Quirky in Cleveland

From a museum devoted entirely to polka music to a festival celebrating duct tape, a visit to Cleveland promises anything but the ordinary. For travelers looking to experience all that makes Cleveland one-of-a-kind, look no further than the wacky places, offbeat attractions and eccentric events offered throughout the city.

Unusual and Unique Museums

• The National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum takes visitors on a journey through legendary oompah bands, vintage accordions, ornate performance costumes, images and video of this ethnic folk dance that reflects happiness and prosperity.
• Visitors will be thankful for modern medicine after laying eyes on a Civil War-era amputation set—complete with a rusty, old saw. From the library of the Renaissance physician who treated the Holy Roman Emperor to a 19th century condom made of animal membranes, the The Dittrick Museum of Medical History covers the unnerving—yet fascinating—history of medicine.
• Whether picking from a 23-foot money tree or identifying counterfeit bills, visitors can follow the history of money at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Learning & Money Museum – one of just 12 Federal Reserve banks in the nation.
• Travelers can step into the restored ticket booth of League Park – the oldest ballpark in the world – to visit the Baseball Heritage Museum. This free museum features exhibit’s and rare memorabilia that present the rich history and diversity of baseball like programs, uniforms, signed baseballs and other keepsakes from various baseball leagues.
• Inside the 125-year-old former St. Hedwig’s church, is the Museum of Divine Statues, which houses a display of religious artifacts from around the world. Great for visitors of any denomination or no religion at all, guests will find themselves in awe of the stained-glass window collection and a 19th century statue of St. Elizabeth of Hungary as they sit on church pews. Borrow an iPad from the museum to scan various codes along a tour and learn more about 1950’s replicas of nun dolls from countries around and religious items carried by European troops during World War I.
• Visitors cans interact with real merry-go-round carvers, ride a restored Allan Herschell Carousel, admire gorgeously restored carousels and learn the history behind this beloved amusement park ride at the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky.
• Stop in (if you dare) The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick to browse a collection of artifacts and imagery connected to the world of folklore and the supernatural.
• Nestled just one hour outside of Downtown Cleveland is the Guinness World Record’s largest collection of troll dolls at the Troll Hole Museum. Visitors can peruse through a grotto, mountain troll room and a Christmas-themed display to see thousands of miniature and floor-to-ceiling troll dolls. Before heading home, guests can stop by Grumpy Troll Coffee for a cup of java and sweet treats including a waffle inspired by the popular Poppy character from the Troll’s cartoon.

Tis the Season

• We “triple dog dare ya” to go to “A Christmas Story” House and Museum in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, where part of the holiday classic was filmed. Visitors can see Ralphie and Randy’s house restored to its big screen look with props like the “fra-gee-lay” leg lamp and the “you’ll shoot your eye out kid” Red Ryder BB gun. For a once in a lifetime opportunity, visitors can now reserve an overnight stay at the iconic house where pink bunny suits and bedtime Ovaltine are optional.
• It’s the holidays all year round at Castle Noel in Medina, Ohio. With the sets of favorite holiday films like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Elf” and “The Santa Clause” on display, the indoor Christmas attraction houses the largest privately owned collection of Hollywood Christmas movie props and costumes—and it even periodically “snows.” Visitors can also ride the Santa Klaus Mountain Slide just like Ralphie and Randy in “A Christmas Story.”

Game On

• From Hungry Hungry Hippos to Parcheesi and about 1,000 other games in between, an afternoon of board games awaits visitors to Tabletop Board Game Café. For just $5, visitors can enjoy childhood classics or try new games recommended by the game-loving staff while enjoying beer, wine, smoothies and snacks.
• Superelectric Pinball Parlor brings out the inner child in every visitor. With more than 20 pinball games ranging from the 1950s to the latest releases, this arcade in the Gordon Square Arts District is full of bells and whistles and clacks and dings.

Far-Out Festivals

• Neither snow nor ice nor subfreezing temperatures keep Clevelanders down—or indoors. Join 15,000 of your coolest friends at Brite Winter, an annual arts and music festival in the Flats West Bank of Downtown Cleveland. Held in mid to late February, guests can expect art, fire and fun while listening to bands on multiple indoor and outdoor stages and enjoying frosty beer and belly-warming food trucks.
• A Springtime trek to Cleveland is a must for filmmakers and movie-lovers from around the world. In 2018, the 43rd Cleveland International Film Festival showcased over 200 feature films from 72 countries and 300 filmmakers to more than 105,000 festivalgoers.
• An event that is sure to “stick” with visitors is the Avon Heritage Duck Tape Festival. Every June, the celebration, which revolves around duct tape, features a designer fashion show and a parade.
• You’ll think you’re seeing double every August at the Twins Day Festival. The largest gathering of twins and multiples in the world takes place in the city of Twinsburg (southeast of Downtown Cleveland).
• Every summer, locals and visitors come together to celebrate Cleveland’s world-class arts and culture at Parade the Circle in the University Circle neighborhood. Visitors can experience the fun as they browse through tents filled with creations of local and international artists, nosh on Cleveland’s finest food and craft beer and watch a parade of bright costumes, giant puppets, stilt-dancers, and colorful floats.
• Visitors can “reel in the New Year” at Port Clinton’s Walleye Madness at Midnight. At the “Walleye Capital of the World,” visitors can enjoy walleye specialty dishes and watch a 20-foot, 600-pound walleye drop from the sky at midnight.

One-And-Only Outdoor Attractions

• At Lake View Cemetery, visitors can set a dime on John D. Rockefeller’s headstone for financial prosperity, take in the beauty of Wade Chapel, and enjoy the view from atop the memorial of James A. Garfield.
• It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s the Superman House! Located in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood, comic book fans can take photos next to the big red metal “S” mounted on the front fence of Jerry Spiegel’s home, the birthplace of Superman. Guests can also check-out the poster-size reproductions of Superman’s first comic appearance where Joe Shuster’s house once stood.
• Photo opps are plentiful in Cleveland where visitors can see some of the most unusual of the world’s largest attractions including the world’s largest outdoor chandelier at Playhouse Square and the world’s largest rubber stamp in Willard Park, which reads “Free.”
• In Ohio City’s Hingetown neighborhood, visitors can take advantage of one-of-a-kind street art backdrops, including a colorful flying tiger, larger-than-life pizza slice and collage of cartoon faces. One of the murals is now the longest such work in the state of Ohio.