Top Ten Reasons to Visit to Cleveland, Ohio
According to Forbes*, Cleveland, Ohio has something for every type of traveller with world class experiences ranging from culture to food and drink, music, outdoor adventure in an urban setting and sports. Though there are countless reasons to visit The Land – here are the top 10:
1) During the Total Solar Eclipse on 8 April 2024, Cleveland will be in the path of totality. The moon will block out the sun for nearly four minutes – one of the longest durations of any major city in the path.
2) Travellers can now fly direct to Cleveland from Dublin with Aer Lingus. The flight launched in May and operates four times a week, with connections from London Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Passengers can carry out their pre-clearance in Dublin so that, on arrival at Cleveland airport, they can avoid immigration queues, quickly collect their luggage and start their Cleveland experience immediately.
3) Cleveland is The Land of urban outdoors, sitting on one of the Great Lakes – Lake Erie – and close to the 33,000-acre Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Visitors looking for outdoor or active experiences during their visit can take advantage of the many activities available on and around the lake and the national park, including paddle boarding, kayaking, sailing, hiking, birdwatching and biking.
4) Every music fan should visit the world-famous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at least once in their lifetime. The museum tracks the evolution of rock and roll and pays homage to the most influential artists. From June 24 to January 2024, a new exhibit ‘Hop at 50: Holla If Ya Hear Me’, commemorates 50 years of hip-hop with never-before-seen and “new school” artifacts from artists like The Sugarhill Gang, Salt-N-Pepa and Jay-Z. Through iconic jewellery, fashion and records, visitors can follow hip-hop from moguls and social issues, east to west coast and all the beats, rhythms and art that happen in between.
5) For theme park fans, Cedar Point is known as the roller coaster capital of the world, home to 70 rides including 18 world class roller coasters. Cedar Point also boasts a recently reimagined, slide-filled waterpark, sandy beaches, and an activity park with go-karts, mini golf and the like.
6) The Cleveland History Center tells the fascinating story of Northeast Ohio through one-of-a-kind items, documents and artefacts from a variety of collections.
7) Located in the University Circle neighbourhood, Cleveland Botanical Gardens consists of 10 acres of beautiful gardens and the 18,000-square-foot Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse. The Glasshouse takes you into the Costa Rican rainforest full of lush plants, butterflies, and birds, as well as to the spiny desert environment of Madagascar.
8) West Side Market is the oldest indoor/outdoor market space in Cleveland. It has been featured on many food and travel programmes and is popular with both tourists and locals. It has numerous stalls offering not only fine meats and vegetables but also fresh seafood, baked goods, dairy and cheese products, and even fresh flowers. There are also booths that sell ready-to-eat foods, herbs, candy and nuts.
9) The Cleveland Cavaliers play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Downtown Cleveland. Taking in one of their exciting games is a must-do for any NBA fan. Baseball and American football fans can also enjoy professional competitions in downtown at Progressive Field (home of the Cleveland Guardians) and Cleveland Browns Stadium.
10) For 50 years, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa) has presented the art and ideas of the time. As a non-collecting institution and the region’s only contemporary art museum, moCa is ever-changing, introducing new exhibitions three times a year and creating fresh experiences for visitors each season.