I hope you have your game plan ready if you plan on heading into downtown Cleveland today. You probably should have left last night. It's Eclipse day and the Cleveland Guardians home opener all wrapped into one day!
In preparation, the city of Cleveland has announced road closures and parking/stopping restrictions for those hoping to test their luck at street parking.
Check out the map here, which shows not only the Route 2 ramps that are closed at I-90 but also the usual no parking areas (as seen during Browns games and other big events):
The city reminds people the following public parking lots and garages are going to be open on a first-come-first serve basis:
Cleveland Municipal Lot (1500 South Marginal Road) – For $50 per space, people can start tailgating for the big day (like they would for a Browns game) starting at 5 a.m. Revelers are reminded that alcohol and charcoal grills are, as ever, prohibited.
Willard Garage and Surface Lot (601 Lakeside Avenue) – $60 per vehicle and it opens at 5 a.m. No overnight parking is allowed here, nor is tailgating.
The Canal Parking lot (1519 Merwin Avenue) – Parking is going to be $50, but you can roll in as early as one minute after midnight, the morning of April 8. Tailgating is allowed here.
The eclipse in its totality is set to hit at about 3:13 p.m. and end at around 3:17 p.m. Meanwhile, the home opener is 5:10 p.m. against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field.