The annual Northeast Ohio Parent Choice Awards seeks to gather the opinions of local parents on everything family-friendly in the region. Our readers and online followers voted for their favorite businesses, attractions, family services and more.
Here are the winner and finalists in the “Best museum” category.
Click here to view winners and finalists in all 26 categories.
Winner: Cleveland Museum of Art
This top-rated art museum, an anchor in the culturally rich University Circle neighborhood, lets visitors explore the expansive galleries or check out a family-focused event like Saturday Art Stories or Sunday Open Studios for Families. General admission to tour the roughly 4,500 pieces on view (from the 61,000 total objects in CMA’s collection) is free, while ticketed special exhibitions rotate regularly. It’s easy to spend an entire day at the museum, especially when you factor in time to browse the Art Store and grab a meal at the delectable Provenance or Provenance Cafe.
clevelandart.org
Finalists:
Children’s Museum of Cleveland
CMC lets kids splash, climb, build, create, explore and more — all while learning and having fun. Exhibits include Wonder Lab, where water and science combine; Adventure City, which encourages pretend play and limitless imagination; Making Miniatures, a fascinating collection of dollhouses; the Arts & Parts art studio; the Meadow for ages birth through 3; and the Playlist and Theater rooms for imaginative play and performance.
cmcleveland.org
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Families delve deep into the past in the dinosaur hall, discover the outer reaches of the universe in Shafran Planetarium, and experience natural wonders and creature features in the Perkins Wildlife Center. Children can experience hands-on learning in Smead Discovery Center, where the motto is “please touch!”
cmnh.org
Great Lakes Science Center
Science, technology, engineering and math come alive and encourage all ages to “stay curious.” In addition to special traveling exhibitions and hundreds of hands-on exhibits, GLSC is home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, the Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater, the historic Steamship William G. Mather, the Cleveland Creates Zone, and the kid-focused Polymer Funhouse.
greatscience.com