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Cleveland

Cleveland wears its Rust Belt badge with honor. While smoke-belching steel mills no longer rule the scene, the city still wafts an evocative industrial look. Railroad tracks, vertical lift bridges and stark warehouses pepper its shores on Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, only now stylish eateries, breweries and galleries fill the old factories, and bike trails have emerged along the waterways. Star attractions include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum of Art, but the best action is in Cleveland’s walkable neighborhoods. Meander around Ohio City, Tremont, Collinwood or Asiatown and you’ll be among locals in the markets and corner taverns. Sit for a pint and hear about generations-deep businesses started by Slovenian grandparents, about epic sports team grudges and about how the city clawed its way back from financial and environmental ruin. Rust Belt realness is Cleveland's calling card.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum
Cleveland
Cleveland's top attraction is like an overstuffed attic bursting with groovy finds: Jimi Hendrix's Stratocaster, Keith Moon's platform shoes, John Lennon…
Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland
Cleveland's whopping art museum houses an excellent collection of European paintings, as well as African, Asian and American art. Head to the 2nd floor…
Rockefeller Park Greenhouse
Cleveland
The 1905 hothouse bursts with cacti, orchids, ferns and irises. On cold days the sultry rooms provide a sweet refuge, and you’ll likely have the place to…
Whiskey Island
Cleveland
Whiskey Island floats at the edge of downtown, where the Cuyahoga River empties into Lake Erie. The area consists of a boat-filled marina, a raucous bar…
Edgewater Park Beach
Cleveland
This wide swath of shore is a local hot spot. It has lifeguards, cabana rentals (per day $20), paddleboard rentals (per hour $20), pick-up volleyball…
The Flats
Cleveland
The Flats, an old industrial zone turned nightlife hub on the Cuyahoga River, has had a checkered life. After years of neglect, it's on the upswing once…
Lake View Cemetery
Cleveland
Beyond University Circle to the east, don't forget this eclectic 'outdoor museum' where President James Garfield rests in an eye-poppingly enormous tower …
Transformer Station
Cleveland
This provocative gallery partners with the Cleveland Museum of Art to showcase avant-garde paintings, photography and new media inside a repurposed…