The Cleveland Cultural Gardens are a major part of the city’s 254-acre Rockefeller Park. The tranquil area spans two miles between University Circle, Cleveland’s renowned arts and cultural district, and Lake Erie. The land was donated to the city by oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller in 1896. The park was designed by prominent landscape architect Ernest W. Bowditch.

The Cultural Gardens were born in 1916 with the establishment of the Shakespeare Garden by Shakespeare enthusiast and journalist Leo Weidenthal, editor and publisher of the Jewish Independent. He then expanded his idea to the addition of gardens honoring the artists and cultural icons of the immigrant communities who built Cleveland into a national city. His work and the efforts of Charles Wolfram and Mrs. Jennie Zwick led to founding of the nonprofit Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation in the mid-1920s.

The Hebrew Cultural Garden, dedicated in 1926, was the first official member of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation. The individual gardens, then and now, are sponsored and developed by the individual ethnic communities after which they’re named. They work in conjunction with the CCGF and the City of Cleveland to bring their cultural “homes” to life. The statues and inscriptions in the gardens depict significant figures in the world’s cultural history — artists, writers, composers, philosophers, peacemakers, saints and scientists. In the 1930s and 1940s, the federal Works Progress Administration (President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s jobs and infrastructure program) helped the city build much of the stonework that still beautifies Rockefeller Park.

In recent decades, gardens representing Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries have been developed. The African American Cultural Garden was recognized in 2023 by the Cleveland Restoration Society as part of the Cleveland Civil Rights Trail because it was the first garden representing a community of color. As of early 2026, 38 gardens had been established, and 13 more are in development.

The Cultural Gardens Federation is the governing body for all its member gardens. It acts as an advocate for the gardens, works to help preserve and promote them, and acts as a liaison between the gardens, the City of Cleveland, and partner organizations. The Federation also sponsors garden-wide events such as One World Day, which will celebrate its 80th year in 2026.

Learn more on our Frequently Asked Questions page.