Ten Top Holiday Attractions in Cleveland Plus

The onset of cooler temperatures means the holiday festivities are just beginning to heat up in Cleveland Plus.  Whether you kick things off with the Rockettes at Cleveland’s Wolstein Center (Radio City Christmas Spectacular, November 22), make a snowy excursion to the “North Pole” aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (Mr. Jingeling, Christmas Tree Adventure and Polar Express trips available), take a lantern-lit trip to holidays past at Hale Farm and Village (Hale Lantern Tours, December 4-5, 11-12 and 18-23) or experience the hand clapping, foot stomping, uplifting spiritual celebration of James Weldon Johnson's God’s Trombones performed at the nation’s oldest African American multicultural arts center (Karamu House, December 4-27), there’s no shortage of wintry fun.

Here are ten of the top bets for celebrating the holidays in Cleveland Plus:

10. Sleigh Bells Ring, Are You Listening?: Country Lights At Lake Farmpark Sold Out!
Imagine a picturesque seasonal family outing worthy of an American Greetings' holiday greeting card--that's Lake Metroparks' Country Lights. Sleigh bells ring as you ride in a wagon drawn through a winter wonderland trimmed with a quarter of a million holiday lights. Then, watch as miniature trains wind their way through model villages or try your hand at toymaking in Santa's Workshop.  Be sure to buy a ticket early, Country Lights sells out quickly. December 4–23, 5-9pm. Call 440.256.2156 or visit www.lakemetroparks.com

9. Even Better Than 11 Pipers Piping: Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concerts 
How can a holiday performance at the opulent Severance Hall with one of the world's leading orchestras not leave you feeling inspired?  The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2009 10-day holiday festival consists of eight Christmas Concerts with The Cleveland Orchestra and Choruses; two performances of Eileen Ivers – An Irish Christmas (a concert by Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul with The Cleveland Orchestra, telling the story of a real Irish Christmas through music and dance) and two performances of Burning River Brass, featuring the 12-member Burning River Brass ensemble and organist Todd Wilson. Families with children not expecting coal in their stockings can arrive early for the 3pm Christmas Concerts on December 12, 13, 19 and 20 and enjoy "Lunch with Santa" in Severance Restaurant from  noon-3pm, call 216.231.7373 or email reservations@clevelandorchestra.com. December 11-21, see schedule for times. Call 216.231.7300 or visit www.clevelandorchestra.com. Note: Additional holiday concerts are two performances of Handel’s Messiah, on Thursday, December 10 and Saturday, December 12; and three different PNC Holiday Musical Rainbow programs for children up to age 10 – “Music of Chanukah,” “All About Kwanzaa,” and “Christmas Brass Quintet,” featuring members of the Orchestra and guests.

8. Have A Jolly, Trolley Christmas: Lolly The Trolley Seasonal Tours
This year, take your lights ride in style . . . aboard the cheery red Lolly the Trolley. With a quarter of a century of holiday city tours under their belt, you know you’re getting a seasoned professional illuminating you on Cleveland’s “merry and bright” side.  Lolly’s “Tinsel, Tales and Trees” or “Silver Bells” tours are narrated, one-hour city sightseeing journeys wrapping trivia and history into the area’s brilliant lights displays. December 4-27. Call 216.771.4484 or visit www.lollytrolley.com.

7. Thrills And Chills: Toboggan Chutes At Cleveland Metroparks
Cleveland Metroparks' Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville gives kids of all ages an adrenaline boost with a chance to shoot down two 700-foot refrigerated ice chutes at chilling speeds anywhere from 20 to 50 miles per hour. Sledders are dropped about 70 feet at a 35-degree angle on these, the only public ice chutes in Ohio. After a trip down the chutes, an exploration of the Park District, including lakes for ice fishing, is in perfect order. But, if you need to warm up, the reservable chalet on-site features two fireplaces (indoor and outdoor), a main gathering area with a large-screen television, a snack bar, a loft with video games and indoor restrooms. Open Fridays-Sundays, December-February and Thursday nights in January and February with or without snow. Call 440.572.9990 or visit www.clevelandmetroparks.com.

6. No Bah, Humbug: "A Christmas Carol"
There's no miser quite like Scrooge and there's no redemption quite as heartwarming as Charles Dickens’ classic tale. One of Northeast Ohio’s favorite holiday traditions, A Christmas Carol is performed by Great Lakes Theater Festival, launched on a shoestring budget of $50,000 in the early 1960s by Arthur Lithgow (actor John Lithgow's dad), the festival is now a $3 million-a-year operation whose home base is in Cleveland’s vital PlayhouseSquare. December 4–23. Call 216.241.6000 or visit www.greatlakestheater.org.

5. We Double Dog Dare You To Miss This: A Christmas Story At Cleveland Play House
Where better to see A Christmas Story, the stage adaptation of the search for the holy grail of Christmas presents—a Red Ryder carbine-action, two hundred shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and a thing that tells time—than in Cleveland, the city where much of the movie version of Jean Shepherd’s memoir was filmed?  For the fifth year, America’s first regional theater company presents this wonderful Midwest holiday tale. November 27-December 20. Call 216.795.7000 or visit www.clevelandplayhouse.com. Note: While you’re at the Play House, check out The Festival of Trees (November 23-January 3). This annual event features more than 50 locally sponsored and professionally decorated trees. Free and open to the public.

4. Snow Much Fun: Cleveland Botanical Garden WinterShow And The Rink At Wade Oval
In addition to being the most concentrated square mile of arts and culture in the nation, University Circle is home to some great winter activities. Cleveland Botanical Garden’s WinterShow with its dozens of creative gingerbread creations and holiday plant display is a family favorite. WinterShow runs through January 3. Call 216.721.1600 or visit www.cbgarden.org. Then, check out The Rink at Wade Oval, an outdoor skating rink in the center of all the museums. If you don't have your own, skate rental for the scenic skate site is just $3, but if you show a receipt from WinterShow, you'll get that free too. November 21-March 21. Call 216.707.5033 or visit www.universitycircle.org. Note: University Circle puts it altogether in a nice big package with a great big bow for Holiday CircleFest, an annual event that kicks off the holiday celebrations in a big way, bringing together more than a dozen University Circle museums (like The Children's Museum of Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Western Reserve Historical Society), gardens, galleries, churches and schools for one free day of music, activities and shopping. The event concludes with the Cleveland Museum of Art's dramatic Winter Lights Lantern Procession on Wade Oval. Sunday, December 6, 1-7pm, www.universitycircle.org.

3. Lights, Camera ... Christmas: “Holly”wood Christmas Movieland
Mark Klaus is an ornament designer from Seven Hills who sells his own hand sculpted designs on QVC. He and his wife Dana collect holiday movie memorabilia including props, costumes, promotional posters and more for years. In 2008, Klaus made his personal collection public by debuting “Holly”wood Christmas Movieland. So popular in its first year, Klaus’s creation has already expanded to become a 6,000 square-foot seasonal exhibition.  In it, Klaus makes a little festive movie magic with indoor snow demonstrations and elaborate displays focused on films like The Grinch and Miracle on 34th Street. New this year, visitors can walk in the footsteps of penny-pinching Scrooge himself. And what would Christmas memories be without the presents we all coveted as kids? “Holly”wood Christmas Movieland has an “I Had That!” display of vintage and collectible toys that includes so each generation can remember their “must have” plaything whether that be a Chatty Cathy doll or Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em robots. November 1-January 15, Great Northern Mall hours. Call 440.453.5889 or visit www.christmasmovieland.com.

2. Deck The Hall! Stan Hywet Hall And Gardens
Imagine the former estate of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company cofounder FA Seiberling decked out for optimum seasonal cheer. The impressive Akron mansion features 25 festive rooms adorned with everything from Christmas quilts to doll collections. A stroll of the extensive gardens and grounds reveals imaginative holiday lights and a collection of nutcrackers is on display in the Corbin Conservatory, where all children (up to age 17) receive a complimentary gingerbread cookie--reminiscent of the Seiberling family tradition of giving Christmas cookies to guests visiting at holiday time. Musical entertainment and ice sculpting demonstrations on select evenings round out the holiday festivities. The Stan Hywet Café serves hot chocolate, cookies and other holiday fare. November 19-22, 27-29 and December 3-6, 10-13, 17-20, 22-23, 26-27 and 29-30, 5-8pm. Call 330.315.3287 or visit www.stanhywet.org.

1. We'll Leave A Leg Lamp On For You: A Christmas Story House And Museum
See the Cleveland attraction built specifically around the winter holidays--A Christmas Story House and Museum pays homage to the cult classic tale of young Ralphie Parker's quest for the "holy grail" of Christmas gifts . . . a Red Ryder BB gun. The restored house where some of the 1983 cult classic movie was filmed displays everything from Randy’s snowsuit to the chalkboard from Miss Shields’ classroom and its gift shop features everything A Christmas Story including the Yahtzee board game, replicas of the Aunt Clara bunny costume and, of course, the "Major Award" Leg Lamp. Since it opened two and a half years ago, more than 100,000 movie fans have toured the museum. As can be expected, things pick up for the themed attraction during the holiday season. “Thanksgiving through New Year’s is our busiest time,” explains curator Steve Siedlecki. “We’ll see from 1500 to 2000 people on a single day. We normally give guided tours but come that time of year we switch to self-guided tours. We get a lot of people through for the number of hours we’re open.” Call 216.298.4919 or visit www.christmasstoryhouse.com.

Cleveland Plus Holiday Hotels

Coming to Cleveland for the holidays has never been easier with a bevy of Cleveland Plus hotel choices so near to the all the festivities. Choose where to stay from the list of adjacent hotels below, or click here to search all of our Cleveland Plus accommodations.

The Spirit of the Season

Twenty local organizations decorated 30” wreaths exemplifying the “Spirit of Cleveland.” From colorful cutouts of classic Cleveland personalities to a string of leg lamp lights, each wreath is an expression of the character of the community.  To view all the fanciful wreaths in the photos, click here »