While it’s often known as the birthplace of rock and roll, the Forest City’s range of historical museums, science centers, adventurous activities, sports, and more will be music to your family’s ears.
Driving distance: 5 hours, 45 minutes
Stay here: The Kimpton Schofield
Housed in a circa-1902 building and located minutes from nearby attractions (both on foot and by car), this 122-room boutique hotel is everything you love about the Kimpton brand. The punchy decor was inspired by Cleveland’s history—vintage matchbooks were turned into custom prints for each room in honor of Northeast Ohio’s Barber Match Co., and the carpets are outfitted with argyle and sock-monkey designs in a nod to the city’s garment-manufacturing past. Through May, you can stay in a super-cool Van Gogh suite that surrounds you in the Dutch master’s artwork, tied to the immersive exhibit that’s recently been in town. Kids can roll around town on complimentary Micro Kickboard scooters in two sizes—mini for ages 2 to 5, and maxi for ages 6 to 12—with helmets provided. For the adults: custom Kimpton bikes. Feeling like a little night music? Rent a hotel guitar to create a family rock band in your room. And the onsite all-day restaurant, Betts, serves healthful, creative food for adults (vegan, dairy- and gluten-free, and keto-friendly choices), a kids’ menu, and grab-and-go options so you can hurry up and hit the town. From $164 per night, 2000 E. Ninth St.
Day 1
MORNING: Sure, you could spend the day at Cedar Point amusement park—it’s about an hour away, boasts 17 roller coasters and three areas for families, and opens for the season in May—but we suggest you stick to the city. Linger over breakfast at Betts (try the carrot cake oatmeal or the A.M. Power Bowl with pumpkin-seed granola), and then hop on your bikes and scooters for a 12-minute ride over to the Public Square. The park has 10 gardens, 6.5 acres of walkable green space, art installations, and food trucks (on Tuesdays beginning in May), and serves as a hub for various events; theatrical performances in the summer are showstoppers.
AFTERNOON: Create your own lunch adventure from the 100 vendors at West Side Market, Cleveland’s most famous public grocer. Snack on brats from Frank’s (a family-owned spot since the 1970s), pizza bagels (yep, even gluten-free iterations are available), gyros (Steve’s has appeared on the Food Network), Cambodian sticky rice, and crêpes. Then head to the nearby Great Lakes Science Center to learn more about the world around us—and beyond. The museum is home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center: Don a space suit and look inside the 1973 Apollo command module. Watch curiosity spark when your kids create lightning with the plasma ball. (And an infant area helps your littlest one develop early motor skills.) Of course, a visit to Cleveland must include a stop at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a five-minute walk from the Science Center. Learn about every inductee—from Buddy Holly in 1986 to Foo Fighters in 2021. Get an up-close look at outfits your favorite musicians actually performed in, plus a replica of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and tap into your inner entertainer by creating your own signature sound with real guitars and drums in the Garage.
EVENING: Historic Little Italy has ample choices for family dinner. Guarino’s, which was established in 1918 and is the oldest restaurant in the city, dishes out the classics (manicotti, lasagna), clipping basil from its own patio garden in the summer. A newer addition is High & Low Winery + Bistro, with housemade sips and a Mediterranean-influenced menu. But if the kiddos want a piece of pizza, try Mama Santa’s, a beloved spot for Sicilian slices for 50 years now.
Day 2
MORNING: Pick up crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside hand-rolled bagels at Cleveland Bagel Co. in Midtown on your way to the Museum of Natural History—the plain is just as tasty as the cinnamon cranberry, and the delightful schmears and sammies kick things up a notch. Prepare to spend about two hours at the museum. Its interactive 300-item exhibit, 100 Years of Discovery, runs through July and takes you on a journey through the destination’s founding in 1920. Lead a dog sled and mush through the snowy climes of Alaska. (Famed pup Balto has a Cleveland connection.) And you won’t want to miss the dinosaur exhibit. Look out for Happy, the only known adult of the late-Jurassic sauropod complete enough to showcase in full.
AFTERNOON: Spend some time in the sun with some suds at Outpost, the first Cleveland location from Scotland’s BrewDog chain. Opened in December, the 10,000-square-foot industrial-style restaurant and bar situated on the Cuyahoga River has a large outdoor patio with a kids’ play area, puppy park, firepits, and indoor games (think shuffleboard). There are 28 beers on tap (from BrewDog and regional breweries, such as Terrestrial) and a menu of wings, burgers, tacos, and a Hoppy Meal for kids and adults complete with a juice or beer ice lolly for dessert.
EVENING: Catch a sunset Cleveland Guardians game at Progressive Field. The newly renamed team nods to the Guardians of Traffic statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge leading to the stadium. For dinner: classic ballpark hot dogs, natch.
Day 3
MORNING: After getting your fill of craveworthy egg sammies at the new Martha on the Fly micro-diner (it formerly operated as a pop-up), trek over to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Have a wild time with 2,000 animals across 400 species, including the first baby gorilla born (in October) at the destination in its 139-year history. Some 10,000 plants and 600 animals inhabit the 2-acre, two-level rainforest. Go Down Under with koalas, kangaroos, and wombats, and watch graceful giraffes. And for a thrill? You can now zip-line over Waterfowl Lake on a 700-foot ride.
AFTERNOON: On your way out of town, stop at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, where the interactive exhibits will have your kids walking in the footsteps of giants (and dreaming of their game-day touchdown). Take a discerning look at a real-life game ruling in the newish instant-replay exhibit. (Was his foot really out of bounds? You make the call.) Throw replica footballs, which are made about two hours away in Ada. Play a game of Madden (view the late icon’s bronze bust in the Gallery) and see holographic representations of the legends in the Game for Life theater.
Feature image by Aerial Agents, courtesy Destination Cleveland
This story originally ran in our March issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
