Just because the temperatures plummet in the winter doesn’t mean the fun has to! Here is a list of some awesome kid-friendly indoor destinations to visit in NW Ohio and SE Michigan that will allow the adventures to continue no matter the temperature outside!
Jungle Junction
Phone: 419.484.5532
Address: 110 Cherry Blvd. Bellevue, Ohio 44811
Website: http://www.junglejunctionplay.com/
The largest indoor play structure in Ohio! Jungle Junction is an AMAZING fun time for children ages 12 and under. Six levels of adventure with over 60 play features including slides, air cannons, obstacle courses, and interactive game panels keep kids entertained and challenged for hours. A dedicated toddler tumble zone with molded jungle friends for climbing, crawling and sliding the day away. Their controlled environment will keep you cool in the summer and warm when the weather turns cold and wet.
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm (Sensory Day- The first and third Wed. of each month. 10a-2p, no air cannons)
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday Noon – 7:00 pm
Closed Christmas Day & Closed New Year’s Day
DAILY ADMISSION: $6 (ages 2-12)
Parents and Caregivers are FREE!
Children 1 and under are FREE!
Don’t forget your socks!
Michigan Science Center
Phone: 313.577.8400
Address: 5020 John R Street Detroit, MI 48202
Website: http://www.mi-sci.org/
Explore hands-on exhibits, gaze at the stars, discover new worlds in our IMAX® theatre, and take part in live stage shows. As Michigan’s STEM Hub, we inspire curious minds of all ages.
General admission: $14/adult, $11/child 12 and under or senior citizen (60+).
Children under age two are free.
Check out the additional options/packages on their website. (General admission doesn’t include IMAX theatre)
Holiday Hours:
Dec. 19 and 20 Closed
Dec. 21, 22 and 23 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) Closed
Dec. 25 (Christmas) Closed
Dec. 26 – Dec. 30 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Dec. 31 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Jan. 1 Closed
Regular Hours:
Monday – Tuesday Closed
Wednesday – Friday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
The Mazza Museum
Phone: 419-434-5521
Address: Virginia B. Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion University of Findlay 1000 North Main St.
Findlay, OH 45840
Website: https://www.mazzamuseum.org/visit/
The Mazza Museum is the most diverse collection of original artwork by children’s book illustrators in the world. The museum’s goal is to promote literacy and enrich the lives of all people through the art of picture books.
“BOOKS TO FILM EXHIBIT”
Many children’s books have been made into films. Come see your favorite characters from movies in their original picture book form…or better yet take note of the books and read them before your see them on film.
“Patricia Polacco Exhibit”-The Keeping Quilt is one of our favorites….Come see why!
Admission: FREE
Museum Hours of Operation:
Wednesday-Friday: Noon – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 – 4 p.m.
University of Michigan Museum of Natural History
Phone: (734) 764-0478
Address: 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079
Website: http://lsa.umich.edu/ummnh/visiting/hours.html
With the largest display of dinosaurs in Michigan, the University Of Michigan Museum Of Natural History offers an array of educational programs and exhibits for families, students and adults. Exhibits include the Hall of Evolution, Michigan wildlife, anthropology, geology, and several changing exhibits.
Museum Hours: Monday-Saturday 9-5, Sunday 12-5
Closed: December 24, 25, 26, 31, 2016 and Jan. 1 & 2, 2017.
Admission: Free to individuals and groups of 10 or fewer. (Suggested donation is $6 per person)
IMAX
Phone: (734) 973-8424
Address: 4100 Carpenter Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Website: http://www.imax.com/theatres/ann-arbor-20-imax
Don’t just see a movie, experience it!! An immense explosion….A whisper heard over your shoulder. The rumbling bass you feel instead of hear. The combination of their perfectly tuned integrated sound system and precise speaker orientation ensures you can hear a pin drop and be able to tell exactly where it landed. Every note of the soundtrack and every scuff of a shoe are clearer in IMAX, with a complete overhaul of each movie’s audio overseen by the film’s director. All of this pristine sound is then pumped into a theatre that has been customized for an optimal experience. Clarity, detail and size make IMAX more than a movie. Two projectors run simultaneously to provide the perfect image with a balance of warmth and sharpness. IMAX draws you into something as close to reality as you have ever experienced!
For list of shows and times click on the website above….I do know, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story starts showing this week!
Wednesdays are the discount days…$10 for IMAX all day! (FYI: Kids concessions combo-drink, popcorn, fruit is $5.65)
Snook’s Dream Cars
Phone: 419-353-8338
Address: 13920 County Home Rd, Bowling Green, OH 43402-8670
Website: http://www.snooksdreamcars.com/
Snook’s Dream Cars displays the extensive collection of “long time car guy” Bill Snook (deceased) and operated by his son Jeff Snook. It features a recreated 1940s era Texaco gas station, a showroom of extensive automobile memorabilia and a car collection presented within period scenes ranging from a 1930s general store to a racetrack from the 1960s.The car collection, which features models from the 1930s to the 1960s, includes coupes, convertibles, sedans, roadsters and racecars, made by Cadillac, Ford, Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Packard, Kaiser, Willys, Jaguar, Triumph, MG and Lotus. The facility also houses a complete four-bay shop for maintaining collector cars.
HOURS:
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sat. & Sun: By appointment
ADMISSION:
Adults $6
Seniors $5
Children $4
Spangler Candy Factory Tours
Phone: 419.633.6439
Address: 400 N. Portland St., Bryan, OH 43506
Website: http://www.spanglercandy.com/about-us/tour-store-museum
Public tours of the factory are available on their Dum Dums Trolley Wednesday through Friday 10 am to 3:00 pm ET. There are no reservations. Tours are on a first come, first served basis. You may wish to call ahead for information. Store & Museum admission is free – tour prices are shown below.
Due to safety and FDA regulations, the trolley tour will not go through the main kitchen areas, but will go through the warehouse areas and their most recent addition, the Portland Street expansion. It is the 87th production expansion in company history and nearly 20,000 square feet in size. Visitors are able to see their palletization area and automatic case packers. Candy cooking and forming in the kitchen areas will be shown via a DVD player while on the trolley tour.
Hours: Fall/Winter/Spring: Wednesday thru Friday 10am – 3pm
Factory tour prices are: Adults $5, Children 6-18 years $3, Children 5 & Under Free with paid Adult, Seniors $4. Tours will not be offered on any day that is a holiday for the factory.
Imagination Station
Phone: (419) 244-2674
Address: 1 Discovery Way, Toledo, OH 43604
Website: http://www.imaginationstationtoledo.org/
CTY imagine22p Lynsey Garber, 10, a fifth grader at Ottawa River Elementary, rides the high wire bike at Imagination Station, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The Blade/Andy Morrison
Imagination Station, Toledo’s Science Center, is dedicated to making science, technology, engineering and mathematics fun and accessible. There are hundreds of interactive, hands-on exhibits that are fun and educational for the entire family. Whether you only have an hour or you have all day, there is plenty to see and do at Imagination Station. Come join us and explore everything that Imagination Station has to offer!
Operating Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: Noon – 5pm
Monday: CLOSED
Admission Prices:
Big Kids (13 – 64): $11
Kids (3 – 12): $9
Seniors (65+): $10
Children 2 & under: Free
Sky Zone
Phone: (419) 491-1194
Address: 1600 Albon Rd. Holland, OH 43528
Website: http://www.skyzone.com/Toledo
There is no age limit on jumpers; if you can walk you can jump. Destress and have a blast jumping and possibly even flipping in/on Sky Zone’s awesome trampoline courts. Simply sign the waiver, get your jump time, put on your Sky Zone Socks and reach for the sky! Enjoy full access to the park, including, the Main Court, Ultimate Dodgeball, SkySlam, the Foam Zone, etc. Sky Zone also offers food and beverages so you can recharge after all that jumping. If you wish to expedite your experience you can sign the waiver and get jump time in advance, so you can get kiddos on the courts ASAP!
Hours: Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays- Thursdays 4p.m.-8p.m. Fridays Noon-9p.m. (Glow Zone 9p.m.-11p.m.), Saturdays 10a.m.-10p.m., & Sundays Noon-8p.m.
PRICING 30 MINUTE JUMP PASS – $10, 60 MINUTE JUMP PASS – $15, 90 MINUTE JUMP PASS – $19, 120 MINUTE JUMP PASS – $22
Outdoor Adventure Center
Phone: 844-OAC-MDNR (844-622-6367)
Address: 1801 Atwater Street Detroit, MI 48207-4020
Website: http://www.michigan.gov/oac/
Experience exciting outdoor adventures with hands-on activities, exhibits and simulators — walk behind and touch a waterfall, step into a fishing boat and reel in a big fish, hit the trail on a mountain bike or snowmobile, and much more. At the OAC, you’ll learn about how the DNR manages state parks, forests, wildlife and fish as you climb the roots and explore the canopy of a massive bur oak tree, hop aboard a real airplane, and see what’s swimming in our aquarium.
Hours:
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday Noon – 5 p.m
Admission:
Adults (age 13-61) $5
Seniors (age 62 and older) $3
Children (ages 2-12) $3
Children under age 2 Free
National Museum of the Great Lakes
Address: 1701 Front Street Toledo, Ohio 43605
Hours: Tuesdays– Saturdays: 10a.m. – 5p.m., Sundays: Noon – 5p.m., Closed Mondays
Website: http://www.inlandseas.org/
Slug: CTY museum20p THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH Caption: Life raft recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald on display at the National Museum of the Great Lakes Thursday, 04/17/14, in Toledo, Ohio.
The National Museum of the Great Lakes is a fun and unique experience for all. Learn about the rich history our Great Lakes have afforded us, making up 84% of all the fresh water in North America it is no surprise they are treasured waters. Explore the history and enjoy some hands-on displays as you learn about one of the world’s greatest natural resources. Kids will be intrigued by all the means of transit along the Lakes, including the huge ship, the Schoonmaker just outside the museum in the Maumee River, (tours of the ship are offered May-Oct). Be sure to stop in the museum store so the kiddos can pick out some souvenirs to commemorate their visit.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Admission: as of Jan. 2, 2017 (2016 rates are a bit less)
Museum Only: Adult – $11
Museum Only: Senior, AAA, or Military – $10
Museum Only: Kids (6-17) – $8
Museum Only: Toddlers (0-5) – Free
Fulton County Historical Museum & Depot
Phone: 419-337-7922
Address: 229 Monroe Street Wauseon, OH 43567
Website: http://www.ohio.org/destination/wauseon/civil-war/fulton-county-historical-museum-depot
Calling all history buffs and those simply intrigued by the vast history located in NW Ohio tour this an amazing 1868 Romanesque Revival two-story brick building that originally housed Wauseon’s first high school, and later, the county’s first hospital. Experience thirteen rooms that showcase permanent historic exhibits of hidden historical gems. Listen to locally written abolition hymns of the Underground Railroad movement in the county; see the crackling campfire of local Civil War soldiers and the museum’s extensive collection of Civil War era artifacts which are the impressive centerpiece of this exhibit.
Call ahead and make an appointment to see the Depot! Two blocks south of the museum, visit the Wauseon Depot. A collection of items from Fulton County’s railroad past, which included 6 steam lines and two electric inner urban lines, is on display inside the depot. Watch and listen to an O-scale working model railroad display that highlights Fulton County’s railroad 1920s hay-day.
Hours: Tuesday- Friday: 10:00am – 04:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am – 02:00pm
Rates: Adults – 18 and over: $4.00
Seniors – 55 and over: $3.00
Students – under 18: $2.00
When you’re finished with your awesome tour stop by Red Rambler for a hot cocoa for the kiddos and a Flight of their brewed beers for mom and dad!
Website: http://www.redramblercoffees.com/
Toledo Museum of Art
Phone: (419) 255-8000
Address: 2445 Monroe St, Toledo, OH 43620
Website: http://www.toledomuseum.org/
Since the founding in 1901, the Toledo Museum of Art has earned a global reputation for the quality of its collection, innovative and extensive education programs, and architecturally significant campus. The main Museum building interior contains four and a half acres of floor space on two levels. It has 45 galleries, 15 classroom studios, the 1,750-seat Peristyle concert hall, the 176-seat Little Theater lecture hall, the Resource Center for Educators, the Family Center, the Visual Resources Collection, the Museum Café, and the Museum Store featuring Collector’s Corner. The Glass Pavilion has five galleries, a glass study room, classrooms, two hotshops, a multipurpose GlasSalon, public and private courtyard space, and a coffee bar.
Family Center: Free, fun, and open to everyone! The TMA Family Center, located in the education wing near the Plough entrance, is the perfect place for our youngest Museum visitors to make and take memories with their parents and caregivers. Drop in for themed activities that enliven the world of art for kids ages 1-10 (and even grown-ups!). Check the calendar on this page for upcoming projects. Calendars can be customized and printed by clicking on the Google Calendar icon at the bottom of the calendar listing.
Family Center Hours:
Tuesdays & Thursday: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Friday: 3:30–8 p.m.
Sunday: noon–5:00 p.m
Admission: The Museum and the Family Center are FREE
Planet Rock
Phone: 734-827-2680
Address: 82 Aprill Dr Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Website: http://www.planet-rock.com/
Since 1994, Planet Rock has been providing world class indoor rock climbing. With creative wall design and innovative route setting, Planet Rock enables climbers of all ages and experience levels to love a sport that is like no other. Over 25,000 square feet of climbing surface with walls up to heights of 50′ and routes up to 70′ long, their gyms cater to competitive and recreational climbers alike. The gym also features unique climbing features such as the full-training areas and giant bouldering mushroom. Both beginner and experienced lead climbers will find routes that are both technical and fun. Their dedicated lead climbing walls have extensive lines and challenging features, while their bouldering areas offer interesting topography and an innovative mat system for softer landings.
Hours: Monday- Friday | 3:00PM – 10:00PM
Saturday | 11:00AM – 8:00PM
Sunday | 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Admission: Starter Packages (first time) Price
Adult 14 or older $44.00
Adult and child (5-8) $50.00
additional children (each) $25.00
Adult and child (9-13) $60.00
Additional children (each) $32.00
Daily Passes
Price Adult Daily Pass $17.00
Student / Military Daily Pass $16.00
Kids (5-13) $13.00
Belay only $10.00
Belay check $3.00
Splash Bay Resort
Phone: (419) 482-7777
Address: 1705 Toll Gate Dr. Maumee, OH 43537
Website: http://www.splashbayresort.com/water-park-information.aspx
Splash into fun at this indoor water park that offers 35,000 square feet of thrill rides and adventure as well as family-friendly activities for little ones and their parents alike. Glide down three huge water slides including the Big Bowl Red slides that swirl you around and around until it drops you straight into the pool. A body slide and inner tube slide are so big they take you outside the building for a quick jolt of fun. For a more relaxing excursion, the lazy river takes you around the perimeter of the slide area. For your convenience towels are provided (first come, first serve), and convenient lockers and clean showers are located throughout the water park. When you need a break from water activities, visit our game room filled with arcade and video machines of all levels. You’ll also find a set of family restrooms conveniently located here. Splash Bay Resort’s Upper Deck concession stand provides great food options…burgers, pizza, nachos hotdogs, ice cream, etc.
General Admission Pricing and Hours of Operation
Full day (Saturday 12pm – 9pm): $29 tax
Half Day (Saturday 4pm – 9pm; Sunday 10am – 3pm): $23 tax
Under 42″: $19 tax
Spectator: $6 tax
Infants 12 months and under: FREE
Open weekends ONLY