Columbus Parent Magazine

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum's exhibits are designed to provide visitors with a unique, interactive experience. The collection of artifacts and costumes is combined with state-of-the-art technology and innovative film and video. The exhibits take visitors on a fast-paced journey through the history of rock and roll music, from one-hit wonders to legendary inductees. The museum hosts a variety of education and public programs, including year-round concerts and education programs for everyone from toddlers to college students.

www.rockhall.com.

Progressive Field (formerly Jacobs Field) is a world-class facility that was created expressly for baseball, and specifically for the Cleveland Indians. This urban ballpark and Cleveland landmark offers a fan-friendly facility within an intimate environment. The seats down both sides of the field are angled toward home plate so fans don't need to turn their heads to watch the game, and an area behind first base, designated Kidsland, has special concessions and features.

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com.

Savor Cleveland's rich history through its ethnic foods while shopping for groceriesby taking a trip to the West Side Market. Since 1913, this center of lively conversations spoken in a wide array of dialects has become a tradition for generations of Cleveland families, and a must-see for visitors.

www.westsidemarket.com.

Opening for the season in May, the William G. Mather is a retired Great Lakes bulk freighter. She was built in Detroit by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, River Rouge, Michigan, in 1925 as the flagship for the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. On December 10, 1987, Cleveland-Cliffs donated the steamer Mather to the Great Lakes Historical Society to be restored and preserved as a museum ship and floating maritime museum. Over $1,200,000 and 50,000 volunteer hours later, the Steamship William G. Mather Museum opened to the public as northeast Ohio's only floating maritime museum. For this achievement, the Mather received Northern Ohio Live's community event award in 1991. Summer events include the Rock & Boom on Independence Day, and the hosting of the Cleveland National Air Show, Aug. 30-Sept. 1.

http://wgmather.nhlink.net/wgmhome.html.

Just a short drive from Cleveland to Sandusky is the roller coaster capital of the world Cedar Point. And if it's raining when you go, take in their indoor waterpark, Castaway Bay. Either way, the kids are entertained and parents can relive their childhood.

www.cedarpoint.com.

4101 Fulton Pkwy., Cleveland, OH 44144

(216) 635-3200

www.clemetparks.com

Cleveland's Emerald Necklace of parklands

Station is in the Powerhouse at Nautica Entertainment Complex off Elm Street and Winslow Ave. on the Flats' West Bank. (216) 771-4484 or (800) 848-0173

www.lollytrolley.com

See the sights of Cleveland as you take ride aboard Lolly the Trolley. This one-hour narrated tour includes North Coast Harbor, Downtown Cleveland, University Circle, Ohio City, the Warehouse and Historic Gateway Districts and other points of interest. Tours vary by season. Visit the web site for a complete schedule.

8501 Stearns Rd., Olmsted Township, OH

(440) 235-4420

www.swings-n-things.com

Ride the go-karts, play in the bumper boats, hit a home run at the batting cages or get a hole-in-one at the mini-golf course.

11030 East Blvd., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 (216) 721-1600

www.cbgarden.org

Glasshouse includes the dry heat of Madagascar's spiny desert and the lush cloud forest of Costa Rica. Check out the outdoor Hershey Children's Garden.

1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44113

(800) 317-9155

www.cmnh.org

Explore permanent and traveling exhibits, the planetarium and observatory.

3319 Milan Rd. Route 250, Sandusky, OH

(419) 626-4467

www.ghostlymanor.com

If you're looking for thrills, you'll find them here! Four attractions, including the Ghostly Manor Haunted Mansion, XD 3D Theater, Skateword and the Ghostly Gifts store, are sure to please all every one of your little goblins.

Great Lakes Science Center

601 Erieside Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114

(216) 694-2000

www.glsc.org

Chocolate will immerse you in a sweet experience, engage all your senses and reveal facets of chocolate you've never thought of. Explore the plant, products, history and culture of chocolate from a scientific and cultural point of view. Highlights include a replica of a cacao tree in the tropical rainforest, the history of how chocolate first met sugar, an examination of how the Industrial Revolution and advertising brought chocolate to the masses and a look at the myths and realities of chocolate today.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, OH 44109

5/22/08 - 9/28/08

(216) 661-6500

www.clemetzoo.com

TOUCH! allows visitors to reach into an 11,000-gallon saltwater pool and feel the smooth skin of small sharks and stingrays, which have their barbs carefully removed to ensure a safe, fun experience for all ages. Dozens of cow nose rays, southern red stingrays and bamboo sharks swim right up to you, and some participants may get a chance to feed the aquatic animals, too.

Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University

2000 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115 (216) 687-9292

www.csuohio.edu/wolsteincenter/EVENTS.html

2008 represents the 38th anniversary season of the Lipizzaner Stallions. All new music, choreography and routines have been incorporated in this anniversary edition, with a major emphasis on the historical background and foundation of the Lipizzaner breed: from its original breeding and use as a horse of war to a horse of nobility and aristocracy to a living form of equestrian art. The show emulates the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, in its presentation of Lipizzans, and maintains a traditional as well as entertaining performance similar in many ways to what you would see at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.

1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115

Run dates: 7/25/08 - 7/27/08 (216) 241-6000

www.ingenuitycleveland.com

The Ingenuity Festival returns with a three-day celebration of art and technology, designed for audiences of any age, and staged in the center of downtown Cleveland. The Ingenuity concept pushes boundaries and fosters collaboration between art-based and technology-based initiatives, creating a unique urban festival that entertains, educates, advocates, and celebrates. Internationally recognized masters present original works alongside the finest of Northeast Ohio's performing and visual artists, and high technology firms and major colleges and universities are paired with prominent artists to create exciting and immersive new multimedia work.