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Best Things to Do in Cleveland With Kids
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.

Find out more about 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.

Find out more about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- 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.

Find out more about the Goodtime III.
- 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.

Find out more about the Greater Cleveland Aquarium.
- 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.

The Cleveland Museum of Art features rotating special exhibits. Some of our favorites over the years were Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse, Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors and PROOF: Photography in the Era of the Contact Sheet.

Find out more about the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- 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.

Find out more about MOCA.
- 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.
- Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland Parking: Metered parking and garages are available nearby.
Family Activities in Midtown

#14: 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. 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 enormous

Serious 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

Find out more about 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.
October 13, 2019
Things to Do in Rochester With Kids
Thank you to the Strong National Museum of Play and the Rochester Museum & Science Center for hosting our family’s visit. All opinions are my own.

While planning a trip over the Fourth of July to visit my uncle in Amherst, Massachusetts solo with three kids, I knew that I would want to split up the nine hour drive from Cleveland. A few weeks before our trip, I heard an advertisement on a local radio station for the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester. I am not one who is easily swayed by advertisements of any sort, but we love museums, and one with the words “strong” and “play” really piqued my interest. Even though I’d never actually been to downtown Rochester, I thought to myself that the next time we drive through New York, we’ll have to check it out. Because Rochester is roughly halfway between Cleveland and Amherst, our visit to the Strong occurred much quicker than I ever imagined. We also planned a stop at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, and our five hour visit to Rochester was an ideal pit stop. There are a surprising number of things to do in Rochester with kids for families driving across the New York turnpike or otherwise visiting the city. We would definitely stop in Rochester again.

Museums in Rochester, New York

#1: Strong National Museum of Play

The Strong National Museum of Play is located in downtown Rochester and regularly considered one of the country’s top children’s museums. It’s definitely our favorite. The Strong Museum opened in 1982 and was initially based on the personal collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong, a philanthropist who was an avid collector of toys. The Strong features 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and the most colorful museum exterior that I’ve ever seen. With so many exhibits in this enormous museum, make sure to pick up a Strong Museum map at the front desk.

The Strong National Museum of Play exterior

Field of Play Exhibit at the Strong Museum

We started at the Field of Play exhibit, which includes hundreds of creative play activities and artifacts. The kids particularly enjoyed the drag racer simulator and the rock wall.

Drag racing

My kids really have never met a rock wall they haven’t wanted to climb. We have a tiny one on our back yard playset. The rock wall at the Strong was distinctive because the holds consisted of letters, numbers and animals.

Climbing the Rock Wall

There was also an exaggerated perspective room that made me feel nauseous, but my four year old dragged me back into it several times. Of course, parental supervision in the room was required. My boys have never had more fun with a puff of air than directing one through a cannon at a target. I honestly think my kids could have spent an hour in this exhibit alone. But, we knew we were short on time and had so many other things to see.

Directing a puff of air at the target

Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street Exhibit

Although my kids have never been regular Sesame Street watchers, they know all the characters. We were excited for the Sesame Street exhibit, and I couldn’t resist a photo opportunity with the 123 Sesame Street stoop. Even though the doors did not actually open, my four year old daughter was excited to stop by. This exhibit includes many Sesame-themed opportunities for imaginative play, including the Cookie Monster Foodie Truck.

The iconic 123 Sesame Street stoop

Wegmans Super Kids Market Exhibit at the Strong Museum

The Wegmans Super Kids Market exhibit was a realistic grocery store recreation. As we entered, the kids were instructed to get a cart, pretend to be shoppers and pick five items. Then, they transformed into the check out clerks to ring up their items and when they were done, they got to restock their items. While the kids were shopping, I remembered my sister raving about a grocery store exhibit she visited at a children’s museum a few years ago and wondered if it was at the Strong (it was!). I did not remember her museum recommendation and am pretty sure that she did not describe the museum with the words “strong” or “play” like the radio advertisement.

Checking out the produce

While our kids have played at many mini-grocery stores in other children’s museums, botanical gardens and science museums, this Wegmans one upped every other grocery store exhibit due to its realistic size and its cash registers that printed accurate receipts.

Accurate receipt

National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong Museum

The National Toy Hall of Fame was established in 1998 and moved to the Strong in 2002. As we entered the National Toy Hall of Fame, I felt as if I was walking into one of the Toy Story movies. It was hard to pry my daughter away from the Big Wheel-powered ramp. I think the big wheel I had as a small child looked very much like this red and yellow model.

Big wheel at the Strong

The National Toy Hall of Fame inductees include iconic toys like Clue, Jack-in-the-Box, playing cards, hula hoop, LEGO, paper airplane and my favorite, the cardboard box. The exhibited toys on the second floor were more of a walk down memory lane of favorite toys from my childhood and many were foreign to my kids.

World Video Game Hall of Fame at the Strong Museum

The World Video Game Hall of Fame opened at the Strong in 2015, and currently, 24 games have been inducted. The Strong also includes eGameReveolution, a giant video arcade room featuring historic and current video games. I purchased a few dollars’ worth of tokens, and not surprisingly, my kids loved trying out the video games.

Winner!

My daughter’s video game experience is really minimal, but she played several rounds of Space Invaders, each with a little more excitement than the last.

Intense game of Space Invaders

Another walk down memory lane came with the Pong exhibit. Pong was our family’s first video game. My brother bought it at a rummage sale in the mid-1980s, and we connected it to our console television in the center of our living room and played for hours. Pong was one of the earliest video games and simulates table tennis. Players use knobs to move their paddle in a game that reminds me of Brick Breaker that I used to be addicted to on my Blackberry. It’s only a matter of time before my iPhone X looks as much as an antique as Pong does now, right?

Pong

Other Exhibits at the Strong Museum

My kids fully explored the Imagination Destination, and my daughter particularly enjoyed the role playing opportunities. All three got involved with constructing a shingle roof. One History Place gave them an opportunity to step back into the 19th century, and my son played on the parlor piano. Fairy tales and children’s literary classics came alive in Reading Adventureland. My daughter excitedly identified each of the scenes in the Fairy Tale Forest and then took off to explore the shipwreck of Adventure Island. We ended our visit with a ride on the Elaine Wilson Carousel.

Aquarium

The Strong Museum With Older Kids

While much of the Strong Museum is geared for kids eight and under, older children and adults appreciate the National Toy Hall of Fame and World Video Game Hall of Fame. My nine and eleven year old boys would not have spent so long on the first floor if their four year old sister was not with them. They followed her through the museum and played with her, but with slightly less exuberance than she had. My older kids and I thought that the enormous and colorful picture window was pretty impressive, but my daughter was much more interested in playing. We highly recommend a visit to the Strong.

Colorful picture window
- The Strong Museum Hours: The Strong Museum is generally open Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. In 2019, the Strong Museum is closed on October 25, November 28 and December 25.
- The Strong Museum Tickets: As of July 2019, Strong Museum admission costs $16 for visitors age two and older. Children under age two are free.
- The Strong Museum Parking: Free parking is available in an adjacent surface lot.
- Time Spent at the Strong Museum: We spent two and a half hours at the Strong Museum and would have stayed longer if we had not planned to visit the Rochester Museum and Science Center on the same day.
#2: Rochester Museum and Science Center

We proceeded from the Strong to the Rochester Museum & Science Center, a science, natural history and local history museum under one roof in downtown Rochester. It was very easy to travel from the Strong to the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Both have free, adjacent parking lots, and the drive between the two museums was only about five minutes. Visiting these two museums on the same day is a great way to combine imaginative and scientific play. We arrived about 90 minutes before closing and made sure to explore as much as we could.

Rochester Museum & Science Center exterior

The Rochester Museum & Science Center is a member of the ASTC Travel Passport Program. Like many science centers, there are many hands-on exhibits that my kids had fun exploring. We started in the AdventureZone exhibit on the ground level. My sons found the second rock wall of the day.

More rock wall fun

My daughter immediately headed to the puppet show area and started planning her performance.

Puppet show

Wholly Mammoth skeleton

The Rochester Museum and Science Center is unique because it combines a natural history, local history and science. There is not only a taxidermy exhibit featuring a gigantic wholly mammoth skeleton but also several exhibits that focus on the local history of Rochester and Western New York.

While museums often consist of a series of dark and windowless rooms, the Rochester Museum and Science Center has two large exhibit areas, the Patricia F. Hale Hands-On Gallery and the Reidman Gallery. Each gallery features large windows on three sides. The natural sunlight made the space naturally cheerful, and we returned to these exhibit areas several times.

Science fun

The kids gleefully darted from one exhibit to the next, trying to fit in as many science experiments as they could.

STEM learning

The kids’ favorite part of the Rochester Museum and Science Center was the Inventor Center, a hands on “maker space” where my three kids worked together to construct a car to deliver supplies to people trapped in a mountain pass. The kids planned, built and then enhanced the car and managed to pass the challenge just as the Inventor Center was closing.

The finished vehicle

We did not have enough time to visit the adjacent Strasenburgh Planetarium, but definitely have that on the list for our next visit to Rochester. The Rochester Museum and Science Center is a great place for hands on science and history learning.

Strasenburgh Planetarium
- Rochester Museum and Science Center Hours: The Rochester Museum and Science Center is generally open on Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on July 4, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
- Rochester Museum and Science Center Tickets: Rochester Museum and Science Center admission costs $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and college students and $13 for children ages 3 to 18. Kids under three are free.
- Rochester Museum and Science Center Parking: Free parking is available in an adjacent surface lot.
- Time Spent at the Rochester Museum and Science Center: We spent only about 90 minutes because of closing time.
Where to Eat in Rochester

#1: The French Quarter

We all really worked up an appetite with our museum exploration. We left the Rochester Museum and Science Center when it closed at 5:00 p.m. and headed straight to French Quarter, which was advertised as the best Cajun and Creole food in Rochester. My husband and I have visited New Orleans several times, including an April 2019 trip to Jazz Fest. While my kids have never been, we drag them to Cajun restaurants when we travel, and enjoyed a delicious meal at MudBugs in Sanibel this Spring. It’s no secret that we all love Cajun and Creole cuisine. We also loved the authentic New Orleans architecture and the bright red door.

Arriving at the French Quarter

Because it opened right as the Rochester Museum and Science Center closed, we were the first diners, but four or five other tables filled up while we ate. Our meal was tasty and served quickly. We were back on the road by 6 p.m. headed for our final destination of the evening, a hotel near Oneida, New York.

Traditional New Orleans architecture and art

#2: Tom Wahl’s

On our drive back from Amherst, we stopped again in Rochester for lunch. My parents suggested Tom Wahl’s for wahlburgers, gourmet hamburgers. While I don’t eat beef, my kids almost always enjoy a good cheeseburger but had one too many over our long weekend and opted for chicken instead. It was better than the average food court option! We stopped at the nearby Lands’ End Outlet before getting back on the road for home.

Home of the Wahlberger’s

Rochester With Kids

Our visit to Rochester was planned as a pit stop on our road trip to Amherst, Massachusetts and was an unexpected surprise. The Strong Museum and the Rochester Museum and Science Center both offer fun, hands-on learning enjoyable for both parents and kids. We would definitely recommend a trip to Rochester with kids!
August 10, 2019
Perth, Australia With Kids

Guest Blogger: Clayton is a writer, editor, and devoted family man. A proud husband, father, and grandfather, Clayton enjoys running and cycling in his spare time and is also devoted to supporting literacy and arts programs in his hometown of Worthington, Ohio. To learn more about Clayton, visit his website, Clay Writes.

On a two-week trip to “The Land Down Under” this past July, my wife and I had the opportunity to observe and learn, finding new things to love before returning to our home in Worthington, Ohio. As an Australian Aboriginal Proverb affirms:

“We are all visitors to this time, this place…Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love and then we return home.”

Prior to departure, we alerted our bank that we would be traveling overseas, so they wouldn’t hold up any credit card transactions on suspicion of theft. Each credit card purchase carried an “international transaction fee” (the largest of these was $3.23). We also secured $300 in Australian cash, which cost about $245 in American currency.

Nine days of our two-week trip were spent in Perth, located on Australia’s southwest coast. Perth ended up being an excellent place to have a multi-generational family gathering with my daughter and son-in-law and their three children, ages seven, five, and two. I say “excellent” not only because Perth is relatively close to their home in Bandung, Indonesia, but also because Perth is an exceptionally kid-friendly city.

Things to Do:

#1: Kings Park and Botanic Garden:

Kings Park and Botanic Garden is not only rich in Aboriginal and European history, but also happens to be one of the world’s largest and most beautiful inner-city parks. We enjoyed our first visit to this park so much that we ended up coming back for a second visit! On our first visit, we took a short hike across an elevated walkway that led us past beautiful flowers and towering treetops. At different points, we had panoramic views of Perth’s skyline and the surrounding waters. We also spent some time admiring the Pioneer Women’s Memorial, a bronze sculpture of a woman and infant surrounded by sparkling fountains.

Pioneer Women’s Memorial Fountain

From the Memorial, we visited a children’s discovery play area, just one of many such areas devoted to young ones within the park. My seven- and five-year-old grandchildren had a ball wading in a small pond with other kids, while their two-year-old little brother happily splashed. A small, rocky stream fed into the pond, and I noticed older children using the rocks to build a dam. The play area also featured tunnels; some resembled culverts but others would be better described as climbing tunnels, which require the participant to ascend and then descend a rough-hewn staircase before emerging at the end.

Pro-Tip: If you’re prone to back or knee problems, I highly recommend that you wait for your children at the tunnel’s end rather than attempting to follow your kids through the tunnel!

After the kids enjoyed their fill of climbing and wading, we enjoyed a hearty lunch at a nearby cafe. On our way out, I took a moment to study the memorial to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (“ANZAC”) troops who fought and died in WWI. The granite obelisk stands across from an eternal flame with an inscription asking people to “Let Silent Contemplation Be Your Offering.”

Eternal Flame with State War Memorial

source

On our return visit to Kings Park, I again visited the State War Memorial and noticed the names of the fallen ANZAC soldiers inscribed on the wall below and behind the obelisk. The kids again enjoyed wading in the pond and frolicking at the large playground near the park’s entrance. This playground also had tunnels, though not of the climbing kind, as well as a tire swing with an unusually wide arc. While the kids played, little kookaburras flitted about, sometimes coming within just a few feet of visitors.

Kookaburras near one the Garden’s play areas

#2: Perth Zoo

We were fortunate that the Perth Zoo was within walking distance of our rental home. Due to its proximity, we were able to spend a weekday morning at the zoo, come home for lunch, and then return for about two hours in the afternoon. We did not have to pay admission on our return visit – we simply showed our receipt for the morning admission.

As one would expect, the zoo features a number of animals unique to Australia, including koalas, dingoes, wallabies, kangaroos, wombats, and numbats. The numbats are new to me – these marsupials, with deer-like facial features and white stripes crossing their black/brown fur, dwell in woodlands of Western Australia, and each one eats upwards of 20,000 termites per day.

The zoo organizes many of its animals according to habitat. The native animals were mostly found in the Australian Wetlands and Australian Bushwalk sections, and the African Savannah featured zebras, baboons, and a radiated tortoise. The Asian Rainforest held gibbons, Asian elephants, and Komodo dragons, while Bolivian squirrel monkeys, golden lion tamarins, and South American coatis could be found in the Amazonia section. Not all sections of the zoo were organized according to geography, however. The Nocturnal House covered a wide range of animals – bats, toads, spiders, and owls (to name a few) — all “creatures of the night.” And, the Primate Trail held lemurs, marmosets, tamarins, and other small primates mostly from Madagascar or the Amazon Rainforest.

sleeping koala

Of the animals we saw, I was most impressed by the painted dogs in the African Savannah. Their sleek, black, orange and white fur could have been designed by an artist and they moved with a distinctively graceful style. We learned these animals are highly effective predators and their hunts have a 90% success rate, better than either lions or cheetahs. Sadly, like so many other wild animals, the painted dogs are an endangered species.

Pro-Tip: The zoo has a playground with ladders, bridges, and two slides (including a tunnel slide). There is also a carousel, which provides a more relaxing form of entertainment for children (and parents) after wearing themselves out on the playground. The carousel, however, only operates from 11am-3pm on most days.

#3: Caversham Wildlife Park

Located several miles outside of downtown Perth in Whitman Park, Caversham Wildlife Park is the perfect complement to the Perth Zoo as it provides families with the opportunity to have close-up encounters with wildlife. Although there are fewer animal species at the Wildlife Park, we noticed herds of kangaroos hopping free across hundreds of acres of open range just on the drive to the park. Once we were inside the park itself, we were nearly nose-to-nose with echidnas, llamas, koalas, wombats, pythons, possums, and any number of birds. We all enjoyed the opportunity to pet a koala and the kids had their pictures taken with a husky-looking wombat. We also encountered an Australian brushtail possum, which, with its darker fur, bigger ears, and thicker tail, does not much resemble its North American counterpart.

cockatoo at the animal park’s indoor pavilion

After getting acquainted with some of the park’s animals, we attended a farm show, which took place in an indoor pavilion. The show began with a demonstration of a sheep dog, controlling the movement of sheep so that they ended up in a pen. The show was followed by a sheep-shearing demonstration with a man, who was clearly a pro, wielding electric clippers swiftly, yet carefully. As large slabs of wool fell to the floor, the sheep struggled but uttered no cries of pain. According to the man, an experienced handler can shear over 200 sheep a day using electric clippers! Previously, only 60 or so sheep could be sheared in one day with manual clippers. Later in the show, volunteers in the audience were given the opportunity to try their hand at cracking whips and bottle-feeding lambs and, at the very end, anyone who wished could milk an artificial cow. My granddaughter took a turn, with her brother abstaining!

Granddaughter about to feed a wallaby

When we finished with the farm program, we entered what appeared to be a kangaroo-wallaby sanctuary where kids could feed the animals food obtained from special machines. This seemed like fun and it mostly was, but be advised that because the animals are fed with such frequency, they often aren’t interested in snacking. My granddaughter had to go to several different kangaroos and wallabies before finding one that was halfway interested in the food she offered!

Volunteer snuggling with a wombat!

#4: Scitech Discovery Centre

If your children enjoy science, then Scitech Discovery Centre is a good place to take them, but get there early. We arrived only a few minutes after the 9:30 opening, and within an hour the place was packed. We visited on a weekday, but evidently some schools were on winter break, leading to larger-than-normal crowds. Still, my family found much to like about Scitech, which is located near downtown Perth. The hands-on displays give children a chance to make science happen right in front of their eyes. Phenomena such as magnetism, gravity, electricity, sound waves, air pressure, and reflection become real, not just concepts in a textbook. But for my grandchildren, fun more than science was the order of the day. My grandson and I enjoyed building a makeshift parachute with string and a coffee filter and then testing it in a wind tunnel. My granddaughter had a great time using a pulley to elevate herself on a chair, while our toddler kept himself busy dropping colored balls into an interactive probability device. There was a special show at the museum’s planetarium, but the long line made us decide against attending. We did see a puppet show on animal and plant nutrition that featured a human performer interacting with different puppet characters and occasionally with members of the audience.

Final Thoughts?

My only regret is that Australia in general and Perth, in particular, are so far from my home in central Ohio, otherwise, I’d be planning a return trip already! If I do venture to the “Land Down Under” again, I am definitely not flying economy. To be sure, my wife and I were treated well on all of our flights, including the 17-hour odyssey from Dallas to Sydney. But sleeping upright with minimal leg room just does not agree with my over-60-year-old body and I would like to feel like a human being next time, instead of a boomerang! That said, Perth was a great place for a multi-generational family visit. Not only were there a number of family-friendly activities for kids and adults of all ages, but the amount of wildlife and the opportunities to get up close and personal were a real treat.

August 26, 2018
Spotlight: Discovery Cube With Kids! (Orange County)

The Discovery Science Foundation is a Southern California based organization dedicated to hands-on science education for kids. With three campuses located in Southern California, the Foundation has four core initiatives: STEM proficiency, early childhood education, healthy living, and environmental stewardship. On a recent visit to the Foundation’s original center in Orange County, California (Discovery Cube OC), my three year old and I had the opportunity to see first hand the real world implementation of the Foundation’s four core initiatives.

Our visit happened to coincide with “Dino Summer” – a large exhibit dedicated to huge animatronic dinosaurs.

It was a truly impressive display, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fully peruse as my three year old decided that the dinosaur noises were too scary! I should have prepared him for the noises and large scale dinosaurs prior to entry, evidently!

Luckily, there was plenty to explore aside from the Dino Summer exhibit. My little one particular loved the full scale grocery store replica, where he could walk around with a shopping cart and ring up items for “purchase.”

He also loved the recycling/environmental hazards center, which prompted him through specific tasks.

Being a rambunctious toddler, however, his absolute favorite section was the downstairs level which was comprised of various STEM activities that he could either observe and/or engage with his hands.

We ended up spending a full two hours at the museum before lunch and nap time forced us to leave. My son loved the museum, but honestly, I think that children ages 5+ would likely benefit from it more as my son, at only 3.5, did not quite fully grasp the concept of many of the things he was engaging with. Nonetheless, Discovery Cube was a great way to spend a few hours on an exceptionally hot day, and I would absolutely encourage anyone to visit Discovery Cube with kids – particularly on hot and/or rainy days! Finally, the Orange County location is close to Disneyland and would be a fantastic “break” from Disneyland, if you find yourself in need of one! We could have easily spent more time there and, an added bonus, Discovery Cube is a ASTC Passport Program participant, so you can take advantage of the reciprocal benefits program if you happen to be a member of another ASTC facility and are traveling outside of your home area.

Discovery Cube OC is located at 2500 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA and is open daily from 10am-5pm (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas).

Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Los Angeles, California with kids and check out other ASTC centers we’ve visited!

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 fun locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!

August 21, 2018
Travel Tips: ASTC Passport Program

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.

We always try to catch a planetarium show at Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium & Ralph Mueller Observatory. My daughter is a huge fan of the One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure, and even though my boys have seen it more times than we can count, they agreed to accompany her the last time that the timing aligned – albeit after a few eye rolls.

#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.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is an amazing free admission museum on the National Mall. It was the world’s most visited natural history museum in 2017. The Museum’s collection includes over 126 million specimens. Our favorite is the Hope Diamond, the 45.5 carat grayish-blue pendant surrounded by 16 diamonds that is reportedly insured for $250 million.   The Hall of Fossils includes 46 complete skeletons and is currently undergoing a massive $45 million, five-year renovation and scheduled to reopen in 2019.  The iconic 14-foot tall elephant is the focal point of the entry rotunda.

For traveling families who enjoy natural history museums, science centers and children’s museums, investing in a membership to the ASTC Travel Passport Program museum can be an amazing value. Next on our list is the Ontario Science Centre, which was one of my favorite museums that I visited as a child. Make sure to check out our other posts on other ASTC museums, including children’s museums, natural history museums and science museums.

May 18, 2018
Spotlight: Kidspace Children’s Museum (Pasadena, CA)
Just about everyone has heard of Pasadena, California. Home of the Rose Bowl and the Rose Parade, Pasadena is steeped in history. Despite growing up just two towns over from Pasadena and having spent the past nine years traveling to the area to visit family, we managed to overlook a gold mine of an activity for kids’ fun and entertainment: the Kidspace Children’s Museum!

The Kidspace Children’s Museum is presently located on over two acres of land right in the shadows of the Rose Bowl. Originally, the museum was located at the California Institute of Technology as a community project of the Junior League of Pasadena, but over the decades, the museum has evolved from a small local attraction to encompass over 2.2 acres of gardens designed to encourage children to learn and explore.

As I mentioned earlier, my family has been traveling to the Los Angeles / Pasadena area for nearly nine years with children, but for one reason or another, we never actually made it over to Kidspace. After our visit this month, I’m pretty sure we are going to be regulars!

My three year old sensed that he was going to have a blast from the minute he spied Kidspace’s entrance off in the distance. There was a trail of large rocks leading to the museum, which begged to be climbed. My son made a beeline for the brightly colored balls which collectively held the topiary that spelled out “kidspace” as soon as we parked. The entrance to the museum itself was whacky and fun, with lots of bright colors and shiny objects to touch and feel.

The first thing my kids did after we entered was run off to explore the “Physics Garden.” The Physics Garden contains a number of stations where kids can conduct hands on experiments with science. My three year old loved simply hopping from station to station and seeing what the older kids were doing, but I was surprised to find that my 8.5 year old seemed to enjoy the stations and had fun running his own experiments.

We spent a good amount of time in this area, before heading indoors, where my preschooler discovered, much to his delight, multiple indoor climbing structures. I literally thought, at times, that we might never see him again, he was so happy to climb out of our sight.

We spent quite a bit of time exploring the indoor climbing structures before we realized that there was another outdoor area that was even larger and more expansive that the outdoor science garden. The immediate concrete area outside the indoor climbing building was set up like a miniature city, with tricycles and street signs.

Although my preschooler was not interested, the city driving area was adjacent to a small playground that would be suitable for toddlers.

What drew my boys like magnets was the large playground structure located further beyond this immediate paved area. My kids literally sprinted off and spent the next 15-20 minutes running, climbing, chasing.

There were a number of separate stations in this “big kid” play area, including a climbing wall, which my 8.5 year old was happy to test out. Sadly, our time exploring was cut short because the weather turned bad – yes! We actually got caught in a rare downpour during our visit to Los Angeles!

We ended up spending a good 2 hours at the museum and upon leaving, my preschooler said, “I had fun there. I wish we could go back again.” High praise for a little boy who spends his days visiting museums all over Washington, DC! I am looking forward to returning to Kidspace the next time we are in town as there’s much more to explore, including the indoor reading and crafting areas.

Pro Tips:
- I had never heard of the ASTC Travel Passport Program before Catherine’s post on visiting the La Brea Tar Pits, but I decided to look into the program just prior to our trip to California when I realized that many museums located in Los Angeles participate in the program. Indeed, I paid $100 for an annual membership to my local children’s museum and in exchange, received free reciprocal entry for my family of four to Kidspace ($56 value). I know we will be back and plan to visit other participating museums as well, so this benefit will quickly pay for itself over the course of the upcoming year.
- Parking at Kidspace is a bit of a logistical nightmare if, like us, you’re visiting when there’s an event at the Rose Bowl. Kidspace shares a parking lot with the Rose Bowl and the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center and also happens to be located along the Arroyo Seco Trail…. So, there’s lots of cars and although the parking lot is large with plenty of parking, expect to do some walking. I’ll also note that the parking lot isn’t numbered or sectioned off in any way, so it’s a bit of a treasure hunt to find your car when you’re ready to go home!
- Although we visited between meals, there’s plenty of space to sit and enjoy a picnic, and we saw many families doing so throughout the museum.
- Consider bringing an extra pair of shoes/pants if you have children who like getting wet. It was muddy and overcast/raining on the day we visited, but I gathered from numerous parents around us that kids like to run and jump in the streams located at the far end of the museum. I’m sure on hot days it is a welcome reprieve, so come prepared!
- If you’re a nursing mom, there are these nursing pods located sporadically throughout the museum. I have never seen these before, but it’s a nice option to have!
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 of our favorite locations, please check out our other Spotlight features! And, be sure to check out our entire series on fun things to do with kids in Los Angeles!
March 26, 2018
Fun Family Hidden Gems in Florida

It’s Spring Break time, and many families will be heading to Florida. With Disney World, Universal Studios and thousands of miles of beaches, Florida may be the family vacation capital of the world, but there are also so many great spots that do not get as much attention as the world-famous theme parks. We asked traveling families for their family favorite hidden gems in Florida and found these amazing places to put on our list!

Fun in the Sun While Swimming in the Hotel Pool in the Middle of Winter

Ever planned an action filled family vacation only to ask the kids what their favorite part was and for them to respond: swimming in the pool? Seriously, this has happened to me more times than I could count including on our last two visits to Disney. As a result, during our last pre and post cruise trip to Orlando, I decided to focus on exploring hotel pools, and it was a huge hit. My four kids and I (hubby joined us for cruise only) enjoyed water slides, splash pads, lazy rivers and poolside dance parties while Connecticut was hit with a Nor’easter.

Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel.

Ohana Character Breakfast at Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Our family enjoyed a mouse free Orlando trip, and I wanted to give our youngest an opportunity to feel like he went to Disney World without breaking the bank and spending thousands of dollars on a pre and post cruise Orlando stay. The Ohana Character Breakfast at the Polynesian Resort with Mickey, Lillo, Stitch and Pluto provided us with a delicious meal, character signatures, pictures and interactions without paying park admission and spending time waiting in the hot sun.

Recommended by Ruth Mendes from Have Kiddos Will Travel.

Rainbow Springs State Park

Rainbow Springs State Park is a stunning state park only an hour and a half from Orlando. The water is warm year-round, making it the perfect place to go swimming with kids. One of the coolest experiences is diving into the crystal-clear water with a snorkeling mask, which is sure to entertain kids (and adults) of all age. It’s only $2 for entry per person with children under six getting in for free, so it’s a great deal for families looking for a budget day trip in Florida. It’s also possible to go tubing down the river, but advance reservations are required.

Recommended by Karen of Wanderlustingk. Find out more from Karen about Rainbow Springs State Park.

Glazer Children’s Museum

The Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa makes for a fabulously fun and educational day out for the whole family. The focus is on making learning fun, and all exhibits are interactive and entertaining. We learned all about the weather system of Florida (and got slightly wet in the process!), took part in our very own stage show (costumes included) and tried out various careers in the imaginative play area. Probably my favorite children’s museum yet! There’s even a splash fountain outside to cool off from the Floridian heat!

Recommended by Karen from Are We There Yet Kids.

Bo’s Ice Cream

Bo’s Ice Cream is a small, unassuming ice cream shop in Tampa that’s full of possibilities. Open since 1954, it has a variety of choices from a simple chocolate cone to extravagant sundaes and milkshakes, all at a decent price. It’s not unusual for the shop to be packed, but they have a convenient drive-thru window as well as benches for parents to share the moment with their kids. The tradition of going to Bo’s has been handed down through the generations – there’s nothing wrong with an ice cream cone!

Recommended by Jamie of Crashed Culture.

Dinosaur World

Dinosaur World in Plant City, Florida is about a 30 minutes drive east of Tampa. The park is lush with tropical foliage and filled with life size displays of all kinds of dinosaurs sure to please any dino-philes, including our five year old boy who is absolutely obsessed with dinosaurs.

There are playgrounds for big kids and little tykes, as well as numerous covered picnic areas. We were allowed to bring in snacks, and we saw many families with coolers. There are also fossil digs and cave shows that occur every hour. We didn’t have time for the cave show, but the three kids (ages 3, 4, and 5) all enjoyed the fossil dig. They were allowed to pick 3 fossils and take them home.

The park itself is well planned and situated. It was 81 degrees that day in February, but I could imagine a sweltering summer day and the need to escape the heat. The park has several covered exhibits to fit this need. Overall, Dinosaur World is a fun and leisurely destination, especially for travelers needing a break from the lines and crowds associated with larger theme parks.

Recommendation from Chanta C.

Weeki Wachee Mermaid Show

The mermaid show in the town of Weeki Wachee, Florida could be the last of its kind. For an entrance fee of $13, visitors sit in front of a large glass-fronted natural spring where half a dozen mermaids (and mermen) perform the story of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid underwater. They lip sync, dance, and act without weights and seemingly without needing to breathe. Occasional turtles, fish and manatees also make an appearance. It was very mesmerizing and made me want to desperately believe in mermaids. The Weekie Wachee Mermaid Show is a throwback to the old glory days of road trips. Just like other small road trip attractions though, it’s in danger of disappearing forever. Go see it before it does.

Recommended by Jill of Jack and Jill Travel. Find out more from Jill about the Weeki Wachee Mermaid Show.

Shelling in Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida is a perfect spot for family vacations and a place that kids love as much as Mom and Dad. Separated from the city of Ft. Myers by a palm tree-lined causeway, Sanibel is quiet and secluded, with paved bike paths running the length of the island. But the most fun on Sanibel is combing the white sandy beaches for amazing seashells – little gifts of the sea – that wash up everywhere. They’ll capture kids’ hearts and imaginations for days. Don’t forget to bring mesh bags for shells and goggles for diving in the crystal clear shallow water!

Recommended by Lori Sorrentino of Travlinmad. Find out more from Lori about shelling on Sanibel Island.

Sarasota Jungle Gardens

Nestled in the shade of over 100 different species of palm trees, the Sarasota Jungle Gardens provides a wonderful opportunity for families to learn about native Florida wildlife. A variety of different shows are hosted throughout the day, and visitors can hand feed a flock of friendly flamingos after walking the Jungle Trail, which is also home to a turtle pond and a petting zoo. Willing volunteers can also become a perch for one of their many resident birds or hold a young alligator. Families will also enjoy the large shaded play area for kids and an on site restaurant with a variety of snacks and cold treats for sale, perfect for a hot Florida day.

Recommended by Leslie Stranathan. Check out Leslie’s YouTube video about Sarasota Jungle Gardens.

Hollywood Beach Hike

During a recent last minute long weekend in Hollywood, Florida with my boys, my sister and my nephew, my sister and I longed for the excitement of the “Hollywood Broadwalk” about two miles north of our Hallendale Beach hotel. I was cautiously optimistic when I proposed a “beach hike” to Hollywood to our crew. We began our journey alongside the ocean, and soon I was carrying everybody’s sandals and water bottles. Though we guessed it would take forty minutes, we enjoyed letting the kids set the pace, playing catch with the ocean waves and a found coconut, destroying abandoned sandcastles, and appropriating cast-off water guns. They watched couples canoodle in the water and prospectors explore with metal detectors.

Before we knew it, the Broadwalk, a 2.5 mile broad pedestrian way, with its array of iffy restaurants, bike rental shops and even a farmers’ market appeared before us, and we brushed the sand off of our toes. It was time for fish and chips. We chose Bonny & Read’s based primarily on its large sunny deck – a spot where we could order our food and enjoy a drink while the kids played on the beach playground-directly in our line of sight, while the sun set.

I confess that while they enjoyed setting off as the sun set on the beach, my kids weren’t up for the roundtrip, but even in a Lyft, felt proud of themselves for the mileage they covered… as they negotiated the next ice cream stop.

Recommended by Suzann Moskowitz.

Drum Circle Sunset on Nokomis Beach

The Nokomis Beach drum circle is a unique experience for the whole family. It’s held each Wednesday and Saturday evening year-round on Nokomis Beach beginning two hours before sunset. We needed to arrive early to find a spot for our blanket and chairs near the front of the large crowd that eventually surrounded the circle.

Our children loved playing with juggling sticks, drums, hula-hoops and dancing with people of all ages inside the drum circle as the sun began to set. A drum circle on Nokomis Beach is definitely a unique experience in Florida.

Recommended by Jill Greising-Murschel of Let’s Travel Family.

Florida Everglades

Take a one-hour airboat tour of the Florida Everglades to get up close and personal with alligators in the Everglades swamps of South Florida. Kids of all ages will enjoy the thrill of gliding past marsh grasses as an expert guide educates them about the wildlife. Be sure to keep the little ones on the inside seats of the boat, because these alligators are real! After the airboat ride, the team from Animal Planet’s “Gator Boys” will present a 20-minute show with the alligators as part of the Everglades Holiday Park of Fort Lauderdale!

Recommended by Cindy Loe of One Perfect Day In Travel. Find out more from Cindy about the Florida Everglades.

Glass Bottom Boat Tour

Ever wondered what life would be like as a marine animal? We experienced it up close in Key Largo during the Glass Bottom Boat Tour from John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, America’s first underwater park. Apart from Hawaii in the USA, the largest living coral reef is spread across the coast of Florida. The 2½ hour boat tours traverses through the vast mangrove plantations then deep into the ocean for a glimpse into the underwater world. We all huddled around the glass and were charmed to see the beautiful fish, the coral reef, and the diverse aquatic ecosystem. It was a sight to see the excitement on kids’ face. It’s the best way for kids and non-divers to espy this underwater world.

Pro Tip – Travelers who suffer seasickness should avoid or take medication before the tour.

Recommended by Neha Kulshrestha. Check out Neha’s recent post on South Florida.

Key Biscayne

Key Biscayne, a barrier island just a few minutes east of Miami, is a great place to visit for a few hours, a day or even stay for a week. The Key has much to offer kids and adults of all ages: a public beach, a State park, biking, canoeing, food, golfing, kayaking, kiteboarding, paddleboarding, sailing, shopping, skateboarding, snorkeling, tennis, wakeboarding, walking and windsurfing.

At the southern end of Key Biscayne is Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, home to a historic lighthouse built in 1825. Guided tours of the lighthouse and lighthouse keeper’s cottage are given year round. The park has 2 restaurants, picnic areas, a mile long beach, nature trails and a playground. A reef located six miles off shore also protects this beach from heavy surf.

Recommended by Tracy McKenna.

Crandon Park Beach

More than just a beautiful beach, Crandon Park Beach on Key Biscayne has a great nature center and an amusement center. At the nature center be sure to check out the touch tank as well as other displays throughout the center. Self-guided nature walks allow visitors to explore the mangroves, sand dunes and seagrass beds. There are opportunities to see a heron or osprey, maybe even come across a sea star, puffer fish or sea turtle. The beach is protected by an offshore sand bar which prevents crashing waves, perfect for young children.

Recommended by Tracy McKenna.

We can’t wait to try out some of these Florida hidden gems during our next winter or spring break trip. Be sure to check out our entire category of blog posts on things to do and places to visit in Florida including Florida cities to explore with kids.

March 23, 2018
Philadelphia With Kids: A Long Weekend Getaway!

Guest Blogger: Karen loves to travel the world with Piper, her seven year old daughter. They have a shared passion for finding the very best family friendly days out, places to stay, and things to eat. You can find a journal of their adventures on their website, Are We There Yet Kids.

Historic, charming and, some might say, the birthplace of the United States, the beautiful city of Philadelphia is packed full of child friendly things to see and do. My daughter and I visited Philadelphia last summer and totally fell in love with the city. Although we only had three days to explore, we managed to cram plenty in, leaving us exhausted by the end of our long weekend. Here are our top tips on where to go, eat, and stay!

THINGS TO DO

#1: Please Touch Museum

When planning our adventure, I knew I had to include the Please Touch Museum on our list of things to do because I had heard so many great things about this child friendly museum. As the name suggests, this museum is dedicated to teaching children through play, and the museum totally follows through on this promise. There is so much to see and do that you can easily spend a full day here. We only had a morning to devote to this museum, but we managed to visit most of the exhibits, even if I did find myself hurrying Piper along a few times.

Being big fans of the book, we loved the Alice in Wonderland themed Wonderland area, where you can have tea with the Mad Hatter, get lost in the hedge maze, and even paint some roses red. Piper’s favorite part of the visit was the Woodside Park Dentzel carousel, which was an additional $3 on top of admission, but well worth the charge.

Other hits include the River Adventures water area, where kids can learn all about water flow, City Capers, where children can really indulge their imaginations and try out various grown up jobs in venues such as a hospital, restaurant, and shopping center, and Roadside Attractions, which gives children the opportunity to explore a real car, pretend to be mechanics, and drive a trolley.

Please Touch Museum is geared towards younger children and preschoolers, but Piper is seven and still loved the exhibits. Some of the exhibits are starting to show a little wear and tear, but the kids don’t seem to mind, so it did not diminish our enjoyment.

#2: The Rocky Steps and Statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

This is good fun to visit even if your kids haven’t seen the movies, and it makes for a fabulous photo opportunity. The famous Rocky Statue and Rocky Steps aren’t too much a challenge to run up, even in the heat of summer, and if you have time to visit the Museum of Art while you’re there, even better!

#3: Sister Cities Park

We loved Sister Cities Park, a cute little park located just a few minutes from our hotel. When we visited, the famous “LOVE” sculpture was closed for maintenance, but we found the replacement “AMOR” sculpture here. Make sure you get a quick photo with the sign and take a breather in this park, which has a lovely little café, a children’s discovery garden, and a 10 geyser splash fountain in the summer, perfect for cooling down after a hot day of exploring.

#4: The Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute was built to honor one of America’s most famous scientists, Benjamin Franklin. The Institute is one of the oldest and best centers for science education and development in the United States and it is my absolute favorite place to visit in Philly. It’s a hands on and totally interactive science museum with plenty to learn for both kids and grown-ups.

The Franklin Institute is home to the famous heart exhibit, where kids can explore the workings of a heart by walking through it, following the journey a blood cell would take. But the fun doesn’t end there – the newest exhibit, dedicated to the workings of the human brain, includes an 18 foot tall climbing structure called the neural climb, which kids can safely climb all the way to the top. Active kids will love the Sportszone, where they can test their reactions against the ping-pong wall, perfect their baseball throw, see how far they can jump from a running or standing start, and race virtual athletes along a 40 foot track.

There is also the Franklin Air Show, which introduces visitors to the history and technology of flight, Sir Isaac’s Loft, which brings Newton’s theories to life, and Changing Earth, which is guaranteed to get little brains thinking about the impact we all have on this planet.

Although some exhibits dedicated to the physiology of the human body are a bit gory, my seven year old loved it all. If your child is sensitive, I suggest checking ahead and perhaps bypassing some more graphic areas.

#5: The Liberty Bell

No visit to Philadelphia is complete without taking a trip to see the iconic liberty bell. It’s a great opportunity to teach kids a little American history, but it is best to visit out of season or later in the day to avoid the lines. We arrived at around 4pm on a hot July day and had to wait around 30 minutes to get through security. We then struggled to get a clear picture with the bell itself. Once inside the exhibit, you walk through a small section of informational exhibits, which are all interesting, but probably won’t hold the attention of little ones for too long. The bell itself is located at the end of the exhibit, in front of a huge glass wall overlooking Independence Hall and the bell tower where the bell was originally housed. The exhibit is free (managed by the National Park Service), and timed tickets are not required.

#6: Independence Hall

Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was conceived, drafted, and signed, is also managed by the National Park Service and although free to visit, you will need a timed ticket. These can be found at the Visitor Center desk on the day you want to visit, but please be sure to plan ahead as your desired time slot may be unavailable during busy tourist season. Tours last between 30 to 40 minutes and you can view original printed versions of the Constitution, Articles of Confederation, and the Declaration of Independence. All the rangers were extremely knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions, from the simple to the complex. This was yet another great opportunity to get a little bit of American history and learn about the founding fathers.

Pro Tip: I highly recommend using the Phlash Bus to navigate around the city. It runs every five minutes to most places mentioned above and is just $5 for a full day pass. Make sure you have cash to purchase your pass on the bus as it will save you the $1.50 online fee.

WHAT TO EAT

It goes without saying that when in Philly, you must eat a Philly cheesesteak. A Philly cheesesteak is a soft (or sometime crusty) bread roll stuffed with shredded beef and stringy cheese. I wasn’t a massive fan, to be honest, but as you know, when in Philly…

You can find a Philly cheesesteak almost anywhere, but the two arguably most famous locations are Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks, conveniently located across the street from one another, so if you plan your visit, it’s possible to sample both in one meal!

If you have the time, I highly recommend visiting Reading Terminal Market, one of America’s oldest and largest public markets. Inside you fill find a huge food court full of gorgeous treats and places to dine and you are almost certainly guaranteed to find something that will please everyone in the family. The Market does get quite busy, so be sure to keep the little ones close so they don’t get overwhelmed.

WHERE TO STAY

We chose to spend our weekend at the lovely Windsor Suites in Downtown Philadelphia, conveniently located within walking distance to most of Philadelphia’s main attractions, with plenty of restaurants and grocery stores nearby as well. Happily, the hotel was located away from the bulk of the downtown Philadelphia nightlife, so it was a peaceful place to be with kids.

After a recent cramped stay in Boston, we were absolutely blown away by the apartment style rooms. We had a small but perfectly outfitted kitchen, heaps of storage space, and a large cozy bed. The hotel has a rooftop pool, which is open in the summer months, a laundry room, and some of the friendliest staff members we have encountered.

The hotel offers an onsite pub/restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although we did dine at the restaurant and experience the friendly atmosphere and tasty food, we elected to eat in our room most of the time, in order to take full advantage of the superbly equipped kitchen.

Karen and her daughter’s action packed stay in Philadelphia has us thinking we need to plan a trip sooner rather than later. What are your favorite places to visit in the City of Brotherly Love?

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January 21, 2018
Cleveland With Kids: Five Fun Family Activities
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 enormous

Serious 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 dollhouse

My 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 visit

She 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 fish

Clown 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.

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January 17, 2018
Breckenridge With Kids: Five Fun Family Winter Activities

Guest Blogger: Leslie Stranathan is an educator from Windsor, Colorado. After teaching public school for 10 years, she began homeschooling her two children and has written an activity guide for families interested in exploring and learning about Colorado. Leslie’s family recently began a traveling adventure and they are on a mission to explore all 50 states in their RV. You can find them on YouTube and Instagram.

Nestled in the mountains at 9,600 feet is Breckenridge, a small town with big charm. With beautiful ski slopes covered with snow, a quaint main street draped in holiday lights, and plenty of spots to stay warm, Breckenridge is the perfect winter destination for families. Located just an hour and a half west of Denver, Breckenridge is easily accessible to locals and those traveling to Colorado from out of town. Our extended family has met up in mountains for a week every winter after Thanksgiving for many years. My husband and I have skied for over 20 years and enjoy all of the amazing ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains, but this year was the first time my kids got on skis!

Here are five fun family activities for all ages to enjoy in Breckenridge!

#1: Explore the Mountains!

My family, exploring the mountains by snow shoe!

Even if you’ve never stepped on snow, the experts here can teach anyone, of any age, to get down the hill safely. Lessons are available daily, with options for private or group instruction at the Ski and Snowboard School. For kids, the Kids’ Castles provides ski rentals, drop off care, meals and fun activities to make the experience that much more special. My kids (aged 5 & 9) loved meeting new friends and learning to ski with other children their age. By the end of the first day, they could control their turns and stop using their “pizza” wedge. Most importantly, they were excited to come back the next day. The EPIC SchoolKids Pass provides up to 4 days of lift tickets in Breckenridge and includes one full day of lessons with ski or snowboard rental all for free if your child is in Kindergarten – 5^th grade (not limited to Colorado residents).

#2: Ride the Gondola

source

Breckenridge is known for its excellent transit system. Free shuttle buses get you almost anywhere you’d like to go and are accessible from most lodging locations. The Breckenridge transit center acts as a hub for the shuttle system and is also home to the BreckConnect Gondola. This completely free 10-minute ride will whisk you from the town of Breckenridge to the bases of Peaks 7 and 8. At the top you can enjoy watching the skiers on the slopes, warm up with hot chocolate, or enjoy lunch in the lodge. On the days we skied, we took the shuttle from the door of our condo to the gondola, which carried us right up the mountain, all while in our ski gear. It was the perfect way to travel. The ride and beautiful views make this a fun activity for any age.

#3: Play at the Children’s Museum

Kids aged 0-10 will be entertained for hours with all there is to explore at the Mountain Top Children’s Museum. Located in the heart of downtown, the exhibits include a Wonder Lab, Creation Station, Kidstruction Zone, Tot area, Medical Center, and a Rocky Mountain wildlife section. The museum is packed with hands on toys and games, and encourages imaginative play. Several evenings a week parents can choose to drop off their children and enjoy a night out on the town while the kids are supervised and entertained by the incredible staff at the museum.

#4: Savor a Crepe!

Breckenridge is home to so many amazing restaurants! Family friendly and full of character, your biggest dilemma will be trying to choose just one place to eat each evening. There is one spot you can’t miss though. Crepes A La Cart has two locations in town. The main street food truck stand nearly always has a line – and it is well worth the wait. Crepes A La Cart has a huge menu of both sweet and savory options that will satisfy everyone in your family. It is always fun to watch the friendly staff members cook delicious fresh crepes while you wait. Ask ahead, and they’ll cut your crepe so it’s easier for hungry kids to share.

#5: Glide on the Ice

There are a few winter activities that always pop into my mind when I picture a mountain vacation. Ice skating is always at the top of the list. Fun for all ages and great exercise, the indoor and outdoor public ice arenas at the Stephen C. West Ice Arena are easily accessible from town. The facility has a variety of skates available to rent, and provides helmets free of charge. There are also support slides in both child and adult sizes for those that aren’t comfortable yet on the ice to use to stay upright. If skating isn’t for you, try hockey, curling or broomball!

We hope you enjoyed Leslie’s list of Five Fun Family Activities in Breckenridge!

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December 10, 2017