
City / town · 79 listings · 10 mi away
Aurora
City / town · 9 listings · 12 mi away
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