6. Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art‘s ambitious $350 million renovation over the course of more than a decade joins together the original 1916 Beaux-arts museum building and a 1971 education wing designed by Marcel Breuer with a 39,000 square foot, 66-foot high glass Atrium by architect Rafael Viñoly, recently more famous for the New York City skyscraper 432 Park Avenue.

For the full experience grab a lunch at Provenance, the restaurant that is located just off the atrium with a view of Wade Park and the Fine Arts Garden and then take in the galleries. Then, walk around the stately historic homes of the University Circle Hub, an area undergoing an urban planning renaissance of its own, with an aim to better connect and densify the arts, education and medical activities in this hub. There’s a new bike share system with mixed use development that fills in previously empty parking lots, and art beautification projects (a whimsical one on the transformer boxes on the street). Elise Yablonsky, the Planning Director for University Circle tells us that the way finding project known as Circlewalk “tells the story of the people, places and institutions” of the neighborhood.

The Cleveland Museum of Art also has an outpost, The Transformer Station, located in a former substation of the Cleveland Railway Company in Ohio City, not far from the West Side Market. The Transformer Station focuses on contemporary art and photo-based art and on our visit was showcasing the impressive works of those on the Museum staff.

The Cleveland Museum of Art is located at 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, 44106