Holden Arboretum and the Cleveland Botanical Garden
Since reopening this June with timed ticket entry and an admissions cap at groups of 10, Holden Arboretum still offers visitors access to its 500-foot Murch Canopy Walk and 12-story Kalberer Emergent Tower, with face masks and reservations. But if you want to travel off the beaten path, president and CEO Jill Koski recommends packing a picnic for the arboretum’s Corning Lake and Fordham Island, which are typically less frequented. At the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the restorative garden, featuring a reflective pool and perennials, also offers unparalleled peace and quiet. “Once you get out into the gardens, you become really immersed in the space and you forget that you’re in an urban area,” she says. “It is its own mini woodland.” 9550 Sperry Road, Kirtland, 440-946-4400, holdenarb.org; 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH, 216-721-1600, cbgarden.org
Lake View Cemetery
While some of the 150-year-old cemetery’s most visited locations, such as Wade Chapel and the Garfield Memorial, remain closed for the summer, visitors can still walk nine miles of roads across the 285-acre grounds, and bring their dogs (on a leash). Staying socially distant and mindful of funeral services, guests can take in Lake View’s wide array of horticulture, including more than four Moses Cleaveland trees, and spot the final resting places of Carl B. Stokes and inventor Garrett Morgan. “We’re open for walking and jogging,” says Katharine Goss, the cemetery’s CEO. “[It’s] just a place to be outdoors and contemplative and quiet, to get away from the hustle and bustle.” 12316 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-421-2665, lakeviewcemetery.com
Stan Hywet Halls and Gardens
Though its annual Father’s Day car show was canceled for the first time in its 64-year history, Stan Hywet’s 70-acre grounds and buildings are still open to the public this summer, with social distancing encouraged. The theme for the 2020 season is “Winds of Change,” diving into the period of American social transformation following World War I. In the garden, for example, view 13 kinetic sculptures created by local female artists, each powered by the wind, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. “We’re fortunate that our campus is pretty spread out,” says CEO Sean Joyce. “So, it’s pretty easy to keep your space, and the gardens are beautiful to walk through and spend some time with family.” 714 N. Portage Path Akron, 300-836-5533, stanhywet.org
