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 to visit with your family” category.
Click here to view winners and finalists in all 30 categories.
Winner: Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Located in University Circle, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History inspires visitors to engage with science and nature. With more than 5 million artifacts and specimens—including visitor favorites such as Siberian Husky sled dog Balto, a real moon rock, and the fierce prehistoric fish Dunkleosteus terrelli—the museum offers plenty for families to discover. This summer, explore the special exhibit “100 Years of Discovery,” chat with scientists in the Current Science gallery, or step outside into the wildlife center to meet native Ohio animals. 1 Wade Oval Dr., Cleveland, 216-231-4600 cmnh.org,
Finalists:
Children’s Museum of Cleveland
With different stations to choose from, children can enter a world of water and wonder in “Wonder Lab,” the industrial science laboratory, or become a resident of “Adventure City,” the museum’s largest exhibit space that invites children to shop in the market or work at the construction site. Illuminated by bright lights and vibrant yellow walls, the “Arts & Parts” art studio allows children to work with various supplies, tools and materials to create anything they can imagine.
3813 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-791-7114, cmcleveland.org
Cleveland Museum of Art
Located in the Wade Park District, the Cleveland Museum of Art is internationally renowned for its extravagant and significant holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, with Egyptian antiquities the first works of art acquired by the museum in 1913, even before there was a building to house them. The museum is home to more than 61,000 works of art from around the world and has nearly 800,000 visitors annually.
11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org
Great Lakes Science Center
Located at North Coast Harbor in Downtown Cleveland, the Great Lakes Science Center features hundreds of hands-on exhibits that bring science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to life. The Science Center is home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center.The BioMedTech Gallery is dedicated to biomedical technology and engineering, with exhibits focusing on genomics, stem cells, prosthetics, functional electrical stimulation (FES), and medical imaging. The museum also features the Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater which boasts a six-story-high domed movie screen. The Science Center also features daily science demonstrations, seasonal camps, and the historic Steamship William G. Mather. 601 Erieside Ave., 216-694-2000, greatscience.com