By Greg Sedlak

The next two weeks offer Greater Cleveland residents the chance to embrace The Land and learn more about our deep and varied history. From June 23 to July 2, Canalway’s annual Cleveland History Days will offer Greater Cleveland residents the chance to visit famous Cleveland museums and engage in guided tours on a wide variety of subjects. Venues include the Baseball Heritage Museum, Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Dunham. Tavern Museum and many more. There will also be walks along some of Cleveland’s famous landmarks, including Underground Railroad sites and Mills Creek Falls.

 Highlights include: The River Rally on June 24,^, featuring kayaking lessons, riverfront yoga, walking and biking tours, Veterans Memorial Bridge is opening for self-guided tours on June 24 as well; June 25  offers Playhouse Square tours and a trip to the Historic B&O Roundhouse. If you’re looking for more talks and history, on July 1, the Cleveland Public library is offering talks on different topics such as Gilded Age, Mound Building Tribes of Ohio, and a Roundtable about the missing chapters and untold stories of Cleveland.

Events take place around the Cleveland area. To get a full list of the details for each day and what events are planned, check out the Cleveland History Days website.  Take the upcoming Cleveland History Days as a chance to discover the undiscovered and learn what makes Cleveland, the Land.

"We are thrilled to present Cleveland History Days 2023, a celebration of the people, places, and stories that have shaped our beloved city," said Tom Yablonsky, Cleveland History Days founder and Cleveland Historic Preservation Advocate. "This year's program offers a diverse range of events that capture the essence of Cleveland's history, allowing attendees to connect with the past and discover the fascinating narratives that are working to have a positive impact on Cleveland’s future development.”

History Days Highlights

For a full schedule and details, see Cleveland History Days

• June 22: Pride Celebration
  • Hanna Garden, $15 admission, free for WRHS Members
  • Honors the LGBTQ+ community and spotlights the activism performed by LGBTQ+ members throughout Cleveland History with guided tours.
• June 23: Cleveland History Days’ Opening Ceremony
  • Presentation and kickoff of the events for the History Days beginning at 10:30 with doors opening at 10 a.m.
  • Jesse Owens Legacy
    • Luncheon with screening of Olympic Oaks, Jesse Owen’s Legacy
      • Panel after words with Tyrone Owens, Jeffrey T. Verespej, Regennia N. Willi a.m.s
    • $25 per person
  • Take a Hike – Erie Street Cemetery Tour
    • 12 p.m.-12:45 p.m.
      • 45-minute lunchtime tour of Erie Street Cemetery
      • Free
  • Veterans Memorial Bridge – Community Conversation
    • 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
    • Contribute to a conversation for creating public access to the lowline
      • Hosted on the underside of the bridge with dinner for first come first serve
• June 24
  • Flat out Fun – Metroparks
    • Explore Towpath trail through the Flats
  • Baseball History
    • Baseball heritage museum
    • Celebration of Cleveland Sports history led by authors and historians.
  • Hoods Up History Day
    • 80^th anniversary, drive a fun classic car to Crawford for a show and free parking
  • Canal Basin Tour
    • 90 minute guided walking tour that highlights the history of Ohio/Erie Canal development
  • Veterans Memorial Bridge
    • Self-Guided tour allows visitors to experience the streetcar station and tracks and view the river
  • River Rally
    • Celebrates the history of the river with music and free history
      • Riverside Yoga, kayaking, boat ride, walking tours, biking tours and more
  • Sidaway bridge tour
    • Pedestrian suspension bridge and the importance for racial divides and its history with desegregation
• June 25
  • Playhouse Square Tour
    • 90-minute guided tour of playhouse square
  • Historic B&O Roundhouse
    • Learn how railroads helped make Cleveland become industrial giant with a tour of the round house and railyard
  • Canals Open house
    • Meet costumed interpreters to explore the Ohio and Erie Canal during the 1830s
    • Lock model demonstration, craft or play a historic g ame
  • Cleveland’s Sacred Spaces
    • Church of St. Coleman houses some of the region’s finest marble, alabaster, and mosaic works made by Irish artisans from Dublin.
  • Paul Kovac’s Big Grass Band
    • Free concerts on H a.m.es A. Garfield Memorial
• June 26
  • Historic Hotels
    • Walking tour of the architectural masterclasses that are the Cleveland hotels
  • Shipbuilding History 1800-1950
    • Hosted inside Willi a.m. G. Mather Ste mship, a presentation, guided tour will occur on the Ship
  • Dunham Tavern Museum
    • A once stagecoach stop for buffalo-Cleveland transport, the home is the oldest building still standing on its original site in Cleveland.
  • Ohio City Tour
    • Guided tour of Ohio City
• June 27
  • Cleveland Metroparks Mill Creek Falls
    • Visit the tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga County and learn history about old Newburgh, Garfield Park and how Pennsylvania Railroad moved a waterfall
  • NEO sound at the Rock & Roll Hall of F a.m.e
    • Watch a presentation about a collection of materials related to CLE Rich music history
  • River By Boat
    • 2-hour guided tour of Cuyahoga River, discuss the river fires, bridges, cargo ships, recl a.m.ation and more.
  • Superior Arts District tour
    • Tour of the Arts District
• June 28
  • Soldiers and Sailors Monument Tour
    • In-depth description of the handiwork of the monument + honoring the individuals that have served from the Civil War to more modern conflicts
  • River By boat Tour again
  • Department Stores Tour
    • History of the department stores that would draw shoppers to CLE
  • Coffee talks with Tom Yablonsky and Tim Donovan
    • The two will share stories related to the creation of the Towpath Trail in CLE and the history or advocacy in CLE centered around building the path
  • History of the Metroparks
    • Judy MacKeigan traces the development of green space around the city
• June 29
  • Historic Districts Presentation Showcase
    • Two designated districts flank the Canal Basin Park which will be highlighted during this presentation
      • B&O railroad, 1575 Merwin Road40 people
      Sponsored by Downtown Cleveland Alliance
    River By Boat
• • Mike Polk’s take on CLE Photos
    • Part of CLE Stories series
      • John will mime library’s collection of great old photos never before seen while Polk adds his thoughts on what is really happening
  • Civic Center tour
• June 30
  • Hidden City Tour
    • Warehouse district and seeing the public art and the anthology project
      • Visit Lighthouse Park
  • Erie Street Cemetery Tour
  • Lower Yellow Line Tour
    • Be lead through the yellow line region of cemeteries, giving you better looks at the landscape, landmarks, and legacies
      • 2-mile tour on potential grassy and uneven terrain
  • Visit the Underground Railroad at Cozad-Bates House
    • Guided tour of the Cozad-bates House which is the only pre-Civil War house in University Circle
      • Highlights area of Activism through exhibits and outdoor installations
  • East Mount Zion Civil Rights discussion and Tour
    • Learn about East Mount Zion Baptist Church’s role in art, architecture and the civil rights movement
• July 1
  • CLE Baseball History
  • Canal Basin Tour
  • Ohio Freedom Path Hike
    • 2-3 mile path that follows the Underground railroad
  • CLE History Talks at the Public Library
    • 10:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
      • Cleveland in the Gilded Age John D. Rockefeller focus
    • 12-1 p.m. Placemark Collaborative
      • Burnham’s Mall/CLE City Beautiful movement
        • Updates and efforts made by the Placemark Collaborative and the Canalway
    • 1-2 p.m. Library Tours
    • 2-3 p.m. Mary Stockwell
      • Ohio’s mound building civilizations, historic tribes and the other trails of tears
    • 3:30-4:30 Stories untold: Missing Chapters
      • Roundtable discussion on the CLE history books that have been published and the stories not yet written
  • Great Lakes Expo: Fun on a Dump
    • A history of the Great Lakes Expo with a focus on the impact women had for the event
  • Lantern Theatre: Declaration Exploration
    • Reading of the Declaration of Independence with excerpts from Poor Richards Almanac

Greater Cleveland Partnership’s All In vision for a Great Region on a Great Lake has five key priorities: Dynamic Business, Abundant Talent, Inclusive Opportunity, Appealing Community and Business Confidence. All of our work ties back to these values. This story relates to Appealing Community.