The Great Lakes Science Center

The Great Lakes Science Center: Get your hands on some amazing exhibits

The Great Lakes Science Center is a learning experience unlike anything else in Cleveland. It features an amazing 400 hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations daily,  and the amazing OmniMax Theater -- a six story, 11,600-watt dome shaped theater that puts viewers in the middle of the action.

Opened in 1996, The Great Lakes Science Center’s 165,000-square-foot building was designed  by museum architect E. Verner Johnson. The OmniMax Theater’s dome is clearly visible from the outside of the building and is the most notable structure of the facility.

Inside, visitors can enjoy hundreds of science-phenomena exhibits, from the indoor tornado to the Bridge of Fire -- a huge Van De Graff generator that leaves curious participants with hair standing on end from a strong current of static electricity.

There are also numerous exhibits that highlight the environment, the formation of the Great Lakes, and medical science. You’ll also want to make sure to stop by Gund Wintergarden, a nine-story atrium with breathtaking views of the Great Lake Erie.

And for your preschoolers, don’t forget the Polymer Funhouse, a giant play area with a huge pit of colored balls, slides and jumping room.

The facility has two restaurants. On the upper level is Bytes, which seats 125 and features an outdoor patio in the summertime, and the Great Lakes Grill/Pizza Hut, which is located on the lower level. Lockers, an ATM and curiosity gift shops are also conveniently located within the museum.

Admission prices below include entrance into the Science Center exhibits and OmniMax Theater presentation. Tickets to the exhibits only are available at a discount. Special-presentation exhibits may require an additional fee. Call ahead or visit the Great Lakes Science Center website below for more details.

- by LeeAnn Mullen, Cleveland Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)