Cleveland winter activities.
Winter in Cleveland can be a great time to get outdoors and enjoy some unique cold-weather activities, or an equally great time to stay indoors where it’s cozy and warm. No matter what your preference is, there are plenty of things to do in Cleveland in winter.
Use the list below to inspire your own winter adventures this year.
1. Go ice skating
Cleveland Foundation Ice Rink at Public Square
If it’s outdoor ice skating you’re after, Cleveland has a few outdoor rinks that pop up during the winter months.
There’s the Cleveland Foundation Ice Rink at Public Square, which usually opens up at Winterfest (usually the weekend after Thanksgiving) and stays open through mid-February.
There’s also the Rink at Wade Oval in University Circle, which usually opens in early December (often coinciding with Wade Oval’s Holiday Circle Fest). This year, this rink is open December 3, 2021-February 22, 2022. Admission is just $2, with skate rentals costing an additional $3. More info and hours can be found here.
You can also skate at Merwin’s Wharf at a new rink that’s part of Winter RiverFest. The rink opened on November 26, 2021 and will be open through January 2, 2022. Advanced reservations are recommended. It costs $15 to skate (including skate rental), and you can book your time slot here.
There’s also a seasonal ice rink at Halloran Park west of the city, and an outdoor rink at Crocker Park in Westlake.
For indoor ice skating in the Cleveland area, you can check for open skate hours at the Serpentini Winterhurst Arena in Lakewood, the C.E. Orr Ice Arena in Euclid, the Cleveland Heights Community Center Ice Rink, and the Michael A. Ries Ice Rink in Parma.
2. Ride the toboggan chutes
The toboggan chutes at Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville are a winter tradition in northeast Ohio. The chutes open the weekend after Thanksgiving (no snow is necessary for them to run!), and stay open on weekends through the beginning of March.
The toboggan chutes are 70- feet tall and roughly 700 feet long, and you can reach speeds upwards of 40 miles per hour. It’s incredibly fun!
You can fit up to 4 people on each toboggan, too, so it’s a very family-friendly activity. And while you do have to walk up 108 stairs to reach the top of the chutes every time you want to ride, you don’t have to carry a toboggan up with you – that part is all automated now!
Learn more about tobogganing in Cleveland here. The chutes ARE open this winter, but you need to reserve your time slot in advance.
3. Take a winter hike
Just remember to bundle up for your winter hike!
The Cleveland Metroparks, Lake Metroparks, Lorain County Metro Parks, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park are all open year-round, even in the winter months. You can go for a winter hike in any of these; some even offer outdoor winter programs like interpretive hikes, cross-country skiing lessons, snowshoeing, and more.
You can also take to the trails on your own by renting snowshoes or skis when there’s enough snow. Chapin Forest Reservation (Lake Metroparks) rents both of these and maintains groomed trails during the winter that are even lighted after dark. You can also rent snowshoes at Penitentiary Glen Reservation (Lake Metroparks), and the North Chagrin Nature Center (Cleveland Metroparks).
Cuyahoga Valley National Park also leases out snowshoes and skis (for FREE!) to use within the park. You can rent both from the Winter Sports Center at M.D. Garage on weekends, and snowshoes from the Boston Mill Visitor Center during the week. (Call ahead to confirm there’s enough snow/rental options.)
READ MORE: Your Guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Winter
4. Go skiing/tubing/sledding
Northeast Ohio isn’t exactly a great geographic fit for skiing or snowboarding (that whole lack of hills thing…), but we do still have Boston Mills/Brandywine and Alpine Valley Ski Resort just a short drive from Cleveland.
Both of these ski resorts rent equipment, offer lessons, and also usually have dedicated lifts and runs just for snow tubing. BMBW also has Polar Blast Snow Tuning, which is definitely the more affordable and family-friendly option.
You can check hours, snow conditions, and prices at each resort’s website:
Boston Mills/Brandywine (for skiing)
Polar Blast Snow Tubing (at BMBW)
In the 2021/22 season, you’re encouraged to buy your lift tickets and make dining reservations in advance since the resorts are limiting crowds. Face coverings are also still required this winter (but my guess is you were planning to wear one on the slopes anyway), and you’ll have to show proof of vaccination in order to dine indoors.
5. Hand-feed chickadees
Yes, that’s a real bird in my hand!
A unique winter activity the whole family can enjoy is hand-feeding chickadees and other non-migratory birds at the Brecksville Nature Center in Brecksville Reservation.
The “Hand Feed a Chickadee” program has been a tradition at the Nature Center since the 1940s, and runs each winter from December through the end of February.
When the weather is cold and snowy, the birds are extra active and in search of food, and will land right in your outstretched palm to eat black oil sunflower seeds. It’s super cute, and an activity the whole family can enjoy together.
READ MORE: How to Hand-Feed Birds at Brecksville Nature Center
6. Check out a winter festival
In a normal year, there are plenty of winter festivals and events happening in and around Cleveland.
For the holidays, many neighborhoods have their own Christmas/tree-lighting celebrations, including Winterfest downtown, Light Up Lakewood, Holiday Circlefest in University Circle, and Wintertide/Snow Day in Gordon Square.
Outside of the holiday season, some other winter festivals you can look forward to in 2022 include:
North Coast Harbor Ice Fest – An outdoor festival held each year on MLK Jr. Day in January
Brite Winter – A music festival in the Flats (February)
Cleveland Kurentovanje – Slovenian cultural festival (February)
Winter Beerfest – A beer tasting festival at the Huntington Convention Center (March)
Not far from Cleveland, you’ll also find the annual Medina Ice Festival in February. And those who are brave enough could even join in on the Cleveland Polar Plunge into Lake Erie at the end of February.
Looking for more info about these festivals and events? Check out our Cleveland Calendar!
7. Keep cozy indoors
Of course, winter doesn’t HAVE to be about being outdoors at all. If you’d prefer to stay cozy indoors during the dark months of winter in Cleveland, there’s more than enough to do.
Some of my favorite indoor activities in Cleveland include:
Visiting a museum like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or the Cleveland Museum of Art (with the CMA always being free to visit)
Cuddling up with adoptable cats at AffoGATO cat cafe (reservations required)
Taking a food tour of the West Side Market in Ohio City
Spending some time getting to know Cleveland’s coffee shops, of which we have no shortage
Building your own DIY craft brewery crawl (which you can also totally do at home)
READ MORE: 10 Indoor Things to Do in Cleveland
And if you’d prefer your indoor adventures to take place in the safety of your own home this winter? Well we have suggestions for that, too! Here are some things to keep yourself busy at home:
8. Dine in an igloo
Igloos at Georgetown / Vosh
Heated igloos and domes are all the rage at restaurants this season, and there are several spots around Cleveland where you can rent out a private igloo for drinks or a meal.
Many local restaurants are installing these igloos this year, so you have several different options! Read more about heated patios and igloos in Cleveland in this post.
Top spots with igloos include: Georgetown/Vosh, The South Side, The Fairmount, and Lakewood Truck Park, among others.
READ MORE: Heated Patios and Igloos in Cleveland to Enjoy this Winter
9. Celebrate Paczki Day
Most Clevelanders are in-the-know on this one, but in case you’re not, a paczki looks like a big jelly donut doused in powdered sugar. And while paczki are indeed filled with fruit fillings, don’t call them donuts; they’re made with a special sweet yeast dough and are a unique pastry in their own right.
These sinfully delicious treats come from Poland, and Paczki Day in Cleveland is on Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) every year. The tradition of eating these pastries ties into the pre-Lenten indulgences of Mardi Gras, and you won’t find paczki for sale any other time of year.
Paczki from Stan’s Northfield Bakery
In 2022, Paczki Day is on Tuesday, March 1. (And here it’s pronounced “POONCH-kee,” in case you were curious.)
Some of the best local bakeries making traditional paczki include Rudy’s Strudel & Bakery in Parma, Colozza’s Bakery in Parma, Michael Angelo’s Bakery in Broadview Heights, Stan’s Northfield Bakery in Northfield, Becker’s Donuts & Bakery in Fairview Park, and Seven Roses Polish Deli in Cleveland.
Local donut shops also whip up these specialties, like Goldie’s Donuts and Bakery, Jack Frost Donuts, and even Brewnuts. (Read more about our favorite local donut shops here.)
10. Chase (frozen) waterfalls
Great Falls of Tinkers Creek in Bedford Reservation
IF it gets cold enough (we’re talking Arctic Blast or Polar Vortex cold), then you might get lucky enough to see some of northeast Ohio’s waterfalls turned into frozen cascades of ice.
You can find snowy, icy waterfalls in places like Cuyahoga Valley National Park, as well as in some of the area metroparks. For a full guide, check out this post: Where to See Frozen Waterfalls near Cleveland This Winter.
What’s YOUR favorite thing to do in Cleveland during the winter months?
Article by Amanda, published on Cleveland Traveler .
