Twilight & Flashlights at Stan Hywet -- Akron, OH


Throughout the summer Stan Hywet in Akron has been hosting an exhibit entitled Bloom! which features glass sculptures created by artist Craig Mitchell Smith.  The sculptures have been on display throughout the Stan Hywet gardens since June 2nd and will continue to be displayed until September 20, 2015. You can see the sculptures during the day for the price of admission at Stan Hywet or you can attend their Twilight & Flashlights event August 27, & 28 and September 3 & 4 from 7pm-11pm, with the last admission at 10pm.

During the Twilight & Flashlights event all of the sculptures from the Bloom! exhibit are lit up and if you arrive early enough, you can even see the sun set while you conduct your self-tour of the grounds and sculptures. At the Twilight & Flashlights event there is live music throughout the grounds, self-guided tours of the mansion's first floor and refreshments available for purchase.

We attended the Twilight & Flashlights event last Friday (August 21). We arrived at 8pm, just as the sun was setting. 


Dave and I had been to Stan Hywet to see the Bloom! exhibit in late June, but our friends had never seen the sculptures or Stan Hywet's gardens, so they were delighted to be able to experience both in such a unique way.



At the rear of the mansion there was a steel drum band playing. 



Here's a taste of some of the 32 Bloom! sculptures throughout the grounds...










After seeing the sculptures, we decided to tour the mansion as well. The house was completed in 1915 (this is Stan Hywet's 100 year anniversary) and was the home of F.A. Seiberling one of the founders of Goodyear. The manor house is 64,500 square feet, with 65 rooms, 23 bathrooms and 23 fireplaces. There's even an indoor pool in the basement.

A mansion photo from earlier in the evening. 

Photography is permitted inside the mansion (without the use of the flash) and there are guides in every room to answer questions you may have. I took a few photos, but the grandiose rooms are truly best viewed in person. The amount of decoration and detail throughout the first floor of the mansion is intricate -- it's a little difficult for me to comprehend living in a house like that. 



At the entrance to the Stan Hywet Gardens was the All Thumbs bassoon ensemble. They played show tunes and popular songs (think Somebody that I Used to Know by Gotye) all arranged for a choir of bassoons. They were fun to listen to and there was a group on the patio enjoying food and wine while listening to their musical stylings.


Stan Hywet was prepared with everything for the Twilight & Flashlights event. We were provided with flashlights and there was bug spray available if you needed it. I am usually a mosquito magnet and surprisingly I was fine just wearing long sleeves and pants. Once you purchase your ticket you'll be provided with a map of the grounds and information about Stan Hywet itself. If you purchase food or drink, we split a bottle of wine, you can carry it throughout the grounds, but not into the manor. It was a very classy and unique event and I was delighted that we participated in it last Friday. It was a nice way to end the work week. 

My review of Twilight & Flashlights at Stan Hywet:


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