In July 2018, I experienced downtown Cleveland, Ohio for the first time. Since I find a lot of value in taking a tour of any new location with a well-recommended tour company, I chose to book a Downtown Highlights Walking Tour with Scott O’Con of Tours of Cleveland LLC.
My tour met on Cleveland’s Public Square (in front of the statue of Mayor Tom Johnson) where our learning experience started with Scott’s welcome and information about the city’s beginnings. Moses Cleaveland surveyed the Public Square’s land and so they named “Cleveland” after him though he never returned. (You’ll find out why they dropped the “a” at a strategic spot later in the tour.)
The tour continued along The Mall (a downtown green space) to its high point along Lakeside Drive overlooking Lake Erie. Here, we learned about the infamous fires in the lake and caught a splendid view of the waterfront attractions including FirstEnergy Stadium (home of The Cleveland Browns), City Hall, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and The Great Lakes Science Center. We then
headed by the Federal Reserve (one of 12 in the country), walked through The Arcade out onto Euclid Avenue, then headed down to Heinen’s Fine Foods inside the former Cleveland Trust Bank Building with its stunning rotunda and upper floors lined by murals depicting Cleveland’s history.
Our last destination was Playhouse Square where we toured the connected lobbies of four of the last historic Playhouse Square theatres including The State, The Palace, The Allen and The Ohio.
Though not a native of Cleveland, Scott has done the research on his adopted city’s past and present. He has a passion for all Cleveland has to offer and conveys this to tour participants via knowledgeable discussion paired with witty/smart repartee.
Scott is enthusiastic about Cleveland’s current and upcoming scene and what it has to offer visitors and residents alike. If you visit Cleveland, Ohio, (and you should) be sure to visit https://toursofcleveland.com/ and take one of their walking tours (they also include private and corporate tours). You can also follow Scott’s blog at https://toursofcleveland.com/blog/
