Ways to beat the Cleveland summer heat

Cleveland can be sweltering from mid-June to mid-September. Here are a few places to escape the heat and humidity in Northeast Ohio.

Visit the new galleries at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Cleveland Museum of Art
11150 East Blvd. in Cleveland
216-421-7350
www.ClevelandArt.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art continues its renovation schedule with the opening of 17 new, air-conditioned galleries to the public on June 26. The new galleries are located in the main Beaux-Arts building and will house the museum's collection of Byzantine works; ancient Greek, Egyptian, Roman, African and Near Eastern art; and works from Late Antiquity and the European Middle Ages. These galleries join the European and American wings that opened in 2008. The Cleveland Museum of Art is open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. As always, admission to the museum's permanent collection is free.

Take in a Dive-In Movie.
Ledge Pool and Recreation Area
1151 Ledge Road (between State and Kellogg roads) in Hinckley Township
330-635-3200
www.CleMetParks.com/events/divein.asp

The Hinckley Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks is hosting a series of free, evening "dive-in" movies this summer at Ledge Pool. You can watch from the lawn or rent an inner tube ($4 for a single or $6 for a double) and watch the movie from the middle of the pool. Space in the pool is limited, so be sure to reserve your inner tube ahead of time. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the movie starts at 8:45 p.m. Refreshments are available. The lineup includes "Where the Wild Things Are" on June 25, "A Christmas Story" on July 16 and "Monsters vs. Aliens" on Aug. 13.

Treat yourself to an ice cream cone.
Honey Hut Ice Cream Shoppe
4674 State Road in Cleveland
www.HoneyHutIceCream.com

Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream
19700 Detroit Road in Rocky River
www.MitchellsHomemade.com

Katie's Korner
5238 Lake Road in Geneva-on-the-Lake
8505 Tanglewood Square in Chagrin Falls
www.KatiesKorner.com

Nothing beats the heat like ice cream, and Greater Cleveland offers a number of tasty spots to grab a cone. Among these are Honey Hut in Old Brooklyn and four other locations around town for handmade ice cream; Mitchell's Ice Cream in Rocky River and three other area locations, voted repeatedly by Cleveland Magazine readers as the "Best Ice Cream in Cleveland;" and Katie's Korner, on the strip in Geneva-on-the-Lake and in Chagrin Falls, for dozens of house-made flavors.

Go 'down under" at Thompson Ledges.
Thompson Ledges Township Park
16713 Thompson Road in Thompson Township
www.ThompsonOhio.org/TWP/departments/park/index.htm

Thompson Ledges Township Park, located in northern Geauga County just off of State Road 528, was carved out by the Ice Age glaciers that once covered all of northeast Ohio. The park's hiking trails take you down below street level where the land is shaded and the air is cooler. The natural rock formations make for a fascinating walk and the site has picnic facilities. Thompson Ledges Park is open from sunrise to sunset. Admission is free.

Escape to the lake.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Reservation in Bay Village
www.CityOfBayVillage.com/recreation/huntington.cfm

Geneva State Park
4499 Padanarum Road in Geneva-on-the-Lake
440-466-8400
www.DNR.State.oh.us/parks/parks/geneva/tabid/736/Default.aspx

From Huntington Beach in Bay Village's Huntington Reservation to Geneva-on-the-Lake's Breakwater Beach, Northeast Ohio is dotted with stretches of white sand. Most of these parks are free and many offer picnic areas, restrooms, and learning opportunities like lighthouses or visitors centers. An added bonus is that it's nearly always a few degrees cooler at the water's edge.