The museum opened in July 1996. The center's signature exhibits concentrate in three major areas: Great Lakes environment, technology, and science phenomenon. During the 2005/2006 school year, a new Outreach program made its debut, and Great Summer Science, the museum's summer science camps, started summer 2006.

The Great Lakes Science Center opened in July 1996.  

The Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module is on display in the visitor center.

Website

The Great Lakes Science Center offers exhibits that help visitors understand science, technology, and their interdependence with the environment. Many of the exhibits document the features of the natural environment in the Great Lakes region of the United States. 

The NASA Glenn Visitor Center, which features more than 50 exhibits and artifacts, is the new home for exhibits previously located at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The visitor center includes the actual Skylab 3 Command Module. Other features include a spacesuit worn by astronaut Paul Weitz during his 1973 spacewalk. Families will enjoy activities such as NASA flight simulators.

Great Lakes Science Center and NASA Glenn Visitor Center

This tour includes twenty museums and iconic downtown Cleveland landmarks. The tour makes a loop, starting at Terminal Tower and concluding at Cleveland's famous Soldiers and Sailors Monument. 

Highlights of Downtown Cleveland Tour

Brothers Oris P. and Mantis J. Van Sweringen proposed the construction of a centralized rail station in Cleveland’s Public Square. This was more ambitious than their original plan to build a small station in the nearby suburb of Shaker Heights. One thousand buildings were torn down to make room for the new complex. The Van Sweringens then changed the concept of the building from a modest 14-story office space to a 52-story tower. It took seven years and nearly ten million dollars to complete the project, which was overseen by the Chicago-based architecture firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White. The shy Van Sweringen brothers chose not to attend the opening ceremonies of their legacy, the Terminal Tower, in 1930.

By the 1970s, the Terminal Tower and its surrounding complex sat empty, a symbol of the hard times that had hit Cleveland and other similar cities in the U.S. In 1986, a publicity attempt was held to earn a Guinness World Record by releasing almost 1.5 million balloons from the site. Havoc ensued after “Balloonfest” as winds and rain soon forced the balloons back down to earth, causing a 30-minute closure of Burke Lakefront Airport as well as a few car accidents.

The Terminal Tower is still in use as an office building today, though its observation deck was reopened to the public in April 2018.

The Terminal Tower was the second tallest building in North America from its completion in 1930 until the construction of the Prudential Center in Boston in 1964. The Cleveland landmark, also known as the Cleveland Union Terminal, stands 708 feet tall, 771 feet with its flagpole. The beaux-arts style building (with a steel structure and façade of granite and limestone) was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today, the Terminal Tower serves as commercial office space.

Terminal Tower

The First Presbyterian Church was officially established in 1820 by a congregation that had previously met for Union Sunday School in Cleveland’s first log courthouse. The church was incorporated seven years later as the First Presbyterian Society. In 1831, construction of the original Old Stone Church began, and it was completed in 1833 or 1834 (sources differ). This Georgian Revival-style building was razed in 1853 to make way for a new Romanesque Revival stone church. The firm of Heard &amp; Porter (assisted by master builder Wareham J. Warner) designed the updated church, which was finished in 1855. Charles Heard had previously designed several residences in Cleveland while Simeon Porter worked on projects for the Case Western Reserve University. The Old Stone Church is the last of their churches standing today.

The church had to be renovated twice in the 1800s because of two separate fires. The first, in 1857, ravaged the interior and destroyed a 228-foot-tall steeple. Heard and Porter were hired to repair the inside of the church. A new spire was added in 1868 to the east tower, but it had to be removed after another fire devastated the church in 1884. This time, Charles F. Schweinfurth worked to restore the church’s interior to its former glory. During the process, glass windows by Louis Tiffany and John LaFarge and frescoes by Julius Schweinfurth were added. Since then, the Old Stone Church’s exterior sandstone walls have adopted a gray hue due to the surrounding city’s pollution.

The Old Stone Church is the oldest surviving building on Public Square and is home to the First Presbyterian congregation, the second oldest religious organization in Cleveland. The church that stands today was built in 1855 and replaced an earlier church, called by the same name, which was completed in the early 1830s. Major renovations were undertaken in 1857 and 1884 after two fires gutted the church’s interior.

Old Stone Church

After the Cleveland Library’s opening in 1869, it was housed in temporary and rented spaces until the Main Library building was completed in 1925. A contest had been held to decide who would build the new library; the architectural firm Walker &amp; Weeks won. It took two years and nearly five million dollars to construct the beaux-arts style building. Inside, the library recalls the Renaissance style with Italian marble, vaulted ceilings, grand carved staircases, and paintings of mythological figures. The new library was a hit with the community early on, reaching a peak of 12,000 visitors a day in the early 1930s.

In November 1957, legislation was approved for the library to purchase and renovate a building previously owned by The Plain Dealer newspaper for three million dollars. The additional space was necessary for the library’s ever-growing collection. But, the library, like most others in the country, saw a decline in use over the next few decades. Circulation went from a high of 10,374,652 books and materials in 1932 to 3,402,050 in 1970. Because of this, funds decreased also. During the 1980s, the Cleveland Public Library updated its branches before voters approved a ninety-million-dollar bond to improve the main downtown branch.

In 1997, a new building was added the main library: The Louis Stokes Building, named for the first African-American Congressman from Ohio. The Stokes Building features eleven floors of more than thirty miles of bookshelves. It has also been equipped with the latest electronic resources. Meanwhile, the twenty-four-million-dollar renovation of the Main Building in 1999 replaced electrical, plumbing, and ventilation systems. Other parts of the library were updated to meet modern safety codes and to accommodate new technology. Historical features, such as the ceilings and the marble, were refurbished as well.

The Cleveland Public Library, originally called the “Public School Library,” was the first U.S. library to let its guests choose books directly from the shelves. It was located in a number of rented spaces from 1869 until the Main Building was completed in 1925. A new building, the Louis Stokes Wing, was added to the main downtown branch in 1997. Since then, the original building has been updated and refurbished. Today, the Cleveland Public Library circulates one of the largest and most extensive collections in the country, boasting close to ten million items.

Cleveland Public Library, Main Branch

The Fountain of Eternal Life was originally created in 1964 with the goal of being dedicated to soldiers who had died or were declared missing in the Spanish/American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The Fountain was created by Marshall Fredrick, who constructed a man reaching on the top&nbsp;that, "...expresses the main theme of the Memorial Fountain, namely, the spirit of mankind rising out of the encircling flames of war, pestilence, and the destructive elements of life, reaching and ascending to a new understanding of life. Man rising above death, reaching upward to his God and toward Peace."With its&nbsp;dedication in 1964, the Eternal Life Fountain&nbsp;contained only the 4,155 names of Clevelanders who had served during World War II and the Korean War. In 2004, the fountain was rededicated, and 1,361 names were added to include veterans of the Spanish/American War and World War I and the first six casualties of the Iraqi and Afghanistan War from the Cleveland Area. Further names are expected to be added in the future by the Greater Cleveland Veteran's Memorial Inc. The plaza in which the Fountain is located has also changed its name from Mall A to the Veterans Memorial Plaza.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Fountain of Eternal Life is a memorial erected in Mall A of Cleveland, Ohio. The fountain is dedicated to the soldiers from greater Cleveland who served in 20th Century wars as well as the Iraqi and Afghanistan Wars. The memorial is also known as the War Memorial Fountain and the Peace Arising from the Flames of War. The Fountain was created in 1988 and has stood across from a Statue of Abraham Lincoln for decades. 

Fountain of Eternal Life

The park features a&nbsp;statue of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie, which took place on September 10, 1813. Perry led the Americans to victory, helping to secure American control of the lake (and the Northwest Territory) for the duration of the war. A marker near the statue commemorates the capture of British ships; a canon from one of these vessels is displayed in front of the marker. Another statue in the park commemorates Cleveland-native Jesse Owens, the African American sprinter who won gold medals at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Another memorial honors John T. Corrigan, who, among his various occupations, served as Cuyahoga County Prosecutor from 1957-1991. Corrigan was a veteran of WWII (he lost his right eye at the Battle of the Bulge) and a state senator. The park was first dedicated in 1937 and underwent a revitalization in the late 1970s.&nbsp;

Located just a block from FirstEnergy Stadium (home of the Cleveland Browns), Fort Huntington Park features monuments and historical markers. It is named after the American fort built 500 feet to the northwest in 1813 to serve as a military fortress and supply depot for the United States Army during the War of 1812 (1812-1813). The fort was named after Samuel Huntington, the governor of Ohio from 1808-1810. 

Fort Huntington Park

At this stadium on July 9th, 1948, Leroy "Satchel" Paige became the oldest man at that time to make his debut in Major League Baseball when he pitched for the Cleveland Indians against the St. Louis Browns in an 8-5 victory for Cleveland. Paige had signed a contract with Cleveland just a few days earlier for $40,000 for the remainder of the season and became the first African American pitcher in the American League. Paige was well past his prime, but his appearance on the roster brought more fans to witness his skill and unique delivery. At that time, Paige was just the 7th African American to play in the Major Leagues in the modern era.&nbsp; Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige, born July 7th 1906, and who died on June 8th, 1982 was an African American pitcher who pitched in both the Negro Leagues as well as the Major Leagues during his career. Satchel Paige was known for his pitching talent, his ability to attract large crowds to the ballparks whenever he pitched, and for his longevity. Paige pitched professionally for 42 years between the Negro Leagues and the Major Leagues. Paige was born the son of a gardener and domestic worker in Mobile Alabama and developed his pitching skill while attending the Industrial School for Negro Children in Mount Meigs Alabama. Paige got his start in the Negro Leagues in 1926, pitching for the Chattanooga White Sox for $250 a month. Paige's contract was bought by the Birmingham Black Barons at the end of the year where he pitched the next 2 seasons. Satchel Paige pitched for 10 different Negro League teams from 1926-1947, most famously for the Kansas City Monarchs where by the early 40's, due to Paige's impressive draw at the turnstiles, he collected almost $40,000 a year between salary and his share of gate receipts. Paige made his Major League Debut for the Cleveland Indians on July 7th, 1948, at the age of 42. Paige got his first MLB victory just 6 days later against Philadelphia. Paige pitched professionally until 1965, ending his MLB career with the Kansas City Athletics. Paige was a Negro League champion in 1942 and a World Series champion in 1948 and was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Constructed in 1931, Municipal Stadium was the home of the Cleveland Indians from 1932 to 1993 and the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1993. The stadium was demolished in 1996 and replaced by FirstEnergy Stadium. The stadium was either the largest or the second largest Major League stadium for most of its many years of operation, including historic sporting events such as two World Series and four All-Star Games. The ballpark was made possible by a $2.5 million bond that was approved by Cleveland voters in 1928. 

Municipal Stadium, Cleveland (1931-1996)

The Cleveland Browns were established in 1944 and played their first game in 1946. The Browns first played in the All-American Football League before joining the National Football Leauge in 1950. They won NFL titles in 1950, 1954, 1955 and 1964 with the legendary running back Jim Brown leading the way. Art Modell purchased the Browns in 1961, and in 1995, he stunned the city and league by moving the franchise to Baltimore for the 1996 season.A grass-roots effort by fans and the city of Cleveland helped bring the NFL back to town in 1999. Modell agreed to give up the name, colors, and history of the team. The team is currently owned by Jimmy Haslem. A few other legendary players include Frank Gatski, Ozzie Newsome, Lou Groza and Bernie Kosar. In 1998, Lerner purchased the franchise rights of Cleveland Browns of the National Football League paying $530 million, a record for a sports franchise at the time, outdistancing the next closest bid by $30 million. The runner-up bid was from Cablevision Systems chairman Charles Dolan and his brother and future Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan. Prior to that, Lerner held a 5% stake in the old Cleveland Browns franchise. In 1995, he assisted his friend at the time Art Modell, former owner of the Browns, in moving Modell's NFL franchise rights from Cleveland to Baltimore. Lerner introduced Modell to Baltimore financiers of the deal, and he sat behind on the podium at the press conference Modell announcing the team's move. However, many Browns fans were angered after word leaked that Modell's deal to move the Browns to Baltimore was signed on Lerner's private jet. The two stopped talking shortly thereafter. In 1997, Modell paid $32 million to buy out Lerner's stake in the Baltimore Ravens, which had grown to 9%

FirstEnergy Stadium, formerly Cleveland Browns Stadium, is home to the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns. Naming rights were sold to FirstEnergy in January of 2013. The stadium was built in 1998 on the same site where Cleveland Municipal Stadium once stood. The facility also hosts college and high school football events, top-shelf concerts, social gatherings, and corporate and civic events. 

FirstEnergy Stadium

The sculpture was designed by Luis Jimenez, who died during the fabrication of the sculpture. It was then completed by art director Rob Hartshorn, sculptor Ron Dewey, and painter Ralph Brussee. Though it is a memorial piece, it also serves to honor present and future firefighters.

Efforts to create the Cleveland Firefighters Memorial, which was completed and dedicated in 2007, date back to the early 1990s. The memorial stands between Browns Stadium and The Great Lakes Science Center and bears the names of the seventy-six firefighters who have died in the line of duty since the department formed in 1862.

Cleveland Firefighters Memorial

When the Steamship&nbsp;William G. Mather&nbsp;was built in 1925 by Great Lakes Engineering Works in Ecorse, Michigan, she was considered the latest word in ship design, propulsion, navigation equipment, and crew accommodations. She was the flagship of The Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company fleet until 1952.Cargo&nbsp; The&nbsp;Mather&nbsp;left the shipyard on July 24, 1925, for Ashtabula, Ohio, to load her first cargo, coal, for delivery to Lakehead, Ontario, Canada. The&nbsp;Mather's&nbsp;principal trade pattern was iron ore from the Lake Superior region delivered to steel mills in lower lake cities such as Cleveland. Sometimes she backhauled coal from a Lake Erie port to a Lake Superior port.From loading docks built higher than the vessels they service, cargo flows by gravity into a ship's cargo spaces. Cargo flowed into the&nbsp;Mather's&nbsp;four holds through the eighteen hatches on her spar deck. Unlike numerous self-unloading vessels (ships equipped with powered belts and booms to discharge cargo) now plying the lakes, theMather&nbsp;possesses no unloading equipment. She relied on shore machinery for unloading. At many lower lake destinations, iron ore was unloaded by giant grasshopper-like Hulett unloaders. No longer necessary because of the increase in self-unloaders, much unloading machinery has been dismantled. Though disassembled, two Hulett unloaders can still be found on Whiskey Island in Cleveland, Ohio. Efforts are being made to preserve them as part of the Great Lakes heritage.Engines&nbsp; As built in 1925, the&nbsp;William G. Mather&nbsp;was powered by a four-cylinder quadruple expansion reciprocating engine of 2,300 horsepower. Steam was produced in coal-fired boilers. The ship was repowered in 1954 with a cross-compound steam turbine that developed 5,000 horsepower. The boiler is now fueled by oil. The system was designated as a historic landmark in 1995 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.In 1964, the&nbsp;Mather&nbsp;became the first Great Lakes vessel to have fully automated boiler controls which were developed and produced by Bailey Meter. They were monitored and operated by the engineer on watch from an engine room console. The installation was so successful that Cleveland-Cliffs made similar modifications on its other ships, and other shipping companies undertook similar projects. This is also a part of the historic landmark designation.The&nbsp;Mather&nbsp;also received a bow thruster in 1964. This is a reversible propeller near the bow that forces water to one side of the ship or the other, thus moving the ship's bow. A bow thruster increases maneuverability and reduces the need for tugboat assistance. Once again, this is also a part of the historic landmark designation.Crew&nbsp; Originally, the Steamship&nbsp;William G. Mather&nbsp;was designed to accommodate a crew of 38 plus the captain. In her later years, the switch to oil fuel, engine room automation, changes in the maritime requirements, and economics reduced the&nbsp;Mather's&nbsp;crew to 29 in 1964.Ships' crews are grouped into three departments: deck, engine, and galley. The captain (or master), although officially in the deck department, is at all times responsible for the safety of the vessel, crew, and cargo. The deck department handles navigation, loading, and unloading. The deck crew includes mates, wheelsmen, watchmen, and deckhands.The engine department maintains the ship's engines and other machinery. Engineers, oilers, and wipers make up the engine department. Most members of deck and engine departments on the Great Lakes stand watches. That is, they work four hours and have the next eight hours off, around the clock.All these people depend upon the galley department to prepare and serve three meals a day and provide clean linen. The galley department includes the steward, second cook, and porter(s).End of Career&nbsp; Over the years, the number of self-unloaders grew. New 1,000 foot long ships dwarfed 600-footers like the Mather. Economics and changes in ore-carrying contracts caused the Mather's usefulness to dwindle. After 55 years of operation, at the end of the 1980 season, Cleveland-Cliffs permanently laid up the Mather in Toledo, Ohio.In 1985, Cleveland-Cliffs sold its two remaining operating steamships to Rouge Steel Company, and gradually sold off its idle vessels until only one remained. In December 1987, the Steamship&nbsp;William G. Mather, the last vessel owned by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (Formerly Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company) was donated to The Great Lakes Historical Society.Restoration&nbsp; The Great Lakes Historical Society began preparations for the&nbsp;Mather's&nbsp;new career as a museum ship. After she was brought to Cleveland and funding acquired, restoration began. In October 1990, she was moved to her permanent berth at the East Ninth Street Pier, and work continued.Fire damage to the&nbsp;Mather's&nbsp;galley and after-cabin spaces required a major restoration effort. All over the vessel, most of the elbow grease was supplied by volunteers who repaired, cleaned, chipped, and painted in order to restore the&nbsp;Mather&nbsp;to her former elegance.Future&nbsp; On July 22, 1995, the Steamship&nbsp;William G. Mather&nbsp;Museum was acquired by the Harbor Heritage Society, a newly-formed nonprofit corporation organized to preserve and develop the&nbsp;Mather&nbsp;as a maritime museum and lakefront attraction at its East Ninth Street Pier location.Great Lakes Science Center and the Steamship&nbsp;William G. Mather&nbsp;are linked by the Cleveland – Cliffs Connector, which is the first phase of an eventual plan to make the Mather a year-round attraction. A grant funded by the Ohio &amp; Erie Canal Commission allowed the Mather to produce new signage and graphic panels to tell the fascinating history of this unique maritime museum. Future plans include new exhibits, hands-on displays and special programming.

Now part of the Great Lakes Science Center, the Steamship William G. Mather was built during the golden years of American lakes steamboats. As the flagship for the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company, she was state-of-the-art with respect to capacity, power, and accommodations. During her 55-year career, she carried millions of tons of iron ore, coal, grain, and distinguished guests, and was nicknamed "The Ship That Built Cleveland" because Cleveland's steel mills were a frequent destination.

In 1941 the Mather led a convoy of 13 freighters through the ice-choked upper Great Lakes to Duluth, Minnesota, to begin supplying badly needed iron ore to U.S. steel mills as they geared up to support President Roosevelt's pledge that America would be the "Arsenal of Democracy" prior to our entry into World War II. The trip set a record for the earliest arrival of a bulk carrier in a northern port. This heroic effort was featured in the April 28, 1941 issue of Life magazine.

Retired from service in 1980, Mather underwent an extensive restoration program beginning in 1987 and was opened for public tours in Cleveland's Northcoast Harbor in 1991. In 1995 the American Society of Mechanical Engineers conferred Historic Engineering Landmark status on Mather for the following technological Great Lakes firsts: single marine boiler system, boiler automation, and dual bow thruster system.

Visitors can discover what life was like aboard a Great Lakes freighter as they tour this restored 618-foot historic flagship from stem to stern and see its huge cargo holds, brass and oak pilot house, elegant guest quarters and four-story engine room. 

Steamship William G. Mather 

Over twenty-five years ago, various leaders of the music industry created the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in New York City. The goal of the foundation was to celebrate musicians and their music that changed the world. They began to plan a museum that would house memorabilia of the musicians who were inducted into the hall of fame. Initially, they hoped to find a location in New York City, but in 1985, representatives from the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio approached the foundation with plans for a museum that would be much larger than any they had found in New York. In January 1986, the first induction ceremony took place in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City and focused on music legends such as Elvis, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, James Brown, and multiple others. The search for a location for the museum continued, though, and representatives from multiple other cities made proposals for a potential site for a museum. The decision was made, and in May 1986, Cleveland was chosen as the final location. A worldwide search for an architect took place throughout the next year, and I.M. Pei was chosen in 1987 despite his confession of not knowing anything about Rock and Roll music. Board members took Pei on trips to places such as Memphis and New Orleans and to various concerts to help him learn about the music. On June 7, 1993, ground was broken and construction of the museum began. Members of the board as well as other musicians were in attendance for the groundbreaking, and musician Pete Townsend made one of the first donations to the museum, which was a Gibson J-200 guitar he used in the composition of "Tommy." One year later, the last beam for the museum was placed to finish the building. Another ceremony took place in celebration of the finished museum, and multiple musicians including some of the first inductees performed. In September 1995, the museum finally was fully opened to the public with a full schedule of events.Since the museum’s opening, it has worked to expand, improve, and keep itself in the public eye. One example is the MTV series Live at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which premiered in 2001. The show featured contemporary bands performing in the museum and talking about the musicians who inspired them. In 2005, the satellite radio network Sirius began broadcasting some programs from the museum. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame celebrated its 25th anniversary four years later in 2009. Concerts in New York City and the unveiling of the Foster Theater at the Cleveland museum marked the occasion, as did the release of the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live" DVD set and the coffee-table book "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The First 25 Years."January 2013 saw the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives, a project that had been in the works since the 1980s. The four-story institute contains over 5,500 items, including books, audio recordings, and DVDs, with thousands of more items in storage. It is located in the Center For Creative Arts building on Cuyahoga Community College's Metropolitan Campus. The first floor is open to the public while the other collections are limited to use for academic research. The Library also holds conferences and other events relating to rock and roll history.<h4>The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony</h4>Nominations for inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are chosen by a committee of rock historians each year. To be eligible, the band or musician must have released their first record twenty-five or more years ago. The nominees are then voted upon by an international body of around 500 rock experts. Other nominees can be early influencers of rock and roll, supporting musicians, or nonperformers (such as journalists or producers).The first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland took place on May 6, 1997 in the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. The inductees were the Bee Gees, the (Young) Rascals, Mitchell, Parliament-Funkadelic, Buffalo Springfield, the Jackson 5 and Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; Young. After that ceremony, all others were held in New York City until it was announced in 2007 that the ceremony would rotate every three years between New York, Los Angeles, and Cleveland. The success of the ceremony in Cleveland, as well as the city’s growth and the need for funds for museum renovations, led to the decision that the ceremony will be held in Cleveland every other year beginning in 2018.

Completed in 1995 and designed by world-renowned architect I.M. Pei, Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the social and cultural impact rock and roll and the musicians who pioneered the art form. Artifacts from artists like Elvis, Otis Redding, the Beatles, Run DMC, Lady Gaga, and countless other artists are on display throughout the museum which was established in Cleveland after leading residents worked in the 1970s to convince the proposed museum's board to select their city instead of New York, as the foundation had originally intended. Special events are held on various occasions, and the exhibits are changed fairly regularly. New inductees to the Hall of Fame are added each year.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

The U.S..S Cod was one of 77 Gato-class submarines commissioned by the Navy during the second world war. The ship's keel was laid on July 21, 1942 and the vessel was commissioned on June 21st, 1943. Throughout the war, the Cod went on seven combat patrols and earned one battle star for each patrol.  Her two most important combat patrols are her third and seventh for two separate reasons. The third combat patrol was her most impressive in battle. During a single torpedo run, she sank the Japanese destroyer Karukaya along with hitting six Japanese ships with six torpedoes, a great testament to the crew's skill. On the seventh patrol, she preformed the only international submarine-to-submarine rescue. The Dutch submarine O-19 had run aground on Ladd Reef, so the Cod attempted a rescue. Initially, the tried to tow O-19 off of the reef, but it remained stuck fast. The Dutch and American captains decided to destroy the submarine and take the Dutch crew to an allied naval base.After the war, the Cod was mothballed from 1946 to 1951; it was reactivated to serve in NATO exercises. During one of these exercises, the Cod was credited with "sinking" an American aircraft carrier.  The Cod was decommissioned in 1954 and placed in reserve. In 1959, it was brought up the St. Lawrence Seaway to Cleveland to be used as a training ship for the reserves. It stayed as a reserve trainer until 1971 when the Navy prepared to scrap the historic ship. In response, Cleveland residents formed Cleveland Coordinating Committee to Save Cod, Inc. The group raised funds and petitioned to save the Cod and make it a museum or memorial. The Navy gave the Cod to the organization in January 1976. Using funds and thousands of hours of time donated by from supporters, the first tour of the Cod began that May. The museum and its volunteers work to preserve the ship as it appeared in the war.

This World War II submarine is open for daily tours and serves as a floating military history museum. The Cod is unique compared to other museum submarines in the United States in the fact that it has not been substantially modified from the way it appeared during the war. The Cod is also one of only six Gato-class submarines still in existence. The U.S.S. Cod saw active throughout the latter half of the Second World War, retained her commission in the Navy until 1954, and was listed on Naval registries until 1971. The U.S.S. Cod is open for visitors throughout the summer and for certain special events.

U.S.S. Cod

The International Women’s Air &amp; Space Museum, Inc. (IWASM) began as a committee of Ninety-Nines who started saving memorabilia and the history of&nbsp;women pilots. (The Ninety-Nines is an international organization of women pilots formed in 1929. There were ninety-nine charter members, and Amelia Earhart was the first president.) In 1986 the museum opened in Centerville, Ohio. The museum moved to its present location in Cleveland in 1998.&nbsp;

The International Women’s Air & Space Museum preserves, interprets, and shares the history of women in aviation and space exploration through exhibits and a research center. The Museum is located in the terminal building at Burke Lakefront Airport. 

Women's Air & Space Museum

Hungarian immigrants began moving to Cleveland in the 1880s. At one time there were specific Hungarian sections of the city. That is no longer the case, however, as thousands of residents with Hungarian heritage remain.



The Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Museum was started in 1985 when a group of residents decided much of their history in the city needed to be preserved. The first location was in St. Elizabeth Catholic Church. When the church needed renovations in the early 1990s, the Museum was forced to move. After some years of looking, the Museum relocated to the Richmond Mall. In 1998 it was forced to move again. This time it re-opened at the Euclid Square Mall in 1999.

In 2003, the Museum moved to its current home on the second level of The Galleria at Erieview. It now features exhibition galleries, a gift shop, and a library. The galleries feature both permanent and rotating exhibits throughout the year. The Museum attracts many visitors and hosts a variety of lectures and special events.

Established in 1985, the Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Museum is located on the second floor in the Galleria at Erieview. The museum preserves and shares the history and culture of Hungarians in Northeast Ohio through displays and a library that is open to the public.

Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Museum

Renowned architect George B. Post, who also designed the New York Stock Exchange, won a contest for the opportunity to create the building. It was built in Beaux-Arts style with three stories of white granite facing. The building’s rotunda is the dominant feature with an eighty-five-foot dome ceiling. There are Tiffany-style glass panels and fluted columns as well as marble floors and walls. Artist Francis David Millett completed the thirteen murals that adorn the walls just below the dome.

Years later, the bank hired architect Marcel Breuer to add two towers framing the rotunda; only one was built. The collapse of the real estate market in the 1980s substantially hurt the bank, then known as AmeriTrust and one of the biggest institutions in the country. Society Corporation bought out AmeriTrust in 1991 and the building later closed in 1996. It was empty for nearly twenty years.

In 2013, the building and adjacent tower were converted to a hotel and apartments. A Cleveland grocery-store chain turned the rotunda and an adjacent building into a 27,000-square-foot supermarket, which was completed and opened in 2015.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Cleveland Trust Company began in 1894 with $500,000 capital and John G.W. Cowles as president. In 1903, it merged with Western Reserve Trust Co. and outgrew its rented office space. The bank built a new headquarters at the corner of E. 9th and Euclid that opened in 1908. The bank eventually closed, but the building remains. After years spent unoccupied, the building now houses a supermarket, hotel, and apartments on the upper floors. 

Cleveland Trust Company Building

From 1792 to 1903, state and federal law authorized independent militias, private volunteer groups that supplemented the official state militia and served the community in all the ways that the National Guard does today. The Cleveland Grays were established in 1837 and instantly became the city's premier private military company. <div>The unit's original purpose was twofold: to provide assistance and support to the local law enforcement authorities of the time as well as to provide a first line of defense for the city in the event that the fighting in Canada's Rebellions of 1837 spilled over the border and into the United States resulting in a third war with Britain. When president-elect Abraham Lincoln passed through Cleveland en route to his inauguration, the Grays provided the official honor guard.&nbsp; In April 1862, when Lincoln called for volunteers to suppress the Confederate Rebellion, the Grays answered -just two days after Lincoln's call- as Company E, 1st Ohio Volunteer Infantry.&nbsp; When President Lincoln's funeral train came to Cleveland in 1865, the Grays were again part of his honor guard (some of the men standing vigil at the bier in Public Square were war veterans who had been his escort four years earlier). The Grays also served during the Spanish–American War. </div><div> </div><div>The Grays made their home in several different places from the time of their founding until the completion of this armory in 1893. After building this structure, the&nbsp;Grays Armory hosted a number of celebrations and galas&nbsp;during&nbsp;Cleveland's Centennial (1896). </div><div> </div>

The Cleveland Grays were a private military company founded in 1837. Their goals were to support local law enforcement and to protect the area in case of a third war with Britain following the Canadian Rebellions of that same year. The Grays moved around multiple times before the construction of this armory in 1893. Today, the Grays Armory is a Museum, whose four floors trace the Grays' history from their conception to now.

Gray's Armory

The Indians had a string of sellouts at what was still Jacobs Field from 1995 through 2000. The team, a part of the American League’s Central Division, has included players such as Bob Feller, Larry Doby, and Lou Boudreau. More current stars and Cleveland Hall of Fame members include Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel, and Jim Thome. 



Visitors can linger at Heritage Park and learn the history of legendary Cleveland Indians players. Opened in 2007, it is the home to the Indians Hall of Fame. Visitors not watching a game can take a tour of the facility during the season while the team is out off or out of town. The tour includes everything from the batting cages to the dugouts and press box. There is a cost for the tours.



Progressive Field also features a team shop, a variety of local foods among its concessions, kid days, and other special events for holidays and private groups. Special events are available throughout the year. The Infield District features local food and a beer garden from Great Lakes Brewing Co. On the Family Deck there is a Kids Clubhouse that features special activities for children.

Progressive Field, formerly known as Jacobs Field, is the home of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians. It is a baseball-only facility that has become a Cleveland landmark. Though professional baseball has been in Cleveland since 1869, Progressive Field was built as the Indians new home in 1994. It was part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex, which also includes neighboring Quicken Loans Arena, that helped fuel the city’s downtown resurgence in the mid-1990s. Progressive Field includes a team shop, Heritage Park, and tours during the season. 

Progressive Field

The Cleveland Cavaliers opened Quicken Loans Arena with a 100-98 loss to the defending World Champion Houston Rockets on Nov. 8, 1994 in front of a sold-out crowd. In 1997, the 47th Annual NBA All-Star game was played here. The Cavs reached the NBA Finals and hosted their first Finals game, which was also sold out, on June 12, 2007. In 2016, The Cleveland Cavaliers snapped a 52-year drought of championships against the defending champions Golden State Warriors. After being down 3-1 in the series, Lebron James and the Cavaliers made history when they became the first team in five decades to produce a championship to the city of Cleveland.

Quicken Loans Arena, which is also known as the Q, is home to the Cavaliers NBA team, the Cleveland Monsters American Hockey League team, and the Cleveland Gladiators Arena Football League team. The arena, which hosts a number of other events as well including concerts, was first known as the Gund Arena after former owner Gordon Gund who paid for the naming rights. In 2005, the name was changed when the retail mortgage lender Quicken Loans bought the naming rights to the area. 

Quicken Loans Arena

The Arcade was financed by a group of wealthy Cleveland businessmen and cost
$875,000 to build. Because the design was so complicated, regular contractors
could not handle the job; instead, the Detroit Bridge Company began construction
began in 1888. The Arcade was built in the Romanesque style with rusticated
sandstone and brick. It stands five stories tall and features iron balconies
and an actual glass ceiling supported by steel trusses. The 300-feet long
building also connects two streets, Superior and Euclid. Since they are at
different levels, the building has ground-level entrances at two different
heights.

The Arcade was the first building in Cleveland to be put on the National
Register of Historic Places. It later underwent an expensive renovation, ending
in 2001. Today, the Hyatt occupies the top three floors and two towers of the structure
while the bottom two floors feature retail and dining. The Arcade is also the
site of special events throughout the year.

The Cleveland Arcade opened in 1890, becoming the first indoor shopping mall in the country. Within walking distance of most Cleveland attractions, it now features a variety of shopping and dining options and houses the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The Arcade was designed by John Eisenmann and George Smith, who modeled it after a similar facility in Milan, Italy. 

Cleveland Arcade

Construction on the monument, designed by architect Levi Scofield, began in 1891. Inside the monument are the names of more than 9,000 people who enlisted in the Union army from Cuyahoga County. There are sculptures and images of Union leaders as well as a number of relics. A 125-foot shaft rises above the monument’s roof with a fifteen-foot figure of Lady Liberty on the top.

Outside, the monument features four groups of bronze statues representing the Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry and the Navy, each depicted in battle. In the background are military and naval emblems.

Both Public Square and the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument underwent major renovations that were completed in the summer of 2016.

At a meeting of Camp Barnett, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Society, in 1879, Comrade William J. Gleason suggested erecting a monument to commemorate Union soldiers and sailors of the Civil War Cuyahoga County. It was unanimously approved and opened on July 4, 1894. Today, it is open most days from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is a popular attraction in downtown Cleveland. Visitors can also participate in the occasional tunnel tour of the moment as well as enjoy the Victorian Christmas display each year. It is operated by the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Commission. 

Highlights of Downtown Cleveland Tour

Great Lakes Science Center and NASA Glenn Visitor Center

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information