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If you have a couple of spare hours and are looking for educational yet fun things to do in Cleveland with kids, consider visiting Greater Cleveland Aquarium. It is cozy and beautifully decorated; it makes you feel like you are actually at the places you are researching. It is also very well designed and definitely a great place to learn about the life of aquatic animals from all over the world.

A big thank you to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium for sponsoring our visit and letting us see and learn about your incredible residents!

It is nestled in the historic brick First Energy Powerhouse on 2000 Sycamore Street Cleveland, OH 44113.

We had a tiny adventure trying to find it. When GPS said: “You have arrived,” we found ourselves on parking in front of the brick-made building. We drove around the building looking for the Aquarium, but it was right in front of us. So here is a picture for you, so you have no doubts about where it is.

We get in, and a lovely girl at the guest services explains what’s new and unique for this place, so we know what to look for.

That’s how the adventure begins!

They split the space into eight sections, and each one displays inhabitants that live in that area. We look at the residents and read facts about them. It makes kids curious and helps them to memorize better what they learn.

The first section of the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is Ohio Lakes&Rivers.

Kids are excited to recognize some of the creatures. Since we live next to a lake we are familiar with catfishes and turtles very well, but sturgeon is something my children have never seen before. So they named it a “platypus fish,” which makes sense. 

The Giant white Gourami drew most of our attention at the “Asia and Indonesian” section.

I’ve seen lots of gouramis before, but this one surprised me with huge lips. It looked like after plastic surgery, but indeed most gouramis have big lips. It is because they use their mouth to build nests by blowing bubbles. However, this one looks unique by appearance, and it even has the name, Toby. He is the only resident of the Aquarium that has a name.

In the tropical hall, we saw Piranhas they were standing out of other fishes at Greater Cleveland Aquarium.

What a beautiful creature! Just look at those sparkles of gold! I am standing in awe at the tank, trying to apprehend how such a gorgeous creation can be so dangerous?!

While we navigate from room to room, we meet interesting people.

One guy would approach an exhibit and start talking about everything he sees, asking questions. At first, I thought he was talking to himself, but then I saw headphones and a camera in his hands. It was an Aquarium worker, and he was doing a virtual tour. I observed and listened to him for a little. He was great! Now I want to take virtual time too! You can book them here!

The worker knew a lot of facts about every creature he showed. One of the comments he made was about the Giant Pacific octopus. The guy drew spectators’ attention to the suction cups and beak and then asked them what the octopuses are famous for. Kids said that it has eight legs, can change colors, and has nobody. Did you know octopuses can solve puzzles? It was pretty exciting and educational to listen to the tour guide.

I must confess that every worker at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is friendly and knowledgeable. Feel free to ask them any Aquarium-related questions, and they will gladly answer them all.

The best part of the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is the Saltwater section.

Those tropical fishes are just so colorful; I can not take my eyes off of them. This giant Lion Fish is the king of the room. 

Industry & Habitat Residents are all amazing!

It is interesting to see how marine animals adjust to the industrialization of the ocean/sea. Moss growing on the pipes. Fishes building houses in engine spare parts or hiding behind metal constructions.

My kids’ favorite part was petting stingrays at the Coastal Boardwalk.

They were standing and waiting for a moment when the shark swims close enough to the surface but as soon as they put their hand down, those fishes would dive and swim away. The trick is to keep two fingers in the water, and they appear to float right at you! Kids would play here the whole day, but we had to move to the next resident.

Did you know that seahorse male carries the eggs and give birth to the babies? Just wondering what does a female does.

Shark Gallery&Sea tube at Greater Cleveland Aquarium is 175-feet long.

We walk along with our heads up and mouths open. I think it was the first time in my life when I looked in the shark’s eye. It is black and reflects no emotion, teeth are outward, and mouth is open. I am scared, but I heard that sharks could be grateful and friendly if you care for them. Hard to believe, but it appears like any other creature on the Eart; if you treat them well, they pay you back.

Did you know that sharks do not have bones? Instead, they have cartilaginous tissues.

I always thought that all sea creatures are slippery, but sharks’ skin is more like sandpaper. Aren’t they amazing?!

Conclusion

We walked around and learned so much at the small but mighty Greater Cleveland Aquarium. Although unfortunately, I cannot put all the information and observations in one blog post, I put only highlights of our adventure, so please, visit it when you get to Cleveland and see, read and touch everything yourself. It is worth every penny and every minute spent there.

Our kids rated this place like 9.5 out of 10, and they’ve been to lots of Aquariums before. I liked it because of its cuteness and size. It took us less than 2 hours to research this place and to see and try everything. After we were done, I felt light and happy instead of tired and overwhelmed.

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