The John Brown Monument is officially open

For the first time in decades, the John Brown Monument is officially open for visits with no appointment needed!

Earlier today, the City of Akron joined the Akron Zoo, Summit Metro Parks, the Summit County Historical Society, and Akron Bicentennial to celebrate the new trail leading to this over 100‑year‑old landmark. Visitors can now reach the site during zoo hours, following a path that includes the original stone steps and a brick walkway believed to date back to John Brown’s time on this property.

John Brown was an abolitionist whose 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry made him a pivotal, and polarizing, figure in the fight against slavery. Akron’s German‑American Alliance built the monument in 1910 to honor his legacy, and in 1938 the Negro 25‑Year Club added benches, a fountain, and a statue recognizing Brown’s sacrifice.