So Many Choices for Your Leisure Time!

Concerts and performances covering all musical genres are scheduled throughout the year by the Wooster Symphony Orchestra, Wooster Jazz Ensemble, and The Wayne Center for the Arts, among others. 

The Ohio Light Opera (OLO) is a regional gem. Founded by The College of Wooster in 1979 as both a cultural and educational endeavor, OLO is the only professional company in the U.S. entirely devoted to operetta and the finest lyric theater pieces.

The College of Wooster, one of the country’s leading private liberal arts schools, provides many free lectures throughout the year, houses The College of Wooster Art Museum, and is the site of a number of artistic performances. The University of Akron Wayne College Campus in Orrville hosts various events throughout the year, including its annual Maker Faire in May.

The College of Wooster Art Museum (CWAM) began as a small gallery in the 1930s to support the educational programs of the College. Since then, the museum has grown in space, collections, and mission to bring diverse, high-quality exhibitions to The College of Wooster and the community at large.

Wayne Center for the Arts leads classes and workshops in a variety of art disciplines, including visual arts, pottery, music, theater, and dance. The Center houses a 200-seat auditorium, a conference room, and two professional galleries: The Gault Gallery and Roberta Looney Workshop Gallery. Both feature local, regional, and national exhibits which are free to the community. The center boasts its own pre-professional ballet company, the Wayne Center Ballet, and the Teen Arts Advisory Board. The Center also hosts the annual Functional Ceramics Exhibit and Workshop, which draws more than 200 potters from around the nation.

The Wayne County Historical Society is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of Wayne County, Ohio, and has six structures representing this history. You can find a full listing of Wayne County Historical Societies here.

The Kidron-Sonnenberg Heritage Center is a nationally acclaimed museum located on the square in Kidron, Ohio (across from Lehman’s). The Heritage Center contains a museum, gift shop, and genealogy research library focusing on Swiss Anabaptist families.

The Sonnenberg Village is a 5-acre campus located on the outskirts of Kidron, Ohio. Its mission is to maintain and preserve historical buildings and implement sustainable living methods that feature the use of green building technology and sustainable gardening and landscaping techniques. The campus currently has five permanent buildings in place with an additional nine buildings waiting to be installed on their respective sites. It’s also home to the Kidron Beet Festival.

The Pioneer Village in Smithville, managed by the not-for-profit Smithville Community Historical Society, showcases the pioneer lifestyle with buildings and artifacts dating from 1830 to 1890. You can step back in time, visiting the wheelwright shop, village blacksmith, and so much more. The visitor center features rotating displays, and you can enjoy special events like hymn sings or rent the facilities for a wedding.

A portion of the Lincoln Highway Historic Byway runs through Wayne County along America’s historic first transcontinental automobile route. The Ohio segment of the Lincoln Highway Historic Byway follows the final alignment adopted in 1928, which connected the cities of Canton, Massillon, Wooster, Mansfield, Bucyrus, Upper Sandusky, Delphos, and Van Wert.

Wayne County has unique, fun, and educational day trips for every interest and inclination just beyond our doorstep! Wayne County is optimally positioned between Cleveland and Columbus, 60 miles and 100 miles from each of the downtowns respectively. Wayne County is also just 35 miles from the cities of Akron and Canton. A great weekend can be spent at the Akron Art Museum and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Cleveland has so much to offer including Playhouse Square, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Children's Museum of Cleveland, and more!