Free and Cheap Things to Do in Cleveland for CWRU Students

Students at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) study in University Circle, Cleveland’s museum and arts district, and their student ID opens many of its doors for free. This guide, current as of November 2026, covers the free and low-cost things CWRU students can do in Cleveland, how to get around without a car, and what to check before you go.

Free with Your CWRU ID: The Free Access Program

Through CWRU’s Free Access program, current students who show a valid student ID can visit each participating museum once a week (weeks run Sunday through Saturday). As of June 2026, the participating institutions are (CWRU Orientation: See what Cleveland has to offer, free for CWRU students):

Cleveland Museum of Art: always free for CWRU students (and general admission is free for everyone).
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA): always free for CWRU students.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Cleveland Botanical Garden: check its website and plan ahead.
Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland History Center)
Dittrick Museum of Medical History, on CWRU’s own campus
Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage

Questions about the program go to CWRU’s Office of Student Affairs at 216-368-2020.

The Cleveland Museum of Art

General admission to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s permanent collection is always free; some special exhibitions and events are ticketed. The museum, at 11150 East Boulevard, opens 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, stays open until 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday, and is closed on Monday (Cleveland Museum of Art: Plan Your Visit). CWRU has also arranged free student entry to some ticketed exhibitions, such as Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks, so check CWRU’s news page before buying a ticket (CWRU News).

Cleveland Orchestra for $15 or Less

The Cleveland Orchestra runs two programs for current full-time students, who must register with a school-issued email address and have their status verified (The Cleveland Orchestra: Student Tickets):

Student Advantage: free to join; buy up to two $15 tickets for eligible concerts at Severance Music Center and Blossom Music Center.
Frequent Fan Card: $50 for the season (valid July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027); gives one free ticket to each eligible concert, plus the option of one $15 guest ticket.

Student tickets are released each Monday by email, and same-day purchases at the box office carry a $5 processing fee.

Free Outdoor Places Near Campus

Cleveland Cultural Gardens: 38 developed gardens, with 13 more in development, representing communities from around the world along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and East Boulevard, between University Circle and Lake Erie. The gardens host One World Day each August; the 2025 event drew more than 40,000 visitors (Cleveland Cultural Gardens).
Lake View Cemetery: at 12316 Euclid Avenue, the grounds open at 7:30 a.m. every day and include the James A. Garfield Memorial and Wade Memorial Chapel; check the cemetery’s hours page before visiting the monuments (Lake View Cemetery).
Cleveland Metroparks: 18 reservations covering more than 25,000 acres, with more than 325 miles of trails and eight lakefront parks, including Edgewater, plus the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (ticketed) (Cleveland Metroparks).

West Side Market

Cleveland’s public market has operated since 1912 and houses about 60 small businesses selling produce, meat, baked goods and international food. It is at 1979 West 25th Street in Ohio City and is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (West Side Market). Browsing is free, and it is an easy place to try many cuisines for a few dollars.

Getting Around Without a Car

CWRU students ride Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) buses and trains through the U-Pass program, so most trips cost nothing extra. Every undergraduate is charged a $50 activity fee each semester for the pass; graduate and professional students pay $70 per semester in 2026–27, and summer passes are free for continuing graduate students. The pass is a sticker on the back of your CWRU ID (CWRU: RTA Passes). The HealthLine bus runs along Euclid Avenue between University Circle and downtown, and the Red Line rail connects University Circle with downtown, Ohio City (for the West Side Market) and Cleveland Hopkins Airport (Greater Cleveland RTA).

Tips for International Students

Carry your CWRU ID. It is your U-Pass and your free museum ticket. Keep your passport at home; a state ID card from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles can serve as everyday photo ID, and CWRU’s Office of International Student Resources and Engagement (OISRE) publishes guidance on state IDs, banking and transportation (OISRE).
Use the free options in your first weeks. Museum visits, the Cultural Gardens and Orchestra student nights are low-cost ways to meet people during your first semester.
Budget for the rest. CWRU’s tuition and fees were $66,608 for 2025–26, with room and board estimated at $18,762 (IPEDS). For move-in logistics, see our CWRU new student guide.
CWRU at a glance: in fall 2025, CWRU enrolled 12,475 students, of whom 2,040 were international, including 749 of 6,528 undergraduates (IPEDS). It ranks No. 44 among national universities in the U.S. News 2027 edition (Forward Pathway’s US Colleges Ranking).

For admissions and cost data, see the Case Western Reserve University profile.

References

#Case Western Reserve University #Student Life