Conference registration is now open! Register by June 30 to save $50!
Cleveland, Ohio, home to The Wildlife Society’s 25th Annual Conference, is steeped in history and culture. The atmosphere in the city was described as a “new cultural energy” when it made National Geographic Traveler’s list of top places to visit in 2018. Attendees visiting the Cleveland for the October event will be able to experience for themselves what the buzz is about.
Attendees won’t have to go far to find some great museums in downtown Cleveland. Within walking distance of the convention center and host hotels, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will host our private opening night event. With its proximity to our conference venues, attendees can return to the Rock Hall during normal hours of operation to spend even more time exploring the five floors of exhibits.
Just a stone’s throw from the Rock Hall, the Great Lakes Science Center is home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center and offers hundreds of hands-on exhibits and daily science demonstrations. Make sure to check out the steamship William Mather before you head inside; the 618-foot historic Great Lakes freighter has been refurbished into a museum, open on weekends through October.
For those looking to venture beyond downtown, start with a drive through the Cleveland Cultural Gardens along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, where 30 different gardens reflect some of the various cultures that call Cleveland home. Touring the gardens is free, so feel free to get out stroll through some of your favorite gardens or take a photo at the garden of your cultural heritage.
Finish your tour of the gardens at Wade Oval in Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood. Only about a 20-minute drive from the convention center and host hotels, several museums await visitors here, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, which houses works by artists such as Church, Gauguin, and Picasso.
Across the street is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Ohio’s largest museum devoted to the natural sciences and one of the top 10 natural history museums in the United States. The museum is home to the Perkins Wildlife Center and Woods Garden, which is available to visitors, but be sure to sign up for the Perkins Wildlife Center & Woods Garden field trip with your conference registration for a behind the scenes experience.
Also located on Wade Oval is the Cleveland History Center of the Western Reserve Historical Society. This is the place to be if American history fascinates you, exhibiting artifacts from the very first map of Cleveland to LeBron James’ championship shoes. Other exhibits date back to the pioneer days, when Cleveland was part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. Visitors will learn about the entrenched history of the Western Reserve, especially as it relates to Cleveland, and will note how the expansion in this area affected the natural landscape and wildlife of the region.
For more details and additional cultural attractions, click here. See you in Cleveland!
