Once a year, Cuyahoga County opens up the historic streetcar level of the Veterans Memorial Bridge (AKA the Detroit-Superior Bridge) to the public for free. The bridge event usually takes place in the summer, and is a fun way for people to explore a cool part of Cleveland’s history up-close.
This year, the Rediscover Veterans Memorial Bridge event takes place on June 27, 2026.
Read on to learn more about the bridge, this special event, and other ways you can experience this particular part of history in Cleveland!
Veterans Memorial Bridge history
Veterans Memorial Bridge, also known as the Detroit-Superior Bridge, is an iconic structure in Cleveland. This bridge spans the Cuyahoga River, connecting Cleveland’s west side at Detroit Avenue with Cleveland’s east side at Superior Avenue.
Construction on the bridge began in 1914, and it officially opened in 1918. Before then, getting across the Cuyahoga River could be challenging and required crossing one of the low-level drawbridges across the water. The Detroit-Superior Bridge was the first high-level bridge built in Cleveland, with its highest point 196 feet above the water.
The bridge is 3,112 feet long, with two levels designed for traffic. The upper level (which is still open to traffic today) opened to cars, bicycles and pedestrians, while the lower level of the bridge was designed for streetcars. (Yes, Cleveland used to have streetcars!)
Cleveland’s streetcars connected the west and east sides of the city, offering a convenient link to downtown with a stop near Public Square. For nearly four decades, the streetcar shuttled thousands of city residents across the bridge every single day.
However, as personal car ownership increased significantly after WWII, the popularity of streetcars in Cleveland dwindled (as it did across many US cities). In 1954, the streetcars officially stopped running, and the lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge was no longer in use.
For close to 50 years, the lower level of the bridge was minimally maintained and remained closed to the public. In the early 2000s, however, it began to reopen for special events, including “underground” tours, art festivals, and community events.
There have been ongoing efforts to revitalize the lower level of the bridge and open it for more consistent community access, but so far it’s only accessible occasionally to the public.
One of the main public events on the bridge is the “open house” event that takes place on the Veterans Memorial Bridge for one weekend only each summer.
Visit Veterans Memorial Bridge
Quick info:
The main way most people will visit Veterans Memorial Bridge is during the free community event the county puts on each summer. In 2026, you’ll be able to visit the streetcar level of Veterans Memorial Bridge on June 27 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Entry is free for everyone, though everyone visiting needs to fill out a waiver beforehand (you can find the waiver online here).
During the June event, you can walk the entire length of the bridge. You’ll enter at 1007 W Superior Ave, and can follow the path of the old streetcars all the way across the Cuyahoga River and back. The length of the bridge is 3,112 feet, but keep in mind that you if you walk all the way across and back, that’s more than a mile!
During this event, there are photo ops set up, some art installations, and even small stages with live performers throughout the day.
In 2026, the bridge event will also coincide with the county’s America 250 celebration, so you can also enjoy a Picnic in the Park at Canal Basin Park (989 West Street), where you’ll find food trucks, more live music, dragon boat paddling, and more activities.
This is always a really popular event each year; in 2025, it’s estimated that 10,000 people visited the bridge in just one day!
Other ways to visit Veterans Memorial Bridge
Can’t make it out for the county’s one-day bridge event? There’s one other way you can explore this bit of Cleveland history: you can take a guided walking tour of the streetcar level of the bridge with Take a Hike.
Take a Hike runs its 1-hour Veterans Memorial Bridge tour on Fridays from June-September. All of Take a Hike’s tours are free, but this particular one requires advanced registration — and the slots fill up quickly!
Take a Hike opens up registrations at least 1 month in advance (so, August tour availability is posted on July 1, for example), so you’ll want to mark your calendar to reserve a spot.
No matter which way you experience the Veterans Memorial Bridge, it’s well worth the effort if you’re at all interested in Cleveland’s history and architecture.
Have you been to any of these bridge events?
Amanda was born and raised in northeast Ohio, and has always been a fangirl of her home state. Now, she’s sharing her love of the Cleveland area, highlighting all the best things to do, see, and eat in the CLE. She’s been running Cleveland Traveler since January 2019.