While there’s plenty to keep any philatelist occupied at Great American Stamp Show 2023, traveling to a national show also comes with the opportunity to explore the local area and expand your horizons. If you get the urge to stretch your legs and get out of the city while visiting Cleveland this August, you’ll find plenty of sites of philatelic, historical, and general interest within an hour or two of the show.
Garfield-Perry Stamp Club member and local expert Ed Andros has stepped in to offer a guide to the area, perfect for a day or evening away from the excitement of GASS. Read on for some of his suggestions (and a few of our own!), and get ready to enjoy all the greater Cleveland area has to offer.
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
Located outside of Akron, Ohio (and just 35 miles from the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland) the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is an idyllic setting to spend an afternoon. The historic house museum, previously owned by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company co-founder F.A. Seiberling, is one of the largest houses in the United States and a National Historic Landmark.
Collectors of modern U.S. issues may well be familiar with the American Gardens Forever stamps, a 2020 issue featuring 10 beautiful gardens from across the U.S. The Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens’ Birch Tree Allée represents Ohio in the issue, showing off lush greenery and an honor guard of birch trees.
Two FDCs featuring the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens and the Birch Tree Allée stamp.
The site offers attractions for all ages, including guided tours, the Playgarden, and, of course, the extensive gardens. For the theater-lovers among us, the site will also be host to evening performances of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on August 10 through August 13.
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.. Last entry is at 4 p.m.
Travel time from Convention Center: 45 minutes
Tickets required?: Yes
A map of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, with the Boston Mill Visitor Center, the Blossom Music Center, and the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens marked.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park is Ohio’s only national park, and is home to striking waterfalls, historic buildings and bridges, and preserved stretches of the Ohio & Erie Canal. The park features 125 miles of hiking trails and bicycle paths, but much of the park is also accessible by car, including the Village of Boston.
Hours: Varies, learn more here.
Travel time from Convention Center: 30 minutes
Tickets required?: For some activities located within the park
Cuyahoga Scenic Railroad
Train enthusiasts, you don’t want to miss this one. Located within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is a 2-hour round-trip train ride that traverses miles of nature and cityscapes. The railroad offers variety of seating options, including a dome car for panoramic views. Visitors can also download the CVSR Train Tracker app from Google Play or the Apple Store to follow the train, view its current speed, and listen to audio clips.
Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, first train departs 10 a.m., last train departs 3 p.m. Learn more here.
Travel time from Convention Center: 30 minutes
Tickets required?: Yes, book early
Blossom Music Center
Want to get out in nature without all the hiking? Love live music? Look no further than the Blossom Music Center, also located in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The weekend of GASS, the venue will be host to both the Outlaw Music Festival and the Cleveland Orchestra.
Hours: Varies based on show, learn more here.
Travel time from Convention Center: 45 minutes
Tickets required?: Yes
The Garfield-Perry (Unofficial) Tour
While you’re in Ohio, why not take a page from the Garfield-Perry Stamp Club book and visit a few sites from the history of President James A. Garfield and Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry? This (thoroughly unofficial) tour can take you from Garfield’s birthplace in Moreland Hills to the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor and back to the James A. Garfield Memorial in Cleveland. Sadly, the Memorial is currently closed for restoration, but guides are still available to talk about the history of the memorial and the restoration project.
Fans of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry can round out the tour with a trip to Put-in-Bay, an island to the west of Cleveland, that is home to the Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. This memorial was established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie and to celebrate the long-lasting peace between Great Britain, Canada, and the U.S. Entrance to the park grounds, visitor’s center, the memorial plaza, and the rotunda are free; tickets are available for the observation deck.
While you’re out an about along the lake, keep your eyes peeled for the iconic “Don’t Give Up the Ship” flags, coastal Ohio’s homage to Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie. The flag will be the subject of one of stamps of Rattlesnake Island Local Post’s 2023 issue – and the design will be revealed on August 11 on the GASS main stage.
Hours: Varies, consult website of each location for more details.
Travel time from Convention Center: Varies, 1.5-2 hours
Tickets required?: For some activities
First Day Cover Road Trip
For those up for a bit of a longer drive, or those heading to or from the show via central Ohio, put yourself in George W. Linn’s shoes in honor of the pre-printed FDC centenary and drop by Marion, Ohio. Hometown of President Warren G. Harding and a first day city for the release of the Harding “mourning stamp,” Marion was the first city from which Linn mailed his now famous FDCs. While in Marion, drop by the post office, Harding’s tomb, or (for something completely different) the Marion Union Station. Dedicated FDC enthusiasts may even be tempted to recreate Linn’s now-famous drive from Marion to his home in Columbus, stopping at towns and cities along the route to post FDCs of their own.
Hours: Varies, consult website of each location for more details.
Travel time from Convention Center: 2 hours
Tickets required: No
Are there any other places in and around Cleveland that you plan to visit during GASS 2023? If you think they may be of interest to your fellow philatelists, let us know at digitalcontent@stamps.org.