Cleveland has plenty of attractions and places to take your kid to. With summer coming up, many people will want to take day trips or mini-vacations with their family. Here are some place in Cleveland that the kids will love.
Children’s Museum of Cleveland.
Located in University Circle
10730 Euclid Avenue
(216) 791-KIDS
www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org
The Children’s Museum offers creative and educational exhibits for children around 10 and younger. Kids can learn about the weather, electricity and the water cycle. Almost all the exhibits are interactive, were your child can actually see how things work. They have areas for infants and pre-schoolers also, so that they can also join in on the fun. The hours are Tues-Sat 10:00am – 5:00pm, Sunday noon-5:00pm. Closed on Christmas and New Years. The general admission is $6.00 for anyone over the age of 1.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Rainforest
3900 Wildlife Way ( Fulton Rd exit off I-71)
Cleveland
(216) 661-6500
www.clemetzoo.com
The Metroparks zoo contains a vast array of animals form different continents. The rainforest has several different plants and animals from the rainforest of Asia and South America. The zoo is also free on Mondays to anyone who resides in Cuyahoga County. The regular admission is $9.00 for adults and $4.00 for children. There is free parking onsite. They have plenty of concession stands and a picnic benches in case you want to bring your own food. They only time they are closed are on Christmas and New Year’s Day. The zoo stays open in the winter and many times has specials going on in the winter time to attract visitors.
Great Lakes Science Center
601 Erieside Ave (E9th and I-90)
Downtown Cleveland
(216) 694-2000
www.glsc.org
Great Lakes Science Center contains over 400 interactive exhibits, such as testing your batting skills, piloting a blimp, and making a tornado. They have a science playground museum that focuses on the Great Lakes region and its environment. The center is also home to the OmniMax Theater.
Admission to the center is anywhere from $7.00-$9.00 and memberships are available. OmniMax Theater tickets are additional $7.00-$9.00. The hours are 9:30am-5:30pm daily and only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Malley’s Chocolates
13400 Brookpark Rd (off I-480)
Cleveland
(216) 362-8700
www.malleys.com
Malley’s Chocolates offers tours on the story of chocolate were you can learn fun facts about chocolate and watch the workers make various chocolate treats. You will get samples of the goodies and also get a candy bar to take home. Make time also to shop in the factory store. The tours run Mon-Fr. 10:00am-3:00pm by appointment only. Admission for the tours are $3.00 for ages 3 and up.
NASA Glenn Research Visitor Center
21000 Brookpark Rd (I-480, right next to Cleveland Hopkins Airport)
Cleveland
(216)433-2000
www.grc.nasa.gov
The interactive exhibit contains space shuttles, satellites, a zero gravity chamber and wind tunnels. They also have memorabilia from different space missions. Also, they have a room where you can watch live shuttle broadcasts. The admission to the center is free. The hours are weekdays 9am-4pm and Saturdays 10am-3pm and Sundays 1-5pm. Tours are also offered but need to call ahead for details.
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area
(Independence to Peninsula)
(330) 657-2000
www.cvsr.com
You can ride in a climate controlled coach that was built between 1939 and 1940 on a scenic railroad ride from anywhere from 2-6 hours. Ride through meadowlands, marshes, rivers, ravines and the woods. Narration of the views and the history is provided along the trip. Your child will love riding on the train and also can receive an engineer’s hat for their first ride on the train. Admission is anywhere from $13-$20 for adults and $8-$12 for kids. Reservations are highly recommended to get tickets. Visit the website for more information the exact trips that are provided.
