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Brick streets, a Scottish-themed college and one of the country's busiest agricultural research campuses give Wooster an outsized cultural life for a city of about 27,000. It is the seat of Wayne County, set in rolling farmland roughly an hour south of Cleveland, on the northern edge of Ohio's Amish Country.
Wooster grew around its 1878 Second Empire courthouse and became an industrial town; Rubbermaid started here, and the downtown blocks of shops, galleries and restaurants around the square have been carefully restored. The College of Wooster, with its bagpipe band and kilted marching Scots, anchors the north side of town.
Summer brings the Ohio Light Opera's operetta season to the campus, while Ohio State's research center keeps the Secrest Arboretum open to visitors for free. Day trips lead south to Amish farms and cheese houses in Holmes County, and to Lehman's hardware store in nearby Kidron.
Several blocks of restored 19th-century buildings around the public square, with independent shops, bookstores, galleries, coffee houses and restaurants. A gazebo on the square hosts summer events, and First Friday evenings bring street activities. Parking is free in nearby municipal lots.
A stone Second Empire courthouse completed in 1878, with a mansard roof and tall clock tower dominating the downtown square. It is still in use for county business, so you can step inside to see the restored interior on weekdays. The best photos are from the southeast corner of the square.
A private liberal arts college founded in 1866, with the arched Kauke Hall at the center of a leafy campus. Students are known as the Fighting Scots, and the pipe band in kilts plays at games and ceremonies. Visitors are welcome to walk the grounds and visit the free Ebert Art Center galleries.
A professional company that stages Gilbert and Sullivan, Viennese operetta and classic musical theater every summer at Freedlander Theatre on the College of Wooster campus. It often revives rarely performed works with a full orchestra. Shows run from June into August; book matinees ahead for good seats.
A community arts center downtown with rotating gallery exhibitions of regional artists, plus classes in painting, pottery, music and dance. Exhibits are free, and the gift shop sells local work. Look for open studio events and children's workshops if you are traveling with young artists.
Part of Ohio State University's agricultural research campus, this free arboretum covers more than 100 acres with conifers, flowering trees, a rhododendron collection, a rose garden and walking trails. Late May is spectacular when azaleas and rhododendrons bloom. Bring good shoes for the hilly paths.
A wooded park on the west side of town with trails along ravines and small streams, rock outcrops and a few picnic spots. It is mostly left natural, so expect quiet forest walks rather than playgrounds. Paths can be muddy after rain; spring wildflowers and fall color are the highlights.
Wooster's main city park, with a public pool, playgrounds, sports fields, shelters and a paved path along Christmas Run creek, plus open lawns for picnics and frisbee. It is a good stop for families who need a break; the pool opens from Memorial Day to late August.
A small museum complex on East Bowman Street with a historic house, a one-room schoolhouse and exhibits on pioneer life, local industry and natural history. Volunteers lead tours and share stories of early Wooster. Opening days are limited, so check the schedule before visiting.
Held each September at the fairgrounds in Wooster, this big agricultural fair draws farm families from the region with livestock shows, draft horse pulls, harness racing, rides and food stands. The Amish and Mennonite presence nearby gives it a distinctly rural feel. Arrive early to find parking.
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