Best Museums In Cleveland

May 28, 2011 8:59 PM

Credit: http://www.wrhs.org/index.php/crawford

From the history buff to the family on vacation, Cleveland will not disappoint when it comes to museums. These four are some of the best the city has to offer. – Kurt D. Moore

childrensmuseum cleveland Best Museums In Cleveland

Credit: http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org

Children’s Museum of Cleveland

10730 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 791-7114
www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org

The Children’s Museum of Cleveland is all about letting children birth through 8, as its website states, “discover the world and learn through play.” The museum has permanent exhibits such as Splish! Splash!, which focuses on water transportation. Bridges to the Community allows children to take part in “adult” life. Other exhibits are changed out every few months. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $7 for both adults and children, while children under 1 year old get in free.

westernreservehistorical Best Museums In Cleveland

Credit: http://www.wrhs.org/index.php/crawford

Crawford Auto Aviation Museum

10825 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 721-5722
www.wrhs.org/index.php/crawford

The Crawford Auto Aviation Museum lets visitors encounter the history of land and air transportation, with its collections on automobiles, aircraft, bicycles, motorcycles and spacecraft. The Crawford Auto Aviation Museum also houses a large collection of early Cleveland-made autos. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for senior citizens, $5 for children 17 and under and $6.50 for veterans. Active military are admitted for half off general admission. Children 2 and under are admitted for free. Parking is $5.

naturalhistorymuseum Best Museums In Cleveland

Credit: http://www.cmnh.org

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

1 Wade Oval Drive University Circle
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 231-4600
www.cmnh.org/site/Index.aspx

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History houses more than 5 million artifacts and specimens. Its exhibits range from dinosaur bones and fossils to a planetarium that teaches children and adults about the galaxy. Within the museum’s walls is the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection, considered the largest, most researched collection of modern human and non-human primate skeletons in the world. The attached Perkins Wildlife Center and Woods Garden is a 2.2-acre outdoor gallery filled with Ohio’s native animals and plants. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Cost is $10 for adults, $8 for children 8 through 18 and college students with an ID, $8 for senior citizens, $7 for children 3 through 6 and patrons in a wheelchair, and free for toddlers.

nasavisitorcenter Best Museums In Cleveland

Credit: http://www.glsc.org

NASA Glenn Visitor Center

Great Lakes Science Center
601 Erieside Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 694-2000
www.glsc.org/nasa/index.php

The NASA Glenn Visitor Center, which features more than 50 exhibits and artifacts, is the new home for exhibits previously located at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The visitor center includes the actual Skylab 3 Command Module. Other features include a spacesuit worn by astronaut Paul Weitz during his 1973 spacewalk. Families will enjoy activities such as NASA flight simulators. General admission for the Great Lakes Science Center is $9.95 for adults, $8.95 for college students and senior citizens, and $7.95 for children 2 through 18. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.