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If I could choose things to do in Cleveland, I would spend every weekend at the Great Lakes Science Center. It is so beneficial for the little souls and so relaxing for parents because kids are occupied, and they are right there in front of you. It offers interactive activities from sea bottom to mountains, from the ice age past to the future of space technology and you even can look inside a human body and learn a lot about yourself. This place is for kids from crawling age to adulthood.

Plan to spend the whole day here, but there will be things left to do and learn even if you do. It is no wonder it got awarded with the 2021 Finalist National Medal for Museums and Libraries. It is a must to visit with kids in Cleveland.

Thank you, Great Lakes Science Center, for sponsored admission. We had a total blast at the place, and all opinions reflected in this blog post are my own.

Where is Great Lakes Science Center located?

You can find it right at the North Coast Harbour Walkway on 601 Erieside Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114.

Great Lakes Science Center Parking.

You can park at a 500-car parking facility through the Science Center’s west side facing FirstEnergy Stadium. When you drive in, you will get a parking ticket and pay for parking at the front desk; (Attention! ) you will need both tickets to leave.

Great Lakes Science Center. Highlights.

Once we got in through the garage to the ground floor, we were stung by this fantastic view of the North Coast Harbor.

And right in the hallway, there was a rocket launching station. Our kids are stuck here for an hour! They were making those rockets, trying them, then improving and trying again, making new ones. It was on and on, and every time it would get better, whether fit better or fly higher.

We were not in a rush, so one hour here was a gift to us, parents, to sit and relax.

When they started decorating the rockets and experimenting with the shapes of wings, we decided to move to the next activity.

Cleveland Science Center DOME movies

To spice your experience, try Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater. If you didn’t know, the screen with the ceiling forms a shape of a Dome and creates an impression that you are inside the movie. Actions happen around you instead of in front of you, and the sound wraps you around too.

We watched two movies there. They both were fantastic! High quality and educational. The first one, “The titans of the age,” was about mammoths and their possible lifestyle and reasons for extinction. The assumptions were based on Lyuba, the second best-preserved woolly mammoth.

The second movie, “Ancient Caves,” was about the researches of caves and how they can tell you what was happening on the Earth each year. In my opinion, such work involves lots of diving and climbing and is pretty risky, but check yourself.

Tip.

It seems like the best seats would be right in the middle of the theater, but we found out that the very last row gives you the best experience.

My older kids loved both movies and watched them till the end. My three-year-old doesn’t like loud sounds but still watched half of the second movie; after that, he asked to go, and we took him to the Youth Exhibits. He spent most of the time “swimming” in the ball pool and building with giant blue blocks.

There is a Port Polimer, an outdoor water area attached to Polymer Funhouse.

It was closed in November but looks so appealing that we promised to return.

But most of the time, my son spent fixing a car. What a brilliant idea to set up a wood-made vehicle with removable tires, a trunk, and a hood that opens up and lets kids change tires, “fill” the car with gas and oil, and even get underneath and fix it there. I was watching and watching and then joined myself. Yeah. I love fixing things.

I personally liked the Great Lakes Science Center too. There was so much I didn’t know.

Above and Beyond

I was surprised to find man-made flying objects as big as a dragonfly and another one that looked like a hummingbird. Hummingbird was a size of two AA batteries and would use the same principle of flying as an actual bird.

Hurry up! This exhibit will be here only till January 2nd of 2022.

NASA Glenn Visitor Center

For sure, the most revolutionary was visiting NASA Glenn Visitor Center. You can look inside the spaceship and research the launch escape system. The system is used in the event of an early-flight emergency. Wow!

Biomedtech Gallery

Even if you are not into medicine and biology, visit the Biomedtech gallery and discover what role these technologies play in our life. For example, I learned the importance of STEM cells and that all kinds of cells in our body started as STEM cells. If you are curious, look inside the stomach using an endoscopic camera.

This place is enormous, and at every corner, discoveries, and fun await you. Just check this video.

I could go on and on listing the activities, but it would take me millions of words to describe all the fun and knowledge the Great Lakes Science Center offers. You just must come here yourself. I promise you will be happier and smarter after leaving this place.

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