April showers bring May flowers, right? But you don’t have to wait around for those babies to bloom at home. Think spring and head to a few of our region’s fabulous gardens.
Then, once you’re a bit dizzy from stopping to smell all those gorgeous roses, open your mind and immerse yourself in the compelling and sometimes kooky culture of our NEO museums.
Garden Delights
Go: Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
See: This 65-room Manor House is 64,500 square feet, and word has it that it’s the sixth largest home open to the public in the U.S. It’s surrounded by luscious gardens, which probably means its reopening in April of each year is one of the most gorgeous times to visit. It’s not only Akron’s oldest National Historic Landmark, it’s also accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Don’t Miss: Butterflies of North America exhibit, reopens in June.
Connect: stanhywet.org, 330-836-5533, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron
Go: Cleveland Botanical Garden | Holden Forests and Gardens
See: Visit one or all of the 11 enchanting gardens and the Glasshouse filled with 350 species of exotic plants.
Don’t Miss: Daily butterfly releases and chameleon feedings in the Glasshouse.
Connect: cbgarden.org, 216-721-1600, 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland
Go: The Holden Arboretum
See: Themed public gardens with over 20 miles of hiking trails.
Don’t Miss: Pancake Breakfast and Spring Hikes, April 7 and 8.
Connect: holdenarb.org, 440-946-4400, 9550 Sperry Road, Kirtland
Go: Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve
See: The 175-acre site with over 150 species of native plants.
Don’t Miss: Four different trails that are free to roam all year-round.
Connect: beechcreekgardens.org, 330-829-7050, 11929 Beech St. NE, Alliance
Go: Schoepfle Garden | Lorain County Metro Parks
See: Laid alongside the Vermilion River is 70 beautiful acres of botanical gardens, natural woodland and ponds.
Don’t Miss: Bring the grandkids along to see the Children’s Garden
Connect: metroparks.cc, 440-965-7237, 11106 Market St., Birmingham
Go: Fellows Riverside Gardens | Mill Creek Metroparks
See: The display of a regal, 12-acre garden that features a landscape of diverse and colorful plants as well as roses of all kinds.
Don’t Miss: Gardening courses and volunteer opportunities that are available.
Connect: millcreekmetroparks.org, 330-740-7116, 123 McKinley Ave., Youngstown
Go: The Rainforest | Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
See: Over 10,000 plants and over 600 animals from the jungles of Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Don’t Miss: The 25-foot waterfall and 15 bird species that fly freely.
Connect: clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo, 216-661-6500, 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland
Must-See Museums:
Go: Troll Hole Museum
See: More than 20,000 troll items, the largest collection in the world.
Don’t Miss: Sigrid The Troll Queen in the Canton Arts District on first Fridays, where she performs troll readings and offers troll wisdom.
Connect: thetrollhole.com, 330-596-1157, 228 E. Main St., Alliance
Go: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
See: Updates and additions to the Beatles exhibit.
Don’t Miss: The piano that Paul McCartney and John Lennon used to compose some of their best works, such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “And I Love Her,” “We Can Work It Out” and “Got to Get You Into My Life.”
Connect: rockhall.com, 216-781-7625, 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland
Go: Cleveland Museum of Art
See: Eyewitness Views: Making History in Eighteenth-Century Europe exhibit.
Don’t Miss: The Cleveland Museum of Art’s performing arts series. This series strings together musical performances from around the world. Check the calendar for individual performance dates.
Connect: clevelandart.org, 216-421-7350, 11150 East Blvd, Cleveland
Go: Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
See: New pieces each time. MOCA has no collection, so the institution is always swapping artists and pieces.
Don’t Miss: INDUCTION: Tauba Auerbach and Éliane Radigue. The exhibition explores
artistic relationships and influences.
Connect: mocacleveland.org, 216-421-8671, 11400 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
Go: Akron Art Museum
See: Modern and contemporary art showcased in a breathtaking facility designed by a Viennese architectural firm that includes over 5,000 pieces of artwork.
Don’t Miss: Family Film Fest — the award-winning, family-friendly short film event on March 17. The featured film is from the 2017 New York International Children’s Film Festival. Come before the film to join in on art activities for the kiddos.
Connect: akronartmuseum.org, 330-376-9185, 1 S. High St., Akron
Go: Canton Museum of Art
See: National touring exhibits and the permanent collection of American watercolors and contemporary ceramics.
Don’t Miss: Opportunities to learn digital photography, jewelry-making, ceramics and more in one of their many classes.
Connect: cantonart.org, 330-453-7666, 1001 Market Ave. N, Canton
Go: Cleveland Museum of Natural History
See: Exciting exhibits, wild creatures and even a hiking opportunity.
Don’t Miss: REEL Science series: “Jaws.” Experts unpack the film in a Q&A hosted by paleontologists to discover what the film got right or wrong.
Connect: cmnh.org, 216-231-4600, 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland
Go: Canton Classic Car Museum
See: Around 40 rare classic and special interest vehicles.
Don’t Miss: The vintage memorabilia on display all around the museum.
Connect: cantonclassiccar.org, 330-455-3603, 123 Sixth St. SW, Canton
Go: Baseball Heritage Museum
See: Photographs, programs, letters, uniforms and other cherished ballgame memorabilia.
Don’t Miss: “You Can’t Play Ball in a Skirt: The Story of Alta Weiss” on March 24.
Connect: baseballheritagemuseum.org, 216-789-1083, 6601 Lexington Ave., Cleveland
Go: International Women’s Air & Space Museum
See: The culture and history of the remarkable women of aviation.
Don’t Miss: The children’s programs.
Connect: iwasm.org, 216-623-1111, Burke Lakefront Airport, Room 165, 1501 N. Marginal Road, Cleveland
Go: Pro Football Hall of Fame
See: Super Bowl 51 Theater and the full collection of all 51 Super Bowl rings.
Don’t Miss: “A Game for Life,” the holographic theater experience.
Connect: profootballhof.com, 330-456-8207, 2121 George Halas Drive NW, Canton
