About Great Lakes Science Center

Background
Great Lakes Science Center is one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers and home to Northeast Ohio’s NASA Glenn Visitor Center. It features hundreds of hands-on exhibits, themed traveling exhibitions, daily demonstrations, the awe-inspiring OMNIMAX® Theater and the Steamship William G. Mather. In addition, the Science Center:

• Brings a world of exploration and education to more than 300,000 visitors each year.
• Inspires young minds by providing critical science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to more than 60,000 field trip students annually.
• Provides the highest quality science experiences to more than 2,000 children each year with camps on-site and in multiple community locations.
• Is home to Northeast Ohio’s first wind turbine.
• Houses the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s inaugural STEM high school.
• Is dedicated to educating NE Ohio regarding fresh water, biomedical technology and advanced energy viability.
• Is committed to the idea that science and technology are vital to our region’s economic growth, and enc ourages today’s students to become tomorrow’s STEM workforce.

Great Lakes Science Center is generously funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Features

• Science Phenomena Exhibits:
  Experiment with hundreds of hands-on exhibits that satisfy and delight the curious scientist in each of us. Explore the science of light, optics, sound, resonance, motion, mechanics, electricity, magnetism and weather. Touch The Indoor Tornado, stand on The Bridge of Fire, explore The Shadow Room and make music with the PVC Chorus.
  
  


• Daily Demonstrations and Big Science Shows:
  Witness fun and amazing daily science demonstrations presented byScience Center staff. Uncover the “shocking truth” behind electricity, discover the magical world of bubbles, learn about matter, and much more. Plus, our Big Science Shows showcase spectacles of science on an even larger scale. Staff members send two-million volts of electricity through their bodies, implode oil drums with just air pressure, make HUGE clouds of liquid nitrogen that envelop the crowd and more. Check daily schedule for show times.




• NASA Glenn Visitor Center:
  Great Lakes Science Center is the new official site of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Explore exhibits and artifacts demonstrating the importance of aeronautics, science and space exploration. Highlights include space shuttle and lunar lander models, flight simulators and the Apollo command module used during the 1973 Skylab 3 mission. Click here to learn more about the NASA Glenn Visitor Center.




• Special Traveling Exhibitions:
  The Science Center presents special in-depth exhibitions on loan from major institutions worldwide. Exploring topics such as science, technology and the environment, these exhibitions are on view for a limited time only. Popular past exhibitions have included Robots and Us, Grossology, Chocolate and Facing Mars.




• The Cleveland Clinic OMNIMAX® Theater:
  Get ready for an unforgettable cinematic experience. Our OMNIMAX Theater features a six-story-high, domed theater with 11,600 watts of digital sound. You’ll feel like you’re actually in these exciting adventure films shot in IMAX, the world’s largest film format. Visit the OMNIMAX web page to see what’s playing now!
  
  
  
• BioMedTech: Engineering for your Health:
  Explore advances in medical technology and engineering and what doctors are doing to stay ahead in the field. Discover interactive exhibits focusing on genomics, stem cells, prosthetics, functional electrical stimulation(FES), infectious diseases and medical imaging. For more information on the BioMedTech Gallery, click here.




• Polymer Funhouse:
  Just for those 7 and under, Polymer Funhouse lets young kids bounce in the ball pit, take the helm on the paddlewheel steamship Polymer II, plus stretch, shake, build, pull and play with polymers of all types. Port Polymer, the outdoor play area, is located on the outdoor deck adjacent to the Polymer Funhouse, overlooking North Coast Harbor. Port Polymer is open seasonally as the weather permits. Learn more about the Polymer Funhouse here.




• Steamship William G. Mather:
  Discover what life was like aboard a working Great Lakes freighter as you tour this restored 618-foot historic flagship. Explore the 1925-built Mather and see its huge cargo holds, brass and oak pilot house, elegant guest quarters, and four-story engine room. Open seasonally. Find out more about the Mather here.




• Advanced Energy Exhibits:
  Towering 150 feet into the air, the iconic wind turbine in front of the Science Center represents the growing importance of advanced energy in our daily lives. Coupled with a 300-foot solar array canopy, representing Great Lakes Science Center’s second advanced energy initiative, these two advanced energy resources provide 6% of the Science Center’s daily power supply. Inside the Science Center, see an actual turbine blade and interact with a touch-screen kiosk displaying both real-time and historical data. Click here to find out more.




• MC2 STEM High School:
  Great Lakes Science Center’s ground level is home to the freshmen of Cleveland’s inaugural STEM High School. The result of a partnership between the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and the Science Center, this school brings the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning experience to its students through a project-based learning environment equipped with the technology professional scientists and engineers use. Furthering the missions of both organizations, the partnership helps to develop science literacy among today’s students to ensure tomorrow’s success in an increasingly global economy. Learn more.

CaFé
Enjoy a tasty break from your exploration of the Science Center at the Elements CaFé! Located on the lower level, the restaurant features kids meals, soups, salads, sandwiches, grill items, weekly specials and personal pan pizzas. In conjunction with Great Lakes Science Center’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, the café uses biodegradable products, including cups, cutlery, plates and more, that are environmentally friendly.

Shopping
The Science Store carries a large selection of educational items related to permanent exhibits, temporary exhibits and OMNIMAX® films. Pick up a something as a souvenir commemorating your visit or as a gift. Choose from our wide variety of books, games, kits, puzzles and more. Online shopping is available here.

Size

Exhibits and Program Areas		65,000 sq. ft.
The Cleveland Clinic OMNIMAX Theater		14,000 sq. ft.
Gund Wintergarden		10,000 sq. ft.
Reinberger Hall		15,000 sq. ft.
Outdoor Exhibit and Dining Deckss		14,600 sq. ft.
Support, Service, Administration Areas		46,400 sq. ft.
TOTAL BUILDING AREA		165,000 sq. ft.

Location
601 Erieside Avenue, at Cleveland's North Coast Harbor.

Hours
The Science Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas day.

Parking
Discounted parking is available for guests in the attached 500-car garage.

Note: The Great Lakes Science Center parking garage is not available on Browns Game Days. Area parking rates will increase significantly. Please plan accordingly.

Admission
Our flexible pricing structure allows you to choose from among the following attractions: general exhibits (general admission to Great Lakes Science Center, NASA Glenn Visitor Center and special exhibition when available), OMNIMAX® Theater or Steamship William G. Mather. Get admission rates here. For information on group sales and education groups, call (216) 621-2400.