Places to Go (Vacation) - Cleveland, Part II - Great Lakes Science Center

While vacationing in Cleveland we checked out the Great Lakes Science Center (located next door to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). We have a family membership at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore and reciprocity agreements allow us to visit affiliated museums for free (we always visit Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Center on road trips headed west). So we've toured quite a few science museums and Great Lakes was among the best.

We all loved their temporary goosebumps exhibit, which dares you to face fears such as rats, loud noises, and falling (yup, that's my falling face above, I won't be trying that again). The museum's space/flying exhibit was impressively interactive - T flew a plane over and over again until a line formed and I had to DRAG him kicking and screaming out of the cockpit (interactive isn't always good), while F and grandma attempted to create a block tower bigger than all of the older kids' towers (they won!). Upstairs, a wonderful playroom for young kids (bring socks) sits next to a plethora of experiments involving light, sound, and everything else (we spent hours up there). In the summer you can tour a boat, but in spring we settled for a beautiful (though windy) walk on the waterfront. And to make the trip extra-special a high school orchestra performed in the atrium. F seemed amazed that kids could really "sound that good."

Regarding other adventures in Cleveland, we made it to Holden Arboretum, which was gorgeous and huge, tons of beautiful lakes and flowers everywhere, plus a kids' area with "stick houses" and teepees" (click here for some pics), but there's so much more that we wanted to see and couldn't fit in:

INDOOR PLACES
*The Children's Museum of Cleveland
*Cleveland Museum of Natural History (with a discovery center for kids)
*Greater Cleveland Aquarium
*Rock And Roll Hall of Fame (probably best for older kids)
*The Cleveland Museum of Art AND Contemporary Art museum

OUTDOOR PLACES
*Botanical Gardens
*Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
*Crown Point Ecology Center
*Lake Metroparks Farm Park
*Memphis Kiddie Park

So hopefully we'll be back one of these days. As Cleveland might be the most underrated tourist destination of all time.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND EVERYONE!!! I'm flying to Denver (sans kids) to visit some friends. And I can't wait for my weekend away!!