London. Paris. Cleveland.” In advance of the October opening of Nature’s Mating Games: Beyond the Birds and the Bees, an exhibit on sexuality previously seen only in the aforementioned European capitals (and presented under the too-hot-to-handle title, Sexual Nature), The Cleveland Museum of Natural History took a tongue-in-cheek approach with its marketing materials, elevating the seat of Cuyahoga County to the international stage.
This story tells you everything you need to know about Cleveland. Sure, it’s a city of fewer than half a million residents in America’s Rust Belt, but it’s got aspirations. Cleveland is the kind of city that is going to support a risqué art exhibit, even if they put a parental guidance warning on it. You won’t end your visit to C-Town feeling like you’ve just been to London or Paris, but you’ll have a pretty good idea of why musician Ian Hunter—and later, The Presidents of the United States of America, and Drew Carey—argues, “Cleveland Rocks.”
1.The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Photo credit: Jon Dawson via Flickr.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, obviously. American disc jockey Alan “Moondog” Freed began his career in Ohio, and is credited with coining the phrase “rock and roll,” using it for the first time on WJW Cleveland in the early 1950s. Some say it’s this local connection that helped Cleveland beat out rival bidders Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Philadelphia as the site of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2. Architecture
Peter B Lewis building. Photo credit: Bruce Fingerhood via Flickr.
First-time visitors to Cleveland may be surprised at the majesty and variety of the city’s architecture. Downtown strongly trends art deco—a leftover from the city’s heyday in the ‘30s and ‘40s—but explore all of the city to see prime examples of modern, contemporary, beaux-arts, and eclectic structures. Visit the Peter B. Lewis building at Case Western University to see a classic example of Frank Gehry’s deconstructivist design.
3. Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Art
Always free, the Cleveland Museum of Art has permanent collections of art from around the world and through the ages. Take an afternoon out for Monet or Fabergé, for Warhol or Weiwei. The museum is in University Circle, one of the most concentrated areas of arts and culture in the nation, and which draws more than 2.5 million people annually.
4. Huge Sports Town
Despite the city’s failure to win a trophy in any major sport since 1964, Cleveland is still a huge sports town. With a population of only 400,000, Cleveland supports major league teams in baseball (Cleveland Indians), football (Cleveland Browns), and basketball (Cleveland Cavaliers), which also means the city has pro-league venues. Major League Baseball is played at Progressive Field, NFL games take place at the FirstEnergy Stadium, and pro-level basketball happens at the Quicken Loans Arena. Wander nearby parking lots on any game night for the full tail-gating experience.
5. Terminal Tower
Terminal Tower
Built in 1929, Terminal Tower is a 52-story, 771 foot skyscraper in downtown Cleveland. Jutting above Tower City (which used to be Union Station, and has art deco features reminiscent of the 1927 film, “Metropolis”), the landmark offers panoramic views of up to 30 miles out from its observation deck on the 42nd floor.
6. East 4th Street
Just a few blocks from the hotels, chain stores, and casino in Tower City, East 4th Street is a brick alley lined with small shops, restaurants, and pubs. Area eateries attract passersby by putting out tables in the open air, and at night the street are lit up by strings of twinkling lights, giving the place the cozy, jubilant feel of a neighborhood block party.
7. Millionaire’s Row
At its height, Cleveland’s Euclid Avenue was lined with approximately 250 mansions owned by some of the country’s most influential families. Members of the Mather, Rockefeller, and Gund family, among others, occupied what came to be known as Millionaire’s Row. Although many of the original buildings have been destroyed, there is interest in creating a museum to commemorate the strip.
8. GuitarMania
GuitarMania is a public art project in Cleveland that has not only raised millions of dollars for charity, but has also resulted in the scattering of hundreds of 10-foot tall Stratocasters – each one unique – throughout the city.
9. Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River. Photo credit: Eddie~S via Flickr.
The Cuyahoga (“crooked,” to First Nations) River was at one time the most polluted river in the U.S.–so polluted, in fact, that it caught fire at least 13 times. After a blaze in 1969, several environmental protections were put into place. Since, the health of the river has since recovered to a large extent. Partly in recognition of this, the Cuyahoga was designated one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in 1998. Clevelanders don’t shy away from the river’s dirty past, but instead tend to point to the lessons learned. The Great Lakes Brewery even has a pale ale named Burning River.
10. Great Lakes Brewing Company
Founded in 1988, the Great Lakes Brewing Company was Ohio’s first craft brewery. Today, visitors can tour the facilities to learn all about the company’s sustainable and environmentally-friendly processes, and finish up with a tasting in the brewpub.
11. 2014 Gay Games
In cooperation with neighboring Akron, Cleveland is the site of the 2014 Gay Games. During this week-long multisport and culture event in August, an estimated 11,000 participants are expected to attend.
12. Bounce
Cleveland’s LGBT-friendly dance bar Bounce is a multi-room dance bar with live entertainment. Drag queens and kings do a warm-up, and then leave the raised stage to make way for the diverse crowd to dance the night away.
13. Tina’s Nite Club
Way on the other side of town, Tina’s Nite Club offers rock-bottom drink prices, a single pool table, and nightly karaoke. Undoubtedly a dive bar, Tina’s has one of the most complete karaoke menus I’ve ever seen.
14. Cleveland Museum of Natural History
“Lucy”
In 1974, a team of researchers discovered the partial skeleton of an Australopithecus afarensis woman, dating back 3.6 million years and dubbed “Lucy”. One of the team members was Donald Johnson, a curator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History where a cast of the original skeleton is on display next to a reconstruction of how Lucy might have looked.
15. Playhouse Square
With dozens of restaurants, theatres, and hotels, Cleveland’s Playhouse Square is the nation’s largest performing arts center outside of New York City.
16. West Side Market
Plenty of cheese options
The historic West Side Market dates back to 1840 and is currently home to more than 100 local vendors selling everything from meats to baked goods to coffee to vegetables. Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
17. International Women’s Air and Space Museum
International Women’s Air and Space Museum
The International Women’s Air and Space Museum is the only exhibition of its kind in the world. Housed in the concourse at Burke Lakefront Airport, this free exhibit features photographs, collectibles, costumes, and archives from this lesser-known part of aviation history.
18. Cleveland Cultural Gardens
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens is a collection of 29 adjacent public gardens occupying around 1.5 miles in Rockefeller Park along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Each garden commemorates a different ethnic group that has contributed to United States history, and to the history of Cleveland.
19. A Christmas Story House and Museum
The 1983 comedy “A Christmas Story” was filmed in large part in and around Cleveland. Ralphie Parker’s house still stands in the neighborhood of Tremont, and has been converted into A Christmas Story House and Museum, dedicated to the movie.
20. Western Reserve Historical Society
Western Reserve Historical Society. Photo credit: Ralf Peter Reimann via Flickr.
The Western Reserve Historical Society is dedicated to the history of northeast Ohio, and exhibits include such diverse subjects as historic women’s fashions (including pieces by Dior), and a collection of more than 50 classic cars which tell the story of the automotive industry in America.
-Keph Senett
20 Reasons Why Cleveland Does, in Fact, Rock by Keph Senett from Viator Travel Blog