may 4th visitor center

For those of us who lived through that time, it is a powerful reminder of May 1970. For those born after the events, it is an excellent history lesson. You get a feel for what those tumultuous times were like.

Great place to stop and reflect. However, you are on your own when you visit. The memorial is done well but you have to know something about it to get its full value. Pakring needs better signage too.

I was young when the May 4th event took place yet I remember it clearly. This museum was like stepping back in time and viewing it all over again. Time stands still here...the pain lingers...the uncertainty of the time is renewed. There's really so much to be learned from the experiences of these then-young people and so much regret that many of the issues are still so relevant. This is a must-see/experience!

When telling people that my son goes to Kent State University, I would invariably get the "knowing" looks and raised brows as they often would say "Isn't that where all those students got shot by the army?" I would downplay that part of history by exclaiming how terrific the school is, etc. The May 4th Visitor Center has now made me feel pride in the alumni of Kent State and the courage and conviction those students had in their beliefs against the Viet Nam war, AND their belief in equal rights. I highly recommend a visit if you are visiting Kent State.

We took visitors from Serbia to view this museum/dislpay center. It was absolutely great! We lived in the area at the time of the events of that era, and this provides an insightful look at many aspects of that time and its cast of participants. It should provide some lessons for contemporary folks.

Informative and moving exhibit. The film was great for helping put it all in context. For a small museum, it was extremely well put together.

We spent and hour here. Especially nice for our 11 year old to see. The small exhibit is extremely well done. We could have stayed a bit longer if we didn't have a 6 year old with us. Highly recommend for everyone.

The May 4 Memorial and museum was worth the drive over to Kent from Akron. They could have better signage in the parking area to guide you to the museum. They have plaques and signs that explain where the sad events of May 4, 1970 occurred (once you know where to walk to). It was humbling to be reminded of that awful time. They have a video playing in the museum that depicts the unfortunate events of the day.

It was very educational it had an 11 minute video to watch made you aware of what happened on that day. the museum is neat to walk around in and see the different history of times.

Went to visit this site because I believe in the right of free speech. I was only 4 years old when this tragedy happened and this visitors center gave me an idea what the atmosphere surrounding the Vietnam War was like. The center is extremely well put together. It is small but contains a large amount of information about that day. There is also information about before and after the tragedy. There are four individual memorials in the parking lot where the four people were killed. You can walk around the field where the protest took place. The university left the field alone as it was in 1970. Everywhere at Kent State there is parking that requires a permit to park. However there are a couple of parking spots reserved for visitors to the memorial. Look for the signs. The only problem I had was that I wanted to buy a May 4th memorial coffee cup, but you have to go to the book store in another building in order to buy it. They don't sell any souvenirs at the visitors center.

For a small museum, this packs a lot of punch. They did a great job of illustrating the issues that led up to the shootings, including ones that I would not have realized as being directly related. The presentation was balanced, explaining attitudes on both sides. Parts of it were absolutely gut wrenching, like the description of Allison Krause putting a flower in the rifle of a National Guardsman, advocating peaceful resolutions to conflicts, an anti-war poem by one of the male victims that eerily foreshadowed his own death, and the video presentation that made the viewer feel like they were there during the shootings. The museum has brought me a new found understanding and grave reverence of this tragedy.

I was extremely moved, and at the same time impressed with both the quality and the presentation of both the exhibits and the audiovisual presentation of the riots that took place on the Kent State University campus on May 4, 1970.At the time, it was a very significant event in the history of the United States. A very elaborate memorial near this visitor center shows the significance of this event as well.The presentation consists of audiovisual presentations, numerous dioramas showing the time frame of the events, what happened, the reactions from people that were there, and from all over the world to the event.This exhibit is a must when visiting Kent State University and is well worth spending some time here!

It's a great memorial to a historic event in our country. I never knew all the details, but this memorial gives you a timeline of the events and a full understanding of what actually took place.

Really impressed with this visitor center- think it's well worth a visit. It is well laid out and provides a good, if sombering, memorial to the May 4th shooting at Kent state. There are a few parking spaces reserved for visitors next to the Taylor building making it easily accessible. Definitely worth visiting

The story of the May 4th tragedy on campus is told coherently and movingly. It is also a good idea to take the mapped walk which stops at the various sites of importance. Excellently done.