Tours
Visits to the May 4 Visitors Center are self-guided. We offer free guided tours by appointment for school groups, KSU-affiliated groups, and Flashes 101 classes. The guided tours are led by student employees. Tours go through the three galleries and include a 10-minute film about the shooting.
If you have specific questions regarding tours, please email us at may4@kent.edu
Due to staff constraints around the May 4 commemoration, we are unable to accommodate tours or field trips between April 28 and May 6.
Flashes 101 tours
This guided tour is 50 minutes long to accommodate the Flashes 101 class time. It introduces new Kent State students to the story of May 4, 1970, and how its impacts still affect them and the campus today. The tour starts in our Reflections Gallery (141 Taylor Hall) with a quick introduction, then the class is taken on a guided tour through the Visitors Center galleries with our student tour guides.
School field trip tours
The May 4 Visitors Center provides free guided tours for field trips. If you are interested in a field trip for visitors under the age of 13, we request that you come to the Center to preview the content beforehand to determine if the exhibition is appropriate for your students. Students learn about the events of May 4 and the days leading up to it, local history, the impact of the Vietnam War, and the importance of their First Amendment rights. Tour content can be tailored to suit what they are learning in the classroom.
Field trips do not have an admission fee.
Ideally field trips are scheduled at least 3 weeks in advance.
If the group is doing an outdoor site tour, we recommend sensible walking shoes with closed toes, and to dress appropriately for the weather.
General public group tours
If you are part of a special interest group or community organization, you can to request a guided tour of the May 4 Visitors Center for your group. Reunions, book clubs, staff outings, and more are welcome.
Â鶹´«Ã½ affiliates tours
Â鶹´«Ã½ instructors from all departments are welcome to schedule tours of the Center for their courses and use the Reflections Gallery classroom for further discussion. Tour content can be tailored to suit what they are learning in the course.
The May 4 Visitors Center also provides tours for campus guests and visiting VIPs.