This question came in from a mom specifically asking what “the boys” could do since the family was coming up for Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins takes the stage July 17, 2009 through August 9, 2009 at the State Theatre at PlayhouseSquare. If you’re headed to Cleveland to see the show about the British nanny and want to make a day or weekend trip out of it, read on for more family-friendly events and exhibits to enjoy while you’re here . (By the way, tickets went on sale April 20th.  Scoop them up now. It’s looking like a very popular show.)

From paying homage to rock and roll legends to soaking up some major league excitement at Progressive Field, home to the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland has a lot of family activities that the whole family is sure to enjoy.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum offers Dad the chance to share the soundtrack of his life with the kids. They’ll find current artists they like too in the more than 50 exhibits, dynamic cinema presentations plus the largest single collection of rock and roll artifacts. (Right now, check out the Bruce Springsteen exhibit, the first ever devoted to “The Boss.”)  Just across the way is the Great Lakes Science Center . . . you can’t miss it with the enormous wind turbine in front. The science center has 400 hands-on exhibits and demonstrations about science phenomena, environment and technology, plus the region’s only OMNIMAX Theater. And, while you’re there, stop by Burke Lakefront Airport to see the Amelia Earhart exhibit at the International Women’s Air & Space Museum. (The story has fascinated generations and the museum is entirely free to the public.)

In Cleveland’s University Circle, you can bond over classic automobiles and historic planes at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum or see dinosaur bones and constellations at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. And, if you have real little ones in tow, you don’t want to miss The Children’s Museum of Cleveland.

Sports a passion in your family? Cheer on the Tribe (or your favorite team) at Progressive Field or travel 45 minuts south of Cleveland to experience the Pro Football Hall of Fame with your team. The Pro Football Hall of Fame pays tribute to gridiron greats and has a game-day theater, games, a hologram of a Superbowl ring.

Looking for something that mom and dad can do (or maybe even the teens)? Golf at one of Cleveland Plus’s hundreds of public courses. Bowl at The Corner Alley, an upscale alley in the heart of downtown. Shoot pool at Jillian’s Billiard Club in Cleveland Heights, catch a comedy show at Hilarities 4th Street Theatre (check for age restrictions) or take in a concert at one of Cleveland’s many impressive live music venues. Check out schedules for the House of Blues, Nighttown, Time Warner Cable Amphitheater, Nautica Pavilionor Blossom Music Center.
Family-Friendly Events + Exhibits:
DINOSAURS! (5/21/09-9/13/09)
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, www.clemetzoo.com
Dinoausars roar back to life at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo with 18 larger-than-life robotic creatures, including some never before seen at the Zoo.Through the magic of animatronic technology, DINOSAURS! brings life to the 20-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex, the 30-foot-long Iguanodon, the fierce Deinonychus and the fish-hunting Baryonyx.DINOSAURS! is just $1 per person with regular Zoo admission and free for Zoo members and children under 2.

FLUTTER! (5/21/09-9/13/09)
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, www.clemetzoo.com
This newly expanded butterfly exhibit invites you to immerse yourself into a sensory experience of sight, sounds and scents. Opening on Thursday, May 21, FLUTTER! allows you to walk among dozens — if not hundreds — of free-flying butterflies from around the world.FLUTTER! is free with Zoo admission and runs Thursday, May 21, through Sunday, September 13.

Barkitecture (5/9/09-10/31/09)
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, www.stanhywet.org
A display of one-of-a-kind, whimsical doghouses at Stan Hywet designed for Stan Hywet by local artists and architects. Doghouses are installed throughout the landscaped gardens and grounds. Special programming and “Woof Walks” Sundays take place throughout the 2009 season. 

MOTOWN: The Sound of Young America Turns 50
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 216.781.ROCK, www.rockhall.com
• In an incredibly short amount of time, the Motown label produced 14 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees . The Motown exhibit features instruments, clothing, programs, posters, sheet music, original music scores, contracts, recordings and more. Items from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations, the Jackson 5, Rick James, Martha and the Vandellas and many others are featured.

Flight to Fame: The Life & Legacy of Amelia Earhart
International Women’s Air and Space Museum, 216.623.1111, www.IWASM.org
• On July 2, 1937 Amelia Earhart disappeared in a Lockheed Electra with her navigator, Fred Noonan, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. They were never found.  Over 70 years later the mystery of her disappearance and her legacy live on in the imaginations of people worldwide.  The International Women’s Air & Space Museum will tell Earhart’s story through artifacts, narrative, and photographs. Admission to the museum and the exhibit is free.

From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 216.781.ROCK, www.rockhall.com
• The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum presents  the world’s first exhibit devoted to the life and music of Bruce Springsteen.

Cain Park Arts Festival (7/10/09 – 7/12/09)
Cain Park, 216.291.3669, http://www.cainpark.com/arts_festival.asp
• The Cain Park Arts Festival is a juried fine arts and fine crafts event in scenic Cain Park featuring painting, watercolors, hand-pulled prints, photography, sculpture, ceramics, all media of jewelry, wood, leather, glass and other materials.

Ingenuity Festival of Art & Technology (7/10/09 – 7/12/09)
Downtown Cleveland, 216.589.9444, www.ingenuitycleveland.com
• The Ingenuity Festival returns for the fifth year with a weekend-long celebration of art and technology, designed for audiences of any age and experience, staged in and around PlayhouseSquare in downtown Cleveland.

Nature at Night, (7/11/09)
North Chagrin Nature Center, 216.635.3200, www.clevelandmetroparks.com
• Night time is the right time for a little shut eye, unless you’re a nocturnal animal. Experience the park after dark, and discover the night life at Cleveland Metroparks “Nature at Night” event.

Dive-InMovie II – “Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
Ledge Pool & Recration Area, Hinckley Reservation, 216.635.3200, www.clevelandmetroparks.com
• No snow here, but plenty of warm thoughts and holiday cheer.  Celebrate halfway to the holidays at Cleveland Metroparks Dive-IN Movie – “Dr. Suess: How the Grinch Stole Christmas” at Ledge Pool & Recreation Area in Hinckley Reservation.

Cleveland’s Irish Cultural Festival – 7/24/09 – 7/26/09
Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, www.clevelandirish.org
• For more than a quarter century Cleveland’s Irish cultural festival has been celebrating Irish culture and heritage.

Summer Beach Party – 8/1/09
Huntington Beach, Huntington Reservation, 216.635.3200, www.clevelandmetroparks.com
• Cleveland Metroparks invites all “beach bums” to enjoy the “Summer Beach Party” from 5 to 11pm. at Huntington Beach in Huntington Reservation in Bay Village.

North Coast Music Festival – 8/7/09 – 8/9/09
Mall B and C – Downtown Cleveland, 800.260.4686 x703, www.northcoastmusicfestival.com
• 40+ bands, 3 stages, food, drink, rockstar party

Twins Day Festival – 8/7/09 – 8/9/09
Twinsburg, OH, 330.425.3652, www.twinsdays.org
• The Twins Days Festival is open to all multiples — identical, fraternal, young and old, twins, triplets, quads — and their families.

Bug City – 8/8/09
Garfield Park Nature Center, Garfield Park Reservation, 216.635.3200, www.clevelandmetroparks.com
• Mayor Mantis would like to welcome you to the wonderful world of bugs! Experience the citizen’s of Bug City in Garfield Park Reservation crawling or flying around.

Shaker Woods Festival – Weekends in August
Columbiana, OH, 330.482.0214, http://www.shakerwoods.com/festivals/shakerwoods/
• In the true Shaker tradition, we kindly make you welcome to the 27th annual Shaker Woods Festival to be held in Columbiana, Ohio. Includes more than 200 of the best juried craftspeople in the country. Each craftsperson is dressed in Shaker period clothing while demonstrating and selling their remarkable handmade wares.

Cleveland Plus includes the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Amish Country, Cedar Point Amusement Park, Lake Metroparks Farmpark and so much more. Be sure to take a little time to experience a little of what we have to offer. –Submitted by Corinne Allie, Positively Cleveland Social Media Specialist

Editor’s Note: To buy one discount pass that covers you for admission to 10 museums, click here. For more information on family-friendly Cleveland, click here. For information on ways to save on your next trip to the area so you can spend more time here and make a real vacation of it, click here.