THE MCKINLEY MEMORIAL, WHERE WILLIAM AND HIS WIFE, IDA, ARE INTERRED. IT’S ATOP 108 STEPS — A POPULAR TEST OF ENDURANCE FOR LOCAL RUNNERS AND ATHLETES. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

A presidential library with an animatronic dinosaur? The nation’s only stand-alone first ladies museum? A 55-acre Tuscan village?

Football fans know Canton, Ohio, as the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But there are an abundance of sights — some unusual, some educational and many inspiring — that you’ll find in the city that sits about 100 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. And once you arrive in this former manufacturing city of 68,500 residents, all of these places are an easily navigable 5-15 minutes from one another.

A friend and I decided to hit all of these in one day, but the Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa could (and should) be a weekend getaway on its own — as could the Hall of Fame and its adjacent entertainment village.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., features The First Ladies Gallery — but in downtown Canton, you’ll find the First Ladies National Historic Site. The site includes a museum and visitor center as well as the nearby childhood home of Ida Saxton McKinley, where she and William McKinley lived between 1878-91 while he served in the U.S. House of Representatives. He later was elected to two terms as the 25th president.

WILLIAM AND IDA MCKINLEY ANIMATRONIC FIGURES. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

The stories of the first ladies are told through their letters, memorabilia and even their gowns. Over two centuries, the role has evolved from White House hostesses to symbols of strength to policy advocates. As early as 1882, the first lady was advocating for equal treatment of women.

REPRODUCTIONS OF MAMIE EISENHOWER AND MELANIA TRUMP INAUGURATION GOWNS. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

After President James Garfield — who also hailed from Northwest Ohio — was shot in July 1881 and died 80 days later, his widow, Lucretia, wrote a letter to a representative of Congress objecting to how it had paid three of the physicians involved in his care. Two male doctors each were paid $10,000, but Susan Edson, one of America’s first female physicians, received just $5,000. Mrs. Garfield contended Edson deserved equal pay.

Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of four-term President Franklin D. Roosevelt, fought sexism, racism and poverty in her role, and was so influential that she was targeted for assassination by the Ku Klux Klan. Hillary Clinton was the first presidential spouse to get an office in the West Wing of the White House and to be tasked by her husband, Bill Clinton, to come up with a plan for an important policy change — reforming health care (albeit unsuccessfully).

Visitors can see reproductions of inaugural gowns of several of the first ladies, including the pink dress encrusted with 2,000 rhinestones worn by Mamie Eisenhower in 1953 and the Hervé Pierre six-ply vanilla crepe, off-the-shoulder gown worn by Melania Trump in 2017. Managed by the National Park Service and the National First Ladies Library and Museum, the visitor center and museum are free; there’s a nominal fee for tours of the Victorian mansion.

We’ve heard a lot about McKinley this year; President Donald Trump has extolled many of the policies of this Gilded Age Republican who pushed for high tariffs and expansionism. During his presidency from 1897-1901, McKinley annexed Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam and the eastern Samoan islands as U.S. territories.

Although McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio, he started his career in Canton, so it’s a fitting spot for the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum. He was the last Civil War veteran elected as president but was assassinated by an anarchist in 1901, six months into his second term. He and Ida are interred in a towering granite and marble memorial next to the library and museum. It sits atop 108 steps, which have become a popular test of endurance for local joggers and other athletes (It’s 36 steps taller than the famous “Rocky” steps leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art).

The presidential library and museum are equally appealing to preschoolers as they are to adults. Not only will you find thousands of artifacts relating to the McKinleys, but there are also a planetarium and the Discover World science center — featuring an animatronic Alice the allosaurus, an authentic mastodon skeleton, a replica of a Paleo-Indian hut, rocks, fish, turtles and more — a nod to McKinley’s interest in science.

You’ll also meet life-size audio-animatronic figures of William and Ida McKinley (think of The Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World) on the second floor, where they “talk” about his famous Front Porch campaigns and other aspects of their lives.

The largest attraction in the town, of course, is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Why is it in Canton? Partly because the Ohio city was in 1920 the birthplace of what became the NFL. The hall of fame building opened on Sept. 7, 1963, and has expanded four times to its current 121,000 square feet.

THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Bronze busts of 32 Steelers inductees can be found in the hall of fame, including those of team founder Art Rooney, owner Dan Rooney and coaches Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Walt Kiesling. Bill Nunn was inducted for his role as a Steelers scout and later the assistant director of player personnel. In another display, you’ll find the Steelers’ six Super Bowl rings.

The hall’s many galleries are organized mostly chronologically or by topic, rather than by team, and are packed with interactive displays. Don’t miss the theater production, “A Game for Life,” featuring an amazing holograph of Beaver Falls native Joe Namath, who presents the inspirational stories of several Hall of Famers. (In case you’re wondering, “Broadway Joe,” now 82, is alive and well in Jupiter, Florida, where he co-owns a waterfront restaurant and entertainment complex.)

Officials suggest allowing 3 to 4 hours on your first visit. Also check out the behind-the-scenes VIP and Insiders tours.

Built around the hall is the 100-acre Hall of Fame Village, filled with multipurpose athletic fields, restaurants, retail shops and other amenities. Coming soon: the $117 million Gameday Bay Water Park, which will feature high-thrill rides, football-themed decor, a swim-up bar and giant TV screens.

Where to Stay in Canton, Ohio

The Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa (gervasivineyard.com), opened in 2010, is the perfect escape. As you enter the ornate gates, you’ll come upon rows and rows of grapevines. The resort offers hand-crafted wines made onsite along with select imports from Italy. Stay in the Italian villas or 24-room boutique hotel. The Crush House Wine Bar provides a casual meal; the Bistro offers upscale Italian dining. There’s also The Still House, a coffeehouse and cocktail lounge; a wine-tasting Cave and Spa; and the Marketplace Gift Shop, which added 2,000 square feet in 2022. There are wine tours, music and entertainment amid the beautiful grounds, which include a lake graced by white swans. The 7.7-mile Middle Branch Trail runs through the property and is perfect for casual stolls, jogging or cycling. Over the years, I’ve stayed here three times — twice in the villas and once in the boutique hotel; you really feel like you’re in Italy.

Where to Eat in Canton, Ohio

Taggarts Ice Cream (taggartsicecream.com) is a downtown Canton institution known for its ice cream since 1926; make sure to try the Bittner (three-quarters of a pound of vanilla ice cream blended with homemade chocolate syrup and sprinkled with roasted pecans). Taggarts offers a full menu of soups, chili, salads, antipasto, sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken and waffles, burgers and fish.

When to Go to Canton, Ohio

If you ever need a warm-up to Picklesburgh — held each year in July in Pittsburgh — Canton kicked off its own Pickle Fest in June 2024, and it is now an annual one-day festival to celebrate the joy of pickles. And while no Steelers were enshrined in the Hall of Fame this year, the induction ceremony took place on Aug. 2 as part of a July 31-Aug. 3 extravaganza with a Hall of Fame game, enshrinement festivities and the annual Concert for Legends.