Merit Badge University ~ Explore Cleveland

Cleveland Cultural Gardens

Sunday April 24, 2022, 9AM-5PM

As of 4/6/22, we have reached the maximum attendance for this event. If you are interested in joining the waitlist, please click the green "register" button! 

This event will take place outdoors, rain or shine, and will involve walking on foot throughout the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. Scouts are expected to be prepared for the weather and to wear shoes that will be comfortable to hike in.

Come visit one of Cleveland's hidden gems while learning about different cultures and working on a merit badge in a unique setting! During lunch hour, Scouts will have the opportunity to earn the World Scout Committee's Messengers of Peace Award by participating in a service project benefiting the Cultural Gardens.

Scouts may Select ONE Full-Day Merit Badge:

• Citizenship in the World
• Geocaching
• Photography

"The Cleveland Cultural Gardens are one of Northeast Ohio’s oldest and most beautiful treasures. Some 33 dedicated gardens, designed and cultivated by distinct cultural or nationality groups, adorn the drive along Martin Luther King Boulevard and East Boulevard in Rockefeller Park. Depicted in the gardens are the poets, philosophers, peacemakers, composers, scientists, and others who have contributed to world culture. Also featured in the gardens are symbolic sculptures and replicas of or tributes to sacred monuments in other lands (https://www.clevelandculturalgardens.org/)."

Take a Self-Guided Tour of the Gardens!

Cost:

Scouts BSA Youth: $25 

Adults: $10

Schedule

• 8:30 - 9:00 AM: Check-In and Meeting Point at Wade Oval (10820 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106)
  • ***See Below for Parking Options
• 9:00 - 11:30 AM: Morning Session
  • Part One: 1.5-Mile hike along the Harrison Dillard Bikeway to Centennial Peace Plaza
  • Part Two: Merit Badge work within the Cultural Gardens
• 11:30 - 12:00 PM: Lunch Break
• 12:00 - 2:00 PM: Messengers of Peace Service Project
• 2:00 - 4:30 PM: Afternoon Class Session
  • Merit Badge work within the Cultural Gardens
• 4:30 - 5:00 PM: Hike together as a group back to Wade Oval (Classes dismissed at the end of the hike)

***Parking Options:

• Free - Rockefeller Lagoon Parking Lot @ the Corner of East 105th Street & Martin Luther King Drive
• Paid - Street parking is available on the west side of MLK and on the east side of East Boulevard and its side streets.
• Paid - Parking Garage-Cleveland Museum of Natural History
• Paid - Cleveland Museum of Art Parking Deck
• Paid - Cleveland Botanical Gardens Parking Garage
• Paid - Western Reserve Historical Society Parking Lot

This event is part of Lake Erie Council's Merit Badge University - Explore Cleveland series, and is made possible by a collaboration with the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation.

One of the most exciting parts about being a Scout is finding new adventures. Whether you travel far or explore your local area, opportunities abound to grow in knowledge and encounter new people, places, and ideas. In 2022, Lake Erie Council is proud to introduce the Explore Cleveland series as part of its Merit Badge University offerings. Through these programs, Scouts will have the opportunity to earn a variety of merit badges while exploring institutions, museums, and businesses in the Cleveland area.