Three years ago today, Nancy and I registered We Go With Kids. Our family had just returned from an amazing trip exploring the Ring Road in Iceland, and she and her husband had just returned from Africa. Our kids ranged in age from two to nine, and we knew plenty of people who thought our family trips were unusual or even a bit crazy. We wanted to share our stories and travel advice in hopes of inspiring other families to take a trip out of their comfort zone. We’ve been fortunate to take dozens of trips near and far and explore some of the world’s most famous landmarks and museums over the past few years. We never imagined that three years after starting We Go With Kids, we’d be quarantined at home with no travel plans likely for the foreseeable future.
On our last family trip over Thanksgiving break, we spent a Sunday in Fatima, Portugal, where Mary appeared to three children in 1917. We learned that two of these children, siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto, died in 1919 and 1920, respectively, as a result of the 1918 influenza. I knew about this flu pandemic but didn’t realize that it lasted over two years and never before had a face to connect with its millions of victims.
I remember thinking that I was so grateful for modern medicine, which made the recent scares of SARS, H1N1 and Ebola outbreaks mere news stories. I had no idea that the COVID-19 pandemic was on the cusp of wreaking havoc on the world and bringing the 1918 flu back into the news. I would not have imagined that COVID-19 could put our “going” on hold.
Like so many others, our family has been taking social distancing seriously. During the stay-at home order, our kids spent weeks playing in our backyard, rarely wandering past our property line. My husband and I have been working from home since mid-March, and our family excursions look a lot different from last summer when we visited about 20 museums, zoos and amusement parks and also went to Lake Erie and on our first family camping trip.
I long for the opportunity to plan a trip, make use of our ASTC Passport Program membership, pack a suitcase or spend a night away from home, but the health and safety of our family is our first priority and therefore, we’ve stayed at home. We definitely look forward to a time when effective treatments and vaccines are available so that we can resume our usual germ-filled lives without fear. In the meantime, we have learned that there are some silver linings of our “staying.”
Our Backyard
We spend so much more time in our own backyard than ever before. Our basketball hoop and playset have never had so much consistent use. The kid’s soccer goal doubles as a badminton net, and we also enjoy playing catch in the evenings. We notice every new bloom in our garden and spend weekends sitting on our patio visiting with grandparents. With the community pool closed, the kids cool off by running through the sprinkler or taking a dip in the tiny plastic baby pool we bought for our daughter years ago.
Daily Walks
After months of being more sedentary than I’ve ever been before, I noticed my clothes fitting more snugly than before. After school ended, I decided it was time to make a conscious effort to be more active and asked my oldest to go on a walk with me around the neighborhood park, Horseshoe Lake. Our three-mile walk was not only an opportunity to get some exercise but also a great chance to have some one on one time with my son. The next day, I took a walk with my younger son and then my daughter the day after that, and we’ve had a constant rotation of “walk days” for about a month. Each child gets to choose their own destination and route, and we use the Runtastic app to keep track of how far we go. We certainly have a lot of family “togetherness” now, and it’s so nice to spend some quality time with my kids one at a time.
We’ve enjoyed taking family bike rides to Horseshoe Lake in previous summers, but we never seemed to get there as often as we liked. Now, we are there so often that we notice every slight change. The Lake is currently drained, and on one visit after some heavy rain, we noticed that the “Lake” was covered in grass and vegetation. Even when the pavilions, swings and jungle gym were closed due the virus, it remained a favorite respite.
On our walks, we also often visit the Duck Pond (also known in our house as the “Lake with water”) and check out its dam where water rushes down carrying tiny fish after a heavy rain and slows to a trickle after a few dry days.
We have lovely chats on these walks and also notice our neighbors’ landscaping in a way we never have before. When our rhododendrons were blooming, we closely observed all the other bushes in the neighborhood and the slight variation of shades. My daughter notices when a new flower begins to bloom and watches as colors change over several days.
Weekly Field Trips
After the success of the daily walks, I decided to start taking all three kids on mid-week field trips to explore Metroparks and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We’re lucky to be surrounded by so many beautiful nature reserves, but we rarely seemed to have the time to visit them until now. We thoroughly enjoy our walks in the woods and the chance to explore the nearby outdoors. We first went to Penitentiary Glen Reservation in the Lake Metroparks and hiked the Gorge trail. The kids found a vernal pool and spent more than 20 minutes watching the tadpoles, frogs and turtles from every angle.
We also visited Squire’s Castle in the Cleveland Metroparks for the first time in several years. The last time we were here, my youngest was still a toddler and not able to do much hiking, but she’s now a trooper who loves any walk in the woods as long as she can get her water bottle on demand and avoid the mosquitoes.
Our last field trip was to Brandywine Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Brandywine Falls were probably the most beautiful sight we’ve seen on our weekly hikes, but they were also the hardest location to maintain a social distance from other visitors, so we probably will not return this summer.
We do look forward to the time when we can plan our next family trip or even visit a museum. But, until we are confident that we can do that safely, we’ll continue to stay at home explore nature in our own backyard, neighborhood and nearby parks.
Thank you to the Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Goodtime III, the Nautica Queen, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, the Cleveland Museum of Art the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, and the Children’s Museum of Cleveland, for each providing complimentary tickets for my family. All opinions are my own.
While our family loves to travel internationally and explore the world, we are based in the Cleveland, Ohio, and many of our adventures take place close to our Midwest home. Cleveland is rich with history, art and culture and has so many opportunities for young families. While it may not be at the top of every traveler’s bucket list, Cleveland offers so much for traveling and local families to explore, and we always have plenty of options whenever we have a day off. Our list of the best things to do in Cleveland with kids includes something for everyone and also several free activities.
Family Attractions in Downtown Cleveland
#1: Great Lakes Science Center With Kids
The Great Lakes Science Center opened next to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 to support STEM learning. Its North Coast Harbor location on the shore of Lake Erie is a picturesque setting. We have visited the Great Lakes Science Center many times, and our kids particularly love the hands-on exhibits in the main exhibition space on the second level. My kinesthetic learner and his two siblings could spend hours trying out everything.
Hands-on exhibits
Watching films in the six-story Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater is always a highlight. We’ve recently seen Rocky Mountain Express and Natural Parks Adventure. The IMAX photography really makes us feel like we’re seeing the scenery ourselves, and National Parks Adventure particularly reminded me of my trips to Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon.
Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater
The NASA Glenn Visitor Center has been housed at the Great Lakes Science Center since 2010. The highlight of this exhibit is the 1973 Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module. Visitors can try out a nearby replica capsule, which, even with the door removed, was so small that it screamed claustrophobia and made me wonder how the astronauts handle such confined spaces.
1973 Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module
Another favorite exhibit is the Cleveland Creates Zone, which offers various activities for kids to invent, design and tinker. Each area includes all the materials needed to create and test designs. My kids enjoy the Creates Zone every time we visit the Great Lakes Science Center and could spent hours testing and refining their rockets and parachutes for hours. On our last visit, we watched a special physics program in this area that focused on force and motion and absolutely captivated my boys.
Physics Demonstration on Force and Motion
Additionally, the William G. Mather is docked outside the Science Center, but we always seem to visit in the winter when it is closed. A visit to the Mather is one of the few items still on our Cleveland bucket list.
William G. Mather
My kids love hands-on opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering and math and are always asking to visit the Great Lakes Science Center.
Great Lakes Science Center Admission: Adult admission costs $16.95, admission for children ages 2-12 costs $13.95, admission for seniors over age 65 costs $14.95, and admission for college students costs $15.95. Children under age two are free.
Great Lakes Science Center Hours: The Science Center is typically open from 10 a.m. to 5. p.m. every day during the summer and Tuesdays through Sundays during the winter. Note that due to its proximity to FirstEnergy Stadium and the large number of tailgating revelers in the area, the Great Lakes Science Center is closed on the Browns’ regular season home game dates.
Great Lakes Science Center Parking: Parking at the Great Lakes Science Center is conveniently available in the 500-car attached garage, and visitors receive a reduced $8 rate with validation. I paid for parking at the Box Office and avoided looking for a pay station or fumbling with my credit card when exiting. Visitors entering through the parking garage arrive on level 0. There are also meters in front of the Science Center, but the two-hour limit really does not provide enough time to fully explore.
#2: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame With Kids
Cleveland was chosen as the site of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and the Rock Hall opened in 1995. The Rock Hall definitely draws tourists to the area, and I am fortunate to have one of Cleveland’s claim to fame just across the street from my office. I’ve always loved the I.M. Pei design that incorporates a glass pyramid and reminds me of the Louvre.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Our family last visited in December 2017. We started our tour at the Legends of Rock permanent exhibit, which includes artifacts such as handwritten drafts, instruments and costumes. The British Invasion exhibit is the world’s largest artifact-based collection of the Beetles. The Rock Hall also has always featured a standing Elvis exhibit with many artifacts and an exclusive 14-minute Elvis video. The kids particularly enjoyed the costumes. It’s always surprising to see first-hand how small many of the musicians are in real life. I did feel really old when my younger son asked if Michael Jackson was a basketball player and realized that the King of Pop actually died before he was born.
Michael Jackson’s jacket
The boys were pretty excited to find costumes of musicians they recognized like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. We are all still amazed that Lady Gaga actually wore this contraption.
Lady Gaga outfit
We noticed more families with young children touring the Rock Hall than we expected. While our kids are not familiar with most of the featured musicians, they enjoyed the multi-media exhibits. My husband and I could have easily spent a few more hours perusing the exhibits, but our shorter highlight tour was a perfect Rock Hall introduction for our kids.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Admission: General Admission to the Rock Hall costs $26 for adults, $16 for kids age 6-12 and $24 for seniors over age 64. Children ages five and under are free.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Hours: The Rock Hall is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays all year around and on Wednesdays through Saturdays during the Summer months. The Hall of Fame is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Parking: Parking is available at the Great Lakes Science Center garage, and Rock Hall visitors receive a $2 discount with validation.
#3: Goodtime III With Kids
In June 2018, our family spent an amazing summer afternoon cruising on Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River aboard the Goodtime III, Cleveland’s largest sightseeing vessel. The ship’s four decks offer indoor and open air seating for up to 1,000 passengers to enjoy the view of Cleveland’s skyline, its many bridges and all the new development at the East Bank of the Flats. The Narrated Sightseeing Tour is especially kid-friendly and a great way for visitors (and residents!) to learn about Cleveland’s downtown from a unique perspective. A ride on the Goodtime III with kids is a particularly good first boating experience for young passengers, and the views of downtown Cleveland just can’t be beat.
Boarding the Goodtime III
Because there were only about 150 passengers on our mid-week afternoon cruise, we had plenty of seating options throughout the ship. The kids excitedly tried out a half a dozen views before we even left the dock.
Checking out the views while docked on the Ninth Street Pier
The ship departed exactly as scheduled, and visitors need to arrive in time to board before departure or will be stuck on shore. We enjoyed an hour of narration about Cleveland’s history, buildings, bridges and trivia and then a second hour of music on the ship’s sound system, which was fun to listen to while watching the ever-changing views.
Cleveland Flats
At the end of cruise, my daughter took full advantage of the dance floor to try out some of her moves. We were lucky to take advantage of a beautiful summer afternoon and truly enjoy our hometown from a new perspective. Our kids would love to make an afternoon on the Goodtime III an annual tradition, and I’m sure they would see and learn different things on each cruise.
Goodtime III Admission: General admission for the two-hour Narrated Sightseeing Tour costs $18 for adults and $10 for children, and reservations are available online for a small booking fee. Children under five are free, but need a ticket to board. Advance reservations are required for special events and any trip that includes a meal.
Goodtime III Hours: Exact timing for the seasonal cruises varies by day. Check out the online schedule for details.
Goodtime III Parking: Parking is conveniently located at the East Ninth Street Pier Parking lot and costs $10 for 2-3.5 hours.
#4: Federal Reserve Bank Learning Center and Money Museum With Kids
The Federal Reserve Bank Learning Center and Money Museum opened in 2006 and was a huge hit with my kids. The Federal Reserve Bank Building’s exterior was designed to resemble an Italian Renaissance palace. Creation of the Money Museum was a brilliant way to use the former bank teller windows that were vacated after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland
The Money Museum is a unique history and learning center that offers multi-media experiences and activities to teach visitors about the history of currency. Through the Follow the Yellow Brick Road exhibit, we learned that many consider L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz an allegory about money policy. We’ll never look at the Yellow Brick Road in quite the same way. The kids loved the interactive exhibits and the two-story money tree. Make sure not to forget to design your own dollar bills before leaving.
Money Tree
Money Museum Admission: There is no admission fee to visit the Money Museum.
Money Museum Hours: The Money Museum is generally open Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. but closed on all bank holidays.
Money Museum Parking: Parking is available at a number of downtown garages.
#5: Cleveland Public Library With Kids
The Cleveland Public Library‘s Main Library is known as the People’s University and a wonderful place to visit with children. The historic Main Library Building is almost 100 years old and resembles a museum. The research library has a vast collection, and the kids loved the Superman statue.
Superman statue
We visited the special exhibit, The World of Puppets: From Stage to Screen, which occupied a stunning cathedral-like space on the first floor. The museum-quality exhibition reminded us of the puppet exhibit at COSI that we enjoyed a few months earlier. In addition to the many puppets on display, there was a puppet show area where my daughter produced her own show.
The World of Puppets: From Stage to Screen
Cleveland Public Library Admission: There is no admission fee to visit the Cleveland Public Library.
Cleveland Public Library Hours: The Cleveland Public Main Library is generally from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays.
Cleveland Public Library Parking: Parking is available at a number of downtown garages.
#6: Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument With Kids
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is dedicated the veterans of the American Civil War from Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. It opened on July 4, 1894 and is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2019. The Monument is located in the southeast quadrant of Public Square and features a 125-foot column with a statue of the Goddess of Liberty on top.
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument
Inside the Monument, the names of 9,000 Civil War veterans from the area are listed on marble tablets affixed to the walls. We also learned that body of Abraham Lincoln was placed in this same quadrant of Public Square on April 28, 1865, and tens of thousands of mourners paid their respect to the assassinated President.
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument interior
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Admission: There is no admission fee to visit the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument.
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Hours: The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during the summer months.
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Parking: Parking is available at a number of downtown garages.
Family Attractions in the Flats
#7: Nautica Queen With Kids
The Nautica Queen is Cleveland’s dining cruise ship that departs from the West Bank of the Flats for lunch and dinner cruises. Our family took a lunch cruise on the day before my kids started a new school year in August 2019, and it was an amazing way to end a lovely summer. While the forecast showed rain a day or two before our cruise, we ended up with picture perfect blue skies and an ideal 75 degree temperature.
Nautica Queen
As soon as we embarked the ship, we were directed to our table on the middle level. We ordered sodas and explored the top deck before the buffet lunch was served. Our meal included salad, beef, pasta, fish, chicken, oven-roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, dinner rolls, cheesecake, coffee, tea and ice tea. And, our lunchtime view was unbeatable as we cruised on the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie while passing historic bridges and all the sights of Downtown Cleveland.
Lunch on the Nautica Queen
My favorite part of the cruise was definitely the view from the top deck. We spent most of our time up there after finishing our lunch. The railings were high, and I felt very safe for even my youngest child. My daughter particularly loved the dance floor and kept asking to return for a song or two. While I may have missed the wind blowing through my hair while accompanying her on the inside deck, the view most definitely never disappointed. We were all sad to disembark at the end. There probably is not a better way to really feel like a visitor in our hometown other than spending an afternoon on a cruise.
View from the Nautica Queen
Nautica Queen Admission: Rates vary by day but as of August 2019, two-hour weekday lunch cruises with gratuities generally cost $29.65 for adults and $18.95 for children under 12 and two and a half hour weekday sunset dinner cruises with gratuities cost $35.59 for adults and $22.52 for children under 12. Sunday brunch cruises and Friday and Saturday dinner cruises cost more than weekday cruises.
Nautica Queen Hours: The schedule for Nautica Queen cruises is available online.
Nautica Queen Parking: Parking is available in an adjacent cash-only parking lot for generally $3-6. There is also free street parking on nearby streets.
#8: Greater Cleveland Aquarium
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium opened in its current location in the Flats’ FirstEnergy Powerhouse in 2012 and remains Ohio’s only free-standing aquarium. The Powerhouse building was originally constructed in 1892 as a power station and is a unique setting for an aquarium. My prom was held in this building, and I absolutely love how this space has been repurposed and renovated. We last visited in December 2017 and headed straight to the diver presentation in the shark tank when we arrived. Watching the diver feed the aquatic life was the highlight of our visit. A special microphone allowed the diver to talk directly to the audience. During the presentation, we learned that most shark bites are really caused by mistaken identity. Sharks explore the world with their mouths, and surfers often look like fish from below.
Diver in the Shark Tank
The 230,000 gallon Shark SeaTube includes four species of sharks, stingrays, angelfish, a giant barracuda and a whole host of other ocean creatures. Visitors can literally walk under the tank to get a whole new perspective. If you want to take a peek into the shark tank in real-time, check out the shark cam.
Shark SeaTube
The Aquarium has more than 50 exhibits, 250 species and 1,450 animals from Lake Erie and all across the globe. Some of our favorite animals included the turtles, lion fish and clown fish with the stunning anemone.
Turtle hanging out
My son particularly enjoyed the Invertebrate Touch Pool where he got the chance to feel a starfish with the official “two-finger” technique. The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is an amazing place to learn about aquatic animals and get a glimpse of life under the sea.
Greater Cleveland Aquarium Admission: Admission to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium costs $19.95 for visitors age 13-99 and $13.95 for children age 2 to 12. There is no admission fee for visitors under age 2 and over 99.
Greater Cleveland Aquarium Hours: The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is generally open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Greater Cleveland Aquarium Parking: Parking is available in an adjacent cash-only parking lot for about $3-6.
University Circle Attractions for Families
#9: Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Art is the art museum we frequent most often. We’re so lucky to have one of the world’s best free art museums practically in our backyard. A massive expansion project was completed at the end of 2013 and increased floor space by 65% and included the glass-roofed Ames Family Atrium.
Ames Family Atrium
The Cleveland Museum of Art has a permanent collection of 45,000 works and significant Egyptian and Asian galleries. The Armor Court the ArtLens Gallery are our kids’ favorite exhibits.
Armor Court
We always make sure to spend a few minutes sitting on the bench in front of Monet’s Water Lilies (Agapanthus).
Monet’s Water Lilies (Agapanthus)
Rodin’s Thinker, which sits outside the front entrance, was partially vandalized by a bomb in 1970, and the statue’s lower legs were destroyed and have not been restored. We love spending time outside the Cleveland Museum of Art and walking around the Wade Lagoon.
Cleveland Museum of Art Admission: Admission to the Cleveland Museum of Art is free, but there are fees and sometimes advance reservations required for special exhibits.
Cleveland Museum of Art Hours: The Cleveland Museum of Art is generally open daily on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Museum is closed on New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Cleveland Museum of Art Parking: Parking is available in the attached indoor garage, and the maximum daily rate is $16. There is also metered street parking available nearby.
#10: Cleveland Botanical Garden With Kids
The Cleveland Botanical Garden features the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse, a 17,000 square foot conservatory that features two biomes – the desert of Madagascar and the cloud forest of Costa Rica. Together, these biomes house over 350 plant species and 50 animal species. We visit the Cleveland Botanical Garden almost every year.
Costa Rica exhibit
We enjoy visiting the Botanical Garden’s annual holiday tradition, Glow, an exhibit featuring holiday-inspired trees, gingerbread house displays and crafts. Admission to the Garden is often free during the Circle Fest in early December
Glow
The Hershey Children’s Garden was the first children’s garden in Ohio. It is open from March 31 to October 31 during regular Botanical Garden hours and a great place for kids to explore nature.
Hershey Children’s Garden
Cleveland Botanical Garden Admission: Admission to the Cleveland Botanical Garden costs $12 for adults and $8 for children ages 3-12. Children age 2 and under are free.
Cleveland Botanical Garden Hours: Cleveland Botanical Garden is generally open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The Cleveland Botanical Garden and until 9:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays.
Cleveland Botanical Garden Parking: Parking is available in the attached indoor garage, and the maximum daily rate is $16. There is also metered street parking available nearby.
#11: Cleveland Museum of Natural History With Kids
We were members of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for many years. Our kids especially enjoy exploring the planetarium, the dinosaur exhibit, the gemstones, the toddler-friendly Smead Discovery Center, and the Shafran Planetarium & Mueller Observatory. Like many natural history museums, the dinosaur exhibit is a favorite for our family.
My daughter has a special fondness for Lucy, a paleontology icon. The 3.2 million year old Australopithecus afarensis partial skeleton was discovered in 1974 by team led by former Museum curator, Dr. Donald Johanson, and we never miss saying “hello” to her replica.
Visiting Lucy
The outdoor Perkins Wildlife Center opened in 2016, drastically expanding the Museum’s outdoor animal exhibitions. There is a new exhibit around each of the winding pathways, including Ohio’s famous bald eagle.
Cleveland Natural History Museum Admission: Admission to the Cleveland History Center costs $17 for adults and $14 for seniors age 62 and over, college students with identification and youth age 3-18. Children under three and are free.
Cleveland Natural History Museum Hours: Cleveland History Center is generally open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.
Cleveland Natural History Museum Parking: Parking is available in the attached indoor garage, and the maximum daily rate is $16. There is also metered street parking available nearby..
#12: Cleveland History Center With Kids
The Cleveland History Center is the headquarters of the Western Reserve Historical Society and features collections that cover community and family history. The History Center features the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, the Hay-McKinney Mansion, the Kidzibits Hands-on Gallery and the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.
Carousel
My kids’ love the antique car collection and learning about the evolution of the automobile. The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum’s impressive collection of automobiles includes more than 170 antique automobiles.
Cleveland History Center Admission: Admission to the Cleveland History Center costs $10 for adults, $9 for seniors age 62 and over, $7 for veterans and $5 for children ages 3-12. Children under three and active military are free.
Cleveland History Center Hours: Cleveland History Center is generally open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.
Cleveland History Centers Parking: Parking is available in the attached surface lot off Magnolia Drive and costs $8 for two hours with a $15 daily max. There is also metered street parking available around University Circle.
#13: Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland With Kids
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA) is one of only 20 modern art museums in the United States. MOCA opened its new facility in $27.2 million building designed by Farshid Moussavi in 2012. The main exhibition space on the fourth floor is a wide-open space that is very different from the typical gallery in traditional art museums with paintings and sculptures. The exhibit we saw during our January 2018 visit did not have any barriers. While the exhibition featured in this space changes several times a year, it is probably best suited for children over five.
My kids’ favorite part of our visit to MOCA was the Marjorie + Anselm Talalay Classroom on the third floor where visitors can create their own art. My kids had so much fun creating works inspired by the exhibition that I invested in in a colored tape dispenser for their use at home.
Marjorie + Anselm Talalay Classroom
MOCA is a great resource for Cleveland families and encourages children to use their imaginations to create art in non-traditional ways.
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland Admission: General admission to MOCA is now free.
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland Hours: MOCA is generally open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Children’s Museum of Cleveland reopened, in November 2017, in the former Stager-Beckwith Mansion, one of the four remaining mansions still standing on Millionaire’s Row. The Millionaire’s Row mansion in Midtown had most recently served as the main campus for Myers University and an elegant banquet hall. We had been members of the Museum at its previous location in University Circle when my oldest son attended preschool nearby and love the larger and updated space.
Although my boys both are beyond the target age for any children’s museum, they have fun exploring the Children’s Museum with their young sister when we visited in January 2018 and August 2019 I think their favorite exhibit was the Wonder Lab, an industrial science laboratory with water tables, whirlpools and jets. My sons largely ignored the water features but spent most of their time building ball tracks on the magnetic wall.
Adventure City is located in what was the ball room of the Stager-Beckwith Mansion and Myers University. One of my best friends hosted her wedding reception in this space that now features an amazing indoor two-story climber with a construction site theme. The space also recreates the much-loved grocery store, doctor’s office, nursery and kitchen that were featured in the Museum’s prior location and also adds an auto shop. This indoor play area is constructed from smooth wood not suitable for outdoor playgrounds.
This climber was enormousSerious grocery shopping
Making Miniatures features a collection of dollhouses created by local artist, Cathy Lincoln, and completely entranced my daughter. Each house was placed on a pedestal and enclosed with a plastic casing. Children could get up close by standing on small step stools and carefully explore the houses with available flashlights. My boys were less enthusiastic about dollhouses, but they enjoyed searching for the tiny CMC logos hidden in each house.
She carefully examined each and every dollhouse
Arts & Parts is a bright art studio with different prepared art projects for children to create. My kids loved that they could tinker, glue and hammer. I loved that all the materials had been prepared for creating, and clean up was easy.
The Museum also features a Sensory Friendly Room for children who get overwhelmed in loud and crowded spaces and the Meadow for infants and toddlers. While only vending machines are available on site, the Café offers tables and a microwave for families packing lunch. There are also party rooms.
The Museum is geared for visitors aged birth to eight. My nine and eleven year old boys accompanied their sister and enjoyed the Wonder Lab and Adventure City. But, there were times where they were a bit bored – especially in the Making Miniatures and Art & Parts exhibits. If the youngest child in your group is over eight, this may not be your ideal activity or, perhaps, plan only a short visit. The former Stager-Beckwith Mansion is an ideal setting for the Children’s Museum of Cleveland, and my kids had so much fun exploring, imagining and creating.
The new home of the Children’s Museum of Cleveland
Children’s Museum of Cleveland Admission: Admission costs $12 for all visitors over 11 months. Children 11 months and younger are free.
Children’s Museum of Cleveland Hours: The Children’s Museum of Cleveland is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed on Independence Day, Labor Day, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Children’s Museum of Cleveland Parking: Free parking is available in an adjacent surface lot.
Family Activities in Old Brooklyn
#15: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is one of the Cleveland area’s most popular attractions and hosts more than one million visitors annually. The Zoo features the Australian Adventure, African Savanna, Northern Wilderness Trek, the Rosebrough Tiger Passage, the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building, Waterfowl Lake, the RainForest and Asian Highlands. When our kids were young, we were Zoo members for years, and our kids learned first-hand about elephants, giraffes, lions and kangaroos from our visits. We still enjoy a Zoo trip at least once a year.
We have watched as new exhibits such as the Elephant Crossing and Asian Highlands, the Rosebrough Tiger Passage and Asian Highlands have opened and always enjoy a visit to the Zoo.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and RainForest Admission: Adult admission costs $16.95, admission for children ages 2-11 costs $12.95 and admission for seniors over age 62 costs $14.95. Children under age two are free. Tickets can be purchased online for a savings of $2 each. Admission to the Zoo only is free on Mondays for residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township with identification.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Hours: The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m and stays open until 6 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays during the summer months. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is closed on New Year’s Day and Christmas Day.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Parking: Free parking is available in an adjacent surface lot.
Find Out More About Cleveland With Kids
There are so many kid-friendly things to do in Cleveland, an up and coming destination. These five amazing museums are just the tip of the iceberg. Spending time in Northeast Ohio, check out our favorite activities in Cleveland with kids.
Thank you to Cedar Point for hosting our family’s visit. All opinions are my own.
We are so lucky to have Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio. Cedar Point in Sandusky is consistently recognized as one of the world’s best amusement parks and always winning awards for its roller coasters. It is the only amusement park with six roller coaster that are taller than 200 feet and the only park that features coasters in all four height classifications. On top of that, the classifications of giga and strata were coined during the development of the Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster, respectively. When Cedar Point constructs a new coaster, it seems to always break at least one world record. It’s no surprise that Cedar Point, which is located on Lake Erie, is known as “America’s Roller Coast.”
Cedar Point Amusement Park Awards
Cedar Point received Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award for “Best Amusement Park in the World” every year from 1997-2013. It’s the most visited seasonal amusement park in the nation and boasted about 3.6 million visitors in 2017. And, its historic, too. Cedar Point is the second oldest continuously operated amusement park in the U.S. behind only Lake Compounce in my husband’s former hometown of Bristol, Connecticut. My husband was pleased to know he’s visited the two oldest amusement parks in the U.S., especially considering Cedar Point and Lake Compounce are two of the only seasonal amusement parks he’s visited. Cedar Point also has several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cedar Point Theme Park – An Ideal Vacation Destination
Cedar Point is a vacation destination that attracts visitors from all over the world. The Sandusky area has many options for accommodation to support Cedar Point, including three hotels with indoor water parks and Cedar Point’s Hotel Breakers. We met one family who was visiting on a five day pass with dining plan. While we generally have to travel to see top tourist spots, we’re able to make a day trip to Cedar Point from the eastern suburbs of Cleveland on about a half a tank of gas. Before school starts each year, we ask the kids about their favorite parts of summer, and Cedar Point always ranks at the top of the list, even the year we took an amazing trip to Iceland.
We scheduled our visit to Cedar Point on what turned out to be the hottest day of the summer. Meteorologists warned of the dangers of the high heat index throughout the entire region. We were glad we planned to visit later in the day, and the souvenir cup with unlimited refills was a non-negotiable necessity. We stayed hydrated and avoided any attractions with long lines and made sure to visit air-conditioned buildings whenever we felt hot. Much to my daughter’s dismay, we also decided to skip one of her favorites, Snoopy Bounce, because it required too much physical exertion on this hot day.
Cedar Point Weather
It’s important to check the weather and be prepared before visiting Cedar Point. Even though rain was not in the forecast when we headed to Cedar Point, we threw a few umbrellas under our stroller to use as shade during this day of extreme heat. We had been fortunate during our recent trips to Cedar Point and visited on only dry days, but at about 9 p.m., an unexpected and ominous storm cloud appeared overhead and significantly darkened the beautiful blue sky we enjoyed the entire day. It brought with it a cooling breeze and then a downpour of rain and consistent lightning. When the unexpected rain shower began, we felt very lucky that we were some of the few prepared Cedar Point visitors. We stopped for dinner hoping the storm would pass, and the rides would reopen, but due to safety concerns and ongoing lightning, most of the rides understandably closed early. Only a few fixed to the ground remained open.
Unexpected storm clouds rolling in behind Maverick, Cedar Point’s steepest roller coaster
Cedar PointNights
From July 12 through August 18, the Cedar Point Nights event offers an ultimate nighttime beach party with five hours of live entertainment from local bands at the Lakeside Beach Musical Festival. Visitors can take advantage of Cedar Point’s low priced admission after 5 p.m. and enter the park for only $25 per person. We unfortunately missed the Musical Festival because of the unexpected storm but have enjoyed the evening live entertainment during visits in prior years. In addition to the nightly beach party, the Cedar Point theme park lights up after dark. Giant Wheel, Cedar Point’s Ferris wheel illuminates against the skyline and has more lights than any other ride in the park. While the boys waited in line for the Dodgem cars, we were totally transfixed by the light show. My daughter’s favorite parts were the heart and smiley face.
The illuminated Giant Wheel
The dodgem cars were brightly lit at night, which added to the smash up fun.
Dodgem cars at night
Cedar Point Best Rides
Cedar Point Thrill Rides
Cedar Point’s roller coasters constructed since 2000 are for serious thrill seekers. They include:
Millennium Force, which debuted in 2000 as the original giga roller coaster by exceeding 300 feet;
Top Thrill Dragster, the steel accelerator coaster completed in 2004 as the original strata coaster remains one of only two roller coasters, in the world that exceeds 400 feet;
Maverick; which was completed in 2007 as Cedar Point’s steepest roller coaster;
GateKeeper, which was constructed in 2013 as the world’s highest, fastest and longest wing coaster;
Valravn, which opened in 2016 as the tallest, fastest and longest dive coaster; and
Steel Venegance, which was completed in 2018 as a partial reconstruction of the Mean Streak and opened as a hybrid hypercoaster setting 10 world records.
Our boys have yet to attempt any of these these, but maybe next year.
While we did not ride any of Cedar Point’s newest roller coasters on this visit, my boys and husband enjoyed some of the thrill rides, including MaXair, Skyhawk and Ocean Motion. I get nauseous when there’s too much spinning or swaying, so I am happy to wait with my daughter and take pictures, amazed that my family is flying through the air. Skyhawk, the world’s highest swinging thrill ride, had a model seat outside the entrance for riders to test out, and my daughter thought that was the coolest thing ever. She spent a solid 10 minutes opening and closing the lap bar.
Skyhawk, the world’s highest swinging thrill ride
My favorite “thrill ride” is the Wave Swinger, a classic swing ride that is far more mellow than the others in this category. I stored my flip flops in the bin and let my feet dangle in the wind. It was a glorious ride, dampened only slightly by the storm clouds that appeared.
Cedar Point’s Classic Roller Coasters
In my teens and 20s, I was a roller coaster enthusiast. I regularly visited Cedar Point on a May weekday when the park was practically empty and the coasters all had minimal waits. I loved the thrill of my stomach dropping and raced from coaster to coaster trying to ride them all in a single day. I’m not so brave in my “old age” and have been happy to settle for the record-breaking coasters from many years ago. The roller coasters I remember most fondly from childhood are from Cedar Fair’s now defunct Geauga Lake: Double Loop, Big Dipper and Corkscrew. At Cedar Point, Gemini, the Blue Streak, Corkscrew and Iron Dragon fit into this category. We’ve ridden all as a family but didn’t get to all of them on this trip due to the unexpected storm. The great thing about Cedar Point is that the newest coasters draw the biggest crowds, and our wait time for the coasters we wanted to ride rarely exceeded five minutes.
I still have a soft spot for Gemini, the 1978 steel hybrid was one of the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coasters in the world when it was constructed. Two cars run on side by side tracks, which makes this one of the highest capacity rides in the park. There is one main hill and a bunch of smaller hills and various twists and turns, but the highlight for me is the dual tracks and experiencing the coaster as a race with a large group of excited visitors. While steel roller coasters seem to be much more popular, this hybrid wooden coaster with a steel track seems like the perfect compromise. I rode the Gemini with my two sons, and my oldest agreed that it was his favorite, too, which was a proud mama moment.
The Gemini against the bright blue sky
Cedar Point Junior Roller Coasters
Cedar Point truly caters to visitors of all ages and interests and features two junior roller coasters. We decided to ride the Woodstock Express. My four year old daughter wasn’t 100% convinced that she wanted to try a roller coaster, but we encouraged her because the boys both overcame mild fear to ride at about her age. Unfortunately, her least favorite ride turned out to be the Woodstock Express junior roller coaster. This roller coaster is 38 feet high and 25 miles per hour and was a bit too much for her. In hindsight, the Wilderness Run, which was formerly known as the Junior Gemini and has a 19 feet drop and top speed of 6 miles per hour would have probably been a better bet. Even though the Woodstock Express was not even a little bit fun for her, I think she’ll try the Wilderness Run next year.
Waiting for the Woodstock Express
Cedar Point Family Rides
With kids in all three major height categories – under 48 inches, under 54 inches and over 54 inches, we appreciate that there are a number of fun rides that we can enjoy as a family. We typically start and end each day at Cedar Point with a ride on the Midway Carousel. While I took my sons on the Cedar Creek Mine Ride, my husband and daughter rode the Antique Cars together. There are also many rides in Cedar Points three children’s areas that the whole family can ride together. We always make sure to ride the Kiddie Kingdom Carousel and also enjoy the 4x4s, Camp Bus, Snoopy’s Express Railroad and Charlie Brown’s Wind Up. Peanuts 500 was my daughter’s favorite ride.
The Midway Carousel is the perfect way to start and end a day at Cedar Point
Cedar Point Kid Rides
Over the years, many parents have told me that they are putting off a trip to Cedar Point until their kids are older. Even if Cedar Point has a roller coaster reputation, it really does not disappoint when it comes to the youngest visitors. There are three areas with kiddie rides – Kiddie Kingdom, Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy, which consists of rides relocated from Geauga Lake after it closed. In most of these kiddie rides, kids spin around an axis on some mode of transportation. The Mustangs, police and motorcycles may seem really similar for adults, but my four year old daughter was delighted running from ride to ride, wanting to try them all. We may not miss the kiddie areas when our daughter outgrows them, but we’re glad that Cedar Point offers so many options for its youngest visitors.
Cedar Point’s Town Hall Museum
My proudest mama moment of our visit may have been when my daughter pointed to the Town Hall Museum and said she wanted to check it out. My kids really appreciate and enjoy museums, but I wouldn’t have expected her to notice the museum at Cedar Point and want to explore when it was surrounded by rides. We not only appreciated the air conditioning but learned about the history of Cedar Point’s roller coasters during our short visit. The model replica of Steel Vengeance was impressive, and we compared the redesigned coaster to the nearby Mean Streak model.
Where to Eat when Visiting Cedar Point
Cedar Point Restaurants
Cedar Point offers many dining options. We often opt for Chick-fil-A or Panda Express and also make sure to purchase a souvenir cup with unlimited refills. It’s so important to stay hydrated.
Restaurants Near Cedar Point
On our way to and from Cedar Point, we regularly stop for a meal at Costa Azul at the Rye Beach Road exit off of OH-2 in Huron, Ohio. Costa Azul serves authentic Mexican cuisine and even accommodated my older son’s entire soccer team after a state championship tournament game at the nearby Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center.
Cedar Point Vacation Logistics
Cedar Point Tickets: As of July 2019, Cedar Point admission is available online starting at $49.99 for adults for weekday passes and $45 for children under 48 inches. Guests who love roller coasters and dislike lines should consider purchasing the Cedar Point fast pass. Tickets for entry after 5:00 p.m. costs $25. Cedar Point discount tickets are available from a number of vendors, including Groupon.
Cedar Point Hours: Check the Cedar Point schedule.
Cedar Point Height Requirements: Each ride has its own posted height requirements.
Cedar Point Park Map: Don’t forget to pick up a map before setting off to explore Cedar Point. Even though we visit almost every year, we always find ourselves referring to the map for important location information.
Cedar Point ParentSwap: We requested a Parent Swap authorization at Guest Services by the Main Entrance. After I rode Iron Dragon with the boys while my husband waited with our daughter, I showed the authorization to the operator. After we reunited, my husband and younger son walked up the exit ramp and got on the next train.
Cedar Point Kidtrack: At Guest Services, we signed up for a Kidtrack wristband for my daughter. I wrote my name and phone number on the inside. If we were ever separated, the contact information would help us reunite faster.
Cedar Point Pre-K Pass: Cedar Point offered free season passes for children ages three to five for the entire 2019 season. Registration closed on June 3, 2019, but make sure to look out for the program in 2020.
A Family Day at Cedar Point
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio is the perfect location for a family outing because it blends classic carnival rides with world record thrill rides. Our annual trip to Cedar Point is a highlight of the summer because we all love riding rides and sharing quality family time together.
Thank you to the Great Lakes Science Center for providing complimentary tickets for my family. All opinions are my own.
My boys’ favorite museum in Cleveland is the Great Lakes Science Center. On a recent day off school, I suggested a “field trip”, and they requested the Great Lakes Science Center without hesitation. My kids (ages 4, 8 and 10) especially enjoy the Science Center’s hands on exhibits and projects, the NASA Glenn Visitor’s Center, the Dome theater, the special demonstrations and the rotating special exhibits. My parents decided to join us, and I was grateful for the extra hands and the luxurious 1:1 adult-to-child ratio, especially in a museum where each kid constantly wants to explore something in a different direction. The Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland offers so many opportunities for fun STEM learning, and we can’t wait for our next visit.
Visiting the Great Lakes Science Center With Kids
The Great Lakes Science Center is located next to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Lake Erie’s North Coast Harbor. The Science Center is typically open from 10 a.m. to 5. p.m. every day during the summer and Tuesdays through Sundays during the winter. Note that due to its proximity to FirstEnergy Stadium and the large number of tailgating revelers in the area, the Great Lakes Science Center is closed on the Browns’ regular season home game dates. (I presume if the Browns had a home play off game that the Science Center would close as well, but my dad’s research indicates that the Browns have not had a home post-season game since the current stadium was completed in 1999. His fingers remained crossed that a home playoff game inconveniences the Science Center sooner rather than later).
Great Lakes Science Center Parking
Parking at the Great Lakes Science Center is conveniently available in the 500-car attached garage, and visitors receive a reduced $8 rate with validation. I paid for parking at the Box Office and avoided looking for a pay station or fumbling with my credit card when exiting. Visitors entering through the parking garage arrive on level 0. There are also meters in front of the Science Center, but the two-hour limit really does not provide enough time to fully explore.
Great Lakes Science Center Box Office
The Box Office is located on the first level, and we immediately noticed that renovations since our last visit in the Spring included the removal of the enormous escalator that previously dominated the main lobby and addition of a much smaller staircase. My mom, who struggles with stairs, took the elevator, while the rest of us raced up the new stairs to check out the view out of the enormous window. The Great Lakes Science Center is a member of the ASTC passport program, so members of most reciprocal ASTC museums receive free admission.
The Rotating Special Exhibit
After we collected our tickets, we headed back down to Reinburger Hall on Level 0 to check out the current special exhibit, Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body. Grossology explored the science behind phenomena that kids find fascinating, like flatulence, boogers, burps and stinky feet. My kids all had permanent grins as they literally ran from exhibit to exhibit. Considering this exhibit focused on typically “inappropriate” topics, they felt that they were getting away with something while exploring.
My daughter was particularly enamored with the GI slide, a 30-foot long 3-D model of the digestive system. She got to slide down the esophagus into the stomach and then climb through the small and large intestines.
The 12-foot skin climbing wall was another highlight. This fiberglass replica of human skin included skin blemishes like pimples, warts, hair and moles. I’m not sure how much my four year old “learned” about dermatology making her way from one end of the climbing wall to the other, but she was definitely thrilled to reach the end.
My kids have also enjoyed previous special exhibits featured in this space, including AllAboard! The Science of Trains and Build It. All Aboard focused on the science and engineering of rail transportation and included a ride-on train for kids of all ages, and Built It! offered visitors many opportunities to build with LEGO and check out amazing LEGO art reproductions.
Space Exploration and the NASA Glenn Visitor Center
Next, we headed up to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center on Level 1. The Visitor Center prominently features Ohio astronauts, including, of course, John Glenn. My boys both dressed up as astronauts for Halloween during preschool and are interested in the planets and constellations. We love the National Air and Space Museum and Cleveland’s Shafran Planetarium, so it’s no surprise that the space-themed galleries are a huge hit with my kids. The 1973 Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module dominates one room of the exhibit. It traveled almost 40 million miles in space, and its move from the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in 2010 took over a year to plan.
Cleveland Creates Zone With Kids
In the Cleveland Creates Zone, kids use design and engineering skills to create rockets and parachutes. Each area includes all the materials needed to create and test designs. My kids enjoy the Creates Zone every time we visit the Great Lakes Science Center and could create and then test and tinker with rockets and parachutes for hours. The projects were a bit advanced for my four year old, so we worked together, and I found that making a cone for our rocket was not something that came naturally to me. I had to ask my boys for help, and the results were not overly successful, but my daughter insisted that we bring her rocket home anyway because she loves mementos.
My boys enjoyed watching a special physics program in the Cleveland Creates Zone. The program focused on force and motion. My 10 year old was chosen to be a special volunteer for the program and test a catapult on stage.
Polymer Funhouse
The Polymer Funhouse is an exhibit designed for children under age 8. Because I had my parents as extra chaperones, I was able to take my daughter to the Funhouse while the boys watched the physics demonstration with their grandparents. There were many exhibits for younger visitors, but my four year old spent most of her time in the ball pit waiting for balls to drop on her head. She’s not quite ready for molecular biology, but she definitely has a concrete understanding of how fun it is to play with a heap of colored plastic balls.
Eating at the Great Lakes Science Center
We ate lunch at Spark Kitchen on Level 0 due to its convenience and the frigid temperatures outside. We ordered a large 18 inch pizza and a some hot dogs for our crew. The pizza took about 15 minutes to bake, but my parents were ready for a break and sat with our buzzer in the Kitchen while I took the kids back to the interactive exhibits and felt like a yo-yo as I bounced from one kid to the next, trying to keep an eye on each of them. There must be some connection between STEM learning and appetite because the kids seemed famished as they gobbled their meals.
The Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater
After lunch, we headed to the 1 p.m. showing of Natural Parks Adventure at the Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater. This six-story theater takes “going to the movies” to the next level with its giant dome three-projector, laser-illuminated projection system (the world’s first!). My boys excitedly climbed to the seats near the top of the theater. My daughter, who had a stimulating day and was due for a nap, was a bit scared of the height but also did not want to sit lower in the theater and clung to me until she fell asleep in my arms. It was a rare treat that I fully enjoyed, and the rest also gave her the energy she needed for a bit more exploring before we headed home.
National Parks Adventure was my favorite part of our visit to the Great Lakes Science Center. The film included footage of many of my favorite National Parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon. Watching the film in the Dome Theater made me feel like I was actually there with the cast or at least made me realize how much I would like to be visiting the National Parks right along side the cast. It was also certainly nice to rest my feet for a bit and enjoy some unexpected snuggle time with my youngest.
The Science Phenomena Exhibits
My kids enjoy the hands on Science Phenomena exhibits on Level 2 each time they visit the Great Lakes Science Center. Perennial favorites include the pitching cage where kids can see how fast they can throw a ball and the shadow room, which uses phosphorescent paper and a strobe light to produce shadows that last 30 to 60 seconds.
My daughter could attempt to make giant bubbles for hours, but the temptation to watch the bubble pop never ends.
The Science Center also takes spirograph to the next level with paper on a moving platform.
Why We Love the Great Lakes Science Center With Kids
Our trip to the Great Lakes Science Center was inspired by my sons’ request to visit on their school holiday. My kids love all the hands-on opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering and math. Looking for more fun family activities in Cleveland with kids? Check out our favorite Northeast Ohio activities.
Thank you to Play: CLE for providing complimentary tickets for my family. As always, all opinions are my own.
Play: CLE, the largest indoor adventure park in the U.S., was the perfect location for a few hours of fun and fitness. I visited with Play: CLE, which is located in Avon on Cleveland’s West side, with my three kids, ages four, eight and ten, the week before the new school year began. We had never been to an indoor adventure park and were not exactly sure what to expect but found plenty of opportunities for running, jumping and climbing. Even I stretched my comfort zone by trying the ropes course and zip line. Play: CLE was kid-friendly and truly enjoyable for the whole family.
Visiting Play: CLE With Kids
After reading that Play: CLE was not geared for children under age seven, I was not sure if there would be enough attractions suitable for my four year old to keep her occupied for three hours and considered leaving her with my parents. But, my daughter is pretty easy-going and does not like to be left out of any adventure. So, I packed a backpack with some books and games in case she got bored (spoiler: she didn’t) and was thrilled that my father-in-law and sister-in-law decided to join us. They enjoy watching the kids have any kind of adventure and were helpful extra hands at Play: CLE as they were able to watch the kids while I attempted the ropes course and zip line. Because they wanted to spectate rather than participate, they did not need to pay admission.
We arrived as soon as Play: CLE opened and were among the first guests. I completed the waiver forms (which I would have done online in advance of our arrival if I was more organized), and each of the kids were measured and weighed and given color coded wristbands to indicate which activities they could do. Guests need to be able to reach to 5 feet, 6 inches to use the ropes course, weigh 60-275 pounds to use the zip line and weigh 50-275 pounds to use the climbing walls. My ten year old and his friend were able to use all of the equipment, my eight year old was limited to the attractions at ground level (e.g. everything but the ropes course and zip line), and my daughter could do anything on the ground level that did not require a harness.
I stored my handbag and my daughter’s backpack in the see through lockers that operated like a hotel safe. Our things were safely stored but also easy to access at any time. Next time, I’ll bring water bottles for everyone.
Easy to use lockers
Prior to our visit, we read that the ropes course tends to have the longest line, so, the ten year olds headed there first. The ropes courses were their favorite attraction, and they did both courses before zip lining down to the lower level. The zip line travels up to 35 miles per hour from one end of the park to the other.
Ropes course
Activities at Play: CLE With Kids
I decided to get my bearings before attempting the ropes course myself and regretted it when I had to wait about 20 minutes after I finally mustered the courage to attempt the ropes course. While I don’t have a fear of heights, this kind of challenge is definitely outside of my usual comfort zone. After I was fitted with a harness, I received a short lesson on how to use the claws to safely maneuver around the course. It was not always easy to connect the claws to the cables, but I liked that it was impossible to disconnect both claws from the cable. I felt more comfortable with the harness and the claws after a few obstacles and did find my rhythm. In the end, I was glad to be on solid ground and proud of myself for trying something new. I also took a ride the zip line to the opposite end of the park and then headed down to the ground level.
My daughter loved the little kid parkour area and was so pleased to figure out a few tricks to help her get from one obstacle to the next without touching the floor. She also had a blast going through the ninja warrior course even although she was too small to reach many of the challenge elements and thought the goal was to climb over low obstacles. The boys also found that they were not big enough to complete all of the challenges in their intended manner, and they focused on other activities at Play: CLE.
Ninja warrior course
Play: CLE had several climbing activities. The boys preferred the massive bouldering wall, which had a large air bag at the bottom for safety. They tried several different paths rated easy to hard.
Bouldering
There are also eight different climbing walls that guests climb with the aid of harnesses. My eight year old’s favorite involved climbing a series of pillars and then repelling back down to the ground.
After a few hours, the kids needed a break for lunch, and we ordered lunch from Play: CLE’s onsite restaurant, the Biner (shorthand for caribiner). Our party thoroughly enjoyed delicious burgers, hot dogs, quesadillas and chicken. There is also a full bar, including craft beers, wines and specialty drinks.
Why We Loved Play: CLE With Kids
When it was time to leave, my daughter took off running toward the equipment as I pulled her untouched backpack out of the locker. Extra toys and books were definitely superfluous. I should have guessed that they wouldn’t be necessary – she handled lengthy tours of the Vatican and Louvre a few weeks earlier without toys, books or snacks. Play: CLE in Avon is great for kids who love to climb in CLE. My kids would love to return to Play: CLE, and it will be an especially fun excursion at some point during Cleveland’s long winter….
Play: CLE hours: Play: CLE’s hours vary by season. Check the website before planning a visit.
Play: CLE tickets: Passes for two, three and four hours are available and range from $20 to $45. Children under six are free with a paying adult.
Play: CLE parking: Free parking is available in an adjacent lot.
Play: CLEwaiver: All visitors need to complete a waiver before entering.
Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fabulous locations, please check out our other Spotlight features! Also, be sure to check out all our category of posts on Cleveland with kids.
Thank you to Hale Farm and Village for providing complimentary tickets for my family. As always, all opinions are my own.
Hale Farm and Village is a historic property that features preserved buildings and craft and trade demonstrations. The costumed docents and artisans are each brilliant story tellers and really brought mid-nineteenth century Ohio history to life. Hale Farm is located in Bath, Ohio near Akron and about 30 minutes southeast of Cleveland on the original homestead of Jonathan Hale. Because Ohio history is near and dear to my parents, who are each Ohio natives who both majored in history, Hale Farm was a perfect place to spend their 50th wedding anniversary. We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this open-air museum of the Western Reserve Historical Society and recommend Hale Farm and Village as a fun and educational destination for a day out with kids.
The golden anniversary couple
Visiting Hale Farm With Kids
Our first stop was at the Hale Sheep Barn where one of the artisans was demonstrating broom making. The brooms are made of broomcorn, which is grown on site. Broomcorn is actually not corn at all but a sorghum. Brooms are not only used for floors but also for barn ceilings to remove potential fire hazards like cobwebs.
We then visited the blacksmith shop where the blacksmith was making a decorative leaf. We got to see him heat and shape the leaf, which is sold as a necklace pendant in the gift shop.
Glassworks was my favorite craft demonstration. We watched the glassmith expertly shape the glass to make a Christmas ornament. She then placed it in a furnace so that it would cool slowly enough and not crack or shatter. The final products were also available for sale at the gift shop in the Visitor’s Center.
Pottery was my eight year old son’s favorite craft demonstration. The potter explained the techniques he used to shape the clay into a mug on the wheel. Once shaped, the clay needs to dry overnight to leather hard. At this point, the potter can smooth the bottom surface and then waits until the piece is bone dry before firing it using a kiln. Salt is used in the kiln to glaze each piece, and the final product is dishwasher and microwave safe. This presentation convinced my son that he would really like to try his hands on a pottery wheel and make a bowl.
A number of historic homes have been moved from around northeast Ohio and reconstructed on Hale Farm’s property across Oak Hill Road from the Visitor’s Center. The relocated homes include the Jonathan E. Herrick House, the Jonathan Goldsmith House, the Stow House, the Jagger House and the Saltbox Home and feature period-appropriate furnishings and decorations. My four year old noticed on her own that the homes did not have bathrooms, and a docent gave her a brief lesson on outhouses. The kids now have a new appreciation for indoor plumbing. We also noticed the stark differences between the highly decorated rooms used to entertain guests with the stark private quarters used only for the family.
The parlor of the Jonathan Goldsmith House
Another building relocated to Hale Farm include the law office of Benjamin Franklin Wade. Wade was particularly notable as president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate in 1868 when President Andrew Johnson was impeached. He would have become Acting President if Johnson was convicted. There is also a church and a log schoolhouse, where we participated in a mock classroom and learned about common discipline techniques used in 1858. My kids are glad that school facilities have improved considerably since the mid-1800s when school fees were about $2 per student per year.
Every summer, Hale Farm hosts the largest Civil War reenactment in Ohio. We got a preview during our visit, which was the day before the weekend event began. We met many reenactors on site to prepare and a few horses, too.
The 2018 event on August 11-12 features a reenactment of the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Field commanders have a basic script, but reenactors simply follow the orders they receive from their commanders. They find it more fun to improvise rather than memorize a script. The reenactors travel from all over Ohio and even as far as Tennessee to participate in the event. Throughout the weekend, they each stay in historic period tents that they set up on site. These canvas tents do not use modern conveniences like nylon, zippers or mesh windows. Nonetheless, we learned if these tents are set up properly, they rarely become waterlogged.
Tent village set up by reenactors
Why We Loved Hale Farm With Kids
Our family had the perfect day for a visit to Hale Farm and Village. The grounds were not overly crowded, likely due to threatened rain that held off until we were headed back to our car. Our family was able to personally interact with all of the artisans and docents and asked many questions at this living history museum to gain a better understanding of pioneer life. We also really enjoyed our preview of the Civil War Reenactment without the hundreds of visitors expected for the weekend event. Hale Farm is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2018, and many events are scheduled to celebrate this milestone. We definitely recommend visiting Hale Farm with kids. It’s one of the best living history museums in Ohio.
Pro-tips:
Hale Farm Tickets: Hale Farm admission costs $10 for adults age 13 and older and $5 for youth age 3 to 12. Visitors age 2 and under and active military are free.
Hale Farm Hours: Hale Farm is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays in June, July and August and on Saturdays and Sundays in September and October.
Hale Farm Parking: A large parking lot is available next to the Visitor’s Center.
Hale Farm Map: The Village layout is generally self-explanatory, but it’s helpful to pick up a map when purchasing tickets and inquire about which sites are open.
Hale FarmCaution: The Village spans both sides of Oak Hill Road, so use caution when crossing the street with small children.
Eating Near HaleFarm: The Winking Lizard in Peninsula is a great, family-friendly option for lunch after visiting Hale Farm. If there is a wait for a table, the kids can check out the lizard and the endless free popcorn.
Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fabulous locations, please check out our other Spotlight features! Also, be sure to check out all our category of posts on Cleveland with kids.
Thank you to the Goodtime III for providing complimentary tickets for my family. As always, all opinions are my own.
Our family spent an amazing summer afternoon cruising on Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River aboard the Goodtime III, Cleveland’s largest sightseeing vessel. The ship’s four decks offer indoor and open air seating for up to 1,000 passengers to enjoy the view of Cleveland’s skyline, its many bridges and all the new development at the East Bank of the Flats. This family owned tour boat was established in 1958 and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this summer. The Narrated Sightseeing Tour is especially kid friendly and a great way for visitors (and residents!) to learn about Cleveland’s downtown from a unique perspective. A ride on the Goodtime III with kids is a particularly good first boating experience for young passengers, and the views just can’t be beat.
Goodtime III Parking
Parking is conveniently located at the East Ninth Street Pier Parking lot and costs $10 for 2-3.5 hours. The kids’ excitement started escalating as I parked along the side of the enormous Goodtime III. My only challenge was locating the pay station, but lucky for me, my eight year old has a keen eye and pointed it out for me. Our car was parked only a short distance from the ticket booth, and we had to walk only about 20 steps after disembarking.
Goodtime III Tickets
After paying for parking, we headed to the ticket booth. There were separate lines for visitors with pre-booked tickets and for those purchasing tickets. General admission for the two-hour Narrated Sightseeing Tour costs $18 for adults and $10 for children, and reservations are available online for a small booking fee. Children under five are free, but need a ticket to board. Advance reservations are required for special events and all trips that include a meal.
The ticket booth is easy to find
Pro-Tips: Tours are offered Tuesdays through Sundays. The Goodtime III offers kids a special $1 admission on their 3 p.m. Narrated Sightseeing Tour from Memorial Day to July 4th.
Boarding the Goodtime III
Getting ready to board
I was happy to walk right up to the will-call booth and secure our tickets with my picture ID. We arrived at about 2:20 p.m., collected our tickets and made our way to the boarding area by about 2:25 p.m. and had only a few minutes to wait before boarding for our 3:00 p.m. cruise, which began sharply at 2:30 p.m. The kids really enjoyed experiences on smaller boats while touring the Kerala backwaters and whale watching in Dalvik, Iceland and were ecstatic to board this massive vessel.
Because this mid-week cruise afternoon cruise had about 150 passengers, we had plenty of seating options. The kids excitedly tried out a half a dozen views before the ship even left the dock. While there was plenty of room on our cruise, the Goodtime III, which has a maximum capacity of 1,000, never exceeds 800 to maintain comfort for all passengers.
Checking out the views while docked on the Ninth Street Pier
An Afternoon Cruise on the Goodtime III
The ship departed exactly at 3:00 p.m., so visitors need to arrive on time or will be stuck on shore. We enjoyed an hour of narration about Cleveland’s history, buildings, bridges and trivia and then a second hour of music on the ship’s sound system, which was fun to listen to while watching the ever-changing views.
The Flats have had significant development over the past few years
The facilities on board were excellent and kid-friendly, and it is clear that safety is a huge priority for the Goodtime III. After previous rides on much smaller boats with kids, I was relieved to see that all side railings provided a safe enclosure for little people. Although I still had to remind my kids to keep their feet on the ground and not to lean out of the ship, I did not have to spend the entire cruise holding my daughter. There were also bins full of adult and child-sized life vests strategically placed around the ship, and the crew provided a demonstration on how to use the life vests before we departed. The restrooms featured running water and even a diaper changing station not common on smaller boats.
He spent a lot of time just gazing at the city.
We ordered popcorn for the kids, which was reasonably priced at only $2 a box on the second level. Of course, after popcorn, they needed water, which was $2 a bottle. We also treated them to ice cream sandwiches, which were available on the main level and cost only $2.50 each. The Goodtime III also offered burgers, grilled chicken, nachos and a full bar on board.
Cleveland’s Public Square
I always love the idea of boating but am prone to seasickness and have regretted several boating or sailing excursions. However, I had no issues on the Goodtime III, which was large and very stable. Every staff member we met was also helpful and friendly. I apologized to crew member Ashlynn for the popcorn crumbs surrounding my daughter and even offered to sweep them up myself. She replied that she was happy to have something to do.
It was fun to see planes taking off from Burke Lakefront Airport.
My favorite piece of trivia from the narrated portion of the cruise was that TheLorax by Dr. Seuss, originally included the sentence, “I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie.” However, Seuss removed the line 14 years after publication when Ohio Sea Grant Program researchers informed him of efforts to clean-up the Lake.
We spent the last 15 minutes of the boat ride on the main deck, and my daughter took full advantage of the empty dance floor to try out some moves.
The dance floor and seating area on the enclosed main level
The Goodtime III docked at 5:00 p.m. on the dot. We loved the punctuality, especially because my boys had evening swim lessons that we had to rush off to make.
Pro Tip: Make sure to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, light jackets, hair bands and a charged camera. It was a warm and sunny 73 degree afternoon, but it got chilly on Lake Erie due to the wind. Even my son who never gets cold was happy to have a jacket. My camera battery died with about 30 minutes before the cruise ended, and I had to rely on my mobile camera for the last pictures.
Pro-Tip: With four different levels, the Goodtime III is not stroller-friendly. There isn’t much walking needed, so I’d recommend leaving the stroller on shore unless it’s need for nap time.
Pro-Tip: While buying tickets in advance can save time, I recommend pre-booking the Narrated Sightseeing Cruise only after checking the weather or just purchasing tickets upon arrival. Note that the annual Fourth of July Fireworks Cruise sells out annually, so advance reservations are definitely needed for that.
We were lucky to take advantage of a beautiful summer afternoon and truly enjoy our hometown from a perspective we rarely get to see. We recommend a ride on the Goodtime III with kids. Our kids would love to make an afternoon on the Goodtime III an annual tradition, and I’m sure they would see and learn different things on each cruise.
Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fabulous locations, please check out our other Spotlight features! Also, be sure to check out all our category of posts on Cleveland with kids.
Participation in the ASTC Travel Passport Program is an amazing value. Our family membership to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History comes with perks like reduced parking rates, guest passes and invitation to members-only events in addition to unlimited visits to the Museum and free shows at its Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium & Ralph Mueller Observatory. Because of the Museum’s affiliation with the ASTC Travel Passport Program, we also receive free reciprocal admission at hundreds of natural history, science and children’s museums. The ability for our family to use the ASTC Passport Program to visit member museums around the country for free is a huge value!
What does the ASTC Passport Cost?
Each ASTC Passport member charges its own rate for a membership. Our family membership to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History costs us $90 a year.
ASTC Passport Review
We have had this membership for approximately two and a half years. Honestly, we don’t immediately renew when it expires but wait for the next opportunity when we want to visit the Cleveland Museum of Natural History or one of the other ASTC member museums and sign up for a new membership. When visiting Los Angeles last Fall, we decided while walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame that we wanted to go to the La Brea Tar Pits next. I called my husband from our Uber and had him purchase a membership online. Minutes after he sent me the confirmation email, I used it to get free admission into the Tar Pits. Since then, we’ve used our current membership for admission for several trips to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, two visits to the Carnegie Science Center and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. The value of those museum visits are about four times of the cost of our membership, and we still have five months left, including summer break.
Nancy is very fortunate to live in Washington, DC and have the free Smithsonian museums at her doorstep. She never considered purchasing a museum membership to use solely for travel until this spring. Her family purchased a membership to a local children’s museum and used it for free admission when visiting Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena and plans to use it to visit more museums when traveling.
Our family has visited 10 amazing ASTC affiliate museums and always looks forward to our next opportunity to use our membership.
#1: Adler Planetarium – Chicago, Illinois
My older son wanted to be an astronaut through pre-school, and both boys had a great time visiting the Adler Planetarium, which was the first planetarium in the western hemisphere. The beautiful stone building houses many interactive exhibits and three theaters, including the most technologically enhanced planetarium theater and a high-definition 3D theater. Our boys were aged three and five at the time of our visit and enjoyed the interactive exhibits focusing on the planets, solar system and space exploration, and, of course, the planetarium show.
#2: Carnegie Science Center – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Of the dozens of museums my 10 year old has visited, the Carnegie Science Center is his favorite. He’s probably not alone, as this is Pittsburgh’s most popular museum. The “science” portion of the museum is pretty cool, but the real draw for him is Highmark SportsWorks®, which is housed in an adjacent building and uses more than 30 interactive sports exhibits to show how physics, anatomy, biology and chemistry control sports. The Ropes Challenge consists of a series of challenges, including a rope bridge, rolling logs and a horizontal net that culminate in a zip line and is probably my boys’ favorite “exhibit” ever, especially the zip line. Other highlights of the sports complex include the SkyTykes Ropes Course, located under the Ropes Challenge, a 24-foot rock climbing wall (which even my daughter tried out), a batting cage, a 10-meter dash and various challenges for endurance and balance. This bright complex is a perfect place for kids to burn energy, especially on cold or rainy days.
Inside the Carnegie Science Center, my boys’ favorite exhibit is Roboworld, which is considered the world’s largest permanent robotics exhibition. Roboworld features more than 30 interactive displays, including a robot who shoots baskets with impressive precision and another who challenges visitors in air hockey. My kids could spend hours playing air hockey with a robot or comparing basketball precision.
#3: Center of Science and Industry – Columbus, Ohio
The Center of Science and Industry, commonly known as “COSI” is a comprehensive science museum with more than 300 interactive exhibits. We were fortunate to visit several years ago during the week that COSI hosted its annual outdoor Big Machines exhibit. At the time, our four and six year old boys were at the height of their machinery enthusiasm and absolutely loved “touch a truck” events. So, it was a bit of a challenge to get them away from the trucks and inside COSI. Once inside, we discovered that COSI nails the “hands on” aspect of science, particularly with its lab spaces and hallway exhibitions.
#4: Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A dream climber for kids
The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is an interactive museum for kids with great activities and hands-on creating opportunities for kids of all ages. The two-story climber attracted my 3.5 year old daughter like a magnet. She had to make it to the top and then back again. I was nervous about her exiting at the top until another mom assured me that the entrance and exit were both located at the bottom. As soon as we arrived, she headed straight for the two-story climber that thankfully has entrance and exit openings only at the bottom.
My boys happily worked in the MAKESHOP® just opposite the climber while I hung out at the wall dividing the two areas to keep an eye on all three children. The kids used household boxes to anchor markers in place and then attached motors to make them move on their own. The project involved tape, hot glue and a lot of trial and error, and this was my boys’ favorite exhibit at the Museum. The Museum’s Studio also offers hands-on creating opportunities for kids of all ages. This multimedia space offers wonderful supplies that allow kids to create paint, sculpt and silkscreen. The Studio is housed in a former planetarium and is a beautiful and bright space to inspire creative juices.
#5: Cleveland Museum of Natural History – Cleveland, Ohio
We are members of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, which is located in University Circle, about 15 minutes from our house. So, this is the ASTC museum we visit the most frequently. Inexpensive metered parking is usually available on Wade Oval, right outside the Museum. Because of our membership, I occasionally bring my oldest and youngest for a short visit while my husband accompanies our middle child to his nearby piano lesson. It’s also a snow day favorite or something we combine with a trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art, which is located around the corner.
In good weather, we often enjoy the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden, which opened in the Fall of 2016 and features living plants and animals that are native to Ohio. The dinosaur collection may not compare to those of the National Museum of Natural History – London, the Field Museum or the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, but the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton is still pretty cool, and there is a mastodon skeleton that was found in the region. Lucy, the reconstructed cast of female hominid who lived over 3 million years ago is the a perennial favorite of my kids. Lucy’s skeleton was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 by Donald Johanson, the curator of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. I have a series of pictures of my two youngest standing next to Lucy at various ages.
#6: The Field Museum of Natural History – Chicago, Illinois
The Field Museum is one of the world’s largest natural history museums. It opened in 1893 and was named to honor its first major benefactor, Marshall Field, the founder of the Chicago-based department store who donated $1 million to the Museum in 1894. It is located on Museum Campus along Lake Michigan and also boasts one of the world’s best dinosaur collections, including Sue, the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, which was prominently displayed in the main hall of the Museum until 2017. With two young boys aged three and five who were excited about prehistoric creatures, we definitely did not miss the dinosaur exhibit.
We also explored an Egyptian tomb in the three-story Inside Ancient Egypt exhibit. This exhibit includes one of the world’s largest collections of human mummies. This was our boys’ first exposure to Egypt, but they were fascinated and have since enjoyed Egyptian exhibits at the National Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
#7: Great Lakes Science Center – Cleveland, Ohio
While we cannot use our membership to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for free reciprocal membership to ASTC member museums within a 90 mile radius of our home, we recently visited the Great Lakes Science Center as part of a NASA Free Evening. The event feature science-related programming and Astronaut Terry Virts, the author of View from Space. Our kids thoroughly enjoyed hearing Virts describe his experiences on the space station. Virts’ presentation and slide show inspired them to thoroughly explore the NASA Glenn’s Visitor’s Center, including the 1973 Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module. They also enjoyed trying out all the hands-on exhibits and building with Lego as part of the Science Center’s special exhibit.
#8: La Brea Tar Pits & George C. Page Museum – Los Angeles, California
The LaBrea Tar Pits & Museum are dedicated to La Brea’s shallow pools of oil that coagulated into asphalt and trapped Ice Age animals. The Tar Pits are registered as a National Natural Landmark, and over 3.5 million fossils have been found on the site, with excavation continuing year round at Project 23 and seasonally at Pit 91. My son was fascinated by the Fossil Lab where you can watch paleontologists working on specimens collected from Project 23. After viewing the completed fossils, watching Titans of the Ice Age, the 25-minute 3D movie featured in the Museum’s theater, and observing the Fossil Lab, my son had an opportunity to try separating fossils himself. With all these great hands on opportunities, it’s not surprising that the stop at the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum was his favorite of our trip.
#9: Maryland Science Center – Baltimore, Maryland
The Maryland Science Center is another phenomenal science museum located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. This was the first science museum we visited as a family. We were skeptical if our one and three year old boys were old enough for the Science Center, but they had a blast, especially while exploring the Spacelink exhibit and the Kids Room, which includes a large water play area. We also enjoyed a show at the IMAX theater.
#10: Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History – Washington, D.C.
Thank you to the Children’s Museum of Cleveland, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for each providing complimentary tickets for my family. All opinions are my own.
Cleveland is typically not a city that comes to mind as a vacation spot but has been growing as a tourist destination in recent years. While venturing out of my office for lunch at North Coast Harbor this summer, I was surprised to find myself surrounded by casually dressed visitors rather than the usual business crowd. National Geographic Traveler‘s “2018 Best of the World” list recently named Cleveland as one of seven cities in its culture category. Editor George Stone described Cleveland as a city “that you kind of thought you knew but you don’t,” and we agree.
If you look beyond its historically bad reputation and unfortunate football team, Cleveland really does have a lot to offer both its residents and visitors. Playhouse Square is the second largest performing arts center in the country, behind only New York City’s Lincoln Center, and now boasts the world’s largest outdoor chandelier. The Cleveland Orchestra is world-renowned and considered one of the country’s “Big Five” symphony orchestras, and the hospital systems are consistently top-ranked. Cleveland’s downtown has added a number of hotels and residential housing developments. A variety of amazing museums around the city, including the world’s only Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, offer something for everyone. In 2016, the Cavs won the NBA finals, hosted the Republican National Convention, completed a $50 million renovation to Public Square, and the Indians played in the World Series. LeBron James has led the Cavaliers to the last three NBA finals, and the Indians had a 22-game winning streak last season. There also is definitely a Cleveland food scene with world-famous chefs Michael Symon, Jonathon Sawyer, Rocco Whalen and Chris Hodgson each owning several hot spots in town.
If any of that is convincing enough to persuade you to travel to Cleveland, be warned that winters here are admittedly long and chilly. The weather has been so bad recently that various area schools have closed for extreme cold, ice or snow on five different days this month. With that in mind, try to visit between April and October, if possible. The absolute best time to plan a visit is during a championship parade. But, Cleveland sports teams have been notoriously cursed, so there has actually been only one during my lifetime. I can assure you that my family was there to share the June 22, 2016 celebration with 1.3 million of our closest friends and family. We had a spectacular view of the festivities right from my office window.
With no championship parades in sight, we decided to make the most of our recent winter break staycation and truly become tourists in our own city and enjoy all it has to offer. Our kids were thrilled to visit many of the city’s premier museums. Here are our five fun family activities in alphabetical order:
Fun Family Activities in Cleveland With Kids
#1: Children’s Museum of Cleveland With Kids
The Children’s Museum of Cleveland reopened, in November 2017, in the former Stager-Beckwith Mansion, one of the four remaining mansions still standing on Millionaire’s Row. We had been members of the Museum at its previous location in University Circle when my oldest son attended preschool nearby. The Museum was housed in an old Howard Johnson’s restaurant. Although our boys thoroughly enjoyed their visits, the space was choppy with a few stairs here, there and everywhere such that it was a stroller nightmare. The Millionaire’s Row mansion in Midtown had most recently served as the main campus for Myers University and an elegant banquet hall. One of my best friends had her wedding reception in the space that now houses Adventure City. The new site and $10 million renovation really puts the newly expanded and totally accessible Museum in a different ballpark.
The Museum features these four permanent exhibits:
The Wonder Lab is an industrial science laboratory with water tables, whirlpools and jets that particularly fascinated my daughter. My sons spent most of their time building ball tracks on the magnetic wall. This was my kids’ favorite exhibit.
Moveable ball tracks on a magnetic wall
Adventure City offers an amazing indoor two-story climber with a construction site theme. The space also recreates the much-loved grocery store, doctor’s office, nursery and kitchen that were featured in the Museum’s prior location and also adds an auto shop. Building a car was a huge hit.
This climber was enormousSerious grocery shopping
Making Miniatures features a collection of dollhouses created by local artist, Cathy Lincoln and completely entranced my daughter. Each house was placed on a pedestal and enclosed with a plastic casing. Children could get up close by standing on small step stools and carefully explore the houses with available flashlights. My boys were less enthusiastic, but the Museum seemed prepared for them. They placed a tiny CMC logo in each house for a “hide and go seek” challenge, which was right up their alley and occupied them while their sister carefully examined each dollhouse.
She carefully examined each and every dollhouseMy boys had fun finding the CMC logo in each dollhouse
Arts & Parts is a bright art studio with different prepared art projects for children to create. My kids created paper lanterns and played with playdoh.
Playdoh creation
The Museum also features a Sensory Friendly Room for children who get overwhelmed in loud and crowded spaces. While only vending machines are available on site, the Café offers tables and a microwave for families packing lunch. There are also party rooms.
We visited right after New Year’s Day when most schools were still on holiday, and the Museum was packed. But the only real issue we had with the crowds was in the Coat Room. Despite the fact that this was the best Coat Room, which included shelves with baskets to help store cold weather accessories and lunches and also a window into the Wonder Lab below, it was a challenge to find a spare hanger when we arrived. The exhibits themselves were buzzing with activity but all accessible to my children.
The Museum is geared for visitors aged birth to eight. My nine year old enjoyed the Museum with his siblings – particularly the Wonder Lab and Adventure City and also joined their pleas for “five more minutes” when it was time to leave. But, he did get a bit bored in the Making Miniatures and Art & Parts exhibits and inquired whether it was time to move on. If the youngest child in your group is over eight, this may not be your ideal activity or, perhaps, only a short visit. I really love that adults are not admitted unless accompanied by children and that children are similarly not admitted unless accompanied by adults.
The former Stager-Beckwith Mansion is a huge improvement over the prior setting for the Cleveland Children’s Museum and definitely worth the wait. My kids had so much fun in this ideal place for kids to explore, imagine and create.
The new home of the Cleveland Children’s Museum
Kid Facts: Anson Stager, who is known for creating the most effective secret code used during the Civil War, originally built this home in 1866. Stager sold the home a few years later to Thomas Sterling Beckwith, the founder of Cleveland’s first carpet and interior store. In the 19th century, this portion of Euclid Avenue was known as Millionaire’s Row and home to powerful industrialists, including John D. Rockefeller.
#2: Great Lakes Science Center With Kids
The Great Lakes Science Center opened next to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 to support STEM learning. Its North Coast Harbor location on the shore of Lake Erie is picturesque setting, and the wind turbine, which was installed in 2006, provides about 7% of the building’s electrical needs.
Great Lakes Science Center
We met friends visiting from out-of-town at the Science Center a few days after Christmas. Between our two families, we had five boys and one girl ages three to eleven. Even though it was mid-week, it was a very popular day due to the holiday. We started in the hands-on exhibits in the main exhibition space upstairs. This area was a bit of a zoo with the number of families running around, but the kids didn’t seem to mind at all. This exhibit checked all the right boxes for my oldest, who is a kinesthetic learner. He could have easily spent all day trying out absolutely everything.
Throw-back photo from a previous visitShe wanted to watch and try out everything
One of the kids’ favorite activities was building a catenary arch with a few other visitors. Each cushion needed to be arranged in number order and carefully held in place until the entire arch is completed. Due to the height, the final cushion required adult assistance, but the rest of the arch was predominately constructed by kids, who were very excited about the free-standing finished product.
Catenary Arch
After about an hour of intense scientific discovery, we took a break to watch the Rocky Mountain Express in the Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater. The film depicts the construction of the first transcontinental railway of Canada. The IMAX photography really makes viewers feel like they have been transported to Canada. The film not only had beautiful cinematography, but we learned a lot about the building of the Canadian railway. Naturally, we straight to All Aboard! The History of Trains after the film.
The NASA Glenn Visitor Center has been housed at the Great Lakes Science Center since 2010. The highlight of this exhibit is the 1973 Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module. Visitors can try out a nearby replica capsule, which, even with the door removed, was so small that it screamed claustrophobia and made me wonder how the astronauts handle such confined spaces.
At another exhibit in the Visitor Center, kids can operate a remote control rover using a controller and video screen. The rover itself is located across the room, and this simulation gives kids the chance to experience the challenges of remotely operating similar rovers exploring Mars.
Operating the Rover
We finished our time at the Science Center in the Cleveland Creates Zone, which offers various activities for kids to invent, design, tinker and create. The five boys were particularly fascinated by the rocket pod and tried several different designs.
We did not make it to the Polymer Funhouse, an area geared for scientists aged seven and under because half of our crew was too old. However, my daughter would have a blast there, especially on a less crowded day. We also couldn’t take the self-guided walk of the William G. Mather, which is closed November through April, but hope to come back in the Spring to check it out.
Kid Facts: It cost about $120,000 to move the Apollo Command Module from the NASA’s Brook Park facility to the Science Center in 2010. The move required a year of planning but took only about 30 minutes to complete the 13-mile journey.
#3: Greater Cleveland Aquarium With Kids
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium opened in its current location in the Flats’ FirstEnergy Powerhouse in 2012 and remains Ohio’s only free-standing aquarium. When we arrived, the diver presentation was just beginning in the shark tank, so we decided to head straight there. Watching Matthew, the diver, feed the aquatic life was the highlight of our visit. A special microphone allowed Matthew to talk directly to the audience. We learned that most shark bites are really caused by mistaken identity. Sharks explore the world with their mouths, and surfers often look like fish from below.
Diver in the Shark Tank
The 230,000 gallon Shark SeaTube includes four species of shark, stingrays, angelfish, a giant barracuda and a whole host of other ocean creatures. You can literally walk under the tank to get a whole new perspective. If you want to take a peek into the shark tank in real-time, check out the shark cam.
Shark SeaTube
The Aquarium has more than 50 exhibits, 250 species and 1,450 animals from Lake Erie and all across the globe. Some of our favorite animals included the turtles, lion fish and clown fish with the stunning anemone.
Turtle hanging out
Beautiful lion fishClown fish (aka Nemo fish) are always a favorite for our kids.
My son particularly enjoyed the Invertebrate Touch Pool where he got the chance to feel a starfish with the official “two-finger” technique. The Aquarium is an amazing place to learn about aquatic animals and get a glimpse of life under the sea.
Kid Facts: The Aquarium has someone on site 24/7 to check on the tanks and make sure all the animals are safe.
#4: Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland With Kids
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA) is one of 20 modern art museums in the US. MOCA opened its new facility in 2012, and a video on its website shows the construction process in under three minutes. A Poet*hical Wager, opened in October 2017 to celebrate its fifth anniversary in University Square. In conjunction with its opening, MOCA announced that it would no longer charge entrance fees for guests under 18, which is a great benefit for families.
The main exhibition space on the fourth floor is a wide-open space that is very different from the typical gallery in traditional art museums with paintings and sculptures. The current exhibit also did not have any barriers. While the exhibition featured in this space changes several times a year, it is probably best suited for children over five.
Many of the installations in the current exhibition, A Poet*hical Wager, challenge the viewer’s preconceived notions about art. Several docents were on hand to explain the background for this exhibition, which was inspired by the book of the same name by Joan Retallack. Most featured artists in this exhibit come from low-income backgrounds and third world countries. Mexico City artist Abraham Cruzvilleges contributed a black and red acrylic painting to cover up newspaper clippings, photographs, letters, tickets, napkins and other items. He also created an installation from various found objects in Cleveland that my daughter likened to a space ship.
Another memorable installation was Rashid Johnson’s Shea Butter, which was a cinderblock wall with shea butter used in place of mortar and sometimes in place of the cinderblocks themselves.
The third floor features an exhibit by British artist Phil Collins (not to be confused with the popular musician) that consists of listening booths that contain vinyl recordings for guests to play on actual record players. Collins anonymously recorded conversations from a homeless shelter phone booth in Cologne that offered free domestic and international calls. A group of musicians used the recordings to create the musical works contained on the records. The novelty of the record player was pretty exciting for my seven year old who had never used one before.
The enclosed Yellow Staircase, which includes a sound installation was a fun way to travel between floors of MOCA.
Yellow Staircase
My kids’ favorite part of our visit to MOCA was the Marjorie + Anselm Talalay Classroom on the third floor where kids could create their own art. To go along with the theme of the main exhibition, the Obfuscation Station encouraged kids to layer colored tape on top of magazine clippings. My kids had so much fun creating works inspired by the exhibition that I’m seriously considering investing in a colored tape dispenser.
Obfuscation Station
MOCA offers monthly Pre-K Play Dates on Saturday mornings. These events are free for kids. On the first Saturday of each month, MOCA offers free admission and family friendly workshops and activities courtesy of PNC Bank. MOCA is a great resource for Cleveland families and encourages children to use their imaginations to create art in non-traditional ways.
Kid Facts: This $27.2 million building was designed by Farshid Moussavi, a world-famous architect.
#5: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame With Kids
When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established in 1983, Cleveland lobbied hard to be chosen as the site of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and won the honors in 1986. As a Cleveland native, I remember the excitement when Cleveland scored the Rock Hall and was lucky to tour it shortly after its 1995 opening. The Rock Hall is definitely a reason why some tourists decide to visit Cleveland.
The lobby area is impressively large and has a car suspended from the ceiling above the Café (which we also enjoyed). This was probably the first suspended car I’ve ever seen.
The Rock Hall features both permanent and special exhibits. The Legends of Rock is a permanent exhibit that includes artifacts such as handwritten drafts, instruments and costumes. The recently renovated Beatles’ exhibit is the world’s largest artifact-based collection of the famous English rock band. The Rock Hall also has always featured a standing Elvis exhibit that features different artifacts. My husband and son watched the exclusive 14-minute Elvis video.
The costume exhibits are really fun. It’s always surprising to see first-hand how small many of the musicians are in real life. I did feel really old when my younger son asked if Michael Jackson was a basketball player and realized that the King of Pop actually died before he was born.
Michael Jackson’s jacket
The boys even found costumes of musicians they recognized like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. We are all still amazed that Lady Gaga actually wore this contraption.
We particularly enjoyed Rolling Stone: 50 Years, which includes celebrities’ letters and interviews and a stunning wall display of the magazine’s iconic cover images. This exhibit encompassed floors 4-6 of the museum, and now the boys have some familiarity with the popular culture magazine.
We noticed more families with young children touring the Rock Hall than we expected. While our kids are not familiar with most of the featured musicians, they enjoyed the multi-media exhibits. My husband and I could have easily spent a few more hours perusing the exhibits, but our shorter highlight tour was a perfect introduction for our kids.
Kid Facts: Cleveland’s Alan Freed was the disc jockey who originated the term “rock ‘n’ roll.”
Find Out More About Cleveland With Kids
There are so many kid-friendly things to do in Cleveland, an up and coming destination. These five amazing museums are just the tip of the iceberg. Spending time in Northeast Ohio, check out our favorite activities in Cleveland with kids.
Patterson’s Fruit Farm in Chesterland, Ohio has become a perennial favorite fall activity for our kids. While it is located only 30 minutes from our house, our annual excursion definitely feels like a trip because it is so different from our norm. We always go for the Fun Fest, which is open daily from mid-September to late October and offers lots of opportunities for good, old-fashioned fall fun. We aim to go on a week day to avoid the weekend crowds and made our 2017 annual trip to Patterson’s earlier this week when the boys had a day off of school for conferences. We highly recommend visiting Patterson’s Fruit Farm.
Visiting Patterson’s Fun Fest With Kids
After arriving at Patteron’s Mulberry Road location and park in the grass lots, visitors make their way to the white apple barn to purchase wrist bands to enter the Fun Fest. Then, we walked walk around to the back to hop a tractor ride to the nearby field.
Tractor ride to the Fun Fest
Just inside the Fun Fest gate is a picnic shelter filled with hay stacks of different heights and a few slides and tunnels for kids to climb and explore. My boys particularly enjoyed the tire swings hung off the roof of the shelter.
In previous years, the 50 foot double slide made with logs was a huge hit that always had a long line of kids and adults waiting their turn to slide This year, either a new surface or weather conditions made it not so “slide-y,” and the kids moved on quickly to all of the other areas.
50-foot slide racesStill racing, one year later
There are several other slides on the property, including a few attached to a wooden play area and one built into a a silo. All play areas are custom made, primarily with wooden structures rather than metal play structures commonly available at most school playgrounds.
Kids enter the white building, climb up the tube to the silo and then slide outCustom-made tire swings
The corn maze is one of our favorites. This is no rinky-dink corn maze but could easily take 15 minutes or more of hiking through the well-worn and side paths with corn stalks surrounding you at all times. After you navigate your way out, there is a corn box (sand box filled with dried corn) that kids of all ages enjoyed playing in.
Corn maze!
Even before the “Touch a Truck” concept gained popularity, the Fun Fest offered lots of opportunities for kids to drive John Deere play tractors and other big wheel vehicles around tracks and also climb up into real tractors.
There are also opportunities for trying out stilts and climbing.
After hopping a tractor ride back to the white barn, apple picking is a great way to end a trip to Patterson’s. On our last trip, Melrose were available to pick. The kids each got their own bag at the white barn, and we set off to find the perfect apples. The clerk was tied each kid’s bag with a different number of wrist bands so that they could keep them separate. Hand picked apples definitely taste better than anything available for purchase at the store.
Why We Love Patterson’s Fruit Farm With Kids
Patterson’s is really a great place to soak in fall beauty. Near the end of our last visit, my nine-year-old told me that although some of the things he remembered being fun when he was younger are boring now that he’s older, but Patterson’s was “actually, still really fun!” We always enjoy visiting Patterson’s Fruit Farm with kids and can’t wait to go back next Fall.
Image by Dorothée QUENNESSON from Pixabay
We then visited the blacksmith shop where the blacksmith was making a decorative leaf. We got to see him heat and shape the leaf, which is sold as a necklace pendant in the gift shop.
