Opened in 1968 as the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom Music Center is located approximately 25 miles south of Cleveland, just north of Akron, Ohio. Blossom is located within the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which protects 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Blossom lies within the city limits of Cuyahoga Falls, an Ohio community first settled in the early 1800s.

Blossom Music Center was planned and built during 1966-68 at a total cost of approximately $8 million. The Center's name honors the Dudley S. Blossom family, major supporters of The Cleveland Orchestra throughout its history. Among the family’s involvements, Mr. Blossom, Sr., served as president of the Orchestra's non-profit governing body, the Musical Arts Association, from 1936-38.

Cleveland Orchestra music director George Szell conducted the opening concerts at Blossom on July 19, 20, and 21, 1968. The all-Beethoven program, which consisted of the "Consecration of the House" Overture and Ninth ("Choral") Symphony, drew enthusiastic reviews from critics throughout the country for the Orchestra and its new summer home.

The first Blossom season consisted of six weeks of performances by The Cleveland Orchestra and eight jazz-folk concerts. Over the years, this schedule has expanded to include today's ten-week Blossom Festival of orchestral music, as well as a summer-long season of concerts devoted to rock, jazz, country, and other popular music.

At the heart of Blossom Music Center is the Blossom Pavilion, situated at the base of a natural bowl. The architect for this award-winning structure, widely celebrated for its distinctive architecture and superb acoustical qualities, was Peter van Dijk; the acoustician was Heinrich Keilholz, with preliminary acoustical design by Christopher Jaffe and studio engineering by Vladimir Maleckar. The Pavilion seats 5,281 beneath its roof, while another 13,500 patrons can be accommodated on the expansive hillside lawn seating area.

The rest of the Blossom grounds offer a number of unique facilities. Just inside Blossom's main entrance is Porthouse Theatre where the Porthouse Theatre Company, a professional regional repertory company affiliated with Kent State University under the Kent/Blossom Theatre program, presents summer theatrical productions.

Situated in the Smith Plaza is Eells Gallery which is used by the Kent/Blossom Art program to exhibit works by prominent regional and national artists. The main grounds also include the Bandwagon Gift Shop, the Blossom Grille restaurant, Knight Grove(a private party center accommodating groups of 25 to 500), and a merchandise and information center just inside the main pedestrian gate.

Two sculptures are permanently on display on the Blossom grounds. The Kulas Clef, an 11-foot bronze-and-steel work by William McVey commemorating the Kulas Foundation's important financial support towards Blossom's founding, is located near the box office just outside the pedestrian gates. Genesis XI, a 14' x 9' bronze-on-granite composition by Kieff, presented by Mr. and Mrs. C. Bingham Blossom in honor of Emily Blossom, is located in Emily’s Garden.

REDEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW

Blossom reopened in the spring of 2003 after years of planning and preparation for a major renovation and construction that began in the fall of 2001. The multi-year Blossom Redevelopment Campaign raised $17 million for capital improvements to ensure Blossom’s standing as a favorite destination for music lovers of all ages now and in the future.  The Blossom Redevelopment Project was the first major capital improvements project in the facility’s 35-year history.   

Improvements to the facility feature a number of new and enhanced patron and artist amenities including

• Installation of a new slate Pavilion roof
• Increased seating in the Pavilion
• Upgraded lighting in the Blossom Pavilion
• New sound system to deliver higher quality sound to lawn patrons
• New lobbies and concession plazas at either side of the Pavilion, each with complete Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility
• Kulas Plaza with a new VIP terrace and restrooms
• Two new restroom buildings and additional ADA restrooms
• New Pavilion tram stop
• Expanded picnic areas
• New special events plaza
• Repaved parking lots and repaired and redesigned roadways
• Improved directional signage
• Extensive landscaping

The Blossom Pavilion

Peter van Dijk, the original architect for the Blossom Pavilion, also served as architect for the Blossom Redevelopment Project. 

The Pavilion underwent extensive changes during the redevelopment project. The aging shingle roof was replaced with mottled green and brown natural slate tiles, covering a surface of approximately two acres. 

The concrete floor was demolished and re-poured to improve seating access from the sides of the Blossom Pavilion. New multi-colored, earth-toned seats were installed throughout, creating a natural effect that blends with the surroundings. The seating capacity of the Pavilion was increased by narrowing outside aisles to make room for 419 additional seats; the new Pavilion seats 5,700 people. And, box seating was upgraded to include upholstered seats, more legroom, and a program shelf. 

Landscaping and Gardens

During the redevelopment special attention was paid to blending the Blossom grounds into the natural landscape and adjacent Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  More than 1,000 trees of 20 different varieties, thousands of perennial flowers and woody shrubs, and tens of thousands of resilient ground cover plants were planted throughout the Blossom grounds.

Additionally, the two existing gardens were upgraded and a new garden was added. The gardens include walking paths and benches, and offer a beautiful and private spot to relax before performances. 

The Frank E. Joseph Garden opened in 1970 and was named in honor of the president of the Musical Arts Association at the time of Blossom’s construction and opening.  This garden is located next to the Eells Gallery in Smith Plaza.

Emily’s Garden opened in 1992 to commemorate Emily (Mrs. Dudley S., Jr.) Blossom’s many contributions to Blossom Music Center.  It has been relocated to a fenced area in the center of Smith Plaza. 

New in 2003 is the Herbert E. Strawbridge Garden, named in memory of Musical Arts Association trustee and civic leader Herb Strawbridge. This new garden is across from Emily’s Garden and next to the Information and Merchandise Center in Smith Plaza.

Smith Plaza

Smith Plaza is the redesigned entrance to the Blossom grounds and features new entrance gates and improved access to the grounds.  The new entrance gates provide a direct view of the Blossom Pavilion as patrons cross the pedestrian and tram bridges and help visually connect the Blossom grounds.

The Smith Plaza offers ticket services, improved merchandise facilities, enhanced gardens, Eells Gallery, guest services, first aid stations, and the Blossom Women’s Committee Information Center. 

New additions to the entrance area include a lawn ticket booth at the base of the pedestrian bridge and expanded merchandise sales in the renovated Information and Merchandise Center, the former location of Eells Gallery.

Kulas Plaza

The newly constructed Kulas Plaza is a private VIP area for use by Blossom Festival box seat holders and high-level donors.  The Plaza offers special-menu concessions, tables for pre-concert dining and intermission refreshments, and dedicated restrooms.  The Plaza is surrounded by dozens of newly planted trees and shrubbery.

Picnic Areas

The new Woods Picnic Area between the parking lots and Smith Plaza offers concert attendees convenient picnicking close to their cars.  This new picnic area provides first-come, first-served picnic tables in a wooded setting.  Additional picnic areas are located throughout the Blossom grounds.

Eells Gallery

The Eells Gallery is used by Kent State University to exhibit works by regional and national artists.  It was relocated from near the entrance gate to the other side of the Smith Plaza between the Frank E. Joseph Garden and the Bandwagon Gift Shop. 

PROJECT INFORMATION

Historical Information

Project Timeline