If your family is like mine, you had the first couple weeks of summer break mapped out. A “yes” day, perhaps, to celebrate another school year completed. Perhaps a longer vacation that’s a family tradition.
What, though, to do when that initial energy for summer break wears off, it’s a random Wednesday in mid to late June and you’ve exhausted all reasonable methods to keep your children occupied for another summer day?
We are here for you. Behold our 94 days of travel list, for 94 days of summer (June 20-Sept. 22): Some are close, while some are further. Some are well known, and we bet some are unknown to even the most knowledgeable Northeast Ohio to-do’ers.
Have an unheralded spot in the area – or extended area – that’s not on the list? Email [email protected] and we’ll publish your best spots on our website.
1. Lake Erie Nature and Science Center planetarium, Bay Village. Immersive experience provides hands-on learning for finding constellations and identifying planets in the night sky. lensc.org
2. Chatty’s Pizza, Bay Village. Ask a West Sider for their favorite pizza, and this small, family-owned joint will be at the top of many lists. Bring some plates and take it to neighboring Huntington Beach. chattyspizzeria.com
3. Beartown Lakes Reservation, Chagrin Falls. This 149-acre park has three trails totaling 2.8 miles and, one reader says, “isn’t too bad on little legs.” geaugaparkdistrict.org
4. Sweets and Geeks, Medina. Comics, candy, pop culture, puzzles and snacks. sweetsandgeeks.com
5. Mill Creek Park, Youngstown. From Mill Creek MetroParks, Mill Creek Park was created in 1891 by Volney Rogers. Another hidden gem less than an hour away. millcreekmetroparks.org
6. Alien Vacation Mini Golf, Medina. The name says it all, no? They had us at “3D mini golf experience.” alienvacationminigolf.com
7. Paws and Claws Animal Encounters, Bremen. Find the home of Ohio’s first hands-on otter encounters and Painting with Otters! pandcencounters.com
8. b.a. Sweetie Candy Company, Cleveland. If you haven’t been, stop what you’re doing and go. If you have been, stop what you’re doing and go. I’m a sucker for Swedish Fish. sweetiescandy.com
9. Cleveland-Cliffs Bike Park, Cuyahoga Heights. New outdoor complex offers a paved pump track, outdoor competition course, jump line and youth-focused bike playground. clevelandmetroparks.com
10. Memphis Kiddie Park, Cleveland. This staple is the perfect spot to kill a couple hours … but the pavement-packed park gets hot. On really hot days, we suggest an early arrival! memphiskiddiepark.com
11. Majestic Meadows Alpaca Farm, Medina. Highly recommend feeding the goats. majesticmeadowsalpacas.com
12. Terminal Tower Observation Deck, Cleveland. The best view in Cleveland, hands down. 771 feet above the city, and you can see for miles.
13. Solstice Steps, Lakewood. One of the best views of the city (also a great fireworks spot). lakewoodohio.gov
14. Lindsey Family Play Space, Cleveland. Perhaps on the way to or way home from the Solstice Steps, stop at this fantastic playground at Edgewater Park. clevelandmetroparks.com
15. Brewnuts, Cleveland. The hippest donut shop around, choose from house, custom to letter beer-based donuts — though flavors change daily. brewnutscleveland.com
16. Akron RubberDucks/Lake County Captains games. Yes, Progressive Field is bigger, and the players are better, but the parks are smaller, you’re closer to the action and perhaps you’ll catch a Guardian on a rehab assignment. milb.com/akron; milb.com/lake-county
17. Progressive Field tours. Speaking of the big leagues, take your baseball-loving crew on a tour of the big park, with views of the clubhouses and more. cleguardians.com
18. Float the River, Cuyahoga Falls. Arrive in your bathing suit and water-ready shoes (no flip flops) for a float down the stunning Cuyahoga River. (Ages 5+) floattheriver.net
19. Go Ape! ziplining, Strongsville. Whether you’re a pro or a newbie, this zipline and adventure park has something for you goape.com
20. Color Me Mine, Orange Village. At this paint-your-own-pottery studio at Pinecrest, choose from a wide selection of ceramic items and paint them however you’d like. orangevillage.colormemine.com
21. East Falls Riverwalk, Elyria. We are blessed with several picturesque falls in the area, though this option often gets overshadowed by Chagrin Falls and others.
22. Preston’s H.O.P.E. Playground, Beachwood. Inspired by a courageous young boy born with spinal muscular atrophy, this playground features accessible equipment for children of all abilities, shady spots, a sand area and plenty of room to enjoy lunch with the kids. prestonshope.com
23. African Safari Wildlife Park, Port Clinton. Feed a bison, go nose to nose with a giraffe and meet animals from A (alpacas) to Z (zebras). africansafariwildlifepark.com
24. Camp Fitch, North Springfield, Pa. Just west of Erie, its summer camp provides kids ages 6–17 a place to discover friendship and achievement; family camps also are an option. campfitchymca.org
25. Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pa. Hiking, picnicking, swimming, wildlife viewing, fishing and surfing are all part of the allure just 90 miles away in Erie. dcnr.pa.gov
26. Happy Dog, Cleveland. Don’t want to make dinner? A hot dog – with Froot Loops! – is an easy solution at this Cleveland institution. Maybe a polka band will be playing, for good measure. happydogcleveland.com
27. Swings n Things, Olmsted Falls. Go-karts, mini golf, batting cages, bowling and more. sntfun.com
28. Adventure Play at Jordan Creek Park, Painesville. A fun venue to develop confidence with physical challenges in a social and interactive natural setting. lakemetroparks.com
29. The Great Geauga County Fair, Burton. We are a sucker for Ohio’s oldest fair, now at 202 years and counting. Aug. 29-Sept. 2. geaugafair.com
30. Feast of the Assumption, Cleveland. You don’t have to be Italian to enjoy the likes of Maxi’s, Corbo’s, Presti’s, Mama Santa’s and more. Come hungry! Aug. 15-18. littleitalycle.com
31. Liberty Ledges, Twinsburg. Several hiking trail options lead you to one of the coolest caves around. Kids of all ages can manage these trails. summitmetroparks.com
32. Baseball Heritage Museum/League Park, Cleveland. The site of Babe Ruth’s 500th home run and the site of more baseball history than we could possibly list here. baseballheritagemuseum.org
33. West Side Market, Cleveland. A fun challenge our family likes: Take $25 and plan a meal and dessert with it at this Cleveland institution. westsidemarket.org
34. Pins Mechanical Co., Cleveland. Duckpin bowling, old-school arcade, foosball and beverages for mom and dad. Winner! pinsbar.com
35. The Exchange, several area locations. Need to rekindle the magic you made on Madden ’01 in college with your kids? Check out The Exchange for your old-school, rainy-day video game needs. theexchange.com
36. Edgewater Park/Beach, Cleveland. Expansive beach area perfect for a family day in the water. clevelandmetroparks.com
37. Lake Erie Canopy Tours, Geneva-on-the-Lake. Add a little extra zip to your next ziplining experience with three ways to play. lakeeriecanopytours.com
38. Twins Day Festival, Twinsburg. Aug. 2-4. This event has grown into the world’s largest gathering of twins since launching all the way back in 1976. twinsday.org
39. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton. Your football lovers will enjoy the game’s ancient history and more recent history, from the Packers’ Super Bowl I and II wins to Travis and Taylor creating a global phenomenon. profootballhof.com
40. Cain Park Arts Festival, Cleveland Heights. Historic Cain Park hosts hundreds of juried artists and crafters on July 12-14. cainpark.com
41. Fam Jam at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland. Need another reason to visit the Rock Hall? Check out Fam Jam on June 29 for kids’ activities, free performances, and, in partnership with Hungry for Music, an instrument drive for donations to youth education programs. rockhall.com
42. Wade Oval Wednesday, University Circle. Free weekly concert series in one of the prettiest parts of the city, every Wednesday from June 10-Aug. 14. universitycircle.org
43. Clay’s Resort Jellystone Park, North Lawrence. Enjoy access to a new water park, swimming pools, mini golf course, jumping pillows, playground, sports courts and more. clayspark.com
44. Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, Shaker Heights. Founded in 1966 to prevent a freeway from being built, the nature center offers animal exhibits, art on view and much more. shakerlakes.org
45. July 4 fireworks, many locations. We’re partial to finding a spot along the west lakeshore, so you can see Lakewood’s and Cleveland’s a bit further in the distance.
46. Cleveland National Air Show. Celebrating 60 years, the Air Show boasts three days of aerial thrills featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, military jet demonstrations, gravity defying aerobatics, parachuting and more. Labor Day weekend. clevelandairshow.com
47. Zoombezi Bay, Columbus. Make it a Columbus weekend or in-week trip, starting with this way to cool off featuring a wave pool, Roaring Rapids and plenty of slides. zoombezibay.com
48. LegoLand Discovery Center, Columbus. After drying off from the water park, LegoLand provides hours of fun with interactive games, play areas and building challenges. legolanddiscoverycenter.com
49. COSI, Columbus. For 58 years, COSI has inspired interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) topics and delivered experiential, hands-on learning. Bonus: COSI features a Titanic exhibit this summer. cosi.org
50. Kids Empire, North Olmsted. Recapture the magic of childhood as you explore our floor-to-ceiling climbing walls, play structures, and drop-in ball pits.
greatnorthernohio.com/stores/kids-empire/
51. Scene 75, Brunswick. Nine attractions including laser tag, indoor go-karts and an arcade with 150+ games. scene75.com
52. Adventure Zone, Geneva-On-The-Lake. From the thrill of a zipline and go-karts to the fun of bumper boats, putt-putt golf, climbing walls, batting cages and more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. adventurezonefun.com
53. Children’s Museum of Cleveland. Check out the new bubble exhibit, behind the Wonder Lab, for even more fun for your crew. cmcleveland.org
54. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Try the Family Fun Loop, a program filled with captivating stories, delightful songs, and engaging crafts designed to make every train ride an unforgettable adventure. cvsr.org
55. Put-In-Bay/Kelleys Island. We’ve come a long way from bachelor parties in our late 20s – there’s plenty for kids to do and see on the islands. Grab the ferry and enjoy the day. putinbay.com
56. Berlin Resort, Millersburg. A peaceful getaway for the whole family, this well-kept secret features Children’s Village’s miniature houses kids can wander through to their heart’s content. The swing set invites your children to exercise their muscles, and they can exercise their imaginations among the various storefronts. berlinresort.net
57. Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Kirtland. Always a summer staple, check out FarmFest on July 13 to celebrate the Farmpark’s 28-year anniversary with a sampling of Farmpark’s best programs and demonstrations. lakemetroparks.com
58. Red Wagon Farm, Columbia Station. Another category where we are blessed with options across the region – fruit picking! Try this outfit for strawberry picking, plus an on-site bakery and Red Wagon Scoops ice cream. redwagonfarm.com
59. We Rock the Spectrum, Mayfield. WRTS provides a safe, nurturing and fun environment to foster learning, exploration and safe sensory experiences for children across the spectrum. werockthespectrumcleveland.com
60. Boss Pro-Karting, Cleveland. Indoor, so perfect for a rainy day, and its new X1 Junior Race Karts are perfect for drivers 8 to 13 years old and 50+ inches tall. bossprokarting.com
61. Cleveland Natural History Museum. We always find and learn something new at this Cleveland staple; this summer, find 3D movies on exhibit, including “Titans of the Ice Age,” “Wings over Water” and more. cmnh.org
62. West Branch State Park, Ravenna. A picturesque scene just east of Cuyahoga County, visitors can camp, fish and boat – as primitively or as fancily as they prefer! ohiodnr.gov
63. Cedar Point, Sandusky. If thrill-seeking is your thing, then this is your place. We often take for granted one of the world’s best is in our backyard. cedarpoint.com
64. Peninsula Quarry. Tired of the same rec pool at which you’ve been swimming? Try this chill, old-school swimming hole in the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. (Opens in June.) peninsulaquarry.com
65. Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls. Yes, logistics can be troublesome, but a warm summer night taking in Kidz Bop Live (Aug. 11) or Barbie: The Movie (Aug. 12) at Blossom clevelandamphitheater.com
66. Greater Cleveland Aquarium. The shark gallery and stingray feeding and touchpool make this a must-visit on a really hot or rainy day. greaterclevelandaquarium.com
67. Great Lakes Science Center. Young scientists can check out the International Tape Station – yes, really! – the NASA Glenn Visitors Center and much more. greatscience.com
68. Cleveland Botanical Gardens. For those kiddos with a green thumb, check out hosta hill, Japanese garden and the Madagascar Glasshouse. holdenfg.org
69. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Education and Learning Center. The bank offers tours, events and hands-on exhibits, to better inform the public about the Federal Reserve System. clevelandfed.org
70. Looking for a Christmas in July celebration? Go to Holiday World & Splashin Safari in Santa Claus, IN. Make sure to check out the town with Santa-themes or go nearby to the Lincoln Boyhood National Park. holidayworld.com
71. Script Cleveland signs, various locations. You’ve seen your friends with these great photo opps … so where are they? Edgewater Park, North Coast Harbor, The Foundry, Tremont and Euclid Beach make for a fun challenge. thisiscleveland.com
72. Cleveland History Center. While the “history” part is plenty interesting, the big draw for kiddos here is the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel, relocated to the center in 2014. wrhs.org
73. Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary, Ravenna. Meet 1,000-pound farm pigs. Play with the goats. Visit the rescued horses. Hear heart-warming stories of rescue and rehabilitation. happytrailsfarm.org
74. Visit a branch of the Cleveland Public Library. If you’re like me, you have grand visions of a summer reading program for your elementary schoolers. Even though it’ll likely peter out, you can at least start strong, right? Right? cpl.org
75. Kalahari, Sandusky. We recommend going on a weekday, to minimize lines for the thrilling slides. kalahariresorts.com
76. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. We never can decide our first stop – head to the primates up the hill to get the haul out of the way, or start with the African Savanna and head up the hill? clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo
77. Akron Children’s Museum. Exhibits include farm to table, healthy little monsters, curtain call theater and much more. akronkids.org
78. Ash Cave at Hocking Hills, It’s largest, most impressive recess cave in the state. hockinghills.com/ash_cave
79. MAGNET’s STEM-themed playground, Cleveland. Designed with the Great Lakes Science Center and Cleveland Metroparks to introduce kids to STEM. Try 3-D sand printing and the sensor-enabled basketball hoops. manufacturingsuccess.org
80. Cuyahoga County Fair. We are suckers for a good demolition derby, pig races and fair food – give me all the elephant ears! cuyfair.com
81. Whiskey Island, Cleveland. Great views, picnic areas and more on this area of the shoreline named after a distillery from the 1830s. (The more you know!)
82. Downtown Cleveland walking tours. Tour the Gateway, Warehouse and other districts downtown to learn about the city’s rich history. toursofcleveland.com
83. Goodtime III. The largest quadruple-deck, 1,000 passenger luxury ship on the Great Lakes, providing one-of-a-kind views of downtown Cleveland, the Flats, the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. goodtimeiii.com
84. Have you explored the Ohio Caverns? Explore depths ranging from 30 to 103 feet in these colorful passages. ohiocaverns.com
85. BAYarts Art and Music Festival. 60 local vendors including art, crafts, food, and more will be on hand, with food trucks and live music by Small Craft Advisory. bayarts.net
86. PEZ Mania PEZ Convention. Yes, you read that right. The biggest and longest running PEZ convention in the world fills four ballrooms at the Holiday Inn in Independence. pezamania.com
87. Taste of Tremont. Tremont is home to many of the area’s top restaurants, and at this annual event, those restaurateurs share their wares in bite-size samples. experiencetremont.com
88. Cleveland Browns preseason games. Watch the good guys battle the Packers (Aug. 10) and Vikings (Aug. 17) at Cleveland Browns Stadium. (Bonus: Preseason crowds are less rowdy.) clevelandbrowns.com
89. National Sports Collectors Convention. Want to introduce your sports-loving child to the world of collectibles? More than 100,000 will visit the I-X Center July 24-28 for this
annual show. nsccshow.com
90. Let’s Sing Taylor: A Live Band Experience. It’d be a late night for littles – the Agora lists showtime from 8-11 p.m. – but it’s probably worth it! agoracleveland.com
91. WWE SummerSlam. Activate your high school self and/or expose your kids to the magic of scripted entertainment. Aug. 3 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. wwe.com
92. Tennis in the Land. One of just three stand-alone WTA events in the United States, Tennis in the Land is part of the prestigious US Open Series. tennisintheland.com
93. Explore the state capital for free. Visit Wexner Center for the Arts, visit the Ohio Statehouse, explore Columbus Museum of Art and take a stroll through the Columbus Park of Roses. experiencecolumbus.com
94. Got a need for speed? For your children ages 7 and up, try Full Throttle Adrenaline Park in KY. gofullthrottle.com/locations/florence
