The Arcade in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, is a Victorian-era structure of two nine-story buildings, joined by a five-story arcade with a glass skylight spanning over 300 feet (91 m), along the four balconies. Erected in 1890, at a cost of $867,000, the Arcade opened on Memorial Day (May 30, 1890), and is identified as one of the earliest indoor shopping malls in the United States. The Cleveland Arcade project Stephen had started before his death in 1888 was finally completed.
The Arcade was built in 1890 by Detroit Bridge Co., which was run by Stephen V. Harkness. It is a unique architectural treasure of 19th century urban America. Designed by John Eisenmann, the Arcade is one of the few remaining arcades of its kind in the United States. Modeled after the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II located in Milan, the Arcade comprises two nine-story towers with a skylight, 100 feet (30 m) high, made of 1,800 panes of glass spanning over 300 feet (91 m). In addition to Stephen, the construction was financed by John D. Rockefeller, Marcus Hanna, Charles F. Brush, and several other wealthy Clevelanders of the day.
The arcade fell into disuse and disrepair and was very close to being demolished as so many other Cleveland landmarks were through the 1960-1970s. However, due to stellar efforts by the city of Cleveland and, the arcade owners and the Hyatt corporation, the arcade still stands today in all its glory as a testament to the builders of the gilded age. It is used for retail, restaurants and is home to the Hyatt Hotel at the arcade. If you want to get a reminder about what it was like to live in the gilded age, stay at the Hyatt, shop the arcade stores, and have dinner there.
Here's a link to the Hyatt: Hyatt at the Cleveland Arcade
Here are the retail and restaurants: The Cleveland Arcade
The video below is a nice overview of the arcade.
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