Great Lakes Science Center facts for kids
The Great Lakes Science Center is located at North Coast Harbor in Downtown Cleveland.
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| Established | 1996 |
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| Location | 601 Erieside Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 |
| Type | Science museum |
| Public transit access |  East 9th–North Coast |
The Great Lakes Science Center is a super cool museum in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It's a place where you can learn all about science and technology. Many exhibits show off the amazing natural environment of the Great Lakes.
The center has both permanent exhibits and special ones that visit for a short time. You can also find a cafe and an awesome IMAX Dome theater here. The Great Lakes Science Center gets support from the people of Cuyahoga County and other groups.
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Discovering Science and STEM
The museum first opened its doors in July 1996. Its exhibits help teach about STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. You can explore areas like the BioMedTech Gallery and learn about advanced energy. There are also exhibits on cool science facts and space.
The Science Center is home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. This is one of only 11 such visitor centers in the entire country! Plus, the staff at the Science Center do fun science shows every day.
Learning Programs for Students
Throughout the school year, the Science Center welcomes many students on field trips. They offer programs and exhibits that match what kids learn in school. This helps students meet Ohio's science learning goals.
The center also helps teachers learn new ways to teach science. If you are homeschooled, there are special workshops from October to February. In the summer, the Science Center has fun and educational camps. These camps are for kids from preschool all the way up to 12th grade. They happen in different places around Northeast Ohio. All year long, you can find classes, workshops, and even sleepovers! There are also special events for families, kids, and adults.
Green Energy at the Center
The Science Center is big on green energy! In 2006, they put a wind turbine in their front yard. This turbine creates about 7% of the electricity the center needs each year. A year later, they added a large solar panel roof. This roof has 156 solar panels. They make enough power to light all 65,000 square feet of exhibit space for one hour. Each day, the solar panels make enough power for about four homes!
The Science Center also has exhibits where you can learn about alternative energy. You can use a touch-screen to see how much power the wind turbine and solar panels are making right now.
Finding the Science Center
The Great Lakes Science Center is located right on the shore of Lake Erie. It's between FirstEnergy Stadium and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This area is called North Coast Harbor. There's a parking garage with 500 spots right next to the center. Guests can get a discount on parking.
Explore Space at NASA Glenn Visitor Center
The NASA Glenn Visitor Center used to be at the NASA Glenn Research Center. In 2010, it moved inside the Great Lakes Science Center. You can visit it with your regular Science Center ticket.
At the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, you'll find galleries, hands-on exhibits, and real space artifacts. You can also see cool NASA videos. The Great Lakes Science Center also has "Space Saturday" events every month. These events have fun space-themed activities. There's also an annual "Space Adventure Week." During this week, you can enjoy space events and hear from real NASA experts. These programs are free once you pay for general admission to the Science Center.
Experience the DOME Theater
The Great Lakes Science Center also has an amazing DOME Theater. It's called "The Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater." This theater uses special 70mm film and a super bright projector. The projector weighs over 4,200 pounds! It uses 5.6 feet of film every second.
The DOME Theater shows films made in IMAX, which is the biggest film format in the world. The theater is 79 feet tall and can seat 300 people. You need a separate ticket to watch a movie here.
Visit the Historic Steamship William G. Mather
You can also explore the Steamship Mather. This ship was built in 1925 and is a restored historic Great Lakes freighter. It's 618 feet long!
On board, you can see its huge cargo holds and the pilot house made of brass and oak. You can also explore the guest rooms and the four-story engine room. There is a separate fee to go on board the ship. People often call it "The Ship That Built Cleveland."
Learn at MC2 STEM High School
The MC2 STEM High School is a special school located at the Science Center. It's a partnership between the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and the Science Center. This school focuses on STEM education: science, technology, engineering, and math. It helps bring science learning to life!
Students at MC2 STEM High School learn by working on projects. This helps them understand how scientists and engineers design and build things. The school is open all year. Students work for 10 weeks, then have a three-week break. This pattern repeats for four 10-week terms each year.
Science Phenomena Gallery
Science Phenomena is a permanent exhibit at the Great Lakes Science Center. It has over 100 hands-on activities for you to try. In this gallery, you can explore topics like plasma, magnetism, and even chaos theory.
See also
- Wind power in Ohio
