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MuseumsFamily FavoriteRainy-Day Pick

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

1 Wade Oval Dr · Cleveland, OH

Why you should go…

Home to Ohio's best dinosaur skeletons, a dazzling gem vault, and research that discovered the famous 3.2-million-year-old hominid Lucy, this University Circle anchor emerged from a top-to-bottom renovation as one of the most modern natural history museums in the country. Outdoor wildlife habitats feature rescued otters, bobcats, and raptors. Great with kids, genuinely fascinating without them.

  • #dinosaurs
  • #natural history
  • #University Circle
  • #kids

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Cleveland Museum of Natural History, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Family favorite

    Cleveland History Center

    Under $25

    Ride the restored 1910 Euclid Beach carousel, browse the Crawford's classic cars and planes, and tour a Gilded Age mansion, all one ticket.

    Right next doorMore like this

  • Museums
    Iconic

    Cleveland Museum of Art

    Free

    A world-class art collection, from Monet to medieval armor, and general admission is always free.

    Steps awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Date Night

    Cleveland Botanical Garden

    Under $25

    Ten acres of themed gardens plus a glasshouse with a Costa Rican rainforest and free-flying butterflies.

    0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    Severance Music Center

    $25–$50

    Hear the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra in its opulent 1931 Art Deco-meets-classical concert hall in University Circle.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Museums
    Free for Ohio residents

    Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa)

    Under $25

    Always-changing contemporary art in a mirrored black gem of a building at the gateway to Uptown and University Circle, free for Ohio residents.

    0.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Lake View Cemetery

    Free

    A stunning 285-acre 'outdoor museum', President Garfield's soaring memorial, Rockefeller's grave, and a Tiffany chapel.

    1.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing