Things to Do in Beachwood

What started out as a search for a fun alternative form of artistic expression led to the founding of an institution for preserving and sharing a millennia-old craft. That enthusiasm proved to be contagious, as more than 700 students from all ages and walks of life attended J & C Glass Studio's workshops in the first year alone.

Today, J & C Glass Studio continues to teach the art of glass blowing with instructional workshops that cater to beginner and advanced students. Passionate instructors share techniques performed almost the same way as artisans did thousands of years ago. During sessions, a mixture of sand, limestone, and silica is heated to 2,000 degrees until it reaches a honey-like consistency. From there, students shape it with tools, the power of suggestion, and their own breath, creating custom works of art that can decorate a mantel or desk for a lifetime.

Since 1985, Trolley Tours of Cleveland has shuttled more than one million riders around the city aboard its fleet of open-air, bright-red trolleys. Winding along an approximately 20-mile route, the city tour showcases some of Cleveland's most iconic sights, including the Victorian homes of Ohio City, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and downtown, where an eclectic mix of modern and historic architecture stretches skyward to amaze passersby and to high-five low-orbiting superheroes. Personable, professionally trained guides accompany the nationally known tour with Cleveland-centered facts and stories.

Aside from untangling urban avenues with informational junkets, Trolley Tours of Cleveland also makes its wheels available for conventions, weddings, and more, enabling businessmen and bridesmaids alike to avoid having to hitch rides on vigorously tossed bridal bouquets.

At night, Chip's Clubhouse looks like a glowing jungle. Massive trees hang over a labyrinth of outcroppings, crashing waterfalls, and sand traps. During the day, the mini-golf course reveals park-like terrain in a brighter light, highlighting its winding brick-lined path of putt-putt challenges. Players vie for the course par of 40, but will only succeed if they can manage to block out the distracting beauty of the nearby waterfalls and keep their golf ball from stopping midroll to smell the flowers nestled on the fringes.

More than 120,000 species of trees, wildflowers, and native plants take root across The Holden Arboretum’s 3,600 acres of themed gardens and natural terrain. As birds chirp overhead and butterflies binge on nectar plants, visitors make their way across 12 gardens on guided tours or leisurely strolls. The most intrepid wanderers can spend a full day attempting to navigate more than 20 miles of trails that wind through a rhododendron garden, a mature beech-maple forest, and a waterfowl observation blind. Guides facilitate a more focused experience during forest explorations and home landscaping sessions, the latter of which demonstrate how to add a lifelike smile to topiary sculptures of the mailman. The arboretum also hosts numerous lecture series, youth programs, and special events such as Fridays in the Garden, where light refreshments accompany presentations or walks with horticultural experts.

At White Horse Equestrian, riders earn their spurs during lessons, classes, and outings run by the ranch’s corral of coaches. Students learn horsemanship and riding techniques according to their existing skillset, whether acquiring advanced communication skills or fundamentals, such as where in the saddle to store a pony's sunglasses on cloudy days. Casual visitors can board rented steeds for trail rides, attend themed summer camps, or use the idyllic grounds to host a birthday party featuring games, crafts, and instructional trots.

At American Bouncers, sock-footed tykes flex their quads and imaginations as they navigate an indoor inflatable adventure land. Puffed-up castles, slides, and Berkshire mansions boomerang with lads and lasses during regular open-bounce sessions, birthday parties, and special events. Junior bounce sessions offer parents an opportunity to leap alongside their tots in the buoyant abodes, and the arena’s concession stand replenishes bouncers with kid-friendly nibbles. The company also leases a selection of bounce houses, concession machines, and party supplies for special events or moon-landing reenactments.