Hower House Museum - The University of Akron

Hower House Museum - The University of Akron www.uakron.edu/howerhousemuseum Hower was active in milling, reaping and the cereal industry. Meanwhile the elderly Mr. Closed in January.

Hower House was completed in 1871 as the new home for wealthy industrialist John Henry Hower, his wife Susan Youngker and their three sons. He and Akron architect Jacob Snyder designed this house in the Second Empire Italianate style with a unique floor plan based upon the “Akron Plan” used nationally in churches and Sunday Schools beginning in the late 1800s. This 28-room mansion is capped with a

mansard roof and soaring tower and filled with distinctive treasurers and furnishings collected from around the world. In 1901 Milton Otis Hower—the Hower middle son—along with his wife Blanche Bruot and their two children, Grace and John, came to live in the house. Hower and his second wife moved to a smaller home nearby. Blanche upgraded the look and technology of the house and continued to live in the house even after her beloved Milton Otis Hower died in 1916. Some years later Grace Hower and her husband John Crawford moved into Hower House with Blanche. The house was occupied by the Hower family for 100 years before it was deeded to The University of Akron in 1970. Today Hower House remains one of the best preserved examples of its style in the country, a lasting symbol of a bygone era of elegance. It is supported by private donations, the Hower House Museum Guild (HHMG), and The University of Akron. Visitors are welcome to view the unique architecture and rare treasures of this National Historic Landmark eleven months of the year. TOURS
Self Guided Tours:
Fridays and Saturdays: Opens at 12pm and the last tour starts at 2pm
Phone or email reservations are encouraged so we can maintain social distancing between guests. Contact [email protected] or call 330-972-6909

Tours resume this Friday! Check out the latest email newsletter that went out yesterday! If you would like to sign up fo...
03/03/2026

Tours resume this Friday! Check out the latest email newsletter that went out yesterday! If you would like to sign up for email updates, you can find a sign up sheet on our home page at www.uakron.edu/howerhousemuseum

The 2026 Season is quickly approaching and we are excited to add more volunteers to our team! We will be open to the public of Fridays and Saturdays with "assisted" self-guided tours 12PM-3PM, with the last tour starting at 2PM.

Preserving Akron’s unique history is vital to our community’s future. Please support this effort by sharing and attendin...
02/03/2026

Preserving Akron’s unique history is vital to our community’s future. Please support this effort by sharing and attending if possible.

12/14/2025
12/14/2025

Hower House Museum will be closed today, Sunday December 14th, due to inclement weather and the Summit County Sheriff's Office issuing a Level 2 Snow Emergency.

Have you RSVP'D for the Holiday Dinner at the Hower House Museum? Tomorrow is the last day. Please email dmm47@uakron.ed...
12/01/2025

Have you RSVP'D for the Holiday Dinner at the Hower House Museum? Tomorrow is the last day. Please email [email protected] or call 330.972.6909. We have limited seating still available and would love for you to join us!

It’s not too late to RSVP for the last Museum Musings Book Club gathering of 2025!
10/31/2025

It’s not too late to RSVP for the last Museum Musings Book Club gathering of 2025!

Please help support saving this historic landmark in Akron!
10/06/2025

Please help support saving this historic landmark in Akron!

60 Days Isn’t Enough.

Let’s not repeat past mistakes. We need vision - Not demolition.

Sign and share the petition to extend the RFP period to at least one year so serious developers have a fair chance to propose adaptive reuse.

Our city deserves better than another empty lot.

🖋️Sign + 🔁 Share - https://chng.it/Njv8ndVfRg

Address

60 Fir Hill
Akron, OH
44304

Opening Hours

Friday 12pm - 3pm
Saturday 12pm - 3pm

Telephone

(330) 972-6909

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Hower House was completed in 1871 as the new home for wealthy industrialist John Henry Hower, his wife Susan Youngker and their three sons. Hower was active in milling, reaping and the cereal industry. He and Akron architect Jacob Snyder designed this house in the Second Empire Italianate style with a unique floor plan based upon the “Akron Plan” used nationally in churches and Sunday Schools beginning in the late 1800s. This 28-room mansion is capped with a mansard roof and soaring tower and filled with distinctive treasurers and furnishings collected from around the world. In 1901 Milton Otis Hower—the Hower middle son—along with his wife Blanche Bruot and their two children, Grace and John, came to live in the house. Meanwhile the elderly Mr. Hower and his second wife moved to a smaller home nearby. Blanche upgraded the look and technology of the house and continued to live in the house even after her beloved Milton Otis Hower died in 1916. Some years later Grace Hower and her husband John Crawford moved into Hower House with Blanche. The house was occupied by the Hower family for 100 years before it was deeded to The University of Akron in 1970. Today Hower House remains one of the best preserved examples of its style in the country, a lasting symbol of a bygone era of elegance. It is supported by private donations, the Hower House Museum Guild (HHMG), and The University of Akron. Visitors are welcome to view the unique architecture and rare treasures of this National Historic Landmark eleven months of the year. Closed in January. Guided tours: Wednesday – Saturday, noon until 3:00 pm; last tour begins one half hour before closing. Carriage House open select days April – October. Call for holiday hours and additional tour times November—December.