The Western Reserve Historical Society

The Western Reserve Historical Society, located in Cleveland's University Circle neighborhood, is actually two museums -- the History Museum and the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum -- plus an extensive library. It's rarely crowded and it's filled with interesting exhibits about Cleveland from the days of Moses Cleaveland to the present.The History Museum consists of two gracious, late 19th century mansions, the Hay-McKinney and the Mather houses, extensive exhibits on the settlement of Cleveland (then, Cleaveland) and the surrounding Western Reserve (of Connecticut), and the Chisholm Halle Costume Wing.The houses, one on its original site and one moved to University Circle, contain many of the original furnishings and decorative pieces. The houses are available to the public on guided tours, offered between 12n and 5pm daily. Particularly interesting are the "back stairs" areas and the extensive kitchen as well as the Hay-McKinney mansion's gracious dining room.The Costume Wing houses over 30,000 items of apparel, dating from the late 18th century to the present. The collection is continuously rotated so that the exhibit is always fresh, even to frequent visitors.Downstairs from the History Museum is the wonderful collection of cars, planes, and other conveyances, collected by Frederick Crawford, whose father co-founded(then)Cleveland-based TRW, Inc. The collection emphasizes the contribution of early Cleveland automakers, such as Winton Motors and White Motors. Some of museum's highlights are a 1897 Panharder et Levassor (the first enclosed auto), the first DeLorean produced, and Bobby Rahal's '82 Indy car (that won the first Cleveland 500).The Western Reserve Historical Society maintains a complete archive and library of anything to do with Cleveland's history. The facility, full of photos, scanned documents, and books is open to the public Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Much of the material is also accessible online.Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 10am - 5pm
Admission:
Adults $8.50, Seniors $7.50, Students $5
Discounts are offered for AAA members Parking is $8 in the adjacent lot.

The museum has a courtyard cafe and a fascinating gift shop, filled with Cleveland history books.Western Reserve Historical Society
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
10825 East Blvd
Cleveland, OH 44106
216 721-5722
The Intercontinental Hotel (check rates), at the Cleveland Clinic, is less than a mile away from the museum and offers elegant accommodations as well as a full range of services. Smaller and more intimate is the Glidden House (check rates), just around the corner. It's a charming bed and breakfast inn, created out of an historic mansion.The 2010 Entertainment Book contains a discount coupon for the Western Reserve Historical Society as well as discount coupons for hundreds of other Northeast Ohio attractions, restaurants, theater, and retailers. For more information, or to order yours, click here. Use zip code "44115" to order.

^{(last updated 10-10-09)}