Winter Bucket List 2025
Expiration: Mar 31st 2025
Here in Cleveland, we know a thing or two about the winter. Sure, the temperature’s falling, snow is, too, and the sun is playing hide and seek all day. But you know what? You’ve got this. Grab that downy coat, put something with a little tread on your feet and get ready for a day of winter wonder in The Land.
Destination Cleveland’s Winter Bucket List Passport invites you to check out winter attractions that offer a uniquely Cleveland experience. We’ve got five locations offering outdoor adventures, as well as indoor hotspots when you want to come in and warm up. Each check-in earns you points which can be redeemed for Cleveland-themed prizes including a winter hat. All prizes can be picked up from our Cleveland Visitors Center.
So, start filling in your Cleveland Winter Bucket List and find out how the cold can be so cool in The Land.
Included Venues
See locations on an interactive map.
Botanical Gardens
Cleveland Botanical Garden is a crown jewel in any season, but it sparkles just a little more this time of year. Marvel at decorated fir trees and other holiday flora, candy-coated gingerbread houses and special programming throughout the season. Outside of the holiday festivities, explore the 18,000 square-foot Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse showcasing an exotic Madagascar desert and Costa Rican rain forest where you can rub elbows with over 50 species of native butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
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Castle Noel
Medina, Ohio is home to the country’s largest year-round indoor Christmas attraction, Castle Noel, featuring the world’s largest private collection of holiday movie props from “A Christmas Story,” “Christmas Vacation,” “Elf,” among so many more. Wander through animated store windows from famous department stores and the “I Had That” toy experience with thousands of toys from the 50s to the 80s. You’ve never seen so much yuletide spirit under one roof.
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Cleveland Metroparks Chalet
Enjoy the thrills and chills of the tallest, fastest toboggan chutes in Ohio. At The Chalet in Mill Stream Run Reservation, your family can spend the day laughing all the way down the twin, 700-foot refrigerated ice chutes (no snow necessary). For a post-run warm-up, pop inside The Chalet for a quick bite and some hot cocoa. And remember: no gloves or mittens, no tobogganing. Rules are rules, so glove up.
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Cleveland Rocks Climbing
A world class climbing gym among Ohio City’s breweries and restaurants, it offers two separate roped climbing rooms (54+ feet tall), a bouldering room (15-16 feet tall), a yoga studio, fitness classes, weight training, and climbs for all ages and skill levels.
Lake Metroparks - Winter Activities
Located east of Cleveland, Lake Metroparks offers some of the best cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on six miles of trails at Chapin Forest Reservation. Rentals for cross-country skis or snowshoe equipment are on a first-come, first-served basis from Pine Lodge Ski Center. View the downtown Cleveland skyline from the overlook and ski/snowshoe under a mile of lights aglow on the Arbor Lane Loop Trail from dusk until the park closes. If conditions aren’t ski-worthy, take a serene, evening hike. Photo by Jim Marquardt.
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Rainforest
We get it. The world looks like a snow globe and all you want to do is go see some animals. Shake off the winter chill and step into The Rainforest at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, where it’s always a balmy 80 degrees. The unique, two-acre, two-level habitat is home to more than 10,000 plants and 600 animals from the jungles of Asia, Africa and the Americas, including Bornean orangutans and the slow kings and queens of our hearts, the two-toed sloths.
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Tours of Cleveland
Bundle up, buttercup. Tours of Cleveland is ready to guide you on a winter walk to explore our beautiful and historic Downtown Cleveland from Public Square to Playhouse Square and everything in between. For the more festive-minded,
the Downtown Cleveland Christmas tour (available only until Dec. 23) explores the history of Downtown’s most famous department stores, our city’s holiday traditions. For the history buffs, the Downtown Highlights Walking Tour provides insight into Cleveland’s rich history, beautiful architecture and famous residents who made their mark here in The Land.
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the Downtown Cleveland Christmas tour (available only until Dec. 23) explores the history of Downtown’s most famous department stores, our city’s holiday traditions. For the history buffs, the Downtown Highlights Walking Tour provides insight into Cleveland’s rich history, beautiful architecture and famous residents who made their mark here in The Land.
Wade Oval Ice Rink
Operating from Dec 1 to Feb 25, University Circle isn't afraid to embrace 'old man winter'. In fact, centrally located in Wade Oval Park during the wintertime, you’ll find the Rink at Wade Oval. This unique, polymer-surfaced ice-skating rink attracts tens of thousands of visitors ever year. Skate, hold hands with your special someone (or hey, make a new friend), share a hot chocolate and then stroll along the picturesque lagoon afterward.
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WinterLand
Think: twinkling lights, festive holiday trees, horse-drawn carriage rides, hot cocoa, food trucks, caroling, live music and so much more. The holiday season commences in Downtown Cleveland on Saturday, Nov. 25, with the kind of full-on holiday hoopla that’ll have you ready for the jolliness of the season. Oh yeah, we also decided to extend the party with events and merrymaking all the way through the winter season. Because that's how we do it in The Land. The Cleveland Foundation Skating Rink opens Friday, Nov. 24. and runs through Monday, Jan 15.
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