OOS Tour

Downtown Cleveland Sculpture Tour

61 Locations / Curated by OOS Staff

The Downtown Cleveland Tour starts and ends at Public Square. To proceeds counter-clockwise from the Soldiers & Sailors monument, north and east, then across the lakefront, down into the Flats, back up to Progressive Field and back via East Ninth Street. Or of course you could go clockwise, if you wish.

Locations for Tour

Known for sophisticated yet accessible work that blends art and design, Pae White was commissioned to create a permanent, site-specific artwork as part of the plaza renovation project for the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building…

On the fifth of May 1888, the Cuyahoga County Soldier's and Sailor's Union unanimously approved a proposal to erect a massive monument, meant to commemorate the men and boys from Cuyahoga County who contributed to the…

Portrait figure of General Moses Cleaveland, founder of the city of Cleveland. He stands in a classical stance with his left foot stepped forward. He bears a staff in his right hand, and in his left arm he cradles a surveyors…

Portrait of Tom L. Johnson sitting in a simple art nouveau armchair. In his right hand he holds a copy of Henry George's political philosophy tome "Progress and Poverty." His face, soft and friendly, hints of a…

"Justice" statue, installed in 1875, was removed from the old Court House ca. 1932. In August of 1941 it was photographed at the Harris Wrecking Co. 1963 W. 3rd St, in Cleveland (though the accompanying article suggests…

On the Southwest corner of Ontario and Rockwell, an unassuming 10 story building completes the Key Center complex. This is the Society for Savings Building, established in 1889 by architect John Wellborn Root. On the very corner…

One of the statues outside of the Howard M. Metzenbaum Courthouse. Jurisprudence (which means "Justice System") features a hooded woman seated on a throne. She rests her left arm on her knee, which she has raised by…

Large blue birds flanking the entrance to Cleveland Public Library's downtown main branch. Part of LAND Studio's See Art exhibition for the summer of 2016, which consists of 376 such sculptures all around CPL and Public…

Two sets of monumental bronze gates form the south and north entrances to the Eastman Reading Garden. Playful bronze figures--Otterness's trademark--are busy at work in the sculpture. Freestanding figures are also included in…

"Reading a Garden" is an art installation consisting of several components. At the center is an L-shaped black granite fountain. Parts of an abstract language poem, composed by Tan Lin, are incorporated into the fountain…

A symbol of the constant effort for peace, the Fountain of Eternal Life, sometimes referred to as "Peace Arising from the Flames of War" or simply "The War Memorial Fountain" stands a towering 46 feet in the…

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address. His gaze is lifted towards the skies, and his hand is open, gesturing as he recites his historic remarks at Gettysburg in 1863. His left hand holds the speech itself,…

An armor clad woman draped in Classical robes. in her left arm she cradles a strongbox, and in her raised right hand she holds a sheathed sword. Around her head is a crown of oak leaves, which represented the highest honor a…

A burly man wearing a tunic sits on a rock. His right hand rests on his thigh, and his left hand holds a hammer. His muscles are well-defined, showing that he is a laborer. The title suggests that this figure represents man in his…

Full figure portrait of Bishop Louis Amadeus Rappe, first Roman Catholic Bishop of Cleveland. He is in full solemn pontifical dress: robes, miter, and crosier. He is delivering a blessing with his right hand. The heavy robes that…

A bronze bust of Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty, Archbishop of Esztergom, Hungary from 1945 to 1973. He is depicted wearing Cardinal's attire, with a skullcap and elbow length cape called a Mozzetta. He pinches two fingers and a…

In 1985, Sohio's new headquarters on Public Square yearned for a grand adornment outside. The CEO contacted acclaimed sculptor Claes Oldenburg and his wife Coosje van Bruggen to design a sculptural element for their building.…

George Washington is depicted as a surveyor facing the Cuyahoga River with his right foot forward. He wears a coat, boots, and a tri-corner hat. He is holding a small scroll or map; his clothing blows in the wind.

Two firefighters stand bravely in the face of a roaring inferno. The memorial is a colorful fiberglass piece visible from the shoreway, in a central location between Brown's stadium, the Rock n' Roll hall of Fame, and…

Statue to one of the Cleveland Browns' greatest players and one of the most legendary athletes in Cleveland history. His bronze likeness captures him in a decisive moment: is Brown going to continue trucking forward, through…

Full figure portrait of Moses holding the two tablets with the ten commandments. The Easternmost figure in a series of four statues on the north side of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse. All four of these figures were…

Portrait of Justinian stands with both arms bent and hands resting on his chest. He is wearing classical robes and a head dress. The second-easternmost figure in a series of four statues on the north side of the Cuyahoga…

Portrait of King Alfred the Great stands with his right leg forward. In his right hand he holds papers while his left arm rests on the sword at his side. He is wearing robes and a crown. The second-westernmost figure in a…

Portrait of Pope Gregory the Great wearing mitre and robes. The westernmost figure in a series of four statues on the north side of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse. All four of these figures were level-headed, just leaders who…

An oversized portrait of the fourth Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court: John Marshall. He is wearing judicial robes, seated in an ornate chair. His hands rest on the arms of the chair, curled over front. His gaze is attentive,…

Oversized figure of Rufus P. Ranney, an Ohio Supreme Court Justice, seated outside the Cuyahoge County Courthouse. He wears judicial robes and carries a document in his left hand. He is looking straight forward, but because of his…

Medium length portrait of Archbishop Stephen Langton, in full clerical garb holding a scrolled document in his right hand. Langton is remembered for having divided the Bible into the chapters that we are familiar with today. He…

Full portrait of Simon V de Montfort in a belted tunic, with his hand on a shield. He wears chain mail on his legs and stands in a powerful, confident pose. Simon de Montfort is considered the father of modern parliamentary…

Full figure portrait of Edward I dressed in robes with a shaft in his left hand standing above the courthouse entrance. Edward I was an English monarch who restored a peaceful Royal Authority to the Isles and established…

Full figure portrait of John Hampden wearing long robes; his right arm is bent with hand resting on his chest; his left arm extends down towards the viewer. His head is craned down, looking towards the viewer, ready to call the…

Male figure dressed in traditional robe of an English jurist. Long white curls from a traditional wig collect around his shoulders. His left hand holds a gavel across his chest and his right hand clutches a book. Somers held a…

Life-size portrait of Lord Mansfield in long robes, buckle shoes, jurist's long wig & long decorative chain. His hands are positioned in a way that he might be orating, as he was so well known for doing. Lord…

Heroic size portrait of Thomas Jefferson in 18th century clothes is seated on a chair. He is leaned forward; one arm rests over the back of the chair; the other holds the Declaration of Independence. His face is hard and…

Heroic size portrait of Alexander Hamilton seated in a Klismos chair. He is leaned slightly forward, engaged with the statue of longtime rival Thomas Jefferson across the courtyard. He holds a book in his left hand and a quill…

In the middle of Fort Huntington park, on the West end of downtown Cleveland, stands a monument to the great American naval commander Oliver Hazard Perry. The base of the monument steps up to a wide base level where two midshipmen…

A memorial plaza in Fort Huntington Park, consisting of benches, standing stones, and a rising curve, all made of polished black marble. Each part of the monument is imprinted with bold white text celebrating the sacrifice of the…

A Memorial statue to 35 year Cuyahoga County Prosecutor John T. Corrigan. Corrigan spent over 50 years of his 91 year life devoted to service of the American people and the people of Cleveland as a soldier, senator, and…

A full figure portrait of 4-time Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens captured in the moment that he crossed the finish line at the 1936 Berlin Games. The Ohio state alumnus' sculpture bears the name of "OHIO" on the…

A 36 foot tall steel tubular sculpture outside the Justice Center on Ontario. This piece, designed by Isamu Noguchi, was a point of much contention upon its installation in 1976. It's high cost of $100,000 was eviscerated by…

Two separate metal pieces: one is freestanding and upright with a sloping foursided base exploding into a curvilinear mass on top; the second is a horizontal rectangular piece sitting flush against the wall which begins at 2…

Site-specific installation of clusters of bean and box shaped forms made of stone. Along both sides of West Sixth Street are paved areas upon which the stone installations rest: three groups on the west and four groups on the…

Conceived by Tony Smith, one of America's finest sculptors, Last is a triumphant meeting of art and architecture, both internally and externally. Leaping across the courtyard outside the monolithic Frank Lausche State Office…

TERMINAL (21 feet high x 32 feet long x 18 feet wide) is painted steel and includes two life-size figures, a heavy stainless-steel mesh screen, numerous birds and a long "bench" for public use. It was a commission juried…

A classically styled figure based on the Venus de Milo. Dine has removed the head, which serves to "reduce the sculpture's specificity and eliminate the implied narrative carried by recognizable features." All the…

Seven figures dressed in classical style tunics. Central figure is robed female with wings outstretched. A kneeling figure flanks each side of her and two standing figures flank each kneeling figure.

Two stainless steel open work towers, polygonal in section with various heights and profiles. Each has a large tapered base which houses vents and an emergency staircase leading from an underground service area. The towers…

""WHO'S ON FIRST?"" is spelled out on the sidewalk in stone letters approximately bench height.

Ten letters standing about bench height on the side walk which spell out ""MEET ME HERE.""

Doby's statue is outside the gates at Progressive Field. His bronze likeness has been captured in the middle of the most exhilarating moment in baseball: right after a home run. Doby's front foot is planted and prepared…

Legendary pitcher, Bob Feller, in the midst of his distinct wind up, standing outside Progressive Field. Feller stands precariously on his right leg. His right arm bears the ball, palm up and stretched behind his back. The left…

A statue of Jim Thome stands guard outside the gates of Progressive Field. His eyes are glued to the imaginary pitcher in front of him. Thome is prepared to whack anything that comes over the plate, out into Lake Erie. Represented…

According to the artist, the seven figures in relief, allegorized land and water, "the mainsprings of wealth" as well as banking, "the interchange of resources & the accumulation of wealth."

A semicircular base that supports three figures. The main figure in the center is an anthropomorphism of Commerce. She is dressed in a strapless robe that is belted at the waist. Her left arm rests on a globe that sits atop a…

A woman in Classical robes. She holds an armful of scrolls in her right arm, and in her raised left hand, she wields a short staff topped with an open hand. The scrolls represent the rolls of office, ad the open hand signifies the…

A statue of a Hungarian Freedom Fighter. His rumpled coat and tousled hair show that he is in the heart of the Revolution. His rising, genuflecting posture was inspired by the Hungarian National Song "Talpra Magyar" or…

A series of pastel colored metal strips, suspended off steel poles that rise 15 feet out of the ground. The solid strips face all different directions and tend to have tapered ends as if they're flying through the poles. Levy…