Summer Fun Guide: Open All Summer
Castaway Bay, 2001 Cleveland Road, Sandusky, 419-627-2500, castawaybay.com. Daily 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Call for room rates. A resort and indoor water park owned by Cedar Point.
Cedar Point, 1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky, 419-627-2350, cedarpoint.com. May 15-Oct. 31 (times vary). $19.99-$45.99, kids age 2 and under are free, parking is $10-$15 (call to confirm). Coasters include the 310-foot-tall Millennium Force; the 205-foot Magnum XL-200; the Raptor inverted coaster; the 215-foot, 72-mph Wicked Twister; and Top Thrill Dragster, a 420-foot, 120-mph “strata-coaster.” The park also features Planet Snoopy, a Peanuts-themed kids area with rides and games. Challenge Park and Soak City are next door, and year-round water park Castaway Bay is nearby.
Geauga Lake’s Wildwater Kingdom, 1100 Squires Road, Aurora, 330-562-8303, wildwaterfun.com. Open daily thru 8/22 & Labor Day weekend, park hours vary. $26.99 (ages 3 & older, 48 inches & taller), $12.99 (ages 3 & older, under 48 inches tall & seniors), children 2 & under free. Check out Thunder Falls, Ohio’s tallest water slide complex at 10 stories high and speeds of 27 mph.
Great Wolf Lodge, 4600 Milan Road, Sandusky, 888-779-2327, greatwolflodge.com. Features 271 suites, an outdoor pool and a 42,000-square-foot indoor entertainment area that includes a large 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 and the stand-up-and-surf FlowRider. Nearly 900 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Spa Kalahari, Kahunaville Restaurant & Bar, shopping and more.
Pioneer Waterland & Dry Fun Park, 10661 Kile Road, Chardon, 440-285-0909, pioneerwaterland.com. June 12-Aug. 29 (times vary). $13.95-$19.95, children under 40 inches tall are free. Parking $3. Water slides, paddle boats, activity pool, Kiddie Waterland, Tot-Land, mini golf and more.
/ MUSEUMS /
Akron Art Museum, 1 South High, Akron, 330-376-9185, akronartmuseum.org. Wed & Fri-Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thu 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Modern art from 1850 to the present with particular strengths in American impressionist painting, sculpture since 1960 and 20th-century photography.
Children’s Museum of Cleveland, 10730 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-791-5437, clevelandchildrens-museum.org. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $7, under 11 months free. Hands-on discovery center teaches children about the world and themselves.
The Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, 216-421-7340 or 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed & Fri 10 a.m.-9 p.m. See website for info on concerts, films and educational programs.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural
History, 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, 216-231-4600, cmnh.org. 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, Wed evenings $6. Ohio’s largest and oldest museum dedicated to natural history includes Kirtland Hall of Prehistoric Life, Wade Gallery of Gems and Jewels and more.
Great Lakes Science Center, 601 Erieside Ave., Cleveland, 216-694-2000, greatscience.com. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit website for pricing. The center features hundreds of interactive exhibits, an Omnimax Theater, the NASA visitor center and the Steamship William G. Mather Museum.
Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath, 800-589-9703, wrhs.org. Call for hours and pricing. Outdoor history museum where visitors experience mid-19th century life. Features Family Fun Days, antique shows, music festivals and summer day camps.
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland, 8501 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org. Tue & Thu-Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed 11 a.m.-8 p.m. $3-$4, kids ages 12 and under free, Fri are free. International, national and regional contemporary artists complemented by lectures, special events and more.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland, 216-781-7625, rockhall.com. Daily 10 a.m.-
5:30 p.m., Wed until 9 p.m. (Sat until 9 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day). $13-$22, kids under 8 are free. The world’s first museum dedicated to the living heritage of rock ’n’ roll.
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron, 330-836-5533, stanhywet.org. Hall open Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (last admission time), grounds open Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Grounds include a Tudor Revival mansion and 70 acres of landscaped gardens.
USS Cod, 1089 N. Marginal Road, Cleveland, 216-566-8770, usscod.org. May-Sept., Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $4-$7, free for children under 6. The submarine USS Cod sank more than a dozen Japanese ships during her seven war patrols in the Southwest Pacific during World War II. Peer into an open torpedo tube, try out a crewman’s bunk, or sit in the captain’s chair.
The Western Reserve Historical Society, 10825 East Blvd., Cleveland, 216-721-5722, wrhs.org. Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., library open Thu-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5-$8.50, ages 3 and under & members free, parking $5. Exhibits examine Northeast Ohio’s history. The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum contains antique and classic automobiles, motorcycles and aircrafts.
/ ZOOS, PARKS & NATURE CENTERS /
African Safari Wildlife Park, 267 Lightner Road, Port Clinton, 419-732-3606 or 800-521-2660, africansafariwildlifepark.com. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 26-Nov. 30. $8.95-$17.95 (rates vary with season), kids 3 and under free. The Midwest’s only drive-through safari, home to more than 300 beautiful and exotic animals. Free animal food provided. Camel and pony rides, educational animal shows and pig races.
Akron Zoo, 500 Edgewood Ave., Akron, 330-375-2550, akronzoo.com. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May-Oct., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov.-April. $6-$10, kids under 2 free. Home to more than 700 animals, including Sumatran tigers, African lions, red pandas, otters and Komodo dragons.
Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, 216-721-1600, cbgarden.org. Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun noon-5 p.m., Wed 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (Memorial Day through Labor Day only). Admission $7.50, children (3-12) $3, members & children under 3 free, seniors (60+) $5.50 (Tue only), group discounts available. Ten acres of gardens and an 18,000-square-foot conservatory.
Cleveland Metroparks Golf, 440-232-7247, clemetparks.com. Play a round or two at one of seven Cleveland Metroparks courses. Three are located in the Rocky River Reservation (Big Met, Little Met & Mastick Woods) and one each at the Newbury Heights (Washington Golf Learning Center), North Chagrin (Manakiki), Bedford (Shawnee Hills) and Brecksville (Sleepy Hollow) reservations.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo & the RainForest, 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, 216-661-6500, clemetzoo.com. Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-7p.m. Tickets $7-$10; kids under 2 always free, Cuyahoga County & Hinckley Township residents admitted free (zoo only) Mon. One of the country’s oldest zoos, featuring 3,000 animals on 168 wooded acres. The RainForest is home to 600 animals and 10,000 jungle plants.
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. Daily 6 a.m.-
11 p.m. A 900-foot-wide beach, a picnic pavilion and a playground.
Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland, 440-946-4400, holdenarb.org. Daily 9 a.m.-
5 p.m. $3-$6, kids 5 and under free. A 3,600-acre preserve of woodlands, display gardens, horticultural collections, ponds and walking trails. One of the largest arboretums in the country.
Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, 28728 Wolf Road, Bay Village, 440-871-2900, lensc.org. Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Scenic outdoor gardens, live animal exhibits and a planetarium show.
Lake Metroparks, Concord Woods Headquarters, 11211 Spear Road, Concord Twp., 440-639-7275, lakemetroparks.com. Two golf courses, multiple lakefront locations, nature center, wildlife center and farm park.
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. Open daily from sunrise to a half-hour past sunset. More than 7 miles of hiking trails, nature center with hands-on exhibits, Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
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.
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd., Cleveland, 216-321-5935, shakerlakes.org. Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 1-5 p.m., trails open dawn to dusk. Regular classes for children, plus naturalist-led tours of the trails.
/ MORE /
Goodtime III, 825 E. Ninth St. Pier, 216-861-5110, goodtimeiii.com. Summer season begins in mid-June & runs thru Labor Day weekend. $15 adults, $14 seniors, $9 children. Two-hour narrated tour of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River. Lunch cruise available with reservations.
Nautica Queen, 1153 Main Ave., The Flats, 216-696-8888, nauticaqueen.com. This luxury cruise/dining ship offers lunch & dinner excursions.
