The Flats

Cleveland


The Flats, an old industrial zone turned nightlife hub on the Cuyahoga River, has had a checkered life. After years of neglect, it's on the upswing once again. The East Bank has a waterfront boardwalk, stylish restaurants, bars and outdoor concert pavilion. The West Bank is a bit edgier and further flung, with an old garage turned brewery-winery, a skateboard park and some vintage dive bars among its assets.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cleveland attractions

1. Whiskey Island

0.48 MILES

Whiskey Island floats at the edge of downtown, where the Cuyahoga River empties into Lake Erie. The area consists of a boat-filled marina, a raucous bar…

2. Public Square

0.71 MILES

Cleveland's centerpiece got a makeover by the firm that designed New York City's High Line. The grassy expanse is a real gathering place now. Kids splash…

3. Great Lakes Science Center

0.75 MILES

One of 10 museums in the country with a NASA affiliation, Great Lakes goes deep in space with rockets, moon stones and the 1973 Apollo capsule, as well as…

4. Transformer Station

0.77 MILES

This provocative gallery partners with the Cleveland Museum of Art to showcase avant-garde paintings, photography and new media inside a repurposed…

5. William G Mather

0.81 MILES

Take a self-guided walk on this humongous freighter incarnated as a steamship museum. It's docked beside the Great Lakes Science Center, which manages it.

6. World's Largest Rubber Stamp

0.86 MILES

The kitschy 'Free' stamp sculpture by Claes Oldenburg is a photo op favorite. Food trucks congregate around it and there are live music performances on…

7. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum

0.87 MILES

Cleveland's top attraction is like an overstuffed attic bursting with groovy finds: Jimi Hendrix's Stratocaster, Keith Moon's platform shoes, John Lennon…

8. Money Museum

0.89 MILES

Pop into this small gallery inside the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and you'll emerge richer than when you entered. Literally, since the Money…

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