For a museum, it’s almost an enviable problem. Especially on Saturdays, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s parking lot along Wade Oval Drive fills up quickly. It’s been that way since the museum unveiled its $150 million transformation this past December. Eager Clevelanders and excited out-of-town tourists are willing to circle the parking garage to see the impressive, sweeping changes.
“We are working on parking. It’s like that line in the movie Jaws: ‘You’re going to need a bigger boat,’” says Sonia Winner, Cleveland Museum of Natural History president and CEO, acknowledging some minor growing pains, but thrilled nonetheless at the transformation’s reception.
The numbers speak for themselves. Since the reopening on Dec. 15, 2024 until March 28 of this year, over 100,000 visitors made it a point to see old friends including Balto, the heroic sled dog, and Happy, the dinosaur (Haplocanthosaurus delfsi). Both have been given a makeover and honored spots in the expanded exhibit space.
Visitors are also anxious to see new exhibits, including the interactive “We are All Stardust.” The technically advanced activity allows visitors to create a “star” based on their actions.
“Our goal was to make the visitor the center of the experience,” says Winner, noting the transformation was completed two years ahead of schedule and was slightly under budget. “Static things don’t work anymore, especially for young people.”
Between last year and the beginning of 2025, there has been an almost 60% increase in ticket sales (higher than the same period in pre-COVID years). Visits also are 230% higher than last year.
“Thirty percent of our visitors to date are either first-timers or they haven’t visited the museum in more than five years,” says Winner. “That’s huge for us.”
Winner, at the helm of the transformation since its groundbreaking in 2021, credits a number of factors for the uptick. Curiosity, of course, is at the top of the list, coupled with the incentive for those Clevelanders who want to be among the first to experience all the city’s latest hotspots. But, there are additional reasons, according to Winner.
She believes the building’s clever and innovative architecture — from its eye-catching, overhanging, white exterior swoop (which represents the glaciers that carved Lake Erie) to its huge front windows that let passersby see into the Sears Dynamic Earth Wing — make a difference.
“We also know a significant number of our visitors are highly educated and have a specific interest in natural history. And that’s great. But now we are seeing more people who value fun along with learning as well. A growing number of people see the museum as a place to be entertained, and they want to spend time here with their family and friends,” says Winner.
“We are about to embark on another economic impact study. Right now, we contribute about $40 million to the local economy. We think with the visitors we are seeing, that will substantially increase,” she explains.
At some point, those visitors will have even more reasons to walk through the museum’s doors. Kirtland Hall, which formerly was home to most of the dinosaur specimens, was purposely not included in the transformation. The museum is waiting for more public feedback as to what should happen to the space. Possible plans include reserving that part of the building for temporary and/or traveling exhibits on loan. The extra space also gives curators a chance to share more of the millions of specimens and objects owned by the museum, most in storage.
Museumgoers have also expressed a wish to see the gem and mineral collection expanded. The exhibit is already impressive, with such specimens as rare Mississippi River pearls and a diamond and pink tourmaline necklace made by Tiffany and Co. for a member of the Jeptha Wade family, part of Cleveland’s historic blue bloods.
