Elyria
Numerous parks and recreational centers are scattered throughout the community, notably the 195-acre Cascade Park near downtown, with its two 40-foot waterfalls in addition to picnic and playground facilities. Lorain Community College's Stocker Arts Center brings artists and traveling Broadway shows; phone (440) 366-4040, or (800) 995-5222 ext. 4040 for ticket information.
The 1867 City Hall faces historic Ely Square, which is home to the Elyria Veterans' Memorial and the Civil War Memorial as well as a fountain, gazebo, picnic tables and benches. The fountain is not the original, but one has been on this site since 1851; it operates mid-May to mid-October. During summer there are live music performances and festivals, and it is decorated with a lovely light display during the holiday season.
A library (open by appointment only) at the Lorain County History Center, 284 Washington Ave., offers genealogical information; phone (440) 322-3341.
Author Sherwood Anderson, born in nearby Camden in 1876, lived in Elyria for several years in the early 20th century and supported his family by making and selling roofing products. One of his well-known works is “Winesburg, Ohio.” Nearby Lorain was the 1931 birthplace and childhood home of author and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison.