Who says you need booze to have fun? Whether you’re sober, temporarily abstaining, taking some dry January lessons into the rest of the year, or just don’t feel like imbibing on a given weekend, there are plenty of things to do in Cleveland that don’t involve alcohol.

Need some inspiration? We rounded up 24 fun activities that you don’t need to be drinking to enjoy.

Go Rollerskating Yes, rollerskating. It’s not just for middle school. Hit the rinks and you’re going to immediately smile. And then you might fall, but it all comes back to you in no time and soon you’ll be sailing. Credit: Photo by Emanuel Wallace
Superelectric Pinball Parlor 6500 Detroit Ave., Cleveland Superelectric is a pinball parlor where fun-loving folks can while away the days playing vintage arcade games like pinball and anything else from the strange, cool world of vintage gaming. In addition to pinball and other games, there’s a full service bar plus a kitchen. Credit: Scene Archives
Visit the Natural History Museum In addition to their permanent exhibits, currently on display at the Natural History Museum is Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species, Audubon’s Birds of America and Unfolding the Universe. You always talk about taking advantage of the museums. Now’s the time to do it. Plus, Sundays are free for residents of Cleveland and East Cleveland. Credit: Tim Evanson/Flickr
Go Vintage Shopping Whether it’s clothing, furniture, home goods, toys or oddities, there are a ton of great vintage shops around Cleveland that make for a fun day. Check out our list of 25 favorites here. Credit: Highland Throwbacks/Facebook
Get Groceries the West Side Market and Make a Meal 1979 W. 25th St., Cleveland Want a fun day where you can walk around a local landmark while sampling delicious foods while getting your shopping done for dinner? Sure beats the self-checkout at the Giant Eagle, doesn’t it? Credit: Daniel X. O'Neil/Flickr
Tabletop Board Game Cafe 1810 W 25th St., Cleveland Grab a bite, play a board game and stay inside. Here, the collection of board games seems endless, and you can choose a classic or something you’ve never heard of before. Photo via oksanalegky/Instagram Credit: @oksanalegky/Instagram
Visit A Museum You Haven’t Been To We all love the Rock Hall and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Did you know Cleveland has other great museums and halls of fame? The International Women’s Air and Space Museum, the Western Reserve Fire Museum and the Polka Hall of Fame are just some examples of unique museums to hit up. Credit: TripAdvisor
Hit the Batting Cages Sure, you said you could hit better than Austin Hedges all year but that’s only gonna happen if you practice. Credit: North Charleston/Flickr
See a play at Playhouse Square Playhouse Square truly is one of the best theater districts in the country outside of New York City. We get all the big tours, from Broadway musicals to dramas and everything in between. Take advantage of what our theater district has to offer. You’ll always have fun. Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/edrost88/with/6252662201/
Get Lost in Plants and Flowers at the Botanical Gardens 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland There’s nothing like looking closely at super rare plants and flowers. You really can get lost in just one small section of the Botanical Gardens. It’s haven of greenery in the winter, an outpost of exotic in the summer, and a destination all year long. Credit: Erik Drost/Flickr
Forest City Shuffleboard 4506 Lorain Ave., Cleveland A bar/restaurant devoted solely to shuffleboard? Sounds awesome. That’s what you can find in Ohio City at Forest City Shuffleboard. Bring your friends, warm up your arms, and sling those discs. And do you know what’s even better than shuffleboard? Shuffleboard, on weed. Credit: Scene Archives
Putt Putt and Candy Browsing at Sweeties 6700 Brookpark Dr., Cleveland A candy store with every possible candy you can think of and mini-golf with 36 holes is the perfect night. Lucky for us, Sweeties has both. Credit: Scott Sherril-Mix/Flickr
Third Fridays at 78th Street Studios 1300 W. 78th St., Cleveland It’s easy to get lost, in the best way, in 78th Street Studios, home to over 60 creative businesses. Every third Friday, from 5-9 p.m. you can walk through a maze of breathtaking local art and many of the people behind the art along the way. Credit: Scene Archives
Game Night at Punch Bowl Social Club 1086 West 11th St., Cleveland Punch Bowl Social has it all when it comes to adult fun. From old school arcade games to shuffleboard to bowling, the East Bank outpost is a playground for grown-ups. Credit: Scene archives
Go Record Shopping Record shopping is always a fun day out. And Cleveland has some great record shops. At Loop in Tremont, you can get coffee and do some record shopping. Other favorites of ours include My Mind’s Eye, Credit: My Mind's Eye/Facebook
Eating Through Doug Trattner’s Best Dishes of 2022 Going through our dining editor Doug Trattner’s best dishes of 2022 is something we’d highly recommend. The paneer at Amba, the jerk chicken at Gar and Mar and the cornmeal fries at Martha on the Fly are a good place to start, but you’re gonna wanna finish the whole list. Credit: Tiffany Joy Photography
Make Your Own Candle Cleveland Candle Company, Multiple Locations Candles are all the rage these days. Well, they’ve been all the rage for centuries. But if you’re looking for that perfect scent or that personal touch, you might as well learn to make your own. Hit up the Cleveland Candle Company, which recently opened its third location, for classes. Credit: Cleveland Candle Co.
See A Local Comedy Show The Improv and Hilarities have great comics on tour from around the country all the time. But did you know there are also a ton of local comedy shows around town? The Impostor Theater opened in 2021 and is an inclusive space for improv and sketch comedy and puts on great shows. Credit: Imposters Theater/Facebook
Visit the Holden Arboretum Greater Cleveland is known for its abundance of natural beauty and park systems and one of Northeast Ohio’s favorite spots is out in the Kirtland/Willoughby area at the Holden Arboretum. With 600 acres of natural habitat and trails to explore, there’s more to discover than you can get to in a single day or weekend. Credit: Erik Drost/Flickr
See a Foreign, Classic or Independent Film We know, it’s all about the superhero movies these days. But don’t forget about the Cinematheque, which always has world-class foreign, independent and old-school films playing. Credit: Tim Evanson/Flickr
Take a Trip on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Not everything on the list is in Cleveland proper, but there are certain Northeast Ohio expeditions that we’d be crazy to exclude. Here’s one: Take a trip on one of the longest, most historic railway tours in America through the 33,000 acres of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Credit: Ed Chadwick/Flickr
Duckpin Bowling at Hi and Dry 2221 Professor Ave., Cleveland Yeah, regular bowling is fun, but why not try something new. Duckpin Bowling gives you three turns per frame, on shorter lanes, with smaller balls. So if you’re not so good at the real thing, this place is perfect to not embarrass yourself, unless you’re really, really high. Credit: Hi and Dry/Facebook
Take a Hike Walking Tour A program of the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation, Take A Hike offers free guided walking tours of neighborhoods east to west, giving you the lowdown on the things you never knew you didn’t know. Get out in the sun, get those legs moving, and learn about the city you call home. Credit: Marc Buehler/Flickr
Ferrara’s Imported Foods 5750 Mayfield Rd., Mayfield Heights With a sizable population of Italian-Americans, it makes sense that Mayfield Heights would be home to one of the best Italian specialty markets in town. Their deli sandwiches are out of this world and their Italian import section highlights pastas, sauces, oils and much more straight from the old country. Credit: Scene Archives

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