Name: Historic Franklin Boulevard - Take a Hike Stroll tour
Start: 2025-10-02T17:30:00-04:00
End: 2025-10-23T18:30:00-04:00
Location: 2706 Franklin Blvd

Historic Franklin Boulevard - Take a Hike Stroll tour

Franklin Boulevard in Ohio City was once known as the Millionaires’ Row of the west side particularly known for its grand mansions.
About this Event

Step back in time as you explore Franklin Boulevard in Ohio City. Once known as the Millionaires’ Row of the west side, this grand avenue was lined with mansions built by some of Cleveland’s most prominent families. Over the years, it has witnessed dramatic change—periods of prosperity, decline, and revitalization. Today, Franklin Boulevard is part of a designated historic district, celebrated for its architectural variety and strong neighborhood commitment to preservation. This tour reveals the rich layers of history embedded in one of Cleveland’s most storied corridors.

Along the way, we’ll expand on standout architecture, like the bold Cudell and Richardson design of Franklin Circle Christian Church and the beautifully restored Nelson Sanford Italianate mansion. We’ll hear about early visionaries and developers—Josiah Barber and brothers Samuel and Richard Lord—who helped shape the neighborhood’s early growth. And we’ll take time to appreciate Franklin Circle itself, one of Cleveland’s few radial street designs and a defining feature of the city’s early urban plan.

RESERVATIONS are requested but not required, walk-ups the day of tour are welcomed.

TAKE A HIKE® is a program of Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation, sponsored by CrossCountry Mortgage with generous support from Ohio & Erie Canalway and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

TAKE A HIKE® offers 32 unique in-person guided tours from May through December. Learn more at takeahikecle.com

- TAKE A HIKE® tours are free, however, donations to support the program are always appreciated.

Group Reservations - If you have a group larger than 10 people, please email Eileen at [email protected] in advance to reserve your tickets.

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About the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation - Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation (HGNC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting historic, cultural, and heritage preservation through advocacy, education, and programs that support the ongoing revitalization of Cleveland’s unique historic district. For more information, visit www.ClevelandGatewayDistrict.com.