With a seemingly infinite supply of frosty days from October to May, Cleveland can make even the most fun-loving family feel like hibernating the winter away. Don’t spend another day in front of the TV! Preheat your car and load up your crew for an indoor activity that will boost morale and burn off steam.
There are places to play at every price point, so you can have a roster of ideas at the ready for your babysitter or nanny, or take an impromptu family outing whenever the mood or opportunity strikes!
After a two-year renovation, the Children’s Museum of Cleveland reopened in November 2017 in the Stager-Beckwith mansion — one of the city’s few remaining historic Millionaire’s Row homes. Among the hands-on exhibits are a science laboratory, multi-story Adventure City, Making Miniatures dollhouse collection, and the Arts & Parts creative studio. The interactive experience features special accommodations, programming, and spaces designed for visitors on the Autism spectrum and with sensory challenges. An eating area has vending machines selling snacks and beverages, and guests are encouraged to pack a picnic or arrange food delivery to enjoy onsite.
Address: 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44106 Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. | Sunday, noon – 5 p.m. Phone: 216-721-1600 Admission: Adults, $12 | Children (3-12), $8 | Museum Members & Infants (ages 2 & under), free | Families who receive SNAP benefits, $1 per person w/ EBT card
Nothing alleviates the agony of winter weather like a trip to the tropics. If you can’t board a plane, a jaunt to the rainforests of Costa Rica and the spiny desert of Madagascar by way of the Cleveland Botanical Garden can at least simulate summertime for a couple of hours. Inside the balmy Glasshouse, you can mingle with 350 species of exotic plants and 50 different types of amphibians, birds, butterflies, and reptiles. If you’re lucky, you’ll arrive in time for the daily chameleon feedings and butterfly release. Extend your experience by planning your visit around one of the free drop-in and fee-based family and children’s programs.
Euclid Beach Park in the Collinwood neighborhood was like Coney Island for Clevelanders from 1895 until it closed in 1969. Today, families can experience a little of the shuttered amusement park’s magic on its restored Grand Carousel, relocated inside the Cleveland History Center. A pair of rides is included with each Cleveland History Center admission. Among the fixed exhibits is the sprawling Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum where vintage planes and classic cars abound. Preschoolers can peruse In the Backyard of History, a hands-on exhibit with antique toys, historic costumes, a buildable Cleveland skyline, and miniature West Side Market. The Time and Place Space, geared toward kids ages 6 to 9, is an engaging exploration of the evolution of our clothing, cooking, and travel.
Prehistoric fossils, live animals, and a planetarium, oh my! With all of the excitement at the ground-floor level, it’s easy to miss the Smead Discovery Center — a hands-on learning center located in the basement of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The all-inclusive, intergenerational space was designed for visitors of every age and ability to enjoy together. Tots can explore by using all of their senses, while older siblings engage in simultaneous play with crafts and themed bins filled with educational activities. Sensory-friendly kits are available for kids with special needs.
You can explore the naturescape and wildlife of the 33,000-acre Cuyahoga Valley National Park from the comfort of a train coach on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Download the CVSR Train Tracker App for free on the Apple Store or Google Play to learn about the history of the railroad with an audio tour on your phone. Audio clips play at key points along your route, and you can follow the train and view its speed. Mark your calendars: Tickets for the sell-out Polar Express are available online in October, and it’s one of the most popular wintertime special events offered in addition to the regularly-scheduled train excursions. Trip tip: Get a bird’s eye view of the park with a premium upper dome ticket, available on National Park Scenic departures out of the Rockside and Akron Northside stations.
The eight galleries of the Greater Cleveland Aquarium feature more than 50 exhibits. Stroll through a 175-foot shark sea tube, board a mock research vessel in Exploration Station, and visit Discovery Zone to delve into the effects of pollution on our world’s waterways. As you tour the facility, you’ll have the opportunity to explore exotic species specific to Africa, Australia, the Indo-Pacific, South America, and native aquatic life from our local lakes and rivers in Ohio. Check the daily activity schedule for hands-on encounters. Thinking of a date night out instead? You won’t want to miss the Adult Swim tasting events.
Each year, the Great Lakes Science Center plans hundreds of hands-on programs to get kids of all ages excited about science. For the younger set, early childhood workshops are complimentary with the cost of admission and give pre-kindergarten children access to age-appropriate engineering activities using Tinker Kits from Boston Children’s Museum. For an additional cost, take in a film or two in the six-story theater that’s home to the world’s first giant dome three-projector — a laser-illuminated projection system that depicts larger-than-life images to give you the impression you’re right inside the action.
It only takes one visit to a Cleveland Metroparks nature center to realize that these five facilities are among the area’s best-kept secrets for free, educational family fun. Each location offers a unique aesthetic and enriching experiences, with plenty of naturalist-led activities planned throughout the week to deepen your child’s understanding of the season, our local habitat, and all of its inhabitants, big and small. Check out each center’s website for a video, virtual tour, and to explore upcoming events.
The RainForest is an indoor oasis of more than 600 animals and 10,000 tropical plants native to the jungles of Africa, the Americas, and Asia. With just a few frigid steps from your vehicle to the entrance, you’ll be enveloped in humid heat. The two-story structure promises at least an hour of amusement when taken at a brisk pace, but can be extended to a few if you meander through the exhibits, engage with the interactive displays, and enjoy lunch at the cafe inside.
Have an unexpected snow day? Give your kids a lesson at the school of rock. The six floors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame can occupy an entire day as you make your way through artifacts spanning the history of rock and the musical genres that influenced or were inspired by it. As you zig-zag through exhibits from the King of Rock ‘n Roll to the King of Pop, you’ll stumble upon a theater to watch induction ceremony highlights and a food court with menus created by a trio of award-winning Cleveland chefs: Fabio Salerno, Jonathon Sawyer, and Rocco Whalen.
Did we list all the best indoor wintertime activities for families in Cleveland? Let us know in the comments below!
