Cuyahoga County
Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument
Welcome to Cuyahoga County's Civil War Monument
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument commemorates the American Civil War; it consists of a 125' column surrounded at its base by a Memorial Room and esplanade. The column, topped with a statue of the Goddess of Freedom, defended by the Shield of Liberty, signifies the essence of the Nation for which Cuyahoga County veterans were willing to and did give their lives. Four bronze groupings on the esplanade depict, in battle scenes, the Navy, Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry.
Inside the Memorial Room are four bronze relief sculptures: Women's Soldiers' and Sailors' Aid Society, Beginning of the War in Ohio, Emancipation of the Slaves and End of the War at City Point, Va., as well as busts of Gen. James Barnett and Architect/ Sculptor Levi T. Scofield, together with 6 officers, who were either killed in action, or died of disease or their wounds.
Tours Rain or Shine
Tunnel Tour Tickets Sold Out But Stand-by Line will be Open
Tickets for this year have sold out in the first 6 minutes. We will provide a stand-by line on the days of the tours, this does not guarantee a tour but we will make every effort to get as many people in as we can throughout each day.
Tours will be held Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 and only a limited number of tickets will be sold in advance. Visitors may also opt to standby in line for any day-of tour openings.
All proceeds and donations during the event will support Monument projects, such as external architectural lighting.
The concentric system of tunnels and walls beneath the Monument was built in 1893 and serves as its foundation. This system supports the weight of the structure and distributes that weight evenly over the entire footprint of the granite, marble and sandstone Monument. The Monument’s Memorial Room is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. year-round but with special guest guides available on the Tunnel Tour event dates.
Veterans' Mental Health Fair
Saturday, May 20, 2023 | 10:00am to 2:00pm
The inaugural Veteran’s Mental Health Fair will bring together the region’s mental health resources for veterans. The event will also feature an exhibition highlighting the regimental mascots of the Civil War. A regimental mascot, also known as a military mascot, is a pet animal maintained by a military unit as a mascot for ceremonial purposes or as an emblem of that unit. The health fair and exhibition were inspired by Daniel Sterns, 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and his companion dog Harvey. Harvey was a reminder of home but also a comfort animal that grounded Daniel who suffered from undiagnosed PTSD.
Traditional Memorial Day Ceremony
Date: May 30, 2023
Time: 11:00 am - Noon
Location: Northwest Steps of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at 3 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44114
Check Out Our Podcast
Featuring a Discussion of Abraham Lincoln With Lincoln Presenter Mel Maurer
In this installment special Presidents Day edition of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument Podcast Executive Director Greg Palumbo has a conversation with Mel Maurer of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable about President Abraham Lincoln, whom he portrays from time-to-time. We conclude this episode with a dramatic reading of the Gettysburg Address by Mr. Maurer.
Open Internship Opportunities
The Cuyahoga County Monument Commission is happy to announce two seasonal winter paid-internship opportunities.
Click Here for more information on author Lauren Pacini's book Honoring Their Memory: Levi Scofield, Cleveland's Monumental Architect and Sculptor
New Day Cleveland Downtown Road Trip
Thank you to Fox8's David Moss and New Day Cleveland for stopping by the Monument on their Downtown Road Trip. Watch the segment on YouTube where the Moss-man talks with Executive Director Greg Palumbo about our Cleveland treasure.