DEBUT | Paul Landis, The Final Witness

Cover of Final Witness by Paul Landis
Come and experience this momentous event at The Cleveland History Center and hear the firsthand account of Paul Landis, former Secret Service Agent, and Author of The Final Witness, as he recalls his eyewitness experience from the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. His new book reveals previously unknown details that disrupt the 60 year old narrative.

 

The Final Witness – Order Here

“Dallas, Texas. November 22, 1963. Shots ring out at Dealey Plaza. The president is struck in the head by a rifle bullet. Confusion reigns.

Special Agent Paul Landis is in the follow-up car directly behind JFK’s and is at the president’s limo as soon as it stops at Parkland Memorial Hospital. He is inside Trauma Room #1, where the president is pronounced dead. He is on Air Force One with the president’s casket on the flight back to Washington, DC, an eyewitness to Lyndon Johnson taking the oath of office. What he saw is indelibly imprinted upon his psyche. He writes and files his report. And yet, Agent Landis is never called to testify to the Warren Commission. The one person who could have supplied key answers is never asked questions. By mid-1964, the nightmares from Dallas remain, and he resigns. It isn’t until the fiftieth anniversary that he begins to talk about it and reads his first books on the assassination.

Landis learns about the raging conspiracy theories—and realizes where they all go wrong.”

VIP PACKAGE $75

Includes admission for intimate wine reception with the author 6:00pm to 7:00pm and preferred seating for the Author Event.

VIP Guests also receive a signed book and free parking and early museum admission. The author will be present and VIP guests will be provided an opportunity to tour the museum galleries between reception and the Author Event.

GENERAL ADMISSION PACKAGE $45

Includes admission to the event and a signed book.

Doors Open 7:00pm

Author Event and Discussion 7:30pm

*Additional copies of the publication will be available the evening of the event in the Cleveland History Center Museum Store.

Dream Town – Laura Meckler

Can a group of well-intentioned people fulfill the promise of racial integration in America?

In this searing and intimate examination of the ideals and realities of racial integration, award-winning Washington Post journalist Laura Meckler tells the story of a decades-long pursuit in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and uncovers the roadblocks that have threatened progress time and again―in housing, in education, and in the promise of shared community.

In the late 1950s, Shaker Heights began groundbreaking work that would make it a national model for housing integration. And beginning in the seventies, it was known as a crown jewel in the national move to racially integrate schools. The school district built a reputation for academic excellence and diversity, serving as a model for how white and Black Americans can thrive together. Meckler―herself a product of Shaker Heights―takes a deeper look into the place that shaped her, investigating its complicated history and its ongoing challenges in order to untangle myth from truth. She confronts an enduring, and troubling, question―if Shaker Heights has worked so hard at racial equity, why does a racial academic achievement gap persist?

In telling the stories of the Shakerites who have built and lived in this community, Meckler asks: What will it take to fulfill the promise of racial integration in America? What compromises are people of all races willing to make? What does success look like, and has Shaker achieved it? The result is a complex and masterfully reported portrait of a place that, while never perfect, has achieved more than most and a road map for communities that seek to do the same.

Includes black-and-white images.

*Part of the 2023-2024 By the Book series.

Pricing Details:

Non-Member-

Purchase the book from us and get half price of 1 admission to this event and access to the virtual book presentation via code provided at checkout.

Member-

Purchase the book at 10% off from our gift shop, and get free admission to this event and virtual access to the book presentation free.

Members save 10% on all museum store purchases!

Interested in becoming a member?

9.28.23 William Krejci Lost Ghost Stories of Cleveland

10.5.23 Carlo Wolff Invisible Soul: Uncovering Cleveland’s Underground Soul Scene

1.18.24 Laura Meckler DREAM TOWN: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity

2.22.24 Stay tuned for details!

3.23.24 Family Friendly Finale – Stay tuned for details!

*Event prices and times may vary, check specific event page for more information.

Fashion After Dark Exhibit Opening

Join us for the opening ceremony of our newest exhibit, Fashion After Dark. Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and live music with special remarks from Patty Edmonson, Museum Advisory Council Curator of Costume & Textiles.

Event Highlights:

  • Hors d’oeuvres
  • Open Bar
  • Tour of the exhibit
  • Access to museum galleries
  • Special playing of music box

 

About the Exhibition:

Fashion After Dark explores the relationship between fashion and artificial light, beginning with the introduction of gas in Cleveland during the 1840s. This exhibition simulates the atmosphere of an evening on Euclid Avenue through fashion, interiors, lighting, and sound.

Imagine a visual feast of shimmering silks, dazzling sequins, and sparkling gemstones. In the 19th century, gaslight brought eveningwear to life in an otherworldly way. Daylight stood in such stark contrast that some shops even offered specially-lit rooms for choosing silks, and style writers recommended the best colors and fabrics for gaslight in particular. Below stairs, working people kept homes with new lighting technologies running. Each room presents a time period and a theme in order to bring the story of fashion and lighting to life.

 

 

 

POSTPONED – Exhibit Grand Opening | Women & Politics

1920. A new decade has dawned, ushering in an era of hidden speakeasies, shortened hemlines, jazz music, and – underneath it all – vast political change. 100 years later, we invite you to step back in time as we celebrate our newest permanent exhibit, Women & Politics, with a 1920s soiree in our historic Bingham-Hanna Mansion.

Travel back to 1920s Cleveland to celebrate the historic passage of the 19th Amendment. Be the first to see the Cleveland History Center’s new exhibit as you enjoy food, dancing, and libations in our Bingham-Hanna Mansion and Garden. Themed attire is strongly encouraged, so dust off your glad rags and come decked out in your 1920s best!

Activities include:

VIP Preview
6:00 – 7:00pm
Exclusive early access to exhibit
Meet and greet with exhibit designers
Behind-the-scenes experience

The Party Begins
7:00 – 10:00pm
Admission to exhibit
Heavy hors d’oeuvres
Open bar
Live music
Pop-up displays
Exhibit tours with curators
Silent auction
Performance by historic Suffragists
1920s costume contest

Tickets
VIP | $150
General Admission | $100
WRHS Members | $75
Click below to purchase. All proceeds benefit Education & Public Programming efforts at the Cleveland History Center.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:

Lillian Emmons Family Fund

Eric & Jessica Schreiber

Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates

Triner Associates, Inc.

Arthur Heuer & Joan Hulburt

Holiday Open House

Kick off the season with a Holiday Open House in our Hay-McKinney Mansion! This year, help decorate our mansion for the holidays and get a behind-the-scenes look as we install our special holiday exhibits. Children are invited to decorate their own holiday treats and create cards to take home or to send to veterans at the neighboring Louis Stokes VA Hospital. Then, venture upstairs for story time in the home’s historic nursery before exploring the rest of our galleries.

In appreciation of your membership, this event will be offered at no cost to WRHS members. General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children and includes admission to all museum exhibits PLUS two rides apiece on the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.

Click below to reserve your tickets. For assistance, please call 216-721-5722 x1502 or email education@wrhs.org.

Activities

Dress the Hay | Help decorate the Hay-McKinney Mansion for the holidays and go behind-the-scenes to watch as our curatorial staff installs a special holiday pop-up exhibit in the mansion.

Cookie Decorating | Decorate your own holiday treats!

Holiday Craft | Create your own holiday cards to send to a loved one OR to a veteran at the Louis Stokes VA Hospital.

Story Time | Gather in our children’s nursery for readings from your favorite classic holiday stories. (Readings offered every 30 minutes, beginning at 1:30pm.)

Talk & Tours: The Story of Euclid Beach Park

The Story of Euclid Beach Park

Food, rides, and attractions. Why is Euclid Beach Park so very memorable? Join Carousel Volunteer & Training Coordinator John Frato to learn about its beginnings in 1895 and reminisce about its heyday, as well as its final days in 1969. Relive those special memories that Euclid Beach Park holds for Clevelanders, then embark on a short gallery tour to learn more about the real-life artifacts that inspired this program – including our Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

Interested in learning more about Northeast Ohio’s fascinating history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tour: Suffragists of the Western Reserve

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

Dates not available: Parade the Circle 6/8 & Euclid Beach Park Day 7/20

 

This Talk & Tour: Suffragists of the Western Reserve

Come share in the history of strong women who have led the Western Reserve in independent thinking!

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Eliot Ness’s Cleveland

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Eliot Ness’s Cleveland 

Step into post-prohibition Cleveland and learn about the forces that corrupted the city, causing the mayor to reach out to the then famously uncorrupt-able Eliot Ness to lead the city as Safety Director.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Eliot Ness’s Cleveland

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Eliot Ness’s Cleveland 

Step into post-prohibition Cleveland and learn about the forces that corrupted the city, causing the mayor to reach out to the then famously uncorrupt-able Eliot Ness to lead the city as Safety Director.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Stories From Millionaires Row

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Stories From Millionaires Row

Explore Euclid Avenue’s heyday—it’s famous residents and the beautiful art & architecture they surrounded themselves in.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Stories From Millionaires Row

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Stories From Millionaires Row

Explore Euclid Avenue’s heyday—its famous residents and the beautiful art & architecture they surrounded themselves in.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Tales from the Cleveland State Hospital

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Tales from the Cleveland State Hospital 

Step back in time to the 1950s and discover the seedy truth of the Cleveland State Hospital through a Cleveland Press expose of their practices and mental health treatment.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Tales from the Cleveland State Hospital

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Tales from the Cleveland State Hospital 

Step back in time to the 1950s and discover the seedy truth of the Cleveland State Hospital through a Cleveland Press expose of their practices and mental health treatment.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Garret Morgan Invents

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Garret Morgan Invents

Do you know about Cleveland’s Civic-Minded inventor Garret Morgan? Learn about the man whose inventions helped a city and would shape a nation—despite intense racial discrimination.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Garret Morgan Invents

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Garret Morgan Invents

Do you know about Cleveland’s Civic-Minded inventor Garret Morgan? Learn about the man whose inventions helped a city and would shape a nation—despite intense racial discrimination.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Euclid Beach Park

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Euclid Beach Park 

This unique highlights tour with Euclid Beach Park expert John Frato focuses on stories and memories from the famous park while highlighting many pieces in the museum collection—including the 109 year old Grand Carousel from Euclid Beach Park! This tour is offered on Wednesday 7/17 only, in preparation for the Euclid Beach Park Day on Sat., July 20th.

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Cleveland Shops

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Cleveland Shops

Cleveland’s Department stores enjoyed an era of glamour, beauty, and power. Explore their stories through the artifacts that were bought and sold in the city—including some of the beautiful dresses & accessories in the brand new Si Jolie exhibit!

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Cleveland Shops

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

This Talk & Tour: Cleveland Shops

Cleveland’s Department stores enjoyed an era of glamour, beauty, and power. Explore their stories through the artifacts that were bought and sold in the city—including some of the beautiful dresses & accessories in the brand new Si Jolie exhibit!

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

Talk & Tours: Suffragists of the Western Reserve

Join us at 2:00pm every Wednesday and Saturday from June through August at the Cleveland History Center to enjoy highlights from some our favorite Cleveland stories followed by a short gallery tour to learn more about some of the real-life artifacts that inspired these programs!

FREE with museum admission; Members FREE.

Dates not available: Parade the Circle 6/8 & Euclid Beach Park Day 7/20

This Talk & Tour: Suffragists of the Western Reserve

Come share in the history of strong women who have led the Western Reserve in independent thinking!

 

Interested in learning and hearing more about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River or other fascinating pieces of Northeast history? Click here to book a Speaking of Cleveland program today.

New Exhibit Opening Party | Si Jolie! French Fashion in Cleveland

Celebrate the opening of the new exhibit, Si Jolie! French Fashion in Cleveland, with a Bastille Day party

in the historic Bingham-Hanna Mansion and Garden.

 

     Enjoy bubbly, French wine & hors d’oeuvres

 Experience the new exhibit in the Chisholm Halle Costume Wing

Tour the new exhibit with the curator

 Show off your garden party attire

Listen to Parisian music

 

This Bastille Day celebration will take place on Sunday, July 14th, 2019, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Ticket:

Non- Member | $50

WRHS Member | $40

 

About the exhibit:

Si Jolie! is about French fashion and all of the stories in between. It highlights how Paris fashion motivated Clevelanders to travel abroad, influenced local fashion, inspired the golden age of department stores, and how significant fashion was socially. Guests who visit this new exhibition will travel back in time and experience how fashion and travel have evolved over the years and how similar Clevelanders then were to those living here today.

 

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