Let’s plan a “Staycation” in Northeast Ohio!
Maybe a vacation isn’t in the cards this summer. Or maybe you’re looking for something to do with the kids this summer while they’re off school. I’m so excited to share this resource with you! Here are a bunch of activities to do with your family this summer. Many of them are free, and many more are frugal. For the ones that are a little more expensive, I tried to add a few tips about how to save.
No matter what you do, planning your summer fun close to home will save on gas and lodging. You can also pack your own food so you don’t pay big bucks at an attraction or restaurant. A good mixture of educational, active, and just plain fun activities will fight off the summer blahs.
Did I miss one of your favorite activities? Please leave a comment for us, and I’ll update the list! I hope you find this to be a useful planning resource as we head into summer. Let us know your favorites!
Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse: One G or PG-rated movie each week throughout the summer–See 10 movies for $5 with a punch card, or $1 per week individually. Check your local Cinemark’s participation HERE
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program: Kids read 8 books from the Reading Journal, record their reading, and submit their completed form to a Barnes & Noble store to receive a FREE book!
Kids Bowl Free: Register your kids in advance to qualify for two FREE games per child per day! Check out the discounted family pass so adults can bowl too – it’s a great deal! Get more details HERE.
Akron Zoo: Come face to face with over 700 animals. Adults $11, Seniors $9 and Children (2-14) $8. Parking for non-members is $3 per vehicle. If you can round up a group of 15+, group rates are $5 per student and $8 per adult, plus a free adult ticket for every 5 students when purchased two or more weeks in advance, or $6 per student and $9 per adult up to the day of your visit.
Take me out to the Ballgame! Lots of deals are available for our NE Ohio Ball teams. Cheer on the Cleveland Indians, Akron RubberDucks, Akron Racers (pro softball), Lake County Captains, or Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Look for bonuses like freebie giveaways, fireworks nights, kids’ activities, “Dollar Dog” nights and more. Kids can run the bases (for free!) after most Sunday afternoon Cleveland Indians games, and the Akron RubberDucks have tons of promos for family fun.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Greater Cleveland residents (those with 440, 441, 442 or 443 zip codes with ID) receive a discount admission of $18 (reg. $22). Seniors/military: $17, Children ages 9-12: $13, Children 8 and under: FREE
Great Lakes Science Center: Tons of fun and educational science exhibits the whole family will enjoy. General admission $14 for adults, $12 youth 2-13. Omnimax movie and the William G Mather Steamship are additional costs. $1 discounts for seniors and students with a valid ID. Bank of America cardholders get one FREE admission the first Saturday of each month.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo: Non-holiday Mondays are FREE for residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township. Regular admission is $13.25 for ages 12+ and $9.25 for ages 3-11.
Greater Cleveland Aquarium: Located in the historic First Energy Powerhouse, this aquarium is home to many native Ohio species, as well as sea creatures from around the world. Admission: $19.95, Children $13.95, Seniors $17.75. Military discount saves $2 for adults & children.
Cleveland Botanical Garden: FREE Daily Activities in the Hershey Children’s Garden with paid admission to the Garden. Regular admission for Adults is $11, Children (ages 3-12) is $6 and FREE for under 3.
Tuscora Park: Family Fun at a Great Price. All Rides 75¢ each, Book of 10 Ride Tickets $7, Miniature Golf $1.50 per person, Batting Cages $1 for 20 balls, All-Day Pool Pass $4 Adult and $2 Student. FREE Bocce Courts, Tennis Courts, Community Walking Track, Baseball Field and Evening Summer Showcase of Musical Entertainment.
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad: The Bike Aboard! program offers $3 train rides back to your starting point to cyclists along the Towpath Trail–just flag down the train. All day train rides through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park with the option to hop off and explore Akron or Peninsula: Prices vary, but are reasonable! Also watch for special deals from trains departing from the Canton Lincoln Highway station in June, July and August.
Beeck Creek Gardens: (Near Alliance) FREE Admission to Visitor Center, Amazing Garden with educational displays and model train, and hiking trails. Admission to Butterfly House $3 per person (ages 3+). Butterfly Garden opens June 22, other exhibits open year-round. Lots of special events throughout the summer, too–this is one of our family’s favorite places to go!
Uhrichsville Water Park: City-run water park in the town of Uhrichsville featuring two 2-story water slides, a heated pool, and a zero-depth entry kids’ play area. $6 for ages 3-17, $9 for over 17, $5 for seniors, FREE for ages 2 and under. Punch cards available with 13 passes for the price of 10.
Canton Palace Theatre Summer Kids’ Movies: Mondays at 1:00 starting June 16, $1 admission per person. G and PG-rated family films.
Canton First Friday: Downtown Canton, the First Friday of every month. Includes free craft projects for the kids, live music, other live performance art, street art, free family movie at the Canton Palace Theatre and more. All FREE!
Italian American Festival: Stark County Fairgrounds, Canton, July 9 – 11. $5 per person (Over 62 and Under 3 – FREE). Admission includes ALL entertainment, amusement rides and parking.
Massilon Recreation Center A fun indoor aquatics area features include water slide, children’s water play are, lap pool and lazy river. In the past, day passes have been discounted on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festivities: FREE activities include the Balloon Classic/Jackson-Belden Food Fest & Fireworks (July 31-August 2 at KSU Stark/Stark State Campuses), Community Parade July 26, First Play 2015 August 6, and the Grand Parade August 8.
Pro Football Hall of Fame: Admission $23 for adults, $19 for seniors, $16 ages 6-12, FREE for ages 5 & under
Geauga Lake Wildwater Kingdom: Look for coupons, or check on discount tickets at AAA. Admission $25.99 (online) over 48″, $15.99 under 48″ or over age 62, 2 & under FREE. Groups of 15+, $21.50 over 48″, $15.99 under 48″ or over age 62.
Akron Fossils & Science Center: See fossils and other natural wonders, along with a fun kids’ play area. Admission includes a guided tour of the museum, one zip line ride, and one round of mini golf. Adults $10, Children $8, 2 & under FREE, Max. family admission $40. Pastors and Teachers get in FREE every Friday
William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum: Climb the steps of the monument for FREE, enjoy science and history exhibits and a planetarium show inside the museum at a reasonable price. Look for B1G1 Free coupons in the Entertainment book, Admission $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for children 3-18.
National First Ladies’ Library: Take a walk through history with artifacts telling the stories of our country’s first ladies. Guided tours are available Tuesdays-Saturdays. Admission $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $5 for children under 18.
Other Great Ideas for Free and Frugal Summer Fun:
Local Libraries: Check out summer reading programs for kids. Tons of activities, incentives for reading, special story times, and more. One of my absolute favorite FREE summer fun activities!
Local Park Systems: The Cleveland Metroparks, Summit Metroparks, Stark Parks, The Wilderness Center, and many other smaller nature areas offer hiking trails, educational programs, special kids’ activities, and more, and most activities are FREE. There are so many great places in Northeast Ohio to enjoy the great outdoors, and have fun learning something while you’re at it!
National Parks and Monuments: Let the kids earn a badge in the FREE Junior Ranger Program at most national parks, monuments, or historical sites. Learn more about visiting National Parks with Kids HERE.
Local Farms: Sara and I both love picking fruits and veggies at local Pick-Your-Own farms. You can usually get a great bargain on produce, and it couldn’t be more fresh. Kids love seeing where their food comes from, and they’re more likely to eat something they’ve helped pick. Always a fun family outing!
Daily Deal Sites: Keep an eye on Groupon, Living Social, and Amazon Local to get discount vouchers for local activities.
What are your best “Stay-cation” ideas for frugal or free family fun in Northeast Ohio? We’d love to hear about them and share them with the rest of the Sister and Mister community, so let us know in the comments or on Facebook!
If you’re not a local Sister or Mister, don’t forget to check out our Nationwide Staycation List, with similar resources from bloggers around the country!
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