Museums in Cleveland (Self Guided), Cleveland

The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MoCA) is a key institution dedicated to contemporary art in Cleveland. Founded in 1968 by Marjorie Talalay, Agnes Gund, and Nina Castelli Sundell, it is the only contemporary art venue of its kind in the Greater Cleveland area. MoCA started as The New Gallery became the Cleveland Centre for Contemporary Art in 1984, and has been the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland since 2002.

In 2012, MoCA unveiled a new building designed by the acclaimed British-Iranian architect Farshid Moussavi, along with the architectural firm Foreign Office Architects (FOA) and the American firm Westlake Reed Leskosky (WRL). The structure, a striking four-story, 34,000-square-foot six-sided building, integrates seamlessly into the surrounding Uptown neighborhood and reflects MoCA’s ethos of creativity and innovation. Moussavi's design uses reflective black stainless steel for the exterior, allowing it to mirror the surrounding plaza and environment, thus creating an ever-changing visual experience that engages visitors from all angles.

The interior of the museum defies the traditional 'white cube' gallery model, opting instead for electric blue walls and ceilings that enhance the presentation of contemporary artworks. The museum’s layout is highly flexible, utilizing movable walls, glass partitions, and a unique guillotine wall system that allows the top floor’s 6,000-square-foot space to be adapted for a variety of exhibitions and events. The Kohl Family Monumental Staircase and Kohl Atrium serve as guiding features through the building, encouraging visitors to explore all four floors.

Key areas include the Gund Commons, a two-story event space with a retractable door, and the MoCa Gift Store, featuring flexible cabinetry that can be hidden for more event space. The museum’s façade, interacting with Toby’s Plaza, serves as a public “living room,” inviting community engagement. MoCA Cleveland remains a hub for creativity, offering a space for art, public events, and cultural exchange.

The Reinberger Galleries, housed within the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), serve as a vibrant cultural and educational hub in Cleveland's University Circle. The Cleveland Institute of Art, founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women, is a prestigious private college known for its dedication to art and design education. Over the years, the CIA has expanded its reach through various public programs, including the Reinberger Galleries, artist lectures, and the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque.

The Reinberger Galleries feature a dynamic array of rotating art exhibitions, providing a platform for both established and emerging professional artists to showcase their work. With a mission to promote artistic growth and experimentation, the galleries host curated exhibitions, symposia, and events that cater to the needs of the CIA community and the public. The galleries not only spotlight the creative achievements of visiting artists but also serve as a learning resource for students and faculty, enriching their academic experience.

Additionally, the Student Coffee House gallery, located in the McCullough Center for the Visual Arts, offers a unique venue for students to present their work and engage with the community. Through these spaces, the Reinberger Galleries contribute to Cleveland’s vibrant arts scene and support the creative development of artists at all stages of their careers. Admission to the Reinberger Galleries is free, making them an accessible destination for art enthusiasts and community members alike.

The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, located in Cleveland, is a transportation museum dedicated to showcasing the rich history of cars and aircraft. As part of the Western Reserve Historical Society's Cleveland History Center in University Circle, the museum's collection boasts around 170 automobiles and a variety of aviation-related artifacts.

Founded in 1965 by Frederick C. Crawford, a key figure in the automotive industry and former chairman of TRW, the museum began as the Thompson Products Auto Album. Crawford’s passion for preserving automotive history stemmed from his belief that many historic machines were being unnecessarily scrapped. He felt it was crucial to save these items for future generations, leading to the establishment of one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in the region.

The museum's automotive collection includes vehicles from an 1897 Panhard et Levassor to the first production 1981 DeLorean. Highlights include DEXTER, a self-driving car that competed in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. Beyond cars, the museum showcases motorcycles, boats, and bicycles, as well as notable aircraft like a P-51 Mustang racing plane, a Goodyear F2G Corsair, and an Airco DH.4—key pieces from Cleveland's aviation history.

One of the museum’s most notable non-automotive artifacts is Tinkerbelle, a small sailboat used by Robert Manry during his solo voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1965. Manry donated the vessel to the Historical Society in 1967, adding a maritime aspect to the museum’s transportation-themed collection. Another highlight is the 1913 ALCO Model Six Berline Limousine, which won the prestigious Ansel Adams Award at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2016.

The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum continues to captivate visitors with its permanent exhibits, including Setting the World in Motion, featuring locally-made cars and airplanes, and REVolution: The Automobile in America, which narrates the evolution of the automobile in the United States. Spanning more than 2,000 square feet of archival collections, the museum remains a testament to Frederick C. Crawford’s vision of preserving transportation history for generations to come.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, situated in the cultural hub of University Circle, about five miles east of downtown Cleveland, is a premier institution dedicated to research, education, and the development of natural history collections. Founded in 1920 by Cyrus S. Eaton, the museum's roots stretch back to the 1830s when Leonard Case Sr. began a taxidermy collection, later continued by his sons Leonard Case Jr. and William Case. The collection, which started in a building called the Ark and moved to Case Hall in 1876, evolved into a full-fledged museum that found its permanent home in University Circle in 1958.

Over the decades, the museum expanded its focus to encompass a broad range of disciplines, including anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, botany, geology, paleontology, wildlife biology, and zoology. Its extensive collection of over four million specimens reflects this diversity. One of the museum's most notable contributions to science is the discovery of "Lucy," the famous Australopithecus afarensis hominin fossil, by then-curator Donald Johanson.

Today, the museum is undergoing a significant renovation and expansion project, which began in June 2021. Designed by the DLR Group, the project includes the addition of a new visitor hall, lobby, and exhibit wing, along with extensive upgrades to existing facilities. A new entrance opened in December 2022 and the entire project is scheduled for completion in December 2024, two years ahead of the original timeline.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is not just a repository of scientific knowledge; it also plays a vital role in the preservation of natural areas, managing several sanctuaries. With facilities such as the Ralph Mueller Observatory, Murch Auditorium, and the Shafran Planetarium, the museum continues to be a leading center for scientific research and public education.

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), situated in the Wade Park District of University Circle in Cleveland, is a distinguished institution renowned globally for its extensive collections, particularly in Asian and Egyptian art. The museum boasts a permanent collection of over 61,000 works from around the world, attracting nearly 770,000 visitors annually as of 2018. With free general admission, the CMA provides accessible art experiences to a broad audience.

Founded in 1913 through endowments from prominent local industrialists Hinman Hurlbut, John Huntington, and Horace Kelley, the museum was constructed in a grand Beaux-Arts style, featuring white Georgian marble. Located at the southern edge of Wade Park, the building was designed by the local architectural firm Hubbell & Benes and serves as the centerpiece of the 75-acre park, a historic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jeptha H. Wade II, whose grandfather donated the land for the park, played a significant role in establishing the museum, famously declaring it to be "for the benefit of all people, forever" at its opening in 1916.

The CMA organizes its impressive collection into 16 departments, ranging from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Art to American Painting and Sculpture, Modern European Art, and Photography. The museum's diverse holdings feature masterpieces by artists such as Botticelli, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rubens, and Vincent van Gogh, as well as modern works by Picasso, Monet, and Dalí. In recent years, the museum has expanded its collection to include key works by artists like Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and Sol LeWitt, reinforcing its commitment to showcasing both historical and contemporary art.

The Cleveland Museum of Art is the fourth-wealthiest art museum in the United States, ensuring its ability to maintain and grow its collections and educational offerings well into the future.