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Well, to keep things simple, the Cleveland Zoo is something of a constantly changing environment....
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Well, to keep things simple, the Cleveland Zoo is something of a constantly changing environment. Similar to what wild animals experience. Part of the Cleveland Metroparks system, a gigantic series of parks that stretch throughout Cuyahoga County and neighboring counties in Ohio, this reserved space of land for both foreign and native wildlife has a little bit of something for everyone. For the herpeotologist, the avian lover, or just the kiddies that like to laugh at the hippos, this zoo has pretty much everything. With the special programs that it has every year, there is guaranteed to be something that everyone likes.
Well for starters, the admission is reasonable and the entire setup of the zoo is great. I warn you, bring lots of sunblock and comfortable shoes! If ytou want your exercise, this is one place to do it, considering the hill to the "Apes, Aquarium, and Cats" is roughly a mile long and a pretty good angle. Unless you want to laze out and take the train up there. (CHEATER!) The zoo offers a pretty good variety of animals, and plenty of things for the kids. Little boxes around the zoo are let kids put in a "ZooPass" for information about a specific animal, or commentary from the keeper. The ZooPass costs extra, but is good all year long. Plus the kiddies feel special, and wont throw things at the more open exhibits (although I won't mention what my landlord did with a slinky to the Flamingoes at the entrance).
To survive this day, make sure you bring a wagon or something similar for the kids. They will be tired as this zoo is a lot of walking, even for the most devout of walkers. Water or Kool-Aid is must! The zoo is relaxed on bringing beverages with you, as long as they are not in a glass container. I usually make a big jug of Kool-Aid and bring some plastic cups along. Whenever I am hiking that hill to the Ape building, I cannot tell you how nice it is to take a break to a refreshing cup of something to drink. Also, bring a hat and some sunglasses. Sunblock is one of those no-brainer bits, even though some of the exhibits are inside, the walk to get to them is outside!
The only thing about this zoo I WOULD NOT recommend would be the Rain Forest. It is a separate building that is humid, has free-flying birds, and is basically a bad mock-up of a South American rain forest. The animal collection stinks. If anything, I would only recommend the rainforest to take wedding photos in front of the waterfall in the beginning.
Overall, this zoo is a day worth of fun. Mondays have always had free admission (for Cuyahoga County residents), and anytime of year is good to go, although I prefer spring or close to fall. If you need a break with another species, check this place out!
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My husband and I visited this place this past summer. It has amazing gardens, built after famous...
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My husband and I visited this place this past summer. It has amazing gardens, built after famous architects and landscapers. The Japanese Garden was my favorite one. The gift shop has a great array of items, and I bought some wonderful pastry plates shaped as a flower, which have been a hit with all of my friends.
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This is a neat planetarium to learn about astrology. They have booklets with the constellation...
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This is a neat planetarium to learn about astrology. They have booklets with the constellation and a history of each one (what Native Americans believed them to symbolize) so you can point them out in the observatory and learn about each one. Their movie about stars was too scientific and a bit too boring for me, so I recommend skipping that portion. Otherwise, this is a great alternative to seeing the stars, since Columbus tends too have too many lights to see the real ones.
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The Historical Society is a fantastic place to step inside and take in all of the history they...
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The Historical Society is a fantastic place to step inside and take in all of the history they have there. I've spent many a day there culling the manuscripts, books, microfiche, genealogy films and more. The staff there will help you get started tracing your family and get you on your way. It's much easier to buy the membership so you can go as often as you'd like - and believe me, you'll like to go once you've been there.
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My family and I really enjoy the West Side Market and the Cafe. The cafe has great food for the...
More 2 years ago
My family and I really enjoy the West Side Market and the Cafe. The cafe has great food for the prices. Most of the food, at least the breakfasts, are cheaper than if I made them at home-without the labor! We love the food, the prices, and the atmosphere. Visiting the cafe and market has become one of our favorite weekend escapades.
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The Mather is docked downtown and we thought we'd take the children down to go inside.
Once...
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The Mather is docked downtown and we thought we'd take the children down to go inside.
Once inside you find that some of the stairs are not very wide but it's quite fascinating to see how and where they slept, and moved on the ship. You can also go up and 'steer' the ship if you'd like.
Doesn't take long to walk thru it and it's something your children will remember.
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Who doesn't remember coming here on a school field trip and being completely horrified by the...
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Who doesn't remember coming here on a school field trip and being completely horrified by the giant revolving brain? Just thinking of it again makes me shudder, how we had to walk through it to discover its inner workings. Such an impact this had on my youth -- and I highly recommend a trip to the recently remodeled Health Museum to anyone who hasn't been there since grade 2. Great reproductive-organ display and a very good eyes-nose-throat area, as well.
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