Soldiers, Sailors and Tunnels

Artifacts in a tunnel.

Next weekend you can see parts of Cleveland’s Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument that are usually closed to the public.

The tunnels beneath the Civil War monument on Public Square will be open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27. No reservations are needed. Anyone in line by 4 p.m. will be able to go through the tunnels on a guided tour.

My friend Carmen and I did this in October 2017 and it was worthwhile. The tunnel tour was brief, but our guide was entertaining and there were plenty of opportunities to take photos. I’m generally not fond of close spaces, but I had no problem going through the tunnels. They were roomier than I expected.

After touring the tunnels, Carmen and I went through the street-level portion of the monument, where guides shared information and answered visitors’ questions. There are lots of photo opps on that level as well. Don’t forget to sign the guestbook.

The monument people say the tunnels are open to the public just once a year, so next Saturday is your only chance to explore them until sometime in 2020. The guided tunnel tour and the self-guided tour upstairs are both free, but donations are accepted and appreciated. The street-level part of the monument is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday through Memorial Day.

Visitors tip: The Terminal Tower Observation Deck is open on weekends through May 26. You could go up there next Saturday and take photos of the monument (among other things) before or after you take photos inside the monument. Tickets are $5 per person and reservations must be made online.