Cleveland, like the other rust belt cities, gets kicked around a lot in the media. It's the butt of jokes and is labeled a city in decline.
For those of you aboard that train, please disembark then place foot in mouth before you enter the Cleveland Museum of Art. This behemoth has just been expanded and overhauled at a cost of $350 million from top-to-bottom. The addition is stunning with a glass-ceiling atrium joining the new and the old and the pieces on display throughout the museum look fresh. This was obviously a herculean project. A final boast: admission is still free. Other art museums in the US should bow in respect to that sense of generosity. Go Cleveland.
This is an encyclopedic museum that starts strongly with the Egyptians and moves forward confidently to modern art. The lighting is great, the glass and plexiglass vitrines don't reflect light that prevent you from taking photos of the art, and the flow of the galleries is relaxing. This museum won't exhaust you.
All this great window dressing only makes the stellar collection look even better. I was here a number of times years ago but this was an entirely new experience for me. If you haven't visited while all the construction was taking place, visit now. It's all finished and it's waiting for you.