Free things to do in Kent

18 places in Kent with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute
AMLCI
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 seminars.
Free
Do
Black Squirrel Festival
Annual festival featuring university organisations, local companies, and student organizations.
Free
See
Center for the Visual Arts
CVA Gallery
Features many galleries of Student Artwork, as well as workshops. Partially built out of an old power plant.
Tue Wed 10AM-5PM, Thu 10AM-7PM, Fri 10AM-2PMFree (parking may cost depending on lot)
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.
Free
Do
Fashion Tech Hackathon
A collegiate hackathon centered on fashion and technology as an interdisciplinary field.
Free
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.
Mon-Fri 8AM-5PMFree
Do
Kent 'Round Town
Kent State Folk Festival
A fall music festival that started in 1966 as the Kent State Folk Festival.
Free
Do
Kent Hack Enough
Annual collegiate hackathon at Kent State University. Visitors are encouraged, especially for the opening and closing ceremonies. Non-computer science majors and Non-Kent students are very welcomed to compete.
3 Day event in OctoberFree
See
Kent Historical Society & Museum
Local history of the city and residents, the railroad that passes through the town, and Kent State University.
Fri Sat 9AM-2PM and by appointmentFree
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.
Semester hours: Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM, Sat noon-5PMFree
Do
Partially Buried Woodshed
A woodshed that was created to fall apart after being partially buried in 1970.
Open now · open 24 hoursFree
Do
Spark Innovation Studio
A hackerspace at Kent State University. Facilities include 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, fabric printers and a CNC router.
Free
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.
Free
Do
Student Multimedia Center
SMS
Despite the name, the SMS offers services to non-students too. They have video-conferencing rooms, 3D printers, and help with computer software.
Free
See
The MuseLab
A museum about museums. Has rotating exhibits that are usually interactive.
Mon Fri 10AM-4PM, Wed 1-7PMFree
Do
University Prairie Reserve
A reserve of natural prairie land on campus. The university conducts a controlled burn once a year, so don't be surprised if you notice it on fire.
Free
See
Wick Poetry Center
Housed in the historic May Prentice House, the Wick Poetry Center houses poetry readings and more. It's surrounded by a poetry park, which is small, but packed with art and an amphitheater.
Free
See
Kent State Planetarium
Occasionally offers showings.
Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kent (CC BY-SA 4.0).