There’s no question that Cleveland is a town devoted to sports. With three professional teams – each with their own distinct legacy – Cleveland is home to countless sports legends and a die-hard fan base that knows the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Root for the Home Team
Cleveland Guardians. Fans of America’s favorite pastime shouldn’t miss the chance to cheer on the
Cleveland Guardians at
Progressive Field. The stadium features local food and brews from fan favorites including Melt, Barrio Tacos, Great Lakes Brewing Co., Happy Dog and Fat Head’s Brewery.
Cleveland Cavaliers & Cleveland Monsters. Inside the newly renovated
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, guests can feel the excitement when the
Cleveland Cavaliers step onto the court or when the
Cleveland Monsters take the ice. Updated food and beverage offerings feature local chef and restaurant partnerships, state-of-the-art technology and open hospitality concepts.
Cleveland Browns. Win or lose, Cleveland’s football pride is infectious. Visitors can get into the spirit by adorning themselves in brown and orange, tailgating in the Muni Lot and then snagging seats in the Dawg Pound at
FirstEnergy Stadium to cheer (or bark) for the
Cleveland Browns.
Sporting Events: Cleveland’s Got Game
Tennis in the Land. The top tennis athletes compete in the returning
Tennis in the Land, Aug. 19-26, 2023. The event is a Women’s Tennis Association 250 event and part of the U.S. Open Series. A temporary stadium court is constructed in view of the downtown skyline at the riverfront Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.
NCAA Women’s Basketball. After hosting the
NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2007, Cleveland will again welcome the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four in 2024. The city will also host the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships First/Second Rounds and 2026 NCAA DI Men’s Wrestling Championships.
2024 Pan-American Masters Games. Cleveland will host the
2024 Pan-American Masters Games, an Olympic-like sports festival for athletes over 30 years old held every four years in the Americas. It features nearly 20 medal-contending sports including track and field, tennis, basketball, pickleball and cycling. The event is expected to be the largest international gathering in Northeast Ohio’s history, bringing over 7,500 athletes from more than 50 countries.
The Land of Legends
Pro Football Hall of Fame. Fans can relive all the great moments in football history at the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, a short drive from Cleveland. The newly renovated museum pays homage to the greats of the game and features interactive exhibits that put visitors in the center of the gridiron action. Highlights include the immersive “A Game for Life” theater experience, which features holographic representations of Hall of Fame legends Joe Namath, George Halas and Vince Lombardi, and a growing collection of artifacts from the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Expansion. The Pro Football Hall of Fame campus is expanding with the
Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls development. Phase I of the project is complete with the new
Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium and
National Youth Football and Sports Complex. Phase II is underway with construction of a Hilton Tapestry Hotel, an esports entertainment complex and an indoor football-themed waterpark.
Baseball Heritage Museum. Travelers can step into the restored ticket booth of League Park – one of the oldest ballparks in the world – to visit the
Baseball Heritage Museum. This free museum features rare memorabilia from some of baseball’s greatest players like Babe Ruth, Bob Feller and Joe DiMaggio. The museum also presents the history and diversity of baseball with programs, uniforms, signed baseballs and other keepsakes from Latin and Women’s leagues and the championship Negro League Buckeyes.
Cleveland History Center. Visitors to Cleveland can quickly garner a sense of place at the
Cleveland Starts Here® exhibit at the Cleveland History Center. Sports fans can get a glimpse at rarely seen images, films, art and historical artifacts, including signage from the historic Municipal Stadium, original souvenir programs and LeBron James’ 2016 NBA Championship shoes.
Experience the Urban Outdoors
Cleveland Metroparks. Known as the “Emerald Necklace,” the picturesque Cleveland Metroparks encircle the city with more than 24,000 acres of greenspace in 18 reservations, which offer more than 300 miles of trails for biking, running, hiking and general enjoyment. The
Cleveland Metroparks Lakefront Reservation encompasses Wendy Park at Whiskey Island, Edgewater Park, East 55
th Street Marina and Gordon Park for visitors who may be interested in taking a dip into Lake Erie after a good workout.
Towpath Trail. The
Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail offer 90 miles of trails along the historic canal. Bikers, runners, walkers and the like are encouraged to step outside for a breath of fresh air on this trail, which runs through forests, fields and wetlands as it winds through the Cuyahoga River valley from Cleveland.
North Coast Harbor. Take in Instagram-ready views of the city skyline and Lake Erie from the
Oasis Marinas at North Coast Harbor, located behind the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The area boasts 53 transient slips for day-trippers and day-dockers alike.
Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway. Passing historic mansions, city beaches and the Downtown waterfront, the 17-mile
Lakefront Bikeway provides postcard-worthy views along the way. With off-road paths and on-street, signed routes the bikeway follows the Lake Erie shoreline and connects the city’s eastern and western borders.
Kayaking. Great Lakes Watersports on the West Bank of the Flats rents jet skis, boats and kayaks to the adventurous, while
River Cruiser Kayaking offers tours of area waterways, including the Cuyahoga River, Ohio Erie Canal and the Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding. Thrill-seekers can catch some rays while learning to stand-up paddleboard via
Rico’s Rentals,
Aloha SUP and
41° North Kayak Adventures; the latter of which also offers kayaking lessons.
Irishtown Bend Park. The Cuyahoga River hillside known as
Irishtown Bend is being transformed into a 23-acre park with a riverfront trail, gathering spaces and boardwalk expected to be complete in 2026. The area was once the site of an Irish shantytown in the 19
th century as the city was gaining prominence as an industrial hub. The hillside slopes down from the Ohio City neighborhood, which is one of the city’s fastest developing areas. The park will complete the connection of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to Lake Erie through the 101-mile Towpath Trail and will make history as one of the first U.S. waterfront parks directly connected to public housing.