CLEVELAND — A Cleveland-area non-profit is aiming to get people moving while expanding their knowledge this summer.


What You Need To Know

  • Non-profit offers 32 cultural and historic tours of Cleveland

  • Tour-goers can collect stamps in a hiking passport to enter a chance to win prizes

  • Tours average a mile to mile and a half which is about 3,000 steps

“The summer strolls are 90 minutes. They happen outside on city sidewalks so they’re fully accessible,” said Eileen Cassidy, executive director of Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation. The group offers 32 distinct tours of the city of Clevelan rooted in history and cultural heritage.

Neil and Danielle McGowan brought, what they call, their adventure buddies - their three little ones - along for a little history lesson.

“We’re used to hauling them all over the world … so they’ve been international travelers,” Danielle said.

This time they toured locally. The McGowans recently went on a Take-a-Hike tour of the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge in downtown Cleveland.

“Whether you’re downtown seeing Playhouse Square, or the Wherehouse District, Public Square or the malls. Maybe you’re on the west side, Ohio City and Tremont. We have Old Brooklyn this year,” Cassidy said.

In addition to touring neighborhoods, they offer architecture tours and tour landmarks including several historic cemeteries. Some of the urban hikes go inside museums and churches.

The walking tours come with a bonus: a hiking passport. You collect stamps for each tour. If you get eight stamps, you can enter a raffle to win prizes.

Several of the tours are one to one and a half miles long which means you get about 3,000 steps in.

The tours include modern history, too.

“Something is historic once it’s 50 years old. There’s things that happened in the 60s and 70s… I’m historic ..who thought?” Cassidy said with a laugh.

The McGowans did have one tip for parents: bring a stroller.

Most of the 32 tours are free. Although you can show up to any of them, they encourage registering in case they fill up. For more information log on to takeahikecle.com.