Make Downtown Akron Your Next Weekend Getaway

There are so many reasons to make downtown Akron your next weekend getaway destination. It’s been described in Vogue—that’s right, Vogue—as having “that bucolic, small-town charm going for it,” and is the perfect place to visit when you want to experience the excitement of an urban atmosphere in a way that doesn’t feel rushed or overwhelming. Downtown Akron is full of bustling restaurants, quaint coffee shops, live music venues, art galleries and museums, and friendly midwestern folks, and it’s in close proximity to Ohio’s only national park. So, whether you’re thinking of paying a weekend visit, or living locally and planning a staycation, read on for our recommendations on lodging, entertainment, cuisine, and more in scenic downtown Akron.

Where to Stay

BLU-Tique, Akron, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

The BLU-Tique Hotel occupies the Neo-Classical Revival United Building at the corner of Main and Market streets. It sits nestled in the Historic Arts District of downtown Akron, which is home to intimate music venues, an arthouse cinema, cocktail bars, coffee, and art galleries. The interior features sleek mid-century modern details, as well as thoughtfully designed guest rooms, a fitness center, and an upscale restaurant: The 1 Food & Spirits. Learn more and book your stay here.

Courtyard Akron Downtown

The Courtyard Marriott in downtown Akron is located in the vibrant oasis that is the Northside District of the neighborhood. Find local shops, art galleries and exhibitions, live music, plenty of dining options, and even a speakeasy, right outside the hotel’s front doors. Its location also allows for extremely easy access to the Towpath Trail, so if you plan to explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park on bike—which, by the way, you can rent for free from the hotel thanks to Summit Bike Share—you’ll be happy with your choice. Learn more and book your stay here.

Fuel Up with Coffee & Brunch

Downtown Akron has plenty of coffee and tea to choose from—so much, in fact, that we recommend you click over to our guide to downtown Akron coffee shops to read about them all. A few great weekend options are Akron Coffee Roasters, which boasts strong coffee roasted right here in Akron; Evelyn’s Coffee & Bánh Mì, which specializes in smooth, bold, sweet Vietnamese iced coffee and delectable bánh mì sandwiches; Sweet Mary’s Bakery, which serves Akron Coffee Roasters beans and has a full case of huge, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pastries to boot; NOMZ, which is located inside Northside Marketplace and has a breakfast/brunch menu with plenty of vegan options; and the Daily Pressed, which has a European feel to it and also offers breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast and brunch—essential on any weekend getaway—other choices sure to satisfy are Jilly’s Music Room, which offers a formidable menu (and bonus: it’s entirely gluten free!), The 1 Food & Spirits, and DeJuan’s Downtown Akron. To read our full guide to breakfast and brunch in the neighborhood, click here.

Indulge in Lunch & Dinner

Casual Restaurants

With just about 50 restaurants to choose from during your visit, you won’t go hungry in downtown Akron. If you’re looking to keep your meals on the casual side, you might consider The Lockview, which serves up gourmet grilled cheese and has a great rooftop patio; Boiling House Seafood Restaurant, which is most known for their Cajun-style seafood boil as well as specialty sushi rolls; Perfect Pour, which has a menu filled with some seriously juicy burgers (vegan options, too!) and plenty of bourbon to choose from; Heera Indian Cuisine, featuring deliciously authentic Indian food; and Luigi’s, the classic, cash-only pizza shop in the Northside District that’s been operating since 1949. There’s plenty, plenty more, so click over to our casual restaurants guide to learn about lots of options.

Vegetarian or vegan? We’ve got a guide to restaurants with great meat-free choices, too.

Fine Dining

If you’re looking to treat yourself or celebrate a special occasion during your stay in downtown Akron, the neighborhood’s several fine dining establishments are sure to impress. Try tasty Thai and Japanese dishes at Cilantro, eclectic new American cuisine at Crave, a tender steak at DBA, or twin lobster tails at DeJuan’s. Read our guide to downtown Akron’s fine dining scene here.

Enjoy the DORA

Downtown Akron’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) allows downtowners to consume alcoholic beverages outside between the hours of noon and midnight every day. The beverages are served in designated DORA cups for a $1 upcharge. There are 25 bars and restaurants downtown that sell beverages in DORA cups, and several more businesses that allow DORA beverages inside. Learn more about how to enjoy the DORA here. Please drink responsibly.

Catch a Show

Performing Arts

For those who love performing arts, Akron is brimming with theater troupes and venues, as well as a vibrant dance scene. Between shows at Akron Civic Theatre and the Knight Stage, Broadway productions at E. J. Thomas Hall, seasonal performances at the University of Akron School of Dance, the National Choreography Center at the University of Akron (NCCAkron), Millennial Theatre Project, BOOM! Theater, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, Summit Choral Society, and more, there’s never a shortage of live performances to enjoy in Akron.

Live Music

Downtown Akron also has a rich musical heritage, particularly when it comes to jazz. In the middle of the last century, Howard Street, the main business thoroughfare at the time, was a national destination for jazz musicians. Clubs attracted the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, and other legendary artists, and attracted audiences in a way that transcended racial segregation.

The city's jazz scene is still alive. Between that, the Akron Sound (did you know Akron was once considered the punk capital of the Midwest?), a new generation of independent artists, and longstanding performance venues like Musica, BLU Jazz+, Jilly’s Music Room, Baxter’s Speakeasy, Lock 3, and others that welcome regional and national acts year round, there's always something new to experience with Akron's music scene. Read our guide to downtown Akron music venues here.

Explore the Outdoors

Step aside, river walks. Hidden behind Main Street’s storefronts is the historic Ohio & Erie Canal—once a major waterway connecting Lake Erie and the Ohio River that allowed goods, news, and people to travel quickly. Back in the day, the canal played an important role in Akron’s economy. Today, you might not see canal boats floating through town (although check out Lock 2 Park for an idea of what they looked like), but the canal is still central to the downtown experience. It’s flanked by the Towpath Trail, a premier, 101-mile walking and biking trail that’s easily accessible from several points in the neighborhood. Only two miles along the Towpath to the south, you’ll reach Akron’s sprawling, stunning Summit Lake, as well as an impressive nature center run by Summit Metro Parks. Cascade Valley Metro Park and Cuyahoga Valley National Park lie to the north.

The canal is beautiful year-round. However, in the springtime, it’s especially picturesque, as the Towpath is lined with 472 cherry blossom trees that create a dreamy canopy of pink and white blooms overhead.

Walk or run along the canal, or rent a bike from Summit Bike Share and explore away.

Experience Other Attractions

Museums

Exploring a city’s museums is a must-do on any weekend getaway. Downtown Akron is home to the Akron Art Museum, which comprises over 7,000 works from 1850 to the present, including works by Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Mickalene Thomas, and many others. Downtown is also home to the National Museum of Psychology, which features interactive exhibits on intelligence, memory, and personality, artifacts from the Stanford Prison Experiment, Sigmund Freud’s home videos, and much more.

If you’re looking to learn about local history, the Mustill Store Museum might be up your alley with exhibits showing the role the Ohio & Erie Canal played in shaping our region. Or, take a tour of the Hower House Museum, a 28-room mansion completed in 1871, filled with international treasures and furniture that belonged to three generations of the Hower family, who occupied the house.

If you’ve got the kids along for the ride, the Akron Children’s Museum and the Akron Zoo are not to be missed (although let’s be honest: the zoo is fun for adults, too).

Art

In addition to the Akron Art Museum, downtown is full of galleries, murals, and outdoor exhibitions by local, regional, national, and even international artists. There’s so much to see. Definitely be sure to prioritize the expansive murals at Lock 3 and Lock 4, the Roots of Rubber installation at the National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Plaza, and Curated Storefront’s Outside the Box gallery. For impressive indoor art experiences, take a stroll through Summit Artspace, Akron Soul Train, the Emily Davis Gallery, Zeber-Martell Clay Studio & Gallery, or Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders—all of which are free to enjoy.

Sports

During the spring and summer months, go watch Akron’s very own minor league baseball team, the RubberDucks, in action at Canal Park. Games are packed with family fun promotions, and you can even catch occasional appearances by major-leaguers from the Cleveland Guardians on their way back to the majors from the injured list. Fireworks follow all weekend home games. Their season opens in April and runs through September, and tickets can be purchased for as low as $5.

Downtown Akron is also home to The University of Akron, and thus the Akron Zips. Depending on the season you’re visiting, catch them in action playing football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and more. View the Zips Athletics calendar here.

Tours

You should have all the ingredients for a successful self-guided tour of downtown Akron, but if you prefer to take your experience to the next level by having another person lead, there are options for that, too. Explore City Tours is an organization that offers three-hour-long tours of downtown Akron and other nearby cities. They offer group tours with stops at various landmarks and attractions throughout the neighborhood, stories about Akron’s history and architecture, and three to four stops at downtown restaurants along the way. If the dates of their public tours don’t work for you, or if unfamiliar groups aren’t really your thing, you can submit a request for a private tour on their website.

The Akron-Summit County Public Library also occasionally organizes weekend tours of downtown Akron focusing on local history. When they’re scheduled, they’re listed on the library’s event calendar.

Downtown Akron Partnership offers after-hours walking tours the fourth Thursday of every month March through September, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm, and if you’re in town for an extra long weekend, we’d love to have you join us. Tours meet at Cascade Plaza.

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If you can believe it, there’s even more to do in downtown Akron than is written here. And even more than that in the greater Akron area! Start planning your weekend getaway now, and be sure to take photos and tag us on social media @downtownakronpartnership when you visit.

See our updated traffic advisories and parking information to navigate and park downtown with ease.

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