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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 1pm - 5pm

May 4 Visitors Center

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May 4 Visitors Center

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The May 4 Visitors Center on the Kent State campus is located inside Taylor Hall.

The galleries tell the story of the 1970 shooting and explore the history and impact of student activism at Kent State.

10/18/2026

One of the things we tell Kent State students is that May 4 remains part of Kent State's identity wherever they go. In sharing the story of May 4, they often discover that it becomes part of their own story as well. Few people embody that connection better than our alumna, Congresswoman Emilia Sykes, who each year marks the anniversary of May 4 with remarks on the House floor, helping ensure that its lessons and legacy remain part of our national conversation. And whenever she returns to Kent, she makes a point of including the May 4 Visitors Center in her plans, sharing this history with friends, colleagues, and distinguished guests from across the country.

We were honored to welcome Emilia Sykes and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the May 4 Visitors Center on Saturday morning for a brief tour.

10/16/2026

Join nationally acclaimed author and journalist Will Haygood for a powerful discussion on the Vietnam War, military service, and the American experience. Featuring a book signing and conversation inspired by The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home. An Evening with Will Haygood: The Vietnam War and the American Military: Patriotism, Service, and the American Experience

Thursday, November 12

📚 4:00 p.m. | Book Signing
University Bookstore

🚪 5:30 p.m. | Doors Open
Kiva Auditorium

🎤 6:00 p.m. | Program Begins
Kiva Auditorium

Presented by the Pepsi Leadership Center in partnership with the May 4 Visitors Center, the Center for Adult and Veteran Services, and community partner Warriors Journey Home.

Free and open to the public.

10/15/2026

Join us daily at 2:00 p.m., November 1-11, at the May 4 Visitors Center and May 4 National Historic Landmark for a series of brief ceremonies honoring veterans and reflecting on the lasting impacts of war on individuals and communities.

These gatherings explore the experiences of those who served in Vietnam and more recent conflicts, as well as those whose lives were shaped by opposition to war. Through remembrance and reflection, we recognize the challenges of coming home, raise awareness about veteran su***de, and highlight the importance of healing, understanding, and community support.

The ceremonies are organized by Warriors Journey Home, a veterans organization that has previously partnered with the May 4 Task Force to establish a library dedicated to the victims of May 4 in Vietnam. We are grateful to continue this collaboration and the important conversations it inspires.

November 10: Following the ceremony, participants are invited to join a daffodil bulb planting on the Commons honoring the 58,175 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

Interested in participating? We are currently seeking liturgy readers for the ceremonies. We welcome readers from across the Kent State campus and broader community, including veterans, military families, students, educators, faith leaders, community organizations, May 4 survivors, and peace advocates. Readings will be provided, and participation requires only a few minutes of your time. To volunteer, please fill out the form linked below.

https://forms.gle/rNxHoeobELhh1eUd7

All are welcome.

Pictured: Members of Warriors Journey Home participating in a previous Witness Tree Ceremony.

10/05/2026

Homecoming weekend was a treat, as always! Saturday was a beautiful fall morning for the Homecoming Parade where our student employees participated alongside the May 4th Task Force.

All along the parade route we were greeted with peace signs, fists held in solidarity, and words of appreciation for keeping the spirit of May 4 and Jackson State alive. That unity and remembrance is what keeps us going!

10/02/2026

New at the May 4 Visitors Center: Dean Zine!

The zine recently made its debut at a meeting of the Amputees Sharing Knowledge (ASK) group, where Dean Kahler and May 4 Visitors Center Director Alison Caplan shared stories about the creation of Still Standing: Dean Kahler and Disability Rights and discussed Dean's lifelong advocacy for disability rights.

Illustrated by Cleveland artist John G., Dean Zine brings Dean's Four Tenets to life through original artwork and personal reflections. Following its debut with the ASK community, the zine is now available at the May 4 Visitors Center, where the illustrations are also on display as a new addition to the exhibit.

Visit us Saturday, October 3, from 1-5 p.m. to pick up a free copy and explore Still Standing, on view through March 2027. Be sure to cheer on our student staff as they march in the Homecoming Parade alongside the May 4 Task Force!

09/22/2026

To help ensure the long-term preservation of irreplaceable artifacts, archival regulations regarding the display of paper and fabric items have prompted a few changes to our Dean Kahler exhibit which remains on view throughout the semester. While we work on exciting new additions, we invite you to take a behind-the-scenes look at the care and preservation that go into sharing these powerful pieces of history.

In this photo, May 4 Visitors Center assistant director, Chloe Wingard, carefully removes the clothing Dean Kahler was wearing on May 4, 1970. That day, Dean wore his East Canton High School shirt beneath a wool work shirt from his Republic Steel job, reflecting both his youth and his working-class roots.

After the shooting, Dean's mother lovingly washed the garments and stitched the bullet holes closed before the clothing was eventually donated to the Kent State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives May 4 Collection.

Throughout the exhibit these deeply personal artifacts stood as a powerful connection to Dean's story, displayed on a mannequin standing tall, just as Dean himself did on May 4, 1970.

09/09/2026

Fall is in the air at Kent State, and that means we're once again welcoming Flashes 101 classes to the May 4 Visitors Center.

As new students begin their Kent State journey, Flashes 101 helps them build connections, find community, and develop a deeper understanding of the university they now call home. An important part of that experience is learning Kent State's history.

This year, students will tour the May 4 Visitors Center, the National Historic Landmark site, and our Still Standing exhibition featuring Dean Kahler's story. All tours are led by Kent State students for Kent State students, creating opportunities for meaningful conversations and a greater understanding of our shared history.

As you look at these photos of students touring the Center, remember that the four students who lost their lives on May 4, 1970, were their age. Their stories continue to resonate with each new generation of Kent State students, reminding us of the importance of remembering the past and carrying its lessons into the future.

08/31/2026

"Every time the song Ohio came on, I'd cry."
— Joe Lewis, wounded student

A band of blood brothers met the band that gave voice to their experience. Tom Grace and Alan Canfora with David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash, 1997.

Credit: Photo by Craig Megyer. Alan Canfora collection. Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.

08/24/2026

Back to school season carries special meaning at Kent State.

When students returned to campus in late September 1970, after the university's closure following the May 4 shootings, they came back to a campus forever changed. That fall, wounded student Dean Kahler made his first appearance on campus since May 4, telling a crowd of 5,000 at memorial service, "It has been a long fight, but it's all over now and I'm going to be all right." Kahler also encouraged students to resist violence in all forms.

His message of resilience and nonviolence remains part of Kent State's story as students begin a new academic year today.

Want to learn more about Dean? Our exhibition Still Standing: Dean Kahler and Disability Rights remains on view at the May 4 Visitors Center Reflections Gallery throughout the Fall semester.

08/21/2026

Many current Kent State students have never heard of Columbia House, but for generations of music fans it was a cultural phenomenon. The record club offered members albums for free or just a penny, bringing popular music into homes across the country.

In a letter to his mother, May 4 victim Bill Schroeder shared the records he received through Columbia House, placing stars beside the albums he thought she would enjoy. His list included artists such as Simon and Garfunkel, Donovan, the Doors, and The Four Tops. "Aren't I an A-1 sw***er?" he wrote.

As Columbia House comes to the end of its remarkable run, we're reminded of Bill's enthusiasm for music. Did you ever belong to Columbia House? What albums do you remember ordering, and which became favorites in your collection?

Bill's family shared the letter with the May 4 Visitors Center as part of the Four Fallen Students exhibition. The exhibition can be explored online at Remembering May 4: https://www.rememberingmay4.org/

Address

300 Midway Drive, 147 Taylor Hall
Kent, OH
44243

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+13306724660

Website

http://www.kent.edu/may4visitorscenter

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