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Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
800 McKinley Monument Dr. NW
Canton, OH 44708
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9:00-5:00, Sunday 12:00-5:00
Special Motorcoach rate: $3.50 per person. Bus driver and tour leader are free
Overview:
Welcome to the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library and Museum! As you enter our museum complex, located on 26 acres, your first sight will no doubt be the magnificent McKinley National Memorial. With 108 steps, this beautiful marble and granite structure is a tribute and final resting place for the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, his wife Ida Saxton McKinley, and their two young daughters Katherine and Ida.
Inside the Museum an enjoyable and educational experience awaits you. Whether you are interested in science, history, or research the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum has something for you!
On our lower level our robotic Allosaurus, "Alice", welcomes you to Discover World, a hands-on science center where the young and young at heart can journey into the world of the dinosaur at the Natural History Island, learn about animals and their habitats on Ecology Island, and conduct physical science experiments in Space Station Earth. Enjoy special programs like the Electric Show and Meet the Animals.
The Mahoney Mezzanine is the starting point for a trip to outer space without leaving the ground. A visit to our 65-seat Hoover-Price Planetarium is sure to thrill. Explore constellations, planets and other heavenly bodies from the comfort of your seat. Thematic programs are presented on the weekends year round and on weekdays during the summer months and school vacations. Planetarium programs are included in your admission.
The history of Canton and Stark County comes alive on the 2nd floor of the Museum. Take a step back in time as you walk through our Street of Shops, a life-size replica of a historic town. Visit the Dannemiller Store, Gibbs Manufacturing Company, the Eagle Hotel and our fire station-- complete with a horse-drawn fire engine. Kids can even slide down a real fire pole! Be sure to stop at our model train layout, housed inside a replica of downtown Canton's train station. Here you will see the historical and working relationship of the Pennsylvania Railroad and our community.
Continue your trip through history with a visit to the McKinley Gallery. Here you will be greeted by our animatronic figures of William and Ida McKinley. They will delight you with stories about their first meeting, the ups and downs in their lives, and their time as President and First Lady. In the gallery you will also see memorabilia from the President's successful Front Porch Campaigns of 1896 and 1900, as well as artifacts ranging from a desk William McKinley used as a young lawyer to gifts he received during his time at the White House.
Things are always changing in the Keller Gallery, the museum's temporary exhibition space. The Keller Gallery allows the museum to showcase artifacts from the permanent collection, comprised of over 27,000 items reflecting the history of Stark County. Recent exhibits have included Made in Canton Letters Home: Stories from the Front, Hearth & Home, and Accessorize. The museum also hosts traveling exhibits in the Keller Gallery. There's something new three times a year, so be sure to come back often!
No visit to the Museum is complete without a stop at our Museum Shoppe, loaded with fabulous merchandise for all ages-t-shirts, post cards, Presidential and local history books, science experiments and much more. Be sure to take home a memory of your visit to the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, an experience you won't soon forget!