I‘m half-Irish and half-Polak,” the bartender said as she slid a beer to a contraction worker at Cleveland’s longtime dockyard dive bar the Harbor Inn. I smiled at the exchange as the patron identified himself as half-Czech and half-Italian. Like many urban settings, Cleveland has long attracted a mix of people from all over the world and ethnic heritage is a particular point of pride in the city.
From Asiatown to Slavic Village enclaves across the city celebrate cultural identity. I grew up attending the Old World Festival on E. 185th street every summer, and my high school served pierogi at lunch on Fridays. Today, I still pilgrimage to the West Side Market and Raddell’s Sausage Shop to source Hungarian and Slovenian meats that I can’t find in Chicago. One often overlooked place to celebrate Cleveland’s ethnic melting pot is the spectacular Cultural Gardens.
Gardens Unique in the World
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens span two miles in Rockefeller Park between University Circle and Lake Erie. More than 30 landscaped gardens celebrate Cleveland’s diverse ethnic communities and promote international peace. There are two levels to the gardens, with the upper part running along East Boulevard and the lower part along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Planting the Seed
In 1896, John D. Rockefeller donated land to the city to mark Cleveland’s first centennial. The gardens began in 1916 with the creation of the Shakespeare Garden, which is the British Garden today.
The first garden inspired community leaders to create similar sites for other ethnic communities in the city. In 1925, they formed the Civic Progress League. The Hebrew Garden was dedicated in 1926, followed by the German Garden in 1929.
“Each garden acts as a ‘storefront window’ on that community that can be enjoyed by all, unlike many community centers or churches that are enjoyed only by the respective group.” – Paul Burik, Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation Vice-President
While the league oversaw the creation of new gardens, each ethnic community planned and raised funds for their garden. In the 1930s, some gardens were also supported by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Growth of the Cultural Gardens
The Cultural Gardens continued to grow through the Twentieth Century, and more continue to be added. The thoughtful design of the gardens often contain tributes to famous figures, native plants and trees, and other symbols of the ethnic community.
The American Legion Peace Garden celebrates international achievements. Soil from twenty-eight countries was mixed together to create the garden’s foundation, symbolizing of America’s mix of cultures. A bronze tablet reads: “May the intermingled soil of the nations symbolize the united effort of their peoples as they advance to a better understanding.”
While the German Garden contains a replica of Ernst Rietschel’s Goethe-Schiller Monument, the Polish Garden is home to a statue of Marie Curie. You’ll find Mother Teresa in the Albanian Garden and Gandhi in the Indian Garden. The Ethiopian Garden includes a mosaic wall featuring the country’s history and culture. Of all famous statues featured in the gardens, teachers are the most often celebrated occupation.
“It is the only place in the world that one can find a statue of Mahatma Gandhi on a boulevard named after Martin Luther King, Jr.” – Pietro A. Shakarian, The Ohio State University
The Irish Garden is in the shape of a Celtic Cross, and much like the Emerald Isle, the garden itself is on an island surrounded by drives. It features native plants like Irish juniper, yew shamrocks, and Shannon roses Irish blackthorn, used in making a shillelagh, grow along a path descending into the garden.
Always Growing
The continual growth of the Cultural Gardens reflects changes in Cleveland’s immigrant populations and in the world. For example, former factions of the USSR, the Armenian, Russian, and Azerbaijan Gardens peacefully coexist at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and East Boulevard.
“One can encounter monuments of feuding nations standing side-by-side – Arab and Jew, Armenian and Turk, British and Irish, Croat and Serb, and Indian and Pakistani.” – – Pietro A. Shakarian, The Ohio State University
After the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the Yugoslav Garden became the Slovenian Garden. Distinct gardens were built for the Croatian and Serbian communities.
The Croatian Garden is close to my heart. It contains a sculpture called “Immigrant Mother” by Joseph Turkaly depicting a mother with two children—just as my grandmother immigrated from Croatia with my father and uncle.
The African American Garden was first proposed 1961. Although it was dedicated in 1977, the first phase of three was completed in 2016. Eventually, the garden will contain three pavilions representing the past, present, and future. Currently, “Door of No Return” considers how Africans leaving Africa on a slave ship felt knowing they would never come home. A water feature that symbolizes their journey across the ocean.
The Syrian Garden features a written history of Arab culture and a replica of the Arch of Palmyra. Sadly, ISIL destroyed the Arch of Palmyra in 2015 making this garden a piece of living history.
Currently, there are several new gardens are in the works. There are plans for gardens from Cleveland’s Lebanese, Vietnamese, Colombian, Native American, Korean, Pakistani, and Uzbek communities.
A new Centennial Peace Plaza is being built in honor of the Cultural Gardens’ 100th anniversary. It will include an amphitheater for diverse cultural events unifying the groups represented in the gardens and activating the local community.
One World Day
Starting in 1946, the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation has celebrated One World Day in the gardens. The event was inspired by the founding of the United Nations the previous year and marked Cleveland’s 150th anniversary. The event honors the city’s ethnic groups and reflects the theme of the Gardens: “Peace through Mutual Understanding.” Today, the celebration includes a Parade of Flags, a naturalization ceremony for new immigrants, cultural performances, garden exhibits, and ethnic foods.
Passport to the World
The Cultural Gardens are one of Cleveland’s hidden gems, and one of my favorite places in my hometown. There is so much care, detail, and symbolism alive in every garden that you can discover something new on each visit.
While the pandemic has limited travel plans, you can experience a diverse global celebration in the Cultural Gardens. Steps away from Lake Erie, an international border, the Cultural Gardens promotes multicultural diversity, mutual understanding, and peace.
Visit the Cleveland Cultural Gardens
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens are free and open to the public from dawn until dusk every day. You can also opt for a guided 90-minute tour available on select dates for $12. Visitors can park for free along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. If you’re interested in volunteering your time to gardening, contact the Cultural Gardens Federation.
Need more ideas for fun things to do in Cleveland?
Cleveland Cultural Gardens
10823 Magnolia Dr.
Cleveland, OH 44106
Sources
- “75th Annual One World Day.” 75th Annual One World Day, Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation.
- Burnett, Greg. “A Benefit Concert to Support African-American Cultural Garden.” Cleveland.com, The Plain Dealer, 20 Apr. 2018.
- “Gardens.” The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation, 212AD.
- Shakarian, Pietro S. “Cleveland Cultural Gardens.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University, 11 Nov. 2020.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
