10 Cleveland Valentines Day Dates

What could make for a more intense date than high-speed sledding? The Cleveland Metroparks Chalet is open until 10:30 p.m. on Valentine's Day, and only costs $10 per person. Plus, with a new toboggan lift, riders won't even have to lug their sleds back to the top of the hill.

Lit-up stars above and pink ice beneath your skates, the Wade Oval Rink is sure to get you in the Valentine's Day mood. Admission is free, skate rentals are just $3, and the rink stays open until 9 p.m.

Alpine Valley, Cleveland's local ski resort, must really be feeling the love for Valentine's Day. Any couple can hit the slopes for just $2— a V-day date doesn't get much cheaper than that.

If you'd rather forgo the lovey-dovey stuff, Cedar Lee theater is playing The Past (Le Passe), a film about divorce, desertion, and new relationships on Valentine's Day. For a less dramatic film, the Cleveland Cinematheque stays artsy with a showing of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a colorful, French musical. Just down the street, the Cleveland Orchestra will be putting on a special showing of Casablanca. Underneath the drop-down projection screen in Severance Hall, the orchestra will perform the movie's score live.

The annual Monster Jam truck show will smash through Quicken Loans for Valentine's Day. Break away from the typical night out to see some cars destroy each other; romantic, right? Tickets range from $12 to $57.

The zoo's winter prices are a few bucks cheaper than summer rates (probably because most of the animals aren't their perky summer selves). Still, you might catch a polar bear or reindeer sighting on a walk through the park. If the cold's too much to bear, the indoor Rainforest portion of the zoo remains open. Or, venture out to the Cleveland Aquarium, which has a full schedule of daily exhibits.

The Sweetheart Showcase Burlesque Show would be a nontraditional addition to a Valentine's night out. Held at the Beachland Ballroom, the theme is all about past actress glamour—think: Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn. Cherie Blondell, a Marilyn Monroe look alike, will make an appearance, as will Toronto's Bianca Boom Boom.

Some seductive, sexual Valentine's Day… education? The Nature's Mating Games exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History will delve into animals' reproductive behavior and how sex plays into adaption and evolution.

Nix your traditional dinner plans, and opt instead to try a progressive dinner. Just pick a walkable Cleveland neighborhood and make reservations about an hour apart at your selection of eateries for different appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Coventry Village, East Fourth Street, and Tremont all have great options available, with just short walks between.

A collaboration between over 30 artists resulted in Stupid Cupid 2014 from A to Z, a free local exhibit at the Doubting Thomas Art and Free Space Verse. Artists' creations resulted from random envelopes containing art instructions. With a chocolate fondue fountain and a Valentine dance, this event makes for a classy Valentine's Day evening.