Cleveland: Fun Cleveland Area Attractions For Families

by Tesa Nicolanti on March 24th, 2017 | 1 Comment »

From downtown Cleveland to the shores of Lake Erie, from amusement parks to islands, the Cleveland area offers fun for every member of the family. I've compiled a list of my favorite area attractions for families.

Cedar Point Amusement Park

Cedar Point was recently rated The Best Amusement Park in the World for the 14th consecutive year and it's within an hour drive of Cleveland. In 2013, Cedar Point will be unveiling the Gate Keeper, the world's longest winged coaster. While this ride, along with Top Thrill Dragster, Millennium Force and more, are perfect for the thrill seekers in the family, Cedar Point offers plenty for the younger set as well. With four children's areas throughout the park, rides like bumper cars, Tilt-a-Whirl, and mini-coasters are sure to delight the young at heart. We've spent entire days in the children's areas and have enjoyed every minute of it. It's a quieter, low-key version of the park full of smiles, laughs, and shorter lines.

Lake Erie Shores & Islands

Hop on board the Miller Ferry for a trip to Put-in-Bay where you can visit the Crystal Cave, be surrounded by butterflies at The Butterfly House, play mini-golf, pan for gemstones, ride the Tour Train, visit the Perry's Peace Memorial, and more. Take the Jet Express over to Kelleys Island and rent a golf cart or bicycles, visit the Glacial Grooves, have a picnic at the State Park, and enjoy the slower pace of the island life. We have enjoyed many trips to the Lake Erie Shores & Islands and always find something new and different to do every time we are there.

Great Lakes Science Center

Fun and learning make for a fantastic mix at the Great Lakes Science Center. With over 340 interactive exhibits, a six story Omnimax theater, and themed traveling exhibits, a day at the Science Center is a day well spent. My children love the Polymer Funhouse, perfect for those seven and under, where they can bounce in a ball pit, play with a variety of polymers, and experiment with water in the outdoor play area, Port Polymer.

The Cleveland Botanical Garden

The Cleveland Botanical Garden not only offers many picturesque flower gardens but one of our favorite features is the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glass House where you can see the spiny dessert of Madagascar and its amphibians, as well as butterflies in the rainforests of Costa Rica. We love standing among the rush of the waterfall, while the butterflies float by, stopping to land on us briefly before they flutter off again. The Hershey's Children's Garden is remarkable, as well, with a fantastic wheelchair accessible tree house, cave, sensory filled herb gardens, and maze. It's a place where my children could stay all day and play.

Whether you live in Cleveland or are just visiting, these attractions and activities are sure to provide lots of fun, fantastic photos, and lifelong memories of time well spent together.

Have you been to Cleveland? What are you favorite things to do there as a family?

Tésa (pronounced Taysa) is a work-at-home mom who enjoys blogging at 2 Wired 2 Tired and 2 Wired 2 Tired Travels while raising her family in Cleveland, Ohio. She met her husband Dave at John Carroll University where she earned her B.A. in English and she's been in Cleveland ever since.

With a 6-year-old-daughter and 5-year-old son, the kids are always wired, leaving Tésa and Dave always tired. Something adorable, hysterical, and even exasperating happens in their house every day. In between naps, Tésa enjoys writing about family life, food, tech, and travel. Now that the kids are in school you can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.