Sightseeing OverviewAmong Cleveland’s icons is the striking
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, located on the waterfront in the hub of the Downtown core, next to the
Great Lakes Science Center and the
Cleveland Browns Stadium. To the north is the Civic Center District, the city’s business center, home to banks, government and community buildings, gardens and fountains. West is the Warehouse District and the Flats Entertainment District, the place to go for trendy restaurants and nightlife. North of the Warehouse District is the Tower City District,
home to
Public Square, a four-quadranted public area that forms the heart of Cleveland, along with the historic
Terminal Tower building. The neighboring Gateway District is home to
Jacobs Field baseball stadium and
Gund Arena, where professional basketball is played. East of the Gateway district is the Theater District, featuring the
Playhouse Square Center, the largest performing arts center in America outside New York, made up of five restored 1920s theaters.
Tourist InformationConvention & Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland (CVB) Tower City Center, 50 Public Square
Tel: (216) 621 7981
or 1 800 321 1001.
Website:
www.travelcleveland.com Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1700.
The CVB has an online ticket service called
Ctix at
www.ctix.org.
PassesThere are no dedicated tourist passes in Cleveland, although there are often visitor package rates that include hotel and attraction/shopping discounts.
Key Attractions:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
The term ‘rock and roll’ was coined by a Cleveland disc jockey in 1951 and it was largely for this reason that Cleveland became home to this institution dedicated to it. When the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in 1995, it was already emblematic of the city’s revival. Designed by the renowned architect I M Pei, the attraction
celebrates the American pop-cultural institution of rock music by honoring its popular and influential performers, producers, songwriters and disc jockeys. Various exhibits, films and displays explore nearly all aspects of rock and roll – from the roots of the genre in folk music, blues and country music to a large variety of rock and roll artifacts. As a museum, it features a
Hall of Fame exhibit, which includes a computerised juke box containing close to every song of every performer inductee, the signatures of inductees etched in glass, film exhibits and displays of artifacts.
1 Key Plaza
Tel: (216) 781 7625/ROCK.
Website:
www.rockhall.comOpening hours: Daily 1000-1730 (Wed until 2100).
Admission charge.
Cleveland Museum of Art Known for the breadth and quality of its collection, the
Cleveland Museum of Art opened in 1916 in an elegant Beaux Arts building. The collection covers 5,000 years of art history, including genres such as Arms and Armour, Medieval and Islamic Art, 19th-century European Painting, American Painting and contemporary Art and Photography.
NB: The museum is currently closed due to a massive US$258m renovation and expansion. It will be open for special exhibitions from January 2007. The opening of the first permanent galleries is expected in the autumn of 2007, while the first part of the expansion, the new East Wing, will open in the summer of 2008. The whole project is expected to be completed in 2010.
University Circle, 11150 East Boulevard
Tel: (216) 421 7350.
Website:
www.clevelandart.org Opening hours: To be confirmed.
Admission charge.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History Incorporated in 1920, the
Cleveland Museum of Natural History imaginatively brings to life the natural sciences. Disciplines celebrated within its galleries and exhibits include archaeology, astronomy, botany, cultural anthropology, paleobotany and zoology. Among its most celebrated features are the
Reinberger Hall of Earth and Planetary Systems, where geology and astronomy are integrated, allowing visitors to touch volcanic rock or experience the rumbling of an earthquake, and the
Shafran Planetarium and Astronomy Exhibit Hall. The museum also houses an extensive collection of gemstones.
1 Wade Oval Drive, University Circle
Tel: (216) 231 4600
or 1 800 317 9155.
Website:
www.cmnh.org Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700 (Wed 1000-2200), Sun 1200-1700.
Admission charge.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Founded in 1882, the
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is the seventh oldest in the United States and home to thousands of animals representing seven continents. The zoo has an outdoor area covering 66 hectares (165 acres) and an indoor area covering 0.8 hectares (two acres). Exhibits include a
Northern Trek, featuring bears, Siberian tigers, sea lions and reindeer, an Australian Adventure, with koalas, snakes, kangaroos and wallabies, and the
Primate Cat and Aquatics Building, which houses animals including gorillas, lungfish and cheetahs. One of the zoo’s most famous exhibits is the
Rainforest, an indoor area that presents the delicate animal and plant life of the disappearing tropical rainforests.
3900 Wildlife Way
Tel: (216) 661 6500.
Website:
www.clemetzoo.com Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
Cleveland Botanical Garden Founded in 1930, the Cleveland Botanical Garden is the oldest civic garden in America. Its three hectares (7.5 acres) of meticulously kept greenery includes five different types of garden – Japanese, herb, rose, reading and wildflower. The amazing
Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse includes a vast greenhouse with recreations of two of the world’s most fragile ecosystems, the sun-baked spiny desert of Madagascar and the misty cloud forest of Costa Rica, as well as an extensive library, a café and gift shop and other visitor services.
11030 East Boulevard
Tel: (216) 721 1600.
Website:
www.cbgarden.org Opening hours: (Apr-Oct) Mon-Sat 1000-1700 (Wed 1000-2100), Sun 1200-1700. (Nov-Mar) Tue-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Admission charge.
Great Lakes Science Center Situated in between the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the Cleveland Browns Stadium, the
Great Lakes Science Center is one of the largest science museums in America. Rather than feature three or four major exhibits, this science center offers over 340 interactive exhibits, covering a very wide variety of themes, including meteorology, aquatic environments, the planet earth, pollution, sports and music. It focuses on science as it applies to Cleveland in particular – situated as it is on one of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie. There is also a children’s area and an OMNIMAX theater.
601 Erieside Avenue
Tel: (216) 694 2000.
Website:
www.glsc.org Opening hours: Mon-Sun 0930-1730.
Admission charge.
Further Distractions:Western Reserve Historical Society Museum/Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum Located in the heart of University Circle, this museum combines a glimpse into Cleveland’s past, a research and genealogy library and a record of the city’s prominent role in the transportation industry with more than 200 autos on display. The museum also provides visitors a peak into life along Millionaire’s Row (Euclid Avenue as it was called decades ago when the wealthiest industrialists built their mansions here) by offering a tour through its
Hay-McKinney Mansion located next door to the museum proper.
10825 East Boulevard
Tel: (216) 721 5722.
Website:
www.wrhs.org Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Admission charge.
Steamship William G Mather Museum The
Steamship William G Mather Museum is a living relic of Cleveland’s historic role in the Great Lakes steel industry. Built in 1925, the bulk freighter
William G Mather plied the waters of the Great Lakes, supplying coal and ore to Cleveland’s steel yards, with a cargo hold capable of carrying 13,300 tons of iron ore. In 1980, the ship was taken out of active service and, since 1990, has been this floating museum, restored to bring to life the everyday lives of its crew.
305 Old Erieside Avenue
Tel: (216) 574 6262.
Website:
http://wgmather.nhlink.net/ Opening hours: (May, Sep-Oct) Fri-Sat 1000-1715, Sun 1200-1715; (Jun-Aug) Mon-Sat 1000-1715, Sun 1200-1715.
Admission charge.
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