Superman’s story begins in Cleveland. In 1938, two local teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, created the Man of Steel while growing up in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood. Their character – the first comic book superhero – changed American pop culture forever.
On July 11, “Superman (2025),” directed by James Gunn, brings Superman’s origin full circle,
featuring Cleveland prominently on screen. The highly anticipated film stars David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.
A City of Super Origins
Superman’s origin traces back to one of Cleveland’s Jewish immigrant neighborhoods, where his creators brought to life one of the world’s most iconic heroes. Joe Shuster’s family moved to the city as a child, and he met Jerry Siegel, a Cleveland native, while attending Glenville High School. Their shared love of science fiction and fantasy sparked the creation of Superman, who eventually found a publishing home in New York with National Allied Comics.
Superman: The CLE Legacy
The legacy of Siegel and Shuster continues to thrive in The Land; Many travelers get an initial introduction at
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which showcases memorabilia celebrating the character’s history. At the main branch of
Cleveland Public Library in downtown Cleveland, visitors can see where creativity began at Siegel’s desk and check out a heroic Superman statue.
The Siegel & Shuster Society, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the creators’ legacy, is currently
fundraising for a statue to be installed outside the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. In the meantime, visitors can stop by
Jerry Siegel’s childhood home on Kimberly Avenue (a private home that features the Superman icon on its fence), pay respects at the former site of
Joe Shuster’s house (now private property, fenced with decorative panels from the pages of Action Comics #1) and make a pilgrimage to a
“Home of Superman” historical marker in Glenville.
Superman Sights in Cleveland
James Gunn honored the city’s rich connection to his main character when choosing to film Superman (2025) in Cleveland. After watching the film, fans can visit some of the iconic Cleveland locations that make an appearance, including:
- The central plaza of Cleveland’s downtown, Public Square – including the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument and surrounding buildings – was transformed into Metropolis’ bustling center.
- The Leader Building, Cleveland’s last standing historic newspaper building, stood in as the exterior of the Daily Planet.
- Progressive Field, home to the Cleveland Guardians, serves this summer as home of the Metropolis Meteors, and the scene of a major action sequence.
- Visitors can also stay at the Hyatt Regency hotel, located in the historic Cleveland Arcade on Euclid Avenue — America’s first indoor mall — which serves as the backdrop for Superman & Lois Lane’s romantic, airborne kiss.
- Cleveland City Hall was transformed into Metropolis’ City Hall.
- Terminal Tower, which offers a 360-degree view of the city from its observation deck, was featured in sweeping skyline shots of Metropolis.
- The Detroit Superior Bridge features in a high-intensity confrontation.
- Key Tower serves as the headquarters for the fictional Stagg Enterprises.
- Ontario Street and the former Cleveland Greyhound Station were part of used for fast-paced street scenes, while PNC Plaza offered dynamic urban visuals.
- Superior Avenue, temporarily renamed “Concord Street,” was reimagined as a major city thoroughfare, and the main branch of the Cleveland Public Library in Downtown served as the backdrop for several Metropolis scenes.
- Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor, about a 30-minute drive east from downtown, was used to depict a vintage U.S. Army base.
More Movies
The Land is no stranger to the spotlight. While “Superman (2025)” is the latest blockbuster to be shot in the city, movie buffs can travel to Cleveland to check out the sites and scenes of multiple favorite films. Options include a visit to the actual
House from A Christmas Story to see original props and memorabilia, admiring the three-story glass atrium at the
Cleveland Museum of Art which was depicted as SHIELD Headquarters in "Captain America: Winter Soldier" or lingering on
Public Square where scenes from “The Avengers” occurred. Other famous filming locations can be found
here.