George Washington once said, “the settlement of southeastern Ohio was not accidental, but the result of the careful deliberation of wise, prudent, and patriotic men.”* For those traveling with kids, Southeast Ohio is an outdoor paradise! This corner of Ohio is home to 15 state parks, three nature preserves, seven state forests, and many hunting and fishing areas. For my children, Southeast Ohio also happens to be home to their very doting and loving grandparents, so it’s not surprise that this is hands down their favorite place on earth.
Some good old fashioned outdoor fun in Grandma and Grandpa’s backyard!
Located only 60 minutes from the Ohio State Capital, Columbus, Athens is the perfect destination for an overnight stop. Having spent many, many nights in Athens, these are our top five fun family activities in Southeast Ohio!
The Hockhocking Adena Bikeway in Athens is one of my favorite places to bike ride with my kids. Unlike the Mount Vernon Bike Trail near my home, the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is never crowded, does not cross any major roads or streets, and has a perfectly bucolic view as it meanders along the Hocking River before disappearing into the woods leading up to Nelsonville, Ohio. The Bikeway is 21 miles long and mostly built on an abandoned railroad grade and a great way to spend a few hours riding or, if traveling with older children, an entire day riding through Athens County.
One of the most delightful developments in the past five years or so has been the introduction of microbreweries and cideries… along the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway!
These brochures (with maps!) are available for free at the micropubs and cideries.
This past Thanksgiving, my husband, father-in-law, and eight-year-old son biked the trail and made three separate brewery stops where my mother-in-law, and I met them with my two year old in tow.
If when visiting Athens, I highly recommend spending a few hours on the Bikeway and make a few pit stops along the way. For visitors not traveling with their own bikes, there are a number of local bike shops that have rentals available.
#2: Burr Oak Lake
Burr Oak Lake was built as a multiple-use reservoir for flood control, water supply, and recreation. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources operates and maintains the parking lots, wells, bathrooms and launching areas in along the lake. There are also a number of outfitters offering boats available for rental, guided fishing trips, and even horseback riding!
A few years ago, my family spent a few hours on a pontoon boat in the lake and had a wonderful experience. After a few hours on the water, we enjoyed lunch at Burr Oak Lodge & Conference Center. By no means would I consider this a fancy experience, but for those looking for some quality outdoor time, this is definitely something to consider. There are also numerous hiking trails, swimming beaches, geocaching, and camping sites available for those looking to spend more than just a few hours of outdoors time.
#3: Experience the Country!
The number one reason why we visit Southeast Ohio is to see family, but I personally love that my kids get to spend time outdoors, enjoying the fresh, country air. Two hidden gems in Southeast Ohio that we have come to love are:
Libby’s Pumpkin Patch – Libby’s Pumpkin Patch is a u-pick pumpkin patch about 30 minutes from Athens. Libby’s specializing in large carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins, and outdoor fall decorations. Fall visitors to Southeast Ohio should definitely plan to visit. During the summer, the farm also offers assorted berry picking opportunities, so follow the farm on Facebook to check out what is available. When we were there a few years ago, my mother-in-law and I loaded up on pumpkins while the kids had a blast on the hayride, jumping on the outdoor decorations, and sampling the homemade pumpkin chili and ice cream available for purchase.
The giant hay spider at Libby’s!Tractor rides are ALWAYS fun!
White’s Mill – White’s Mill was built in 1809 along the Hocking River and was purchase by the White family in 1912. Over the years, as the needs of the community have changed, White’s Mill has adapted from what it was originally, a mill, to a local store that offers home/pet goods, gardening supplies, and now, locally made items that make great Christmas gifts or souvenirs. My family happens to love White’s Mill and my children have grown up visiting what they affectionately call “the Chicken store” with Grandpa. And yes, we have purchased chicks and continue to purchase chicken feed from White’s Mill pretty much every time we are in town!
View of White’s Mill from across the Hocking River.Enjoying some outdoor time with the chickens back at the house.
#4: Ohio University / Town of Athens
Ohio University is the oldest university in Ohio with extremely loyal alumni and is located right in the heart of Athens, Ohio. The town of Athens is full of small, independent shops and funky retailers, so it’s a great way to spend a few hours window shopping before taking a walk on the beautiful campus grounds. My family’s current favorite lunch spot is Jackie O’s, a microbrewery and pub, with a great menu and beer sampler. I’m also partial to O’Betty’s Hot Dog Museum, where my personal favorite menu item is not a hot dog, but the delicious chili cheese fries!
A sampler of beer at Jackie O’s comes on an Ohio shaped board.
#5: Hocking Hills State Park
The Hocking Hills State Park is a smorgasbord of outdoor fun located about 45 minutes from Athens. The park contains seven separate sections and there is truly something for everyone there: hiking, exploring caves, canoeing, zip lining, camping and more. There are also rental cabins available, making this the perfect location for those, like me, who love the outdoors but prefer to sleep on a real bed at night.
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.
My three-year-old daughter and I were recently sitting at the puzzle table of a nearby library while waiting for her story time to begin. I was making small talk with another mom sitting with her young sons, and she came to my rescue and directed me to the ABC books when I could not locate Chica Chica Boom Boom on the shelves. I explained that my daughter had listened to the book when she attended Art Stories at the Cleveland Museum of Art the day before with her nanny and was desperate to read it with me. The other mom responded with, “my kids are too young for the art museum.” I was not exactly sure how to respond because the thought of being “too young” to visit any museum had never crossed my mind.
Not Too Young
My husband and I really enjoy visiting art museums. My daughter visited her first art museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, when she was two months old. Since then, she has made a repeat trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and also visited the Cleveland Museum of Art many times as well as the Tate Modern, the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery in D.C. While she clearly does not remember those early trips, she gained familiarity with art museums in the process. At the age of three, my daughter now walks around the Cleveland Art Museum, holding my hand and discussing which paintings catch our attention.
My sons also enjoy art museums and can distinguish a Monet from a Van Gogh (two of my favorites). Their favorite special exhibition was Cleveland Museum of Art’s “Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse” in the Fall 2015 that included pieces that influenced Monet’s garden painting and reunited CMA’s Water Lilies with the other two panels of the triptych and displayed them together (no photography permitted). On our first trip, I took all three kids, aged one, five and seven, alone. We all loved it so much that we came back a few weeks later with my husband. After going to the exhibit for the second time, my five-year-old son came home, asked for paints and created his own version of water lilies.
My five-year-old son’s Water Lilies painting
Kid Moments
If your children are new to visiting art museums, start with a short trip of about 45-60 minutes. We play a “game” when we enter a new gallery. I ask each kid which is their favorite piece. We then go and specifically examine each of our favorite pieces before moving on to the next room. Sometimes, we read the plaque on the wall, other times, we briefly discuss color choice or artist technique that made that piece stand out, but we try hard not to dawdle.
Kid Caution
While there is no age that is “too young”, it is necessary to be careful when bringing a child into art galleries as some art is accessible to small hands. The stroller or front carrier is the safest place for infants or toddlers. Many art museums do not permit backpacks or back carriers because the wearer could accidentally cause damage by brushing up against the art. Older children need to have enough self-control to understand that they must stay right with an adult and not touch the art work before going into galleries. However, many art museums have interactive child-friendly exhibits like the ArtLens Gallery at the Cleveland Museum of Art that everyone can enjoy.
Our Favorite Art Museums
We have visited many art museums with kids, but these are our favorites:
Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the US and boasts a permanent collection of over two million works. The Met is located on Fifth Avenue in New York City. We were a few of the Met’s over 7 million visitors in 2016 that made it second to only the Louvre in number of visitors. Our boys were especially excited to find Seurat’s final study for A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Admission to the permanent collection is free, but the suggested donation is $25 for adults.
One of two lion statues guarding the Institute’s Michigan Avenue entranceGustave Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy DayGeorges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
National Gallery (Washington D.C.) is the third largest art museum in the US. When we are visiting the Mall, we take a quick stop through the impressionist galleries and the outdoor sculpture garden. On our most recent visit, my husband was holding our daughter, who was then two. They stopped in front of a Degas, and she looked at the painted ballerinas and commented, “Daddy, I really like this painting” to the shock of the visitors around her who had no idea that she thought she was merely “playing” a familiar game. Admission is free.
The National Gallery, London is the fourth most visited art museum in the world with over six million visitors annually. It is located in Trafalgar Square and houses a relatively small collection of about 2,300 paintings, almost all of which are on permanent display.
The National Gallery, LondonVan Gogh’s Sunflowers
Cleveland Museum of Art is the art museum we frequent most often. CMA is located in Cleveland’s University Circle area on the near east side. A massive expansion project began in 2005 and was completed at the end of 2013 increased floor space by 65% and included the glass-roofed Ames Family Atrium. It has a permanent collection of 45,000 works and significant Egyptian and Asian galleries. We always make sure to spend a few minutes sitting on the bench in front of Monet’s Water Lilies (Agapanthus) and enjoy the Armor Court. 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. Admission to the permanent exhibitions is free, but there are fees for special exhibits.
Monet’s Water LiliesRodin’s Thinker with damaged legs
With some precautions and child-centric activities, art museums truly can be enjoyed by all ages. While infants and toddlers may not have specific memories of the museums they visit, those who go to art museums are more likely to grow into young children who enjoy art and visiting galleries.
Are wineries really a place to take kids? We’ve found that with limited exceptions, a winery can provide fun for all ages, and we are lucky to have the Ohio’s Grand River Valley wine region about 45 minutes away. We think it is a hidden gem of the area as we find many of our friends and neighbors do not know much about it or have never actually been and definitely recommend a trip to Ohio wine country with kids.
I grew up in the Cleveland area but never visited the wineries in this region until I was in my 30s. Our seven month son joined us on our first trip there. Since then, Ohio wine country has become a favorite family day trip. We usually go at least once a year to celebrate a special occasion. While it is just a short drive, our favorite wineries have amazing and relaxed settings that make us feel like we have made an excursion. Sipping wine is just the icing on the cake of a great afternoon.
Ohio’s Napa
While the wine produced in Ohio may not be as famous as those made in Napa, Grand River Valley wineries are much more family-friendly than those in Napa, and our kids love winery trips. Many Ohio wineries produce their own grape juice, and my kids absolutely love drinking red grape juice (a special treat) in wine glasses. Also, most wineries in Ohio double as restaurants or permit guests to bring their own picnic. Some wineries have enough green space to relax on a picnic blanket and fly a kite, and the nearby beach in the State Park is an added bonus.
When we planned a trip to San Francisco and Yosemite a few years ago with our two and four year old boys, we tacked on two nights in Napa. While Napa is definitely not a typical family vacation location, my husband and I were not going to pass up the opportunity to go to Napa just because our kids were with us, and we figured that the wineries would be as much fun for them as Ohio wineries. While we definitely all enjoyed ourselves, our experience visiting California wineries with kids was not what we expected after our regular trips to Ohio’s wine country.
We thought our kids would enjoy drinking grape juice and eating good meals at wineries in Napa. However, we learned that Napa wineries do not make grape juice because their grapes are too expensive to “waste” on juice. Only one winery we visited offered my kids juice, and it was served in Capri Sun pouches rather than fancy glasses. Because it is expensive for wineries in Napa to obtain food permits, they stick to serving wine and the occasional free snack. While my boys enjoyed frolicking in vineyards, touring wineries and watching some grape stomping, we did not find any spot in Napa where kids could relax for an afternoon or fly a kite.
Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake – An Ohio Wine Country Resort
The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake is a family-friendly hotel complex on Lake Erie that can turn a trip to the Grand River Valley wineries into a weekend getaway. I enjoyed a few nights there. The Lodge has expanded in recent years to include indoor and outdoor pools as well as two-bedroom cottages completed in 2016. The Lodge also offers family rooms with bunk beds and a number of fun activities, including bike rental, zip line tours and snow shoe and ski rental.
The Lodge at Geneva on the Lake
Logistics
Other than designating a driver, there is virtually no preparation needed for planning a trip to the Grand River Valley WIne Region. If you are planning to picnic at the South River Vineyard or adding on a stop at the beach, make sure to bring a blanket, snacks, juice, a ball and a kite.
Wineries
There are a number of wineries in the Grand River Valley Wine Region area. While we occasionally try a new one, we generally stick to our favorites, including:
Food: The food is particularly enjoyable, and the restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the beautiful vineyard. We particularly enjoy the gnocchi brue, which I order with chicken instead of filet mignon and with lighter sauce. The kids like the pepperoni pizza.
Wine and Juice: We order the sweet and dry tasting trays to share. Ferrante’s makes their own white and red grape juice. If we are headed to South River Vineyard after lunch, we pick up a bottle for the kids on our way out. Servers will ask you if you would like to add a bottle to your lunch tab, but it’s about half the price if you pick it up at the souvenir shop yourself.
Tours: Ferrante’s offers free winery tours on weekend afternoons from Memorial Day through Labor Day with posted hours. My boys really enjoy these tours. We were with a large group of visiting family the last time we had lunch at Ferrante’s, and it was our nine year old who asked if we could take the tour.
Location: Other than the large blue factory building next door that seems completely out of place in the vineyard scene, the setting is truly picturesque. On weekends in the summer, there is usually live music outside.
Notes: Note that the restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Ferrante’s offers a lunch menu Wednesday through Saturday, but the dinner menu is used for lunch on Sunday.
Food: The only food sold is a cheese plate, but guests are permitted to bring small picnics.
Wine/Juice: Wine is sold in flights and by the bottle, and the bartender will cork an unfinished bottle so that you can take it home with you. They do not sell juice, but guests are permitted to bring non-alcoholic beverages.
Setting:We call it the “church winery” because the tasting room is housed in a Victorian Methodist Church originally built in 1892 that was moved from Shalersville, Ohio and reconstructed here in 2000. Outside, there are beautiful terraces and a pavilion with Adirondack chairs and picnic tables. On colder days, there is an outdoor fireplace. There is a large grassy area next to the pavilion that is perfect for the kids to play ball or fly a kite.
Laurello Vineyards is a small, boutique winery that opened in 2002. While it is not set in a vineyard like many of the other wineries, there is a large outdoor patio with live music in the evenings on summer weekends. The flatbread pizzas baked in a wood oven are amazing.
My friends, Sandy and Barb, at Laurello Vineyards
Harpersfield Vineyards is a farm winery housed in a charming French estate. Harpersfield serves soup, sandwiches, flatbreads, cheese plates and desserts. Outdoor seating includes a patio and pavilion. The indoor fireplace is a big draw.
Debonne Vineyardsis the largest estate winery in Ohio with over 175 acres of vines. It is also the most commercial winery in the area.Weddings occur here most weekends in the summer, and we have seen a few ceremonies. Appetizers, sandwiches and pizza are available inside all year. During the summer months, the outdoor Grille at Debonne is open for outdoor dining. Debonne was the first Ohio winery to open a micro-brewery and is open daily 12 pm to 6 pm with longer hours on some days and on a seasonal basis.
Visiting wine country in Ohio is one of our family’s favorite summer activities. Now, we need to check it out during the off season!
