Things to do in Cleveland

Tourist attractions in Cleveland provide something to keep everyone entertained. There are some great family attractions on offer including a large zoo with an exciting rainforest exhibition. The city is also home to several insightful and educational tourist attractions such as the Great Lakes Science Centre, with over 400 hands-on exhibits, and the NASA John H Glenn Research Centre.

West Side Market

This historic market, located between West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue, sells fresh produce such as homemade cheeses, baked goods and vegetables. The market has been open for over 90 years, features an imposing clock tower and is housed in a stunning neo-Classical, Byzantine-style building. The market is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 07:00 to 16:00. Phone: +1 216 664 3386.

Garfield Monument

James A Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was a son of Ohio. Born in what is now Moreland Hills, he attended what later became Hiram College and lived in Mentor before moving to Washington and the House of Representatives, and in the end, to the White House. He was assassinated and died just six months after taking office. His castle-like tomb is located in Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery. 

The Garfield Monument is a 180-foot tall, cylindrical structure, designed by architect George Keller. It was dedicated in 1890, two years after the president died. It sits on a hill, overlooking the cemetery. The outside is decorated with five bas-relief panels, depicting scenes from Garfield's life.

USS Cod

A retired WWII SS-224 submarine, the USS Cod is moored at Cleveland's North Coast Harbour, near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A National Historic Site, it is the only such craft to be kept intact, and visitors can climb down the ladders through its hatches, just as the sailors did when the ship was operational. On the shore next to the submarine is a Mark 14 steam-driven torpedo, the type used in WWII. Also on shore is a 2,080 lb, five-bladed propeller, the kind that once propelled the USS Cod. There is also a vintage 1950s periscope, aimed at the Port of Cleveland. Phone: +1 216 566 8770; website: www.usscod.org/info.html.

Cedar Point

Widely considered the best amusement park in the world, lakefront Cedar Point features the world's largest assortment of rides and more roller coasters than any other park in the world. Thrill-seekers love the Magnum XL 200, considered the best steel coaster in the world, as well as the park's new Wicked Twister, touted as the world's first double-twisting impulse coaster, featuring 450-degree corkscrews; and Millennium Force, which rises 310 feet and reaches speeds in excess of 92 miles per hour. 

Camp Snoopy is an all-ages play land with its own child-friendly coaster. Also on-site are the 18-acre Soak City water park and Challenge Park, where you and the kids can race stock cars, play mini-golf and ride RipCord, a ‘sky coaster’ that combines free-fall skydiving and hang gliding. Phone: +1 419 627 2350; website: www.cedarpoint.com/.

Cleveland Cultural Gardens

These are a collection of 24 gardens that symbolise the different ethnic and community groups that make up greater Cleveland. The gardens are located on a narrow 50-acre strip along East and MLK boulevards, between Lake Erie and University Circle. The gardens, started in 1916, are an attractive visual representation of Greater Cleveland's diversity. Most of the gardens were built in the 1920s and 1930s with money and labour from the WPA as well as from local ethnic communities. By 1939, there were 18 gardens. Today, the Cultural Gardens feature fountains, decorative ironwork and over 60 sculptures. Phone: +1 216 664 3103.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is the seventh oldest in the United States and was founded in 1882. It is home to thousands of animals from all continents. The zoo has an outdoor area covering 165 acres and an indoor area covering two acres. Exhibits include a Northern Trek, featuring bears, Siberian tigers, sea lions and reindeer as well as an Australian Adventure, with koalas, snakes, kangaroos and wallabies. The Primate Cat exhibit is popular, as is the Aquatics Building, housing 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 world’s disappearing tropical rainforests. Phone: +1 216 661 6500; website: www.clemetzoo.com.

Public square

Right in the middle of downtown Cleveland lies Public square, four small quadrants that have been developed as parks. The showpiece is the 52-storey high Tower City building. On the northwest square is the Soldier's and Sailors Memorial, a Civil War memorial designed by Levi Scofield. There is an attendant present to answer your questions and to show you around; you'll find a lot of detail here, so take the time to look into it. Just across the street from the square is the Old Stone Church, with its long spire and even longer history. It is worth going in to see some of the stained glass windows.

Museums

Cleveland’s many museums are spread throughout the city’s neighbourhoods, with a concentration of top attractions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History located in Cleveland's University Circle district.

Housed in a large glass pyramid and located on the shores of Lake Erie, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame hosts a permanent collection featuring a century of iconic rock and roll-related artefacts. Exhibitions at the museum include the Jimi Hendrix Surround Sound Theatre, Rock and Roll in the Fifties and an exhibition showcasing the music of Ohio.

The Museum of Natural History houses some captivating permanent collections including a prehistoric life exhibition, gem and jewel gallery and a planetarium. Visitors can enjoy exhibits relating to anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, botany, geology, palaeontology and wildlife biology.

The Cleveland Museum of Art is a favourite destination for art lovers and casual visitors alike. Explore 70 galleries filled with breathtaking art, spanning more than 6,000 years.

Originally a stagecoach stop on the Buffalo-Cleveland-Detroit post road, the Dunham Tavern Museum is Cleveland’s oldest building, still standing on its original site. The museum offers an insight into the history and lifestyles of early Ohio settlers and travellers, while the displays include many American antiquities.