Free Things to Do in Cleveland (Part 4)

Cleveland's Rockefeller Park Greenhouse, located just off of Martin Luther King Blvd near University Circle, is a wonderful collection of exotic and native plants. Admission to the greenhouse is free and highlights include the extensive orchid and tropical plant exhibits as well as the spring bulb and December holiday plants displays.

The Cleveland Cultural Gardens are a collection of 24 ethnic gardens planted in Rockefeller Park along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Many of the individual gardens date back to the early 20th century. They represent the many ethnic groups that came together to form Cleveland's population. Among the groups represented are African-American, Chinese, Czech, German, Hebrew, Polish, Greek, and Ukranian. The gardens are open from dawn to dusk.

The Cleveland Browns Training and Administrative Complex, located on the campus of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, is open to the public during the Browns training camp, from late July to late August. Admission is free and it's a great way to see the new players up close.

Each summer, from mid-June to the end of August, the cultural institutions of University Circle sponsor a series of free Wednesday concerts, rangings from jazz to big-band to classical. Most of the events are in the evening with a couple of lunchtime concerts added. In addition to music, many of the area's museums offer extended hours and discounted admission and area restaurants offer samples of their cuisine.

Set amidst the traditional buildings of Case Western Reserve University, at University Circle, is architect Frank Gehry's masterpiece Peter B. Lewis Building. The five-story, 150,000-square foot building is the headquarters of Case's Weatherhead School of Management. The building is noted for its asymmetrical design and curvilinear stainless steel roof.

It is closed to the public during the week, but free hourly tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays, beginning at 1pm.