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 region. 

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 19^th century condom made of animal membranes, The Dittrick Museum of Medical History covers the unnerving—yet fascinating—history of medicine. CLOSED until Jan. 2020
• 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 exhibits 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 can sit on church pews and find themselves in awe of the stained-glass window collection and a 19^th century statue of St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
• 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.
• 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 reserve an overnight stay at the iconic house or next door at the Bumpus House. Home to Ralphie’s rambunctious neighbors and their 785 smelly hound dogs, visitors will experience all the modern amenities in this vintage, eclectic home with 1940s style and a slightly hillbilly, Bumpus flare.
• It’s the holidays all year round at Castle Noel in Medina. 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.”

A Bewitching Experience

• Step into a world of folklore and the supernatural at the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick Opened in 1966 as the country’s first collection of its kind, the museum has called multiple cities home over the years, before relocating to Cleveland in 2015. Visitors can stop in to view a range of items, from Ancient Egyptian after-life dolls to artifacts from the Salem Witch trials.
• Opened in Lakewood in July 2018, Coven provides “magical provisions for the modern feminist witch.” Visitors can stock up on patron saint Stevie Nicks candles, crystals, artisan skincare and more while also enjoying unique experiences such as in-house tarot readings, reiki healing and custom candle carving.
• After co-owners Clement Kunkle and Hallie Wallace provided rare objects that appeared in “My Friend Dahmer” and “American Horror Story,” they realized their collection of oddities warranted a larger audience—and storefront. Cleveland Curiosities, located in Lakewood, opened in 2018 and provides an eye-widening and jaw-dropping experience with objects like ostrich eggs, camel skulls, taxidermy and photos of a three-legged man on display.

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.
• 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).
• Visitors can “reel in the New Year” at Port Clinton’s Walleye Madness at Midnight. At the “Walleye Capital of the World,” attendees can enjoy walleye specialty dishes and watch a 20-foot, 600-pound walleye drop from the sky at midnight.

One-And-Only 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.”
• 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.
• The neighborhoods of Ohio City, Detroit Shoreway and Collinwood feature a large number of street art backdrops for one-of-a-kind selfies, including an all-gold building, and a larger-than-life pizza slice.
• Coffee and kittens anyone? Located in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, affoGATO Cat Cafe serves hot lattes and bakery items on one side, while also providing a safe home for adoptable cats. For a small cover charge, two worlds collide in the Cat Lounge, where patrons can relax, work and enjoy their favorite beverage and snacks while comingling with friendly felines.