Hollywood on the Cuyahoga: Northeast Ohio and the Movies, a new exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society Cleveland History Center, opens Sept. 25.
The exhibit showcases the region’s important contributions to the movie industry, which brings over $100 million to the local economy each year. Hollywood on the Cuyahoga: Northeast Ohio and the Movies complements “Ohio Goes to the Movies,”a statewide film festival and signature event of America 250, Ohio in 2026, that features Ohio actors, directors, writers, composers and others who bring the magic of the movies to life.
In recent years, the birthplace of the first American Superhero, Superman, has become a go-to place for filming superhero films such as “The Avengers,” “Spiderman 3” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Project Manager Dennis Barrie of Barrie Projects says “Hollywood on the Cuyahoga uncovers these stories. From ‘The Deerhunter,’ to ‘Christmas Story,’ ‘Shawshank Redemption,’ ‘Superman’ and more. Yes, we do make movies in Ohio.”
In 1897, the Thomas Edison Company made a 45-second-long film in the Cleveland Flats. Entitled “Coal Unloader,” it marked the birth of filmmaking in Northeast Ohio. More than a century later, Clevelanders Joe and Anthony Russo became the most financially successful movie producers in history. In between, the region has had a memorable history of movie-making and movie makers.
Hollywood on Cuyahoga at the Cleveland History Center in University Circle runs through October 2026.
