Admission:
You can feed a giraffe, build a sand castle or take a train ride through a national park — and that’s just for starters.
Northeast Ohio is filled with family-friendly fun, from spacesuits and dinosaurs to a pro-football shrine and even a Costa Rican rainforest.
Here’s a list of favorites.
Young and old enjoy this attraction, with several thousand animals spread across 183 acres.
It’s best to set aside a full day to see everything here: Australian Adventure, African Elephant Crossing, the Rainforest and much more. At African Savanna, visitors can hand-feed lettuce to one of four Masai giraffes.
$10.25 to $14.25, free for children younger than 2; parking: free.
216-6616500, clevelandmetroparks. com/zoo
Admission: Information:
Unlike the much larger Columbus and Cleveland zoos, this 35-acre site is just the right size for younger visitors — the perfect space to explore in a couple of hours.
Don’t-miss exhibits include Penguin Point, home to a dozen Humboldt penguins; Grizzly Ridge, with grizzly bears, coyotes, red wolves and river otters; and Farmland, where kids can pet and feed goats and ride a train. And don’t leave before taking a spin on the Conservation Carousel, featuring 33 animal figures to ride.
$9 to $12; parking: free.
Information:
330-3752550, akronzoo.org
The Hershey Children’s Garden is a magical place for younger children, with a treehouse, vegetable garden, stocked pond and more.
When you’re finished outside, head indoors to the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse, which has Madagascar desert and Costa Rican rainforest biomes.
On exhibit through Aug. 27: “Nature Connects: Art With Lego Bricks,” featuring 13 Lego sculptures of natural scenes, plus build-yourown sculptures and other activities.
Admission:
$8 to $12, free for children 2 or younger; parking: $8.
Information:
216-7211600, cbgarden.org
There’s plenty here to keep children of all ages entertained and learning for hours, including the Polymer Funhouse, dozens of hands-on science exhibits and shows, plus the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, where visitors can peek inside the 1973 Skylab 3 Command Module and try on a spacesuit.
Also here: the William S. Mather Steamship (a restored 618-foot historic ship) and Cleveland Clinic Dome Theater. $12 to $15,
There’s no shortage of great hiking here, with children often showing a special fondness for the giant rock formations along the park’s Ledges trail.
When you tire of walking, try pedaling instead — on some of the 20 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which cuts through the park. And when you tire of pedaling, hop aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, which has stops throughout the park.
A fitting end to your park day: the Yum Yum Sweet Shop, 1593 Main St., in downtown
Among the many enticing stretches of sand along northeastern Ohio’s Lake Erie coast, Fairport Harbor stands out.
The 21-acre beachfront park, managed by the Lake Metroparks, has a playground, kayak and paddleboard rentals, concession stands and more.
It also has lifeguards as well as a designated dogswim area, which makes it perfect for four-legged family members. continued on