The Ultimate List of Family Friendly Things to Do Around Cleveland

Are you thinking of visiting Ohio soon? Maybe you thought Cleveland was still “the mistake by the lake” and would never think of it as a destination spot.

Let me convince you otherwise!

We’ve compiled a list of our FAVORITE family-friendly things to do in and around the Cleveland area. We hope you get to enjoy these experiences and activities together as a family in the land that we love!

(In no particular order, in case you were wondering…)

Greater Cleveland Aquarium

I cannot believe we had never visited this GEM before! Located in the historic FirstEngery Powerhouse, it may not seem so like a place for an aquarium at all. The inside is so thoughtfully designed and well laid out, conserving so many unique architectural and industrial features.

Each space within the Aquarium is themed- you’ll find creatures from local rivers and lakes,  all the way to Asia and tropical forests! Perhaps the most impressive feature is the 175 ft “Sea Tube”, an underwater tunnel that lets guests get a unique perspective of sharks and other sealife. It’s also really cool to walk through and get fun pictures! Public shark feeding demonstrations happen on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 3:30pm. We went on a weekday and the crowds were minimal!

Another awesome experience at the Aquarium is the sting-ray feeding! Feedings happen every day at 3pm, and tickets are only $2 at the front ticket counter. You’re given a cup of shrimp and staff give instructions on how to safely and correctly feed the stingrays. Even the kiddos were able to do it! However, you are still welcome to touch the sting-rays even if you don’t participate in the feeding.

On the second level, be sure to visit the Imagiquarium…a space for little ones to let their imaginations run wild and play. They can prepare “fish food”, observe shells and starfish under a microscope, pretend to be scuba divers and create their own larger than life aquarium. Our kids loved playing here, especially because they had the place to themselves!

Tickets to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium are $19.95 for ages 13+, $13.95 for ages 2-12, and those under 2 and over 100 are free! It’s open every day from 10am-5pm. You can book your tickets online at: http://greaterclevelandaquarium.com/

Nautica Queen

The Nautica Queen is the ideal afternoon or evening out on a nice summer day. We set sail one afternoon at the end of May, and the weather was PERFECT. The cruise is only 2.5 hours long and includes a buffet lunch or dinner (or brunch on Sundays), musical entertainment, as well as amazing views of the Cleveland skyline.

Our server greeted us and showed us to our table as we boarded the ship. We were given some emergency safety instructions and then departed down the Cleveland waterways! The buffet lunch included salad bar, and main course of chicken, fish or ham with side options of mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, and rice. The mashed potatoes were so good! Dessert was a slice of carrot cake, which Lily devoured!

We spent a lot of time on the upper deck taking in the beautiful views of the Cleveland skyline and the water. We also had a BLAST dancing together on the dance floor! Our kids even taught our server how to dance to “Baby Shark”.

Why is this the perfect family outing? Kids love boats and dancing, food is included AND you get spectacular views of Cleveland all in one.

Tickets vary in price depending on what time of day you go and age, visit their website for more details! The Nautica Queen highly suggests booking in advance through their website: https://www.nauticaqueen.com/

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Of all the zoo’s I’ve visited around the country, I really do love this zoo the most. There is so much to do and see here!

The Rainforest is a separate building from the zoo entrance. We love the Rainforest because it’s INDOORS, and this can be a great thing with less-than-pleasant weather. Some of our favorites at the Rainforest are the Orangutan, monkey, sloth and bat exhibits, as well as the area where you can see a tropical thunderstorm roll through over the porcupines.

In the zoo itself, make sure to visit the impressive elephant exhibit! Kids will love learning about different elephant facts and can even watch the “Elephant Crossing” where elephants cross over from one area to the other. Our next favorite spot to visit is the Australian Adventure, you won’t believe how close you can get to see kangaroos and wallabies! They even have a small petting zoo where kids can pet goats, cows, and sheep! 

Be sure to visit the giraffes, the zoo has opportunities to feed them! You can buy romaine lettuce leaves for $5. Our kids LOVE this!

Another wonderful little area is the outdoor Nature Discovery Ridge, located right next to the carousel. This area lets kids explore with water play, pretend kitchen, wood tee-pees and more! There are also big covered pavilions with picnic tables, perfect for a lunch spot!

Zoo admission is $16.95 for adults, $12.95 for children ages 2-11. You can save $2 by buying tickets online: https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo

Cleveland Children’s Museum

If you’ve ever visited a Children’s Museum, you know how special these places are. The Cleveland Children’s Museum is fairly new, and it is a WONDERFUL place for families to have a fun day together. The building itself is a restored mansion and is SO CUTE inside.

There are different themed areas for kids to let their imaginations run wild. The Wonder Lab is a room where children can explore through water play, make scarves fly through the air and have fun with foam pool noodles! This is our favorite room!

Adventure City is a room with a huge indoor play structure, perfect for climbing and exploring. Our kids love playing in the marketplace. There’s also a reading area tucked into a quiet side room, with tons of books and cute reading nooks! 

My personal favorite is the theater room, where children can dress up and put on a show for the audience (…us parents happily sitting down for once!) Kids can also explore with tech, controlling the lights and sound for the room. Right next to the theater room is a space for children to play with shadows!

The Cleveland Children’s Museum is open everyday except Thursday, and admission is $12 per person (children under 1 are free). Be sure to pack a lunch or picnic blanket…if it’s nice outside in the summer there is usually a food truck on site and there is plenty of grassy areas outside to eat! 

Memphis Kiddie Park

This is a pint-size amusement park for little kids. Children can enjoy a merry-go-round, train ride, small rollercoaster, race track, and more at Memphis Kiddie Park. There’s a concession stand that sells typical carnival food and treats that kids will enjoy, and it’s fairly inexpensive! There’s also a miniature golf course. It’s a really fun place to go with younger kids!

Admission is free! You only play for ride tickets! You can purchase varying quantities of tickets. Single tickets are $2.50, or you can purchase a book of 25 tickets for $36.50. Each ride only takes one ticket, and tickets never expire! How cool is that?!

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Did you know that Cleveland holds a National Park at its doorstep? What a treasure! We often go to Cuyahoga Valley National Park to get into nature and explore. There are over 125 trails to hike! A popular activity is to rent bicycles and bike along the easy Towpath Trail, although we usually just walk! Along the way you may find deer, turtles, snakes and many different kinds of birds. There’s even an option to take the train back to your starting point along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Information on tickets and schedules can be found online at https://www.cvsr.org/bike-aboard/

I happen to be a sucker for waterfalls so I made sure to check out Blue Hen Falls. It’s a very easy, short hike with a beautiful waterfall a the end. It’s particularly amazing during peak fall foliage.

Entrance to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is free!

Lake Erie

Okay, okay… so our beaches may not be comparable to Florida, but our kids don’t really care. Give a kid some sand toys and but them on a beach near water, and they can play happily for hours! We personally love Huntington Beach in Bay Village, but also Edgewater Beach in Cleveland is fun too! Like I said, our kids don’t really care as long as there is sand and water. 

Rocky River Beach is a small park that has a cute playground and picnic areas, as well as a small beach- perfect for skipping rocks into the water.

Westside Market

This is a FUN experience for the whole family, and be sure to come hungry! The Westside Market is Cleveland’s oldest public market and hosts 100 vendors offering meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, dairy, flowers, ready-to-eat foods, spices and nuts! Not only is the market visually delightful, but the goodies to devour are amazing! We visited on a Saturday morning and it wasn’t too crowded. We all tried a banana and Nutella crepe, macaroons, and apple fritters… now that’s a good breakfast!

There are also some fun wall murals around the market area! Makes for vibrant backgrounds if you can get your kids to cooperate for a photo!

Cleveland Indians Baseball Game

We’re a family that has grown to love this good ole American sport! And if you assume that kids wouldn’t be too much fun at a baseball game, think again.

Progressive Field (or “The Jake” if you’re a forever Indians fan) holds the BEST kids area you can find! The Kids Clubhouse at Progressive field is perfect for little kiddos to have a great time at the game, especially if they need a break from sitting in a seat for a long time. The Clubhouse features a 2 story slide, tons of play kitchens and cars, activities like coloring, nursing rooms for mommas, super clean bathrooms, and PLENTY of comfy seating inside for parents to watch the game on tv. There’s outside seating as well with great views of the field.

The Family Deck has many more activities that older kids will enjoy. They can get some batting practice, see their pitching speeds, and be challenged to run as fast as they can at a simulated home plate to first base to compare how their speed stacks up against an Indians player of their choice. There are also photo opportunities with Slider, our favorite mascot!

On select days, there are Kids Fun Days at the park, where kids have a chance to run the bases after the game! We also love to attend Dollar Dog nights and night games with fireworks afterwards!

I can say with certainty that going to an Indian’s baseball game is our FAVORITE family activity to do in Cleveland! It really is a good time for all!

A short drive away….

Sandusky, Ohio is only an hour away from Cleveland. There are tons of things to do in this area that the whole family can enjoy.

African Safari Wildlife Park

It’s a drive-thru Safari park! At the entrance, you’ll buy a food package that includes a cup or two of grain and some veggies to feed the animals. You’ll roll down your windows and be able to experience feeding deer, alpacas and llamas, longhorns, bison and more!

It’s such a fun experience and the kids will get a big kick out of feeding the animals (while you’ll cringe at how dirty your car gets with animal drool!)

You can go through the Safari as many times as you want! And afterwards, check out the “walk-thru” safari they have on site. New this year, they have opportunities to feed kangaroos, tortoises, porcupines and bunnies!

Ticket prices vary by the season, but summer rates are $23.95 for ages 7+, and $15.95 for ages 3-6. Ages 2 and under are free. For more information, visit their website: https://www.africansafariwildlifepark.com

Cedar Point

The Roller Coaster Capital of the World! Well, that title may not get you thinking that Cedar Point is a great family adventure. There are height restrictions after all, and no one wants to feel left out. There are so many things to do at Cedar Point that younger kids will enjoy (and parents can sneak in a few thrilling rides too!)

Have you heard of Camp Snoopy? This area is designed for the younger kids: with tot-sized rides, bounce house, and entertainment from the Peanuts gang! There are even some mini-roller coasters that are perfect for “training” young kids for the larger rides in their future!

Did you know Cedar Point has a huge petting zoo?? The Barnyard has dozens of fun animals: from camels, cows, sheep, and alpacas to horses, pigs, tortoises, and goats! The whole family can get up close with these animals and even feed them. A cup of grain and some veggies is only $3! The Barnyard is located in Frontier Trail. In this area, there is also pony rides, gem mining, and candle making! 

If you’re visiting on a hot day, there is a splash pad to cool off, located near the front of the park!

Tickets to Cedar Point can be purchased online to save money, or at the gate. In addition to general daily admission tickets, there are several packages and add-ons you can choose from on their website: https://www.cedarpoint.com/

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And there you have it! There are certainly a lot more things to do than just these listed here. We hope you get to enjoy these activities just as much as we have!