Places to visit in Cleveland within a day (Lorain, Mentor: chapel, mattresses)

[spalam01]

I am planning to travel from Pittsburgh, PA to Cleveland, OH with my two kids and my wife.

Please advise what would be good memorable attractions in Cleveland, OH that can be covered in a day.

[216facts]

My suggestions, somewhat dependent on the age of your kids:
1. University Circle has the following, all within easy walking distance:
* Cleveland Museum of Art, its free, and a very large, diverse collection. Its a must see.
* Cleveland Botanical garden, there is charge, it has an indoor rainforest, outdoor garden with treehouses, worth the visit
* Cleveland Museum of Natural History, there is a charge, good indoor and outdoor exhibits, worth 2-3 hours at least
* Western Reserve Historical museum, there is a charge, old cars, some airplanes, other historical, merry-go-round,
* Cleveland Museum of Modern Art, there is a charge, small venue but a very cool building and normally good artwork
* Little Italy, even though all of the museums have cafeterias, you might consider a restaurant here.
* Lakeview Cemetery, next to Little Italy, its within walking distance but I strongly suggest a drive since it is so large, it is free, plenty to see here: gardens, Presidential monument, chapel, lakes, large trees, very picturesqe and relaxing

2. Downtown has the following, all within easy walking distance, you can also take the free trolleys (you have to smile to get on, and they are fun)
* Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
* Great Lakes Science Center
* USS COD submarine, tour the submarine, requires some ability to climb ladders through small spaces, kids generally love it
* Steamship Mather museum, tour a lake freighter, pretty cool, kids love it
* E. 4th street for eats, but there are plenty of other areas to find food too
* E. 9th Street pier (just behind the Rock and Roll HOF) there is a little park, some restaurants, the option to take a lake tour on the Goodtime III

3. Ohio City at W. 25th and Lorain
* Westside Market, kids and adults will both love this, great place to get some eats
* Several microbreweries and restaurants, suggest google maps. Kid friendly places would include Hansa House and Great Lakes Brewing Co.
* The bubble project for glass blowing, its small but you can usually get space to observe the glassblowing and it is free, unless you buy some of the glass artwork

All of these places are connected with the red line if you want to take the train between UC, downtown, and OC. If you're coming on a weekend, parking shoudl not be a problem. Have fun.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by spalam01

I am planning to travel from Pittsburgh, PA to Cleveland, OH with my two kids and my wife.

Please advise what would be good memorable attractions in Cleveland, OH that can be covered in a day.

With kids, the U.S.S. Cod would be at the top my suggestions. Was just there today, and both boys and girls, elementary age from my observations, seemed to be enjoying it immensely. They even let kids try out the vinyl mattresses that aren't dressed with blankets, etc. What makes it so authentic is that visitors enter and exit using the original hatches and ladders. Naturally, kids especially enjoy manning the deck gun, which they can rotate (great ball bearings). Don't miss it.

Cleveland kids love a visit to the West Side Market, with a visit afterwards to Mitchell's Ice Cream, just north of the market. Nate's Deli, also just north of the market on West 25th, is a great place for lunch.

http://travelingseouls.com/cleveland...national-park/

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has some unique attractions -- especially the Rain Forest and African Elephant Crossing. Kids also enjoy the wolf exhibit and the viewing windows at the veterinary hospital. When you first arrive, ask for direction to the reception area, and they'll call the hospital to check the schedule for any procedures that you may be able to observe on your day of visit. I would skip the zoo on a very hot day. It's big, one of the 20 best in the country according to USA Today, and, of course, animals are less active on a hot day; visit early in the day.

If visiting on a weekend, the Terminal Tower observation deck is impressive.

The Cleveland Museum of Art is superb and has free admission. Kids seem to especially enjoy the unique Gallery One, with its great interactive digital attractions; the armor and weapons gallery; the Egyptian gallery; and the Asian galleries, among the very best in the U.S., with many statues and three-dimensional works of art.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...o.html#REVIEWS

Attractions a short walk from the CMA include the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, the Dittrick Medical History Center (perhaps better for older children), and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Overall, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History isn't as good as the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, but it has a great Ohio wildlife center.

http://artsci.case.edu/dittrick/muse...it-the-museum/

https://www.cmnh.org/perkins

Kids often enjoy the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.

http://www.cbgarden.org/kids.aspx

http://www.cbgarden.org/come-visit/t...lasshouse.aspx

http://www.cbgarden.org/come-visit/c...n-gardens.aspx

http://www.cbgarden.org/

Consider RTA day passes. The Healthline bus rapid offers great transportation between downtown and University Circle. You also can take it to Lake View Cemetery, where there is a long, uphill hike to the Garfield Monument, the largest Presidential tomb and extremely impressive. You might want to drive there. To the left of the Garfield Monument is a very white obelisk. It marks the burial site of John D. Rockefeller, arguably the wealthiest man in American history. The Wade Chapel also is impressive.

I also would consider visiting Kirtland for the Holden Arboretum, the Kirtland Temple, and, especially for younger kids, the Lake Metroparks Farm Park, one of the best in the U.S. The Penitentiary Glen Reservation of the Lake Metroparks also has a great wildlife area.

Canopy Walk & Emergent Tower | The Holden Arboretum

Buckeye Bud’s Adventure Woods and the Habitat Hut | The Holden Arboretum

Children Exploring The Pond with a Discovery Pack

Holden is one of the nation's best arboretums, but also features National Natural Landmarks, such as Bole Woods.

Visiting the Natural Areas | The Holden Arboretum

After Kirtland, you could dine at the Melt Bar & Grill in Mentor, or have a picnic at Mentor Headlands Beach State Park (younger kids might more enjoy Fairport Harbor Beach which has a breakwall that knocks down the waves.

Check out this thread (the first few posts have inaccurate links that are corrected in later posts).

http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...ctivities.html

Other very good kid attractions would include the Steamship Mather, one of the nation's very best ASME mechanical engineering landmarks; a Goodtime III cruise that goes out on the lake. An alternative to the Goodtime III tours of the Cuyahoga River are offered by the Cleveland Metroparks water taxi.

https://clevelandmetroparks.com/park...ion/water-taxi

The Arcade is one of the most impressive historical buildings in the U.S. Visitors also enjoy the Fifth Street Arcades (where Barrio is a good kid dining option) and Heinen's in the Cleveland Trust Rotunda.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...land_Ohio.html

Cinema on the Square also is special for kids, and a bargain, on weekends. The beautifully restored Connor Palace is one of the nation's great, surviving movie palaces.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/artic...-on-the-square

http://www.playhousesquare.org/event...charlottes-web

http://www.playhousesquare.org/event...-at-the-square

Here's another attraction to consider, especially with a daughter.

http://iwasm.org/wp-blog/history-2/

[teacherdad]

RTA One Day Pass! That's what I'd do and have done. Above suggestions should have covered a day's worth. HAHA

[BuckeyeYup]

I would avoid the rock and roll hall of fame (lame in my opinion, lived here 15 years and never been - most locals I know haven't been either).

West side market is a top tier spot - and could be combined with any of the other 'cool areas' east or west side on a day trip.. Depending on what you're wanting - but I'd see University Circle probably being a safe bet for a bulk of the day...