5 Cleveland Veterans Memorials and Monuments to Visit

From iconic sculptures that tower above city streets to peaceful memorials tucked amongst gardens and cemeteries, Cleveland is full of places that honor our nation's military. This Veterans Day, take some time to explore these landmarks, learn the stories behind them, and reflect on the service of so many Clevelanders past and present.

Fountain of Eternal Life (Veterans Memorial Plaza, Downtown Cleveland)

Sculpted by Cleveland Institute of Art graduate Marshall Fredericks, the Fountain of Eternal Life has long been a landmark that you simply can't miss while walking through downtown Cleveland. The 35-foot-figure emerges from a bronze sphere that represents earth, with its stance lifted toward the sky above, intended to symbolize lifting upward to peace.

Located within Veterans Memorial Plaza, the monument honors Greater Cleveland service members who died or went missing during military conflict, from the Spanish-American war through the present day.

Since its 1964 dedication, the memorial has been used as a site for ceremonies, parades, speeches, celebrations, and even anti-war rallies. It's a perfect place to stop among the Downtown bustle for a quiet moment of reflection, while just steps away from all the culture and community the area has to offer, like Playhouse Square and the action of East 4^th St.

Peace Garden of the Nations (Cleveland Cultural Gardens)

Not every military memorial is dedicated to a war that's already happened. Some are dedicated to the hope of avoiding it.

At the southern entrance of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens sits the Peace Garden of the Nations, a quite space promoting understanding and unity across nations. Promoting peace East 99^th and Superior Ave. Beneath the monument lies a crypt containing soil from historic shrines across the world, as a symbol of harmony and world peace. It’s inscribed with a thoughtful wish: “In America, peace, understanding, amity and cooperation among peoples of all nations.”

The Peace Garden of the Nations is part of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, a collection of over 35 individual sanctuaries celebrating the diverse cultures that exist in Cleveland. For a day full of multiculturalism and contemplation, combine a stop here with an adventure to the Cleveland Museum of Art or Cleveland Museum of Natural History, both located in nearby University Circle.

Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is to Cleveland what the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is to Arlington: a place to remember those who fought for our country.

Thousands walk past it every day while circling Public Square's roundabout or making the trek to Playhouse Square. But did you know you could actually go inside and get a history lesson?

Dedicated in 1894, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument honors Cuyahoga County’s Civil War veterans. Atop its towering column stands the Goddess of Freedom, defended by the Shield of Liberty. Step inside and the history comes into sharper focus: sculpted scenes commemorate the beginning of the war in Ohio, the emancipation of enslaved people and the women who supported soldiers and sailors through wartime aid efforts.

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Monument (Fort Huntington Park)

Cleveland’s identity is tied to Lake Erie—and without Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the history of those waters would be very different.

On Sept. 10, 1813, Perry and his squadron defeated the British in the War of 1812’s Battle of Lake Erie. Flying the now-famous flag emblazoned with “don’t give up the ship,” Perry secured American control of the western Great Lakes for our side. His victory message? “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”

Dedicated in Public Square in 1860 as Cleveland’s first major monument, it later made stops in Wade Park and Gordon Park. The bronze replica that replaced the original marble statue now stands in Fort Huntington Park at Lakeside Avenue and West 3rd Street. For a city built along the water, it’s a fitting place to remember a commander whose most famous victory happened on the lake.

Lake View Cemetery

The first burial at Lake View Cemetery honored Civil War veteran Capt. Louis Germain DeForest on August 25, 1870. Now a certified Cleveland institution, the Cemetery has kept honoring veterans a staple of its mission.

In memory of another Civil War veteran and former Commander-in-Chief, the James A. Garfield Memorial strikes a bold figure among other monuments to Clevelanders since passed. With a tower 50 feet in diameter and 180 feet tall, this presidential landmark was dedicated on the same day as the Cleveland Arcade, May 30, 1980.

To this day, the cemetery keeps a Veterans Section allowing all honorably discharged veterans to be interred with a headstone free of charge. Veterans’ spouses may also be interred in the same plot. It’s like visiting Arlington National Cemetery in your own backyard