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The museum's origins date back to the 1830s, when a group of 26 young men interested in natural sciences displayed their collections of animal specimens in a small wooden building, dubbed "the Ark," on Public Square. The men earned the nickname&nbsp;"Arkites." Their enthusiasm led to the founding of the museum in 1920.&nbsp;

The museum displays skeletons such as this T-Rex and many other specimens and artifacts.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History was founded in 1920 and is one of the country's best museums of its kind.

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The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is among the top ten natural history museums in the country. It was established in 1920 and eventually became one of the best scientific research institutions in the world. Its collection numbers over five million artifacts and research specimens from around the world, representing the fields of archaeology, anthropology, botany, geology, paleontology, astronomy, zoology, and wildlife biology. The museum's collection features numerous memorable artifacts and specimens including a T-Rex skeleton, a cast of the early hominid "Lucy," and 3,100 human skeletons and 900 primate skeletons that comprise the Harmann-Todd Collection. Science education is an important focus of the museum and to that end, it offers a wide variety of programs for visitors of all ages including summer camps and lectures.

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

This tour includes several historic buildings and many of Cleveland's leading museums of history and art. The tour concludes at the campus of Case Western University.

Adelbert Hall was the first WRU building in University Circle. It housed a wide range of departments and occupants before eventually becoming the administration building. The building has had a number of renovations and modifications through the years. Abram Garfield served as architect for the additions in 1922.&nbsp;

Built in 1881, Adelbert Hall is the administration building at Case Western Reserve University. It was named after Adelbert Stone (1844-1865), the son of industrialist and railroad magnate Amasa Stone (1816-1883), who donated funds to relocate the university from Hudson, Ohio to Cleveland. The building was designed by architect Joseph Ireland, who combined Italianate, Stick/Eastlake, and Romanesque styles to give it its unique appearance. The building is four stories tall and made of buff sandstone. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. 

Adelbert Hall

The experiment, which used a device called an interferometer, entailed shining a beam of light through an opaque mirror, which was placed at an angle. The light was split into two beams and traveled to mirrors that reflected them back to the original angled mirror. The beams recombined and bounced to a screen that measured the speed of the now single beam. The results demonstrated that there was virtually no difference in speed between the original and recombined beams, indicating that substance, ether, did not, in fact, exist. This experiment would help later physicists, including Albert Einstein, to formulate the special theory of relativity, which states that the speed of light is constant at all times. Michelson conducted an earlier test in 1881, but the one that took place here was more refined.&nbsp;

Located in the heart of the Case Western Reserve University, this marker commemorates one of the most important experiments in modern science. In a building located near this marker in 1887, physicists Albert A. Michelson and Edward Morley conducted an experiment to try to detect whether their light traveled through matter or whether it traveled in the absence of matter. Scientists had speculated that if waves traveled through matter such as water and air, light should travel through matter as well. People at this time referred to this hypothetical substance as "aether" or "ether." Michelson and Morley's experiments revealed that this theory was untrue: aether did not exist, and light traveled at a constant speed. This discovery was central to the modern understanding of the nature of light and how it travels.

Michelson-Morley Experiment, Case Western Historical Marker

In 1850, the congregation of Tifereth Israel (Hebrew: Glory of God) was formed by a small group of families in downtown Cleveland who had recently broken off from the Orthodox Anshe Chesed congregation. Tifereth Israel began merely by renting out space to use in downtown Cleveland, but as time passed and their congregation grew larger, it became clear that a change was necessary. The congregation moved several times before coming to reside at the Willson Avenue Temple in 1894, where the congregation remained for some time. After undergoing some structural changes in their system of beliefs, as well as increases in the congregation size, Tifereth Israel commissioned the construction of a new center of worship, the Temple, located in University Circle. The Temple was completed in 1924 and was considered to be a representation of their heritage and their history as a congregation.With a large congregation and a new building, the Temple held regular services for decades, but in 1948, several hundred members left in order to begin a more suburban congregation. Despite this, the congregation of the Temple continued to grow into the late 1950s. In 1950, the Temple was also selected as a site for a gallery of the Temple Museum of Religious Art. The Temple was not to be used for the remainder of Tifereth Israel’s lifespan, however, as in 1964, much of the congregation began to move to yet another suburban offshoot in Beachwood, which grew significantly over the following decades. As the Beachwood location grew, however, the Temple at University Circle diminished, and as a result, it eventually was removed from regular main services. Today, the Temple location still houses the art gallery, and the building is used on High Holy Days, as well as for other select events.

This beautiful building, officially known as the Maltz Performing Arts Center at The Temple – Tifereth, is a synagogue and performing arts center located in Silver Park in Cleveland, Ohio. It was completed in 1924, and it is jointly operated by the Jewish congregation Temple – Tifereth Israel and Case Western University. Though originally the congregation’s main place of worship, most of the main services have taken place at the congregation's current house of worship in Beachwood since 1963. The congregation still uses The Temple, as it is sometimes called, for special occasions, and it is also home to the Temple Museum of Religious Art.

Maltz Performing Arts Center at The Temple – Tifereth

The museum owes its existence in large part to Cleveland industrialists Hinman B. Hurlbut, John Huntington, and Horace Kelley, who all donated funds to establish an art museum. Another key person was Jeptha H. Wade, who donated the Wade Park property. Architecture firm Hubbell &amp; Benes designed the building in the Neoclassical style. The museum added a modern wing on the northern side in 1971 and an atrium in 2012 that covers the area between the original building and the newer one.

Located north of the Wade Lagoon, the Cleveland Museum of Art forms the focus of the city’s Wade Park Fine Arts Garden, which features the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The museum, which was founded in 1913 and opened in 1916, is considered to be one of the world's best art museums, holding over 45,000 works of art representing all regions of the globe and from ancient to contemporary. It is especially known for its excellent collections of Asian and Egyptian art. Notable artists in the collection include Botticelli, El Greco, Goya, Matisse, Renoir, Thomas Cole, Picasso, Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Chuck Close, and Monet. The museum also features the Ingall's library, which is one of the largest art libraries in the country. Admission to the museum is free.

Cleveland Museum of Art

The museum showcases various phases of an automobile’s development. There are more than 140 antique automobiles. In addition, there are twenty-one non-car transportation artifacts, ten aircraft, and three carriages and sleighs. The museum was started, nearly by accident, by Cleveland industrialist Fredrick Crawford when he bought a car that was set to be discarded following a 1936/37 expo event in Cleveland.

Crawford added to his collection over time and displayed it for the public beginning in 1943. It was then one of the earliest car museums in the country. In 1963 Crawford transferred his collection to the Western Reserve Historical Society. A new building was built to house the collection, and the Frederick C. Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum officially opened on Sept. 11, 1965.

The museum is operated by the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS). The Crawford Auto Aviation Collection is the centerpiece of this major exhibition. Setting the World in Motion explores the impact of auto and aviation technologies on Northeast Ohio during the first half of the 20th Century. The Crawford Auto Aviation Collection represents Northeast Ohio's vital role in transportation history. WRHS collects and preserves these historically and technically important automobiles, aircraft, bicycles, motorcycles, related accessories and Automotive Marque Files to illustrate the development and contributions of Northeast Ohio to the history of transportation state-wide, nationally and internationally. 

Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum

The CIM made its first move in 1922 in order to add a preparatory division. The first preparatory branch opened in 1927, and a School of Opera was added. The school continued to grow and spread. The 1940s and 50s were years of major growth and led to the construction of the current location. The new building, an example of Mid-Century Modern architecture, was constructed for just over two million dollars and was one of the first in the city’s University Circle plan.

Cleveland Institute of Music has blossomed through a number of moves and leadership changes. Major fundraising campaigns have helped it continue to thrive. The school has hosted numerous internationally-known instrumentalists and community-enriching concerts. Many of its teachers also comprise the Cleveland Orchestra.

Enrollment at the school hovers around 450. CIM is known for orchestral, solo, chamber music and opera music programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Cleveland Institute of Music began in 1920 when a small group of investors donated money to establish a school of music. It opened on December 8, 1920, at its first location on Euclid Avenue. Composer Ernest Bloch was its first musical director. Today, the institute is located on East Boulevard next to the Case Western Reserve University. It is one of eight independent music conservatories in the country. 

Cleveland Institute of Music

Visitors can explore the arboretum, Gateway Garden, Perennial Border Restorative Garden, Inspiration Gardens, Children’s Garden, Japanese Garden, Terrace, Swetland Rose Garden, Swetland Topiary Garden, Herb Garden, and the Woodland Garden. The Botanical Garden is also home to the Eleanor Squire library. It houses a noted collection of horticultural, botanical, and gardening books.

The Garden offers a multitude of other learning experiences from special programming to “Learning Farms” that produce healthy food sold at in-house farmer’s markets and throughout Cleveland. Special school and family programming are also available.

Cleveland Botanical Garden is available for special events such as weddings, wedding photography, children’s birthday parties, and corporate events. In addition, there is a Garden Store, Garden Café, and the Guren Art Gallery, which features naturally-inspired art from local and national artists and rotating exhibits.

The Cleveland Botanical Garden opened at its current site in 1966. It has both native and foreign flora, herbs, and flowers that thrive in Cleveland’s climate. In addition, it also opened The Glasshouse in 2003, which offers visitors a year-round peak at the spiny desert of Madagascar and the butterfly-filled rainforest of Costa Rica. The Glasshouse features 350 species of plants and 50 different types of butterflies, birds, and reptiles. 

Cleveland Botanical Garden

The Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art, originally called “The Gallery,” was founded by a small group of women 1960s, including Agnes Gund, Marjorie Talalay, and Nina Castelli Sundell. Talalay had previously run an art gallery in New Haven, Connecticut, and Sundell’s father and his ex-wife were both influential art dealers. The contemporary art gallery, which featured prints by Andy Warhol and props from the performances of Robert Rauschenberg, was unlike the more traditional art museums of Cleveland. Because of this, Talalay and Sundell had trouble selling the art at first.

After Sundell’s departure in 1973, Talalay transformed the Gallery into the nonprofit Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art. In 1987, it moved from its original location in a former frat house in University Circle to leased space in the Galleria downtown. It remained there until 1990 when it moved to the second floor of the Cleveland Play House complex. The 1990s saw a steep decline in attendance and the retirement of Marjorie Talalay in 1993. She was replaced temporarily by Australian art historian Gary Sansgter.

In 1996, Jill Snyder took over the museum and renamed it the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland. Her leadership in choosing new exhibitions and programs helped attendance rise to about 20,000 visitors per year. In 2012, Snyder became successful in her goal to move the museum back to University Circle. The new 34,000-square-foot building was designed by architect Farshid Moussavi and completed at a cost of $27.2 million. It was Moussavi’s first museum as well as her first project in the United States.MOCA’s critically acclaimed exhibitions have included&nbsp;The Teacher and the Student: Charles Rosenthal and Ilya Kabakov&nbsp;(2004),&nbsp;Yoshitomo Nara&nbsp;(2004),&nbsp;All Digital&nbsp;(2006),&nbsp;Diana Cooper&nbsp;(2008),&nbsp;Sam Taylor-Wood (2008),&nbsp;Hugging and Wrestling: Contemporary Israeli Photography and Video&nbsp;(2009), and&nbsp;Marilyn Minter: Orange Crush&nbsp;(2010).&nbsp;

Founded in 1968, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland is a leading force in the cultural life of Northeast Ohio, recognized nationally and internationally for its vital and creative exhibitions and public programs. These strive to challenge, inspire, and teach a wide range of audiences. Through approximately eight exhibitions a year, all accompanied by public and education programs, and many also by scholarly catalogs, MOCA brings the work and ideas of diverse national and international artists to its audiences. 

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland

The history of the Cleveland Institute of Art begins in 1882 when Sarah Kimball opened the Western Reserve School of Design for Women. Kimball began by offering classes in her home. By the 1890s, Kimball renamed the school the&nbsp;Cleveland School of Art and offered classes for both men and women at Cleveland's City Hall. In 1948, the school changed its name&nbsp;to the Cleveland Institute of Art.&nbsp;

The school has grown from a single instructor to offering fifteen majors from painting and drawing to recent programs such as game design. Students and faculty created art projects that were part of President Roosevelt’s WPA art program during the Great Depression. Federal support of the arts proved crucial during these years,&nbsp;and in World War II, the talents of the school's students supported the war effort through courses on mapmaking and medical drawing. The school later diversified its roster of classes after the war to include a variety of collegiate courses.&nbsp;

The institution supports a variety of rotating exhibitions of work by students, faculty, and area artists in the Reinberger Gallery. The Annual Student Exhibition allows students to take the lead in creating exhibits and interpreting their work and the work of others. During many of the institution's exhibitions, some of the works on display are available for purchase.&nbsp;

Cleveland Institute of Art dates back to 1882 with the establishment of a women’s college in the home of Sarah Kimball. Starting with just one student and one teacher, that school grew into a Cleveland institution of learning that now enrolls over 600 students and offers courses and galleries in the recently-constructed George Gund Building. Courses include traditional art mediums such as drawing and painting to photography and graphic design. The school also offers rotating exhibits in its galleries that are open to the public.

Cleveland- University Circle Walking Tour

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

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Additional Information