12 Best Sights in Cleveland, Ohio

The I. M. Pei–designed building has everything from the ridiculous (Jim Morrison's Cub Scout uniform) to the sublime (John Lennon's hand-written lyrics for "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"). Stage costumes that once belonged to Chuck Berry and Iggy Pop, handwritten lyrics by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin's Porsche, and a re-creation of Memphis's Sun Studios—where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison made their first records—are among the museum's holdings. Interactive kiosks provide video and sound explorations of performers' contributions to the rock genre. The museum continually rotates in temporary exhibits to highlight essential performers and recognize more recent contributions to rock 'n' roll. Past temporary exhibits have showcased U2, the Clash, and the Vans Warped Tour.

Cleveland's NFL team plays from September through December at Cleveland Browns Stadium, a modern facility in every sense of the word. Football is an unwavering passion here, and tickets are scarce; any individual tickets are sold starting in July. Seats in the Dawg Pound, a lively area behind the northeast end zone, are highly desirable.

So Cleveland's terrain isn't exactly alpine, but the guides here take all comers to rocky outcrops in the Cleveland Metroparks. Outdoor dates are limited to the summer, but the indoor facility, with its indoor top rope climbing wall, bouldering area, and weight-lifting equipment, is open year-round. Rental equipment and classes are available. The gym is a 10-minute drive from downtown Cleveland.

The 33,000-acre recreation area, and the only national park in Ohio, sprawls along 22 miles of the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron. You can take part in fishing, biking, camping, winter sports, horseback riding, and more. The 19.5-mile-long Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail follows the canal's historic route and takes about 10 hours to hike. The trail is open 24 hours, allowing visitors the chance to explore after dark. There are five visitor facilities within the park that offer information, exhibits, and knowledgeable park rangers.

Now a curious structure among the modern buildings and warehouses in Cleveland's Midtown District, the museum is filled with artifacts from the Dunham family, the original residents. Walk the Cleveland Botanical Garden–manicured grounds for vignettes of early-19th-century life.

Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River are two of Cleveland's greatest assets, and the Goodtime III shows them off in style. One of the largest leisure cruise ships on the Great Lakes winds its way along the Cuyahoga, a Mohawk word meaning "crooked river," and the Lake Erie shore for two-hour cruises, providing the best skyline views of the city. Regularly scheduled tours run from Memorial Day to Labor Day, on weekends only (but including Memorial Day) until mid-June. Luncheon, dinner, and dancing cruises are also available.

More than 400 interactive exhibits and daily demonstrations and an OMNIMAX theater await you at this indoor-outdoor educational center. Science and technology displays include a bridge of fire, a touchable indoor tornado, and an especially good area that focuses on the environment of the Great Lakes region. A working wind turbine on the front lawn provides the museum with supplemental, renewable power.

The exhibits in Burke Lakefront Airport's lobby and concourse chronicle centuries of female flight, from Napoleonic balloon captains to space-age pilots. The museum is particularly rich in the recent history of female astronauts.

The Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society has more than 6 million items, including prints and photographs, manuscripts and newspapers focusing primarily on Ohio's history. The library's vast collection of genealogical materials has made it one of the best and largest family-history research centers in the country.

The Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society has more than 6 million items, including prints and photographs, manuscripts and newspapers focusing primarily on Ohio's history. The library's vast collection of genealogical materials has made it one of the best and largest family-history research centers in the country.

The former steel-and-coal–carrying behemoth churned through the Great Lakes for 55 years before retiring in 1980. State of the art when she put to sea in 1925, the ship is now a museum displaying how ships were once built, replete with a brass and oak pilothouse and an extravagant dining room. The William G. Mather is within walking distance of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Great Lakes Science Center, which owns the ship and has plans to build an enclosed passageway connecting it to the museum.

Watch the ponies run between April and November. The Ohio Derby, the largest-stakes race here, is held in early June.