With director James Gunn’s hotly anticipated Superman movie soaring into theaters on July 11th and a host of new DC comics celebrating the Man of Steel, it’s time to get excited for the Summer of Superman! In fact, if you really wanted to make the next few months about the Man of Steel, and you happen to be down for one very long road trip, there are many places to visit across the United States that hold special significance for Superman. Here are a few must-see stops for all of you Super-fans… 
  

New York City

First, visit Metropolis itself! The original home of DC was also the filming location for the Metropolis exteriors in the first two Christopher Reeve Superman films. Be sure to take in such landmarks as the Statue of Liberty—where Superman takes Lois flying on their first date in the original 1978 Superman—and Grand Central Station, below which is located Lex Luthor’s lair. Of particular interest to fans, however, is the Daily News Building. Located at 220 East 42nd Street in East Midtown, this near hundred-year-old, 37-story, Art-Deco skyscraper, with its distinct granite bas-relief entrance, played the role of the Daily Planet. The ground floor lobby is accessible to the public, who can pose for photos alongside its perpetually rotating giant globe. 
 

Niagara Falls

Then head north to Niagara Falls, where Lois and Clark go on assignment in 1980’s Superman II. The Canadian side of the falls is where Superman rescues a boy from falling to his death, and nearby Table Rock House provided the exterior of the reporters’ “Honeymoon Haven Hotel.” The boardwalk at White Water Walk is the spot where Lois jumps into the Niagara River in an effort to prove Clark is Superman.
 

Cleveland, Ohio

Traveling southwest of Niagara Falls, we come to Cleveland, Ohio—the true birthplace of Superman. Here is where teenagers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created the Man of Steel, and where fans can visit the actual house in which Siegel lived when he first dreamed him up. It’s a private residence located at 10622 Kimberly Ave, but its owners—who’ve decorated the interior and exterior with Superman memorabilia—kindly keep it open to the public. Nine blocks south of the Siegel house, at the corner of Amor Ave. and Parkwood Drive, is the location of the Joe Shuster family’s apartment building. Though the building was long-ago demolished, a fence surrounds its location, on which hang large reproductions of the pages of Action Comics #1.

The Cleveland Public Library's Main Library features a rotating exhibit from the Mike Curtis Collection of Superman Memorabilia and other collectors. And the Siegel & Shuster Society is currently raising funds for a Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Superman Plaza in downtown Cleveland, including statues of Superman and his creators. To add to the city’s legacy, Cleveland’s Public Square and Superior Avenue were recently used as the Metropolis exterior of James Gunn’s Superman!
 

The Hall of Heroes, Indiana

While in the Midwest, head to Elkhart, Indiana’s Hall of Heroes—“the only superhero and comic book museum in the world preserving and covering the entire 80 year history of superheroes in comics, toys, film and animation.” Among its many exhibits is “Superman: The Man of Steel,” featuring “rare comics, original artwork, costumes and memorabilia that chronicle the journey of Superman across comics, television and film.” Other exhibits include “DC Comics: A Universe of Heroes” and “Batman: A Legacy of the Caped Crusader.”
 

Metropolis, Illinois

Okay, now it’s time to visit the mecca for Superman fans: Metropolis, Illinois, home of the Super Museum. Containing the world’s largest collection of Superman props, costumes, toys, collectibles and memorabilia, it spans every era of the Last Son of Krypton’s history. The museum’s got everything from the typewriter used by Clark Kent on the 1950s Adventures of Superman TV show to the wigs worn by Christopher Reeve in his Superman movies. Across the street from the museum is the world’s largest Superman statue, while a few blocks away is a statue of the original live-action Lois Lane, actress Noel Neill. If you can visit June 13th to 15th, be sure to attend the city’s annual Superman Celebration, a summer festival that’s hosted countless comic book artists, along with many actors from Superman film and TV.
 

The Hoover Dam

Ready for a trip to the Southwest? The action-packed climax of 1978’s Superman takes place at one of America’s most iconic man-made wonders, the Hoover Dam. Located in Boulder City, Nevada on the Arizona border, the country’s tallest concrete dam and hydroelectric power plant is burst by the nuclear missile Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor detonates on the San Andreas Fault. You can play the role of cub reporter Jimmy Olsen as he shoots photos from the dam’s rim. Just don’t lean too far over unless you too are Superman’s pal!
 

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Hollywood

The final stop on our trip is a tour unto itself. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is home to the shooting locations of many DC films and TV shows, including TV’s Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. You can see the series’ Metropolis and Daily Planet building on the studio’s back lot, and thrill to a variety of Superman movie props and costumes, including Henry Cavill, Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando’s costumes. Plus, you can also explore other iconic DC locations, like Batman’s Batcave. (Superman certainly wouldn’t mind. Bruce is one of his best friends!)
 

How are you planning to celebrate the Summer of Superman? Jump on over to the DC Official Discord server and let us know!
 

Joseph McCabe writes about comics, film and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Instagram at @joe_mccabe_editor.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joseph McCabe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.