New Horizons: Cleveland 2021 and Beyond

Cleveland is constantly transforming, with new restaurants and attractions popping up all the time. In fact, even our most storied institutions want in on the game, enhancing and sometimes reinventing themselves in some pretty remarkable ways. Here’s just a small sample of what’s on the horizon in The Land.

CLE Attractions Keep Getting Bigger and Better

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame turned 25 in 2020, but it isn’t gathering any moss. A planned $100 million expansion will add a guitar pick-shaped addition packing 50,000 square feet of new exhibition and event space. Plus, a new band shell overlooking Lake Erie will crank up the volume for concerts and performances. (As if you needed yet another excuse to revel in this iconic CLE landmark.)

Cleveland Museum of Natural History 

The only thing bigger than the massive dinosaur skeletons at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is its ongoing $150 million expansion. Not only did the 100-year-old museum recently gave facelifts to its courtyard, main lobby and auditorium, but it’s also adding a new 50,000-square-foot wing that will welcome guests with new educational opportunities and signature collection items like human ancestor, Lucy, and moon rocks upon completion in 2024.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame scores big with a ton of upcoming additions to its Hall of Fame Village. Plans for Phase Two include the Constellation Center for Excellence (a 75,000-square-foot sports research and athletic performance mecca), plus a Hilton Tapestry Hotel and Don Shula’s Steakhouse. Throw in a Helix Esports entertainment complex and indoor football-themed waterpark, and fans just might never leave.

Flats East Bank

A bastion of dining and entertainment options converge where the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie meet. The next phase of the Flats East Bank expansion will soon add about a half-dozen more choices along the river. Jade, a new Asian fusion concept/eatery, will be joined by Cherie Wine Bar & Lounge and Smokey BBQ and Saloon, a Texas-style barbecue joint. 

Stay in Style

Opening its doors in late 2020, the newly minted 160-room Drury Inn & Suites Cleveland Beachwood ensures group-friendly dining and shopping options—thanks to a plum perch near Pinecrest in the chic Orange Village suburb. Looking for more of an urban feel? Consider the 189-room Drury Plaza Hotel Cleveland Downtown, or stay adjacent to the city at the affordable Tru by Hilton Cleveland Midtown. Groups dig the new hotel’s 24-hour market and outdoor patio, not to mention close proximity to Cleveland’s top attractions and culture-rich University Circle.

Meet the Guardians

For the first time in more than a century, Cleveland’s major league baseball team has a new name.

In Spring 2022, the newly christened Cleveland Guardians will take the turf at Progressive Field. The name gives a nod to the Guardians of Traffic statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge, which can be seen from the upper concourse of Progressive Field.

More exciting changes loom with a planned redesign for the park’s upper levels, but for now, things remain the same, including a main concourse that pays tasty tribute to all the best local food and drink offerings Cleveland has to offer. 

Bookmark These Upcoming CLE Experiences

KeyBank Broadway Series (Nov. 2, 2021 – Sept. 11, 2022)

What do Pretty Woman, Frozen and To Kill a Mockingbird have in common? They’re all part of the KeyBank Broadway Series at Playhouse Square.

Currents and Constellations: Black Art in Focus (Feb. 20 – June 26, 2022)

Handpicked to provoke thought, Currents and Constellations: Black Art in Focus is a curated selection of works from both established and emerging Black artists at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Cleveland International Film Festival (Mar. 30 – Apr. 10, 2022)

The Cleveland International Film Festival is sure to attract a whole new cast of characters as it moves over to Playhouse Square for its 46^th go-round.

Tall Ships Festival (July 7 – 10, 2022)

If sailing takes you away, the Tall Ships Festival is the place to be this summer offering the rare chance to explore several majestic vessels from multiple countries.

FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art (July 16 – Oct. 2, 2022)

Art lovers, take note: The whole city and region becomes a canvas during FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art.

Solar Eclipse (Apr. 8, 2024)

Cue that Bonnie Tyler song (and grab those special glasses): there’s gonna be a total eclipse on April 8, 2024. Complete darkness will envelop Cleveland for nearly four minutes, as the city falls directly in the path of the solar eclipse.