Cleveland, Ohio is a city with grit, pride, and a surprising amount of charm. Perched along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it blends industrial roots with a strong cultural identity. One of its most iconic attractions is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, where visitors can view everything from Prince’s custom guitars to handwritten lyrics by The Beatles. The museum brings history to life through rotating exhibits, film screenings, and live performances on the lakefront plaza.
Just a few blocks away is the West Side Market, Cleveland’s oldest publicly owned market, open since 1912. Inside the historic yellow-brick building, vendors sell fresh pierogi, handmade sausages, and Hungarian pastries alongside produce and spices from around the world. The market reflects the city's immigrant history, especially the Eastern European, Italian, and Middle Eastern communities that have shaped its food scene.
Art and nature meet in University Circle, one of the most concentrated cultural districts in the country. The Cleveland Museum of Art offers free admission and houses more than 60,000 works from around the globe, including pieces by Van Gogh, Caravaggio, and Yayoi Kusama. Just steps away, the Cleveland Botanical Garden features a Costa Rican butterfly exhibit and a glasshouse filled with desert plants from Madagascar. And nearby Wade Oval hosts summer concerts, winter ice skating, and community events year-round.