[ AMUSEMENT PARKS ]
Cedar Point 1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky, 419-627-2350, cedarpoint.com. The WindSeeker swing ride, added in 2011, joins a host of coasters that include the 310-foot-tall Millennium Force and 120-mph Top Thrill Dragster. Challenge Park and Soak City are next door, and Castaway Bay is nearby. Through Oct. 28 (times vary). $26.99-$51.99, 2 and under are free, parking is $12-$20 (call to confirm).
Great Wolf Lodge 4600 Milan Road, Sandusky, 419-609-6000, greatwolflodge.com. Features an outdoor pool and a 42,000-square-foot indoor entertainment area with a water park.
Kalahari Resort 7000 Kalahari Drive, Sandusky, 419-433-7200, kalahariresorts.com. America's largest indoor water park, this African-themed resort features the Zip Coaster, the stand-up-and-surf FlowRider and nearly 900 guest rooms.
Pioneer Waterland & Dry Fun Park 10661 Kile Road, Chardon, 440-285-0910, pioneerwaterland.com. Slides, paddle boats, activity pool, Kiddie Waterland, Tot-Land, mini golf, batting cages and more. Times vary. $14.95-$19.95, children under 40 inches tall are free. Parking $5.
Wildwater Kingdom 1100 Squires Road, Aurora, 330-562-8303, wildwaterfun.com. A 60-foot-tall, 253-foot-long funnel slide and 390,000-gallon tidal pool are some of this water park's highlights. Times vary. $15.22-$30.46. Parking $7.
[ ARTS ]
Blossom Music Center 1145 W Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 888-225-6776 or 800-686-1141, Cleveland Orchestra tickets 216-231-1111, Ticketmaster, 800-745-3000, livenation.com. The summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra and a tour stop for many national acts ranging from rock to jazz.
Cain Park 14591 Superior Road, Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3000 (park) or 216-291-5796 (office), cainpark.com. Performing arts center with outdoor theater and an art fair.
The Cleveland Play House1407 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 216-241-6000, clevelandplayhouse.com. Presents comedies, dramas and musicals. $10-$66.
Cleveland Public Theatre 6415 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, 216-631-2727, cptonline.org. The experimental and political performance venue presents theater, dance, music and performance art. $10-$25, $3 discounts for students & seniors.
Dobama Theatre 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, 216-932-3396, dobama.org. Showcases established and emerging playwrights. $5-$26.
Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica 2014 Sycamore St, Cleveland, 216-861-4080, livenation.com. Outdoor concert venue. See Crosby, Stills and Nash, Death Cab for Cutie and more. Prices and times vary.
Karamu House 2355 E 89th St, Cleveland, 216-795-7070, karamu.com. The nation's oldest multicultural arts institution presents dramas, musicals, comedies, new works and camps.
PlayhouseSquare 1501 Euclid Ave, Suite 200, Cleveland, 216-771-4444 or box office 216-771-8403, playhousesquare.com. PlayhouseSquare's theaters spotlight a variety of performances, including Opera Cleveland, DANCECleveland, Great Lakes Theater Festival, PlayhouseSquare's Broadway Series and more.
[ MUSEUMS ]
Akron Art Museum 1 S High St, Akron, 330-376-9185, akronartmuseum.org. Art from 1850 to the present. Wed & Fri-Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thu 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Children's Museum of Cleveland 10730 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 216-791-5437, clevelandchildrensmuseum.org. Hands-on discovery and learning center. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $7, under 11 months free.
The Cleveland Museum of Art 11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, 216-421-7340, clevelandart.org. Renovations continue; 40-plus galleries are open. Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed & Fri 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, 216-231-4600, cmnh.org. Ohio's largest and oldest natural history museum. Stop by this summer and check out Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids, open through Aug. 12. The Nature's Numbers and Forest Journey exhibits are featured as well, from June 16 to Sept. 16. Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun noon-5 p.m. $7-$10, kids 2 and under are free, Wednesday evenings $6.
Great Lakes Science Center 601 Erieside Ave, Cleveland, 216-694-2000, glsc.org. The center features hundreds of interactive exhibits and an Omnimax theater. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit website for pricing, children under 2 & members are free.
Hale Farm & Village 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath, 877-425-3327, wrhs.org. Outdoor history museum where visitors experience mid-19th-century life. Kids under 3 & members are free.
Lake View Cemetery 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 216-421-2665, lakeviewcemetery.com. Historic garden cemetery. Gates open daily 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland 8501 Carnegie Ave, Cleveland, 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org. Regional to international contemporary art. Tue & Thu-Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed 11 a.m.-8 p.m. $3-$4, kids ages 12 and under free.
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2121 George Halas Drive NW, Canton, 330-456-8207, profootballhof.com. Celebrates the heroes and moments of professional football. Special events include Father's Day on June 9 and the NFL/Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 5. Daily 9 a.m.-8 p.m. $15-$21, children 5 & under free.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd, Cleveland, 216-781-7625, rockhall.com. The world's first museum dedicated to the heritage of rock 'n' roll. Special exhibit Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip will be featured until the end of this year. Daily 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Wed until 9 p.m. (Sat until 9 p.m. through Labor Day). $13-$22, kids 8 and under are free.
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens 714 N Portage Path, Akron, 330-836-5533, stanhywet.org. Tudor Revival mansion on 70 acres of gardens. Hall open Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (last admission time), grounds open Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Steamship William G. Mather Museum 601 Erieside Ave, Cleveland, 216-621-2400, wgmathernhlink.net. A floating museum created from a 618-foot-long ship that hauled iron ore and coal to steel plants for more than 60 years. June-Aug. open Tue-Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. open Sat & Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
USS Cod 1089 N Marginal Road, Cleveland, 216-566-8770, usscod.org. The submarine USS Cod sank more than a dozen Japanese ships during World War II. Peer into an open torpedo tube or sit in the captain's chair. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $4-$7, free for children under 6 & military personnel in uniform.
The Western Reserve Historical Society10825 East Blvd, Cleveland, 216-721-5722, wrhs.org. Exhibits examine Northeast Ohio's history. The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum contains antique and classic autos, motorcycles and aircrafts. Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., library open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu-Sat. $5-$8.50, ages 2 and under & members free, parking $5.
[ SPORTS ]
Akron Aeros (Class AA baseball) Canal Park, 300 S Main St, Akron, 330-253-5151 or 800-972-3767, akronaeros.com.
Cleveland Indians (Major League Baseball) Progressive Field, 2401 Ontario St, Cleveland, 216-420-4487, 866-488-7423 or Ticketmaster 216-241-8888, indians.com.
Lake County Captains (Class A baseball) Classic Park, 35300 Vine St, Eastlake, 440-954-9467, captainsbaseball.com.
Lake Erie Crushers (Frontier League baseball) 2009 Baseball Blvd, Avon, 440-934-3636, lakeeriecrushers.com.
Northfield Park 10705 Northfield Road, Northfield, 330-467-4101, northfieldpark.com. Year-round live harness racing plus simulcasts from throughout the country.
Thistledown Racetrack 21501 Emery Road, North Randall, 216-662-8600, thistledown.com. Open daily for simulcasting. Check website for dates and times.
[ ZOOS & NATURE CENTERS ]
African Safari Wildlife Park 267 Lightner Road, Port Clinton, 419-732-3606 or 800-521-2660, africansafariwildlifepark.com. The Midwest's only drive-through safari, home to more than 300 exotic animals. Camel and pony rides, educational animal shows and pig races. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $9.95-$18.95 (rates vary with season), kids 3 and under free.
Akron Zoo 500 Edgewood Ave, Akron, 330-375-2550, akronzoo.com. Home to more than 700 animals, including Sumatran tigers, African lions, red pandas, otters and a Komodo dragon. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May-Oct., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $7-$10, kids under 2 free.
Cleveland Botanical Garden 11030 East Blvd, Cleveland, 216-721-1600, cbgarden.org. Ten acres of gardens and an 18,000-square-foot conservatory. Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun noon-
5 p.m., Wed 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (through Labor Day only). $9.50, children (3-12) $4, members & children under 3 free, seniors (60+) $6 (Tue).
Cleveland Metroparks 4101 Fulton Parkway, Cleveland, 216-635-3200, clemetparks.com. Comprises more than 21,000 acres in 16 reservations, connecting parkways and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Enjoy picnic areas, all-purpose fields, hiking trails, wildlife-management areas, stables and more. Call 440-232-7247 for Cleveland Metroparks golf courses.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo & the RainForest 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, 216-661-6500, clemetzoo.com. One of the country's oldest zoos, featuring 3,000 animals on 168 wooded acres, including the African Elephant Crossing. Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-7 p.m. $8.25-$12.25; kids under 2 always free.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park 216-524-1497 or 800-445-9667, nps.gov/cuva. Explore 33,000 acres of parkland stretching 22 miles between Cleveland and Akron. Includes the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
Edgewater State Park 7600 W Memorial Shoreway on Lake Erie, 216-881-8141. A 900-foot-wide beach, a picnic pavilion and a playground. Daily 6 a.m.-11 p.m.
Greater Cleveland Aquarium 2000 Sycamore St, Cleveland, 216-862-8803, greaterclevelandaquarium.com. Ohio's only freestanding aquarium holds more than 1 million gallons of water and creatures ranging from giant seahorses to tiger sharks. Daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $21.95 adults, $15.95 children 2-12.
Holden Arboretum 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland, 440-946-4400, holdenarb.org. A 3,600-acre preserve of woodlands, display gardens, horticultural collections, ponds and walking trails. Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $3-$6, kids 5 and under free.
Lake Metroparks 11211 Spear Road, Concord Township, 440-639-7275, lakemetroparks.com. 31 parks and 8,147 acres with two golf courses, a 4.8-mile paved trail, five parks on Lake Erie's shore, a nature center and a wildlife center.
Lake Metroparks Farmpark 8800 Chardon Road, Kirtland, 440-256-2122, lakemetroparks.com. More than 50 breeds of farm animals, the Great Tomato Works and hydroponics exhibits.
Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Reservation 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road, Kirtland, 440-256-1404, lakemetroparks.com. More than seven miles of hiking trails, nature center with hands-on exhibits and Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Daily from sunrise to half-hour past sunset.
Lorain County Metro Parks 12882 Diagonal Road, La Grange, 440-458-5121, loraincountymetroparks.com. The 6,500 acres in 22 parks offer activities for nature lovers of all ages, including Splash Zone Aquatics and Fitness Center and Forest Hills Golf Course.
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes 2600 S Park Blvd, Cleveland, 216-321-5935, shakerlakes.org. Regular classes for children, plus naturalist-led tours of the trails. Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 1-5 p.m. Trails open dawn to dusk.
[ MORE ]
Goodtime III 825 E Ninth St, 216-861-5110,
goodtimeiii.com. Two-hour narrated tours of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River. Special tours available. See website for times.
Nautica Queen 1153 Main Ave, The Flats, 216-696-8888, nauticaqueen.com. The luxury cruise and dinner ship offers lunch and dinner excursions.
