Insider Tips for Making the Most of University Circle

About 15 minutes east of downtown Cleveland, University Circle shines as a world-class arts and culture destination. There’s a lot to see and do in the circle so we made it our mission to discover the things you absolutely cannot miss when you visit. Read on for tips for making the most of your University Circle experience or watch the Positively Cleveland video below.

Cleveland Institute of Art
Founded in 1882, The Cleveland Institute of Art is an independent college of art and design that also offers a wide array of public programming.
11141 East Boulevard, 216.421.7000, www.cia.edu
Reinberger Gallery open 10am-5pm on Tues., Wed., Thurs., Sat. and 10am-9pm on Fri.
Various alternative and arts film showings at the CIA Cinematheque.

Tips:

• CIA’s Cinematheque shows more than 250 domestic and international films each year, films you probably can’t see anywhere else. Admission is $8, parking is free (right next to the building) and concessions won’t break the bank. Tickets may be purchased at CIA’s box office before each film. View the schedule here.
• Just inside the doors of CIA’s Gund building, visitors are welcome to browse the FREE Reinberger Gallery where local artists as well as major traveling exhibits are displayed Tuesday through Saturday.
• The Visiting Artist Program invites artists of regional, national and international renown to CIA to present free lectures showcasing a wide variety of topics in fine arts and design. These lectures are free and open to the public.

Severance Hall
Long considered one of America’s great orchestras, the Cleveland Orchestra performs in Severance Hall, located in University Circle on the campus of Case Western Reserve University.
11001 Euclid Avenue, 216.231.1111, www.clevelandorchestra.com
Various concert and event times.

Tips:

• Silver aluminum decorates the entire hall and the acoustics are prime, making it a fantastic place to hear a concert.
• The Cleveland Orchestra packs their schedule with family-friendly events throughout the concert season. Browse the events calendar to find something for the whole family.
• The Orchestra has two homes. Severance Hall , the orchestra’s winter home is in University Circle. In the summer, picnic with the orchestra at Blossom Music Center, a large outdoor venue.
• Severance Hall offers free public tours on selected Sundays at 12pm and 1pm during the Severance Hall season. Call 216.231.1111 for reservations. Private tours can be arranged for a fee by calling 216.231.7421.
• Severance offers on-site parking, dining and a music-inspired gift shop.

The Cleveland Museum of Art in University Circle (view from Wade Lagoon side)

Cleveland Museum of Art

One of the nation’s most preeminent art museums, featuring 6,000 years of the world’s great art and significant special exhibitions. The current expansion project re-imagines the museum.
11150 East Boulevard, 888.CMA.0033, www.clevelandart.org
Open 10am-5pm Tues., Thurs. and Sat. and 10am-9pm Wed. and Fri.

Tips:

• The Cleveland Museum of Art is FREE (excepting some special exhibitions)
• Coming soon are galleries for Asian, antiquities, ancient Americas, medieval European and  Sub-Saharan African art, textiles, and prints and drawings.
• Head to the second floor to experience CMA’s newly renovated art research library, the 3rd largest in the United States, including 401,918 volumes. Open to the public free everyday for leisurely reading.
• CMA hosts some of Cleveland’s most popular events, including Parade the Circle

Cleveland Institute of Music
CIM is an internationally known observatory of music boasting a gorgeous recital hall where faculty, visiting musicians and students of the highest caliber perform hundreds of free concerts each year.
11021 East Boulevard, 216.791.5000, www.cim.edu
Various concert and recital times.

Tips:

• The public is encouraged to attend one of more than 400 free concerts performed each year by students, faculty and well-known guest musicians.
• As part of the curriculum at CIM, students are required to perform individual recitals (open to the public) to help prepare them for large audiences.