It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No — it’s Superman on display at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
The superhero, created in Cleveland by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, is now one of the first things travelers see thanks to a new permanent exhibit at the airport.
Installed near carousel 10 in baggage claim, the display is hard to miss. It includes a seven-foot-tall Superman statue posed proudly in the classic blue suit with red cape and the familiar “S” emblem, set beneath a banner reading “Welcome to Cleveland – Where the Legend Began.”
The exhibit uses comic-book–style caption bubbles, historic photographs and video to tell the story of Superman’s origin during the 1930s Great Depression and to highlight the Cleveland roots of his creators.
Visitors can discover trivia and background details, such as the fact that a young model, Joanne Kovacs, inspired the character of Lois Lane and later became Jerry Siegel’s wife.
The display also points visitors to related sites around the city, including the Glenville neighborhood where Siegel and Shuster lived and where an official Ohio Historical Plaque commemorates their contribution to popular culture.
The airport exhibit was funded by supporters of the Siegel & Shuster Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring and celebrating the creation of Superman.