Cleveland History Center's Murder Mystery Program Wins State Recognition and Plans a Return

The Cleveland History Center’s “Murder at the Mayor’s Mansion” earned the Ohio Local History Alliance History Outreach Award , recognizing the program’s success in bringing interactive history to new audiences. The program was set inside the Hay-McKinney Mansion and staged during a fictionalized 1920s Cleveland society scene. Cristina Moody , who joined the Cleveland History Center in 2022 as Public Programs Manager, helped develop and oversee the series. A Setting That Makes It Possible Moody said the museum’s variety of unique on-site spaces is what makes the murder mystery format work so well there. A murder mystery allows guests to have a more immersive and personal experience while still engaging with everything the museum has to offer. Guests are invited to arrive early and tour the exhibits before the mystery begins. Throughout the evening, they work through clues, interrogations, and plot twists while moving through the mansion itself. How the Program Came Together The idea grew from an earlier murder mystery series set in the 1910s, the era when the mansion was built. Moving into the 1920s was a natural next step, Moody said, particularly given the museum’s permanent exhibit focused on women and politics. “Since we have a permanent exhibit at CHC focused on women and politics, and we were developing this program in 2024, we felt very drawn to that time period and the social changes happening then,” Moody said. The characters are loosely inspired by historical figures, with theatrical and fictional elements added to make the experience entertaining. The education team spends months researching and writing each murder mystery, and the process is collaborative across departments. Audience Response and a New Kind of Visitor The program ran in a series of six performances, with most nights selling out. The museum also saw a wave of first-time visitors drawn in by the murder mystery format who later returned for memberships, private events, and other programming. Award Means Something Personal For Moody, the recognition connects to her own experience. She came to the work as someone who struggled to stay engaged with traditional classroom history growing up. “Being surrounded by incredibly knowledgeable people who care deeply about this community’s history, and therefore the community’s future, has shown me how powerful history can be when it’s made interactive and accessible,” she said. Moody describes one of her biggest strengths as approaching the institution from the perspective of an everyday visitor. Not everyone walking through the doors has a history degree, she said, and they shouldn’t need one to connect with the past. She also sees herself as someone who thinks from an aerial view, focused on what takes an event from good to truly memorable. Small Historical Details, Big Takeaways Moody said she hopes visitors leave with at least one piece of history they wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. The 1920s setting, for example, touched on the reality that many women still faced resistance to voting even after the passage of the 19th Amendment, sometimes from their own husbands. Other details woven into the program included the popularity of dance marathons during the Great Depression, when couples sometimes danced for days competing for prize money, and the wartime practice of Americans saving rubber, tin, and cooking grease for the war effort. “Those little details help people realize history wasn’t all that long ago. These were real people living complicated lives much like ours,” Moody said. What’s Next The murder mystery series is taking a short break while the programs are updated and refreshed. When they return, they will feature rebooted versions of past favorites. Moody said she expects tickets to move quickly once they go on sale. The experience is still available in the meantime through private bookings. Groups can host an event at the Cleveland History Center or bring the mystery to their own venue. For updates on upcoming programs, the museum recommends following its social media channels. More information on the murder mystery programming is available at wrhs.org/learn-discover/programs/for-adults/murder-mysteries .