Giving Tuesday Feature Fund

The May 4 Visitors Center is a featured fund for the Kent State Giving Tuesday campaign this year! The Center benefits from extra boosts and matches during the campaign to raise funds to pay our student interns.

For every 25 unique donors who give $25 or more, the Center gets an extra $500 boost to reach our goal of $5,000. 

Almost 2,800 KSU freshman toured the Center last school year and were able to make personal connections to the spirit of May 4. Our student interns lead these tours and get to engage their peers in local history. Your support helps us to continue this work and share May 4's impact on student lives today.

Mapping the Future: May 4 Visitors Center 2022 Visioning Report

To schedule a class tour, email May4@kent.edu.

On August 24, 2023 strong storm winds caused trees to fall damaging the May 4 Memorial. Granite panels from South Dakota were recently installed and repairs are complete. Read about the refreshed May 4 National Historic Landmark Site Tour improvements and repairs here.

Current Temporary Exhibitions: 

Vote 18

The tragedy of May 4, 1970 played a pivotal role in getting 18-year-olds the right to vote. Vote 18, an exhibition curated by graduate student Mason St. Clair, ’24, explores student suffrage and the 1972 election. 

That was Then, This is Now: Protest on Kent State’s Campus

Protest is part of Kent State University’s history. From Danny Thompson participating in the Freedom Rides to the Black United Student walkout, protest is in Kent State’s DNA. Students on Kent’s campus used their first amendment right to speak up about issues they care about on May 4, 1970, and though the results were tragic, those students created real and impactful change. Current students continue to be inspired by historic Kent State protests and build on the lessons of past generations. What does student activism on campus look like today and how is it connected to the past? This exhibition, featuring photographs by graduate student Jeremy Ritch, looks at current student protestors and social justice groups on campus, tying them to past marches and movements at Kent State. 

 
The May 4 Visitors Center does not accept donations of archival or historical materials. If you are interested in donating such materials to Kent State University, please contact the department of Special Collections & Archives where the May 4 Collection is housed at specialcollections@kent.edu.
 
The May 4 Visitors Center follows the Kent State University academic calendar.  We are closed for fall break, winter break, spring break, and all scheduled university holidays. For weather related closures, please visit the official advisory page. Although the Center is open to the public, guided tour groups are led by appointment only.
 

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday 9 am - 5pm

Saturday - 1 - 5 pm

The Center will be closed November 11 in observance of Veterans Day and November 27- December 1 for Thanksgiving Break

The Center will be closed for Winter Break December 15- January 5, but visits are available by appointment based on staff availability. Contact may4@kent.edu to arrange your visit. Regular hours will commence when the Spring semester begins. 

 

 

 

 


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