Cleveland History Center

This was so so fun! We went on a random weekend and purchased tickets online. We always walked by the history center so was curious as to what was inside.

When we went in, we immediately saw a large, fascinating collection of automobiles. This covered a large part of the first floor and the bottom floor. We also got to ride the carousel, which was super entertaining. The two men who were overseeing the carousel were super friendly and chatted with us about the museum and the various exhibits.

There was a wedding getting set up while we were there, so we did have to speed through some of the other areas, like the women's voting rights exhibit and the gardens, but it was still super fun! They also have a fun Cleveland section and random items, such as LeBron James' shoes!

This was a fun way to spend the morning and probably a great place to bring family!

Diverse collection

I have three young children and I was unsure if they would find the museum enjoyable. They had a great time!

Upon entering the main section they had cars and airplanes with the kids loved looking at. Although we didn't get a chance to read all the plaques there was enough to see and teach them about car history. My daughter loved the carousel ride. While waiting they have examples of how the horses are made from wood before the finishing touches like paint are made. They even have a gondola from a Goodyear blimp.

Downstairs they have another collection of cars including a the back to the future car which my kids recognized.

The other end of the museum has historical items like the mansion to tour and other exhibits.

The back section included cleveland history with a wide range of events or things that impacted history from the area.

Their favorite part was the play area with the boat to climb on, crazy coupes to drive and hula hoops.

Overall a lot of fun for everyone!

Very enjoyable, but you need to check the website out to see if you are going to get your money's worth if you are taking the whole family. I enjoyed it because they have a very interesting collection of older cars and motorcycles, their free film on the history of Cleveland was interesting, their exhibit on flight had a P-51 Mustang, and they had several paintings by Shirley Aley Campbell related to motorcycles. There is also a full-size carousel that you can ride as much as you want. The museum is not particularly large, but I found plenty to spark my imagination.

At $15, I felt I got plenty of entertainment for a fair price. But if I was taking a family, I might think twice. Kids 13 and older also pay an adult price, while ages 3-12 pay $8. Personally, I don't think teens should be singled out for adult pricing, and I am sure it might be just enough to deter some families. Especially when the Museum of Natural History is just across the street, and some families will have to make the choice between one of the two. (I would use the money to go to the Natural History Museum if I could only choose one.) Also note, it costs $8 for their parking lot, so you might want to take advantage of the street parking.

I last minute decided to stop in. As soon as I walked in I was promptly greeted by friendly staff. He explained what was closed due to their construction. It took me about 2 hours to walk through all of the exhibits. It was interesting. Oh and I stayed for the afternoon otter feeding which was a highlight.

This was a very OK museum. My husband wanted to go here for his birthday as he is a history nerd. I was all for it because I love museums. I drive past this place twice a day to/from work and have always wanted to check it out, especially the costume exhibit.
My favorite part of the history center was the room where you buy tickets. There is a giant porcelain mural, a motorcycle exhibit and a replica of Neil Armstrong's astronaut suit. The majority of the museum otherwise was automobiles. Although I do find this very interesting, there wasn't much else to see. I had a great time with my husband "car shopping" and daydreaming of a life from the eras of the different cars.
I was super bummed to walk towards the costume wing just to find it closed. Not sure why, no explanation. Also, the Women in Politics exhibit was small and very disappointing.
Seeing that there is SOOO much cool Ohio history, I just feel like this place could've had a lot more to offer.

In a word diverse. From Lebron's shoes to a huge auto collection, to Victorian paintings and a historic library.

Plenty to see and study - a beautiful museum and a worthwhile hour spent visiting.

Cleveland is a really cool city. It is a city with history, industry, and sports. This museum missed an opportunity to properly show how awesome this city is. Maybe I just didn't know what this museum should be. I am assuming it would be a city museum like The Grand Rapids Public Museum, Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, or Detroit Historical Society. Those museums go into the what makes their cities unique. Now, there is a small portion of this museum does this. That part was interesting and cool (Lebron's shoes). The cars.... just doesn't make sense. I felt like I was at the Ford Museum with multiple cars with no context. I also am not a fan of looking at old houses... so it didn't do it for me.

I think for the price, I expected so much more. The carousel was cool though...

Take a trip back in time and explore the history of the Forest City as seen through the lens of exhibits and timeless artifacts. If you dare, you can even ride on The Grand Carousel - a fully restored merry go round with hand carved horses that was once a theme attraction at the old Euclid Beach Park, an iconic theme park that closed in 1969.

This wonderful exhibit can even be seen through a glass display window, prominently showcasing its beautiful preservation it on the corner of East Blvd and E 108th St, from the exterior of the building. Whether you're a history buff, or just want to see something different, this place is definitely worth checking out.

If you are interested in Cleveland history or not, this museum is very interesting and entertaining for everyone. Exhibits show many things that were invented in Cleveland, famous people from here, clothing, the first DeLorean car off the assembly line...the list goes on. The display of vehicles is one of the best and includes cars from the 60s and newer, not just the old cars. The carousel is reminiscing of childhood and is fun to ride. Included in admission is the tour of the Hay Mansion that is connected to the museum. That tour is worth the price of admission. Sign in at the gift shop. This museum is one of my favorite go-to activities since it's easy to get around, and has good lighting for people of all ages. There is a parking lot and street parking.

The Cleveland History Center is definitely not quite as popular as the other museums in the area, which is also probably why I never went until my final year at Case. What finally attracted me was passing by the carousel so many times and hearing that you could ride it for free (included in your $9 admission).

Now the museum is quite large and is made up of several different parts. Honestly some of the exhibits were not really interesting to me. However I would say the large collection of cars is a must see (although if you're not that into cars avoid going with someone who really likes them because you might never leave), and the children's exhibit area is actually kind of fun and interactive for a short time. Additionally, we bumped into one of the staff workers as we were walking through the Hay-McKinney Mansion, who ended up explaining lots of interesting things about the history of the place. Make sure you walk out to the garden(?) area, which allows you to see how big the buildings actually are because it is hidden from outside the museum. And of course, the carousel is always fun (but I've always loved carousels anyways).

I can definitely see why the museum is not as popular for the general public, but I would say it is worth checking out at least once (especially if you are a Case student and have free admission). It's not a place I'd go for a second time, but I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would the first time!