The McKinley Monument, a landmark in the City of Canton, is the final resting place for the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. It is 36 miles south of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Traveling on Interstate 77 in Ohio, the Monument towers above the trees.
Although the President was born in Niles, Ohio, he called Canton home. After his death, it was fitting that the President be laid to rest in the city where his career began, the place where he found his true love and ran for the highest office in the land.
President McKinley and his wife Ida rest in the monument on an altar in the center of the rotunda in a pair of marble sarcophagi. Their young daughters rest in the wall directly behind them.
The interior dome measures 50 feet in diameter and is 77 feet from the floor to the highest point. At the top of the dome is a red, white and blue skylight. The skylight has 45 stars in its design representing the 45 states in the Union at the time of President McKinley’s death.
