Cleveland Highlights Audio Tour by TravelStorysGPS

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument

  We hope you enjoy this landmark, Cleveland’s Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument—because its sculptor was arrested trying to complete it!

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2

  When Moses Cleaveland first saw this place in 1796, he thought it was the most breathtaking scene he’d ever laid eyes on. (Fun fact: The city was named for its founder, but somehow along the way, an “a” was dropped from the name. Moses Cleaveland’s last name is spelled with two a's, but the city’s name today is missing that first “a.”)

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3
  Terminal Tower Observation Deck

  In the summer of 1938, a crowd of some ten thousand was gathered at the bottom of Cleveland’s Terminal Tower. It was then the tallest building between New York and Chicago, and something big was about to go down. The crowd’s excited buzz radiated far past Public Square. The reason? Members of the city’s beloved Major League Baseball team, the Cleveland Indians (now known as the Cleveland Guardians), were about to attempt an extraordinary feat: catching baseballs dropped from the top of the building; a dizzying 708 feet in the air.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4
  The Arcade

  Built in 1890, the Cleveland Arcade has one of the most stunning interiors in the city—and one of the oldest indoor shopping malls in America. Its construction was financed by several local businessmen, including oil magnate John D. Rockefeller. The five-story arcade includes a domed iron-and-glass skylight stretching the length of the 300-foot-long central open space, allowing natural daylight to flood the interior while creating a sense of grandeur and elegance. Four levels of intricate metal balconies surround the open space, which is decorated with marble walls, Roman mosaic floors, brass elevator doors—and 51 gargoyles.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5
  Old Stone Church

  The Old Stone Church has not only witnessed the city's transformation over the centuries. It’s also played a significant role in shaping both the religious and Civil Rights history of America. First established in 1820, the church’s name derives from the stones quarried from nearby Lake Erie to form its sturdy walls. In the turbulent years leading up to the Civil War, the church became a platform for abolitionists, who embraced the cause of freedom and equality for all. This commitment to social justice continued well into the 20th century, when the church became both symbol and shelter in the Civil Rights Movement.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6
  Cleveland Browns Stadium

  This massive arena on the bank of Lake Erie is home to the Cleveland Browns football team. Opened in 1999, Cleveland Browns Stadium holds more than 67,000 spectators. It was built on the site of the former Cleveland Municipal Stadium. So the Browns have played at this same location since 1946. One of the key components that made the old stadium such a fabled sports venue was a super-fan section located behind the east end zone. It was nicknamed “The Dawg Pound” for the raucous barking that could be heard from the orange-and-brown-clad die-hard fans. The sea of bleachers was an atmosphere fueled by frustration, passion, and beer.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 7

  The Great Lakes Science Center was voted one of the country’s top ten science museums by USA Today’s Readers’ Choice awards in 2023. Whether you’re into robotics, racecars, nanotechnology, medical advances—or anything else related to science, technology, engineering, and math—the exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on activities here are sure to fascinate and entertain you. And don’t miss seeing a film on the six-story-high, domed movie screen! The science center is also home to the NASA Glenn Visitors Center. This is the “public showroom” of the NASA Glenn Research Center.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8

  The USS Cod submarine is 312 feet long and weighs 1,525 tons. (And, yes, it’s named after the codfish.) As you get nearer, take a close look at the Cod’s conning tower. That’s the raised section in the middle of the sub, with the hull number 224 painted on it. Most of the painted images you see above that number represent the ships the sub sank or damaged during World War II.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 9
  Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

  The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was designed by the famous Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei. In 1985, when the host city for this building was being chosen, Cleveland was seen by the wider world as anything but cool. But locals have always known that Cleveland rocks! In fact, this city played a pivotal role in shaping rock ’n’ roll. In the 1950s, this melting pot of different cultures and musical influences served as the perfect breeding ground for this edgy new musical form. African American rhythm and blues, country, gospel, jazz, and swing all collided in the clubs, dance halls, and radio waves of Cleveland, ultimately giving rise to the birth of a unique sound.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10

  Did you know that women began flying planes just seven years after the Wright Brothers’ famous 12-second flight? From the beginning, they were told that they didn’t have the necessary constitution or courage. Orville Wright refused to train female pilots. The first federal aviation medical examiner even claimed that menstrual periods could cause crashes. But women persevered. The International Women’s Air and Space Museum celebrates stellar female accomplishments in the history of human flight.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

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