Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

A hidden gem in Cleveland! It's open very limited hours, but it's well worth making time for it. Beautiful building that gives the history of US currency from the beginning up until modern time, along with the history of the building itself and how the federal reserve banks came to be (it used to have functioning gun turret).

This review is for the Money Museum inside the Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland, which the hours are listed for. The small public museum has a few interesting displays about money and an activity area for school field trips. Supposedly a group tour is available, but once again, probably only available to school field trips. The museum itself is completely free after checking in with the front desk. I was able to go through the entire museum in about 30 minutes, but the visit was totally worth it as there are bags of money for free at the end of the museum tour! Well, shredded money, but great souvenir that doesn't cost an arm and a leg is always appreciated.

It was a hot day in Cleveland and we stopped in the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland to borrow some AC 😉 What a beautiful lobby. It is a shame that buildings are not built like the Reserve Bank. You have to go through security to enter the lobby. Once we completed that process we were allowed to take a tour of how money has evolved through the years. Fun exhibit that has a lot of interesting facts about money that we found surprising. One of the interesting thing to me was that the one dollar bill has the most units in circulation. That was not surprising but the 2nd largest amount of bills in circulation is the $100 bill. If you are in Cleveland and are a fan of architecture and history you need to spend some time at the Federal Reserve Bank. It is a great experience.

Walked in the rain and looks like building under construction but don’t bother asking the federal reserve police because she has no clue about how to get in the museum or if it’s even closed. Sad but guess that’s typical of government employee

Fun and interesting museum with hands on activities and a lot of information, the little intro speech before going into the museum was nice, and the place is gorgeous!

Not only is this building breathtaking, it is also an amazing place to learn about the history of money. Fun place for kids and adults alike.

Great free stop! Stunning building with some history of money and the reserve. My kids are 11 & 7, they both enjoyed it. Plan for about an hour.

Says open, doors are closed. Not a holiday. Went to the employee entrance and the guy was incredibly rude. A note or a Google update would’ve been nice before taking the day off work and driving down here.

Free (shredded) money I heard about this place years ago and always wanted to stop. The museum takes less than an hour so I wouldn't recommend driving out of your way to visit but if you are in town it is worth a stop. There is no parking lot. There is street parking available you just have to drive around until you find it. Upon entering you will need to show id and go through a metal detector since you are entering the federal reserve building they have security protocols in place to enter. Let's start out by saying the building is beautiful and it was awesome to see such a piece of history in that regard. There is a lady at a desk that will point you in the direction of the museum and answer any questions you might have. The museum discusses what they do at the Cleveland federal reserve, discussed the history of money, and talks about what makes money useable. There are several interactive displays like barter island, guess the counterfeit bill, and other money related games. I took my son and although the business was short I felt like he learned a lot about money in the timeframe we were there. When finished before you exit you are able to take a bag of shredded money. They also have a children's book and other educational materials to help learn more about money. Overall it was a great museum and free! A unique experience that we are lucky to live close to. They museum does have short hours so make sure you check ahead of time before visiting to make sure they are open.

Well worth a visit when you are in the area and have a bit of extra time, but probably not worth a special trip. Located Downtown next to the main Public Library the Federal Reserve allows visitors to the Money Museum. Entering the building is like going through security at the airport, you need to show an ID, go through a metal detector and put your items through the x-ray machine. Once inside you are directed to a volunteer who will give you a nice little talk and information about the building. After that you can go through the museum which is set up on two levels and through a number of rooms that have been retrofitted. First the good, which is the interior of the building is incredible, well worth checking out, ornate and loaded with detail as an architecture fan I really enjoyed this. The museum has some interesting information on the formation and history of the Federal Reserve System and the Cleveland Bank. It also provides some nice exhibits on US currency and basic economic information. Much of the museum seems to be more geared towards children, nicely educational but still fun for the young ones. Also as you finish with the museum you will find some interesting pamphlets with more information as well as the bags of shredded bills you can take home. The bad is that the museum is rather small with limited displays. I would have liked more information on the Cleveland Bank and how it operates. I believe that I spent about a half hour or so total in the museum, so this is not a huge destination. Overall an interesting stop if you are downtown, this would be a good little trip for the kids, especially if you want to get them learning about money and economic issues.

The Federal Reserve is a quasi-government institution, so their lack of weekend hours is expected but still disappointing. What I call tell you is that the outside is certainly impressive with many statues and carvings that showcase this as one of the organizations that manages the money of the United States. I'd love a tour. i'd love a free sample, too! But neither are likely to happen. Cleveland is my FIFTH in my quest to "collect" all of the Federal Reserve Banks. I've also been to Atlanta, Kansas City, Boston and San Francisco.

I have attended several conferences in the Fed's conference center, and it is always great. Everyone there is extremely friendly, and their in house catering is amazing. I also really enjoy the fed's product, and they look great in my wallet!

# To the Budget Traveler: This museum is completely FREE and WONDERFUL. I know, at first sight you may think: A money museum!! Could there be anything more boring!!! But don't be fooled, this place is actually a sanctuary to the word MONEY and is much more exciting and surprising than it seems at first glance. The tour guide was knowledgable and gave us an in depth look at the history and significance of the Cleveland Federal Reserve. I would like to bring your attention to one thing that she said: "if you've seen one federal reserve then you've seen only one federal reserver." In other words, they are all different. Some are just standard office building, others grand secure safes. This one in Cleveland is a work of art. When we first walked in we were treated with the typical security that you expect at a federal reserve. Although it was not as bad as any airport security. This was followed by a professional tour that made me notice elements of art and gun shooting (i.e. security) stations that I would not have noticed on my own. Then for the museum part there is a tasteful and informative exhibition about the types of currency that have been used historically and in different cultures. It was especially interesting to read about one island that used large (up to a ton) rock rings for trade and barter. This is a great place for kids and adults alike. I learned a lot. I made my own money both electronically and with paper and crayon. I felt like a child again and I was surprised at how fun it was. And before you leave you get a nice set of souvenirs. The best one is probably the bag of shredded money. When money is decommissioned because it is old or torn it gets shredded and you can have a nice handful as a souvenir.

The Money Museum at the Cleveland Fed is free. A photo ID is required for those 16+ to enter. There is a friendly worker that greets the guests and provides a brief overview of the building, lobby and an introduction to the museum's exhibits. I was really impressed with the friendly and individualized welcome. Even the two security guards running the metal detector were really friendly. Afterwards the museum can be explored at your own pace, which if you choose to read all the displays doesn't take even an hour. There are permanent exhibits and currently two special ones. There was a small one with reading material on Hamilton and the 1st US Bank. Then there was an installation provided by Front Triennial taking place all over the city in various buildings and spaces. The latter runs till 9/30/18. Regular hours are from 9:30p to 2:30p M-R which will make it a bit difficult for some to visit. The museums size though makes it a good lunch time stop. The lobby in and of itself is worth a quick stop inside. The museum is pretty small and not sectioned off into physically separated spaces so if a group of kids comes (free tours for groups 10+) it can get a bit crowded/noisy. The permanent exhibit provided information on the start of the current banking system and the two that preceded it. There isn't much in terms of artifacts here, but there is a good signage / reading material and two areas geared towards kids. **On 8/15/18 hours are till 9pm to give more people a chance to see the Front Triennial exhibit.

Worth doing, but a little underwhelming. The building is beautiful and I can only imagine what it was like when all the teller windows were used. They had some great displays about the history of money and the Fed. I would like to see more about what the building does today. While I understand they can't take us into the back, a description would be very interesting. Best part was the free money* available at the end of the tour. Just help yourself! *free bags of shredded money. ;)

Not only is the interior beautiful, not only is the museum tour guide helpful and friendly, but the museum was a lot of fun. There are all sorts of interactive stations and it is a quick and free way to spend about an hour in the heart of Cleveland.

Not only is this building breathtaking, it is also an amazing place to learn about the history of money. Fun place for kids and adults alike.

This place is a joke. It takes itself way too seriously. I came with my family but they wouldnt let me in because I didnt have an ID on me. Who needs an ID to go to a museum? The rent a cop security guards here are clowns who take themselves too serioisly.

Great day trip for the kids! We all enjoyed learning about the history of money. Everyone was so nice, too!

The Money Museum here is one of the hidden gems of Cleveland. Budget about 2 hours to learn a lot of fascinating information about the origins and history of money, banking, and the role of the Federal Reserve. Interesting stuff here for both adults and kids. The Federal Reserve building itself is an Italianate architectural wonder, made i. the exterior style of an Italian Palazzo and with an incredibly ornate interior made with yellow Italian marble. One has to go through a security check to enter and the money museum is located to the right from the entrance. The friendly and knowledgeable museum staffer will be glad to explain things to you about the museum, building, and Federal Reserve. You get a free sample of shredded money after your visit, $2.5 billion a year of cash is shredded here! Needless to say this is a very high security place..

I'm not entirely sure how to review this place, but I'll do my best. I've been here on a tour, and as part of a couple of events. The small museum is probably only interesting to older kids, but worth a look for sure. Architecturally, this is a real masterpiece, and I recommend a tour if you have the opportunity (I don't think they're open to the general public). Just the museum would give you an idea of the scale and quality of the building. Highlights of the tour include the meeting rooms and the unbelievable vault and vault door from the days when Feds actually stored money. Great slice of Cleveland history. The meeting space on the 10th floor is large enough to accommodate groups of more than 100 easily, and there are plenty of breakout rooms. I think the food is catered, but it's pretty business-meeting fare. Kind of a strange place to review on Yelp, but that's my not-very-insider insider's knowledge.

Just a short walk from my hotel so I decided to check it out. It's free so why not?! The museum is short but it's wonderful! I was greeted by a nice security guard and we made small talk and he "handed" me over to a super nice lady that works behind the desk. She was super informative and I learned so much in my short visit. I recommend watching the short video they have, it had a lot of useful information and short enough to keep you entertained. It was well worth the walk over.

Loved the insight of how the bank years ago was run and how it was protected from would be thieves. Kids had a great time with the interactive material and putting their own picture on the printed money

A very cool free attraction in the heart of Downtown Cleveland. After passing through the security check at the Federal Reserve, one can only admire the beautiful ceilings inside this building. After a little architectural magic, the next attraction is the small, but interesting, money museum. It's free to visit, and is very informative for people of all ages. Exhibits include a money tree, and a large dollar bill, into which one can insert one's face for a photo op. Obviously, being a complete child, I took advantage of the latter (photo to follow).