Cleveland has a wealth of public art. Here’s a guide to help you find renowned and lesser-known sculptures across the city.

Paddle Ball at Gordon Square 7500 Detroit Rd., Cleveland This giant paddle ball was installed last year in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. It was designed by the Superelectric pinball parlor for the occasion of a world record attempt for most people simultaneously paddle balling. Photo from Scene archives
The Thinker 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, (216) 421-7350 Centered directly in front of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the famous Auguste Rodin statue was gifted to the CMA a little more than 100 years ago. It is one of 25 versions worldwide and among the last to be cast under Rodin’s supervision. Photo via Erik Drost/FlickrCC
Free Stamp 601 East Lakeside Ave., Cleveland A Cleveland landmark, this 70,000 pound statue was designed and fabricated by pop artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in 1985. It was originally intended to be mounted in Public Square, but after some controversy over the artwork’s message, the piece was instead stored in an Illinois warehouse. Five years later, the mayor invited Oldenburg and Brugge to choose a new location for their work, and in 1991 Free Stamp was installed in Willard Park, where it sits today. Photo via goingwrong/Instagram Credit: Scene Archives
C-Curve 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, (216) 421-7350 This stainless steel sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor (known for “The Bean” sculpture in Millenium Park) can be found outside the Cleveland Museum of Art, in the Donna and Stewart Kohl Sculpture Garden. Photo via antiquesandvintage/Instagram
They Have Landed Abbey Av & w 25th St-Ohio City Station, Cleveland A plywood sphere, Loren Naji’s 2011 sculpture evokes a spacetime aura. The sculpture also doubles as a time capsule, though you’ll have to wait until 2050 to see its mysterious content revealed. Photo via Google Maps
Judy’s Hand Pavillion 11400 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, (216) 421-8671 Weighing 7-tons, this sculpture of a giant hand sits on the plaza next to the Museum of Contemporary Art. The artist, Tony Tasset, created it from a cast of his wife’s hand for the 2018 FRONT International Cleveland Triennial art exhibition. Photo via ashleykarissa7/Instagram
Fountain of Eternal Life 120 Public Square, Cleveland Reaching 46-feet into the sky, this monument symbolizes the universal search for peace as indicated by a man escaping the billowing flames originating from the earth below. Initially commissioned as a memorial for Cleveland veterans of WWII and Korea, this statue has over time become a tribute to all Cleveland veterans lost in war from 1899 to the present day. Photo via daspecster/Instagram
Salem No.7 11100 Euclid Ave., Cleveland Created by minimalist sculptor Antoni Milkowski, Salem No. 7 portrays six identical, imposing cubes. Contrasts in lighting cause the sculpture to appear differently from various perspectives, giving it the sense of an optical illusion. Photo via MollyEmilleR/FlickrCC
Buckeye Trumpet Man and Dog 2851 East 118th St., Cleveland In the heart of the Buckeye neighborhood, this 16-feet, concrete statue portrays a man playing trumpet as his dog looks up in admiration from below. It was installed as part of a project that converted a parking lot into a pocket park plaza, where the annual Buckeye Jazz Festival is held. Photo via WikimediaCommons
Cleveland Firefighters’ Memorial 385 Erieside Ave., Cleveland Tucked in-between the Great Lakes Science Center, FirstEnergy Stadium and the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, this fiberglass monument portrays two men struggling to extinguish the flames towering over them. The sculpture, dedicated in 2007, has names of Cleveland firefighters who lost their lives in service engraved on its base. Photo via savoryexposure/FlickrCC
Sprouting Seeds 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, (216) 721-1600 Sprouting on the grass at the main entrance to the Cleveland Botanical Garden, these giant seed replicas by California artist Troy Corliss let visitors know that “they have arrived at a place where plants hold a privileged place.” Photo via Valerie Hinojosa/FlickrCC
The Politician: A Toy Chester Ave. and E. 17th St., Cleveland This sculpture mocks the elected officials of the United States, with giant wheels that go nowhere and a wide mouth that doesn’t speak. The mayor of Cleveland at the time it was installed reportedly disliked the sculpture, saying, “I’ve seen it, and I don’t like it… ” Photo via Google Maps
Steggie II 1 Wade Oval Dr, Cleveland, (216) 231-4600 Steggie II, a life-sized stegosaurus sculpture, greets all who visit Cleveland’s Natural History Museum. Children enjoy climbing on its long spikes or snapping pics with the stegosaurus. After 30 years of wear and tear, Steggie was replaced by Steggie II in 1997, ensuring that the dino remain a Cleveland legend. Photo via piotr.michael/Instagram
Cleveland Script Signs Various Locations The stylized cursive of Cleveland script signs dominate scenes from the 216 on social media. The first three of these signs were installed prior to the 2016 Republic National Convention by Destination Cleveland. Since then, three more have been installed, with signs at Tremont, Edgewater Park, North Coast Harbor, Euclid Beach, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and The Foundry. Photo via Bruce Kratofil/FlickrCC
Three Figures on Four Benches 1200 Ontario St, Cleveland This George Segal sculpture shows three bronze figures with a white patina, sitting on a set of back-to-back benches. If this seems a little uncanny, you may or may not find comfort in the sculpture’s position — right outside of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Photo via Quinn Dombrowski/FlickrCC
Unity Walk 1505 Merwin Ave., Cleveland This 23-column walkway in the Flats District boasts 800 unique, painted ceramic tiles. Created by Carl Floyd in 1996, it stands on the southern part of Settlers’ Landing, right next to a dog park. Photo via q1gonyc/Instagram
Heart Crane Memorial 1820 Merwin Ave., Cleveland Erected as a monument to 20th century poet Hart Crane, this sculpture includes a Corten steel arch and wedge with Crane’s words engraved in the metal, along with three curling blue pipes that resemble the waves of Lake Erie. Photo via cquinn55/Instagram
Sport Stacks 2401 Ontario St, Cleveland Located right outside of Progressive Field, this sculpture includes two tower structures made from intertwined galvanized and stainless steel. There are lights embedded in each structure, outlining the sculptures with blue and gold! Photo by Evey Weisblat
Sky Blossoms East Lakeside Ave., Cleveland Inspired by flowers in a garden and the winding way of the Cuyahoga River, this sculpture include pastel metal strips suspended atop metal poles 15-feet into the air. Installed upon the 100 year anniversary of the Shaker Lakes Garden Club, it evokes the natural elements of the garden — earth, wind and water. Photo via patronsaintofarchitecture/Instagram
Stephanie Tubb Jones 2115 E 22nd St., Cleveland A series of colored metal sheets arranged in a solid granite base form a portrait of Stephanie Tubb Jones, the first African American woman to be elected to Congress in Ohio. Appropriately, Michael Murphy’s work is located at Stephanie Tubbs Jones Transit Center. Photo via lam_mph/Instagram

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