Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio. All photography is ours.
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Ohio with Kids
If you’re planning Ohio with kids, give Cleveland at least a few days. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a must. Then, head out to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which is only thirty minutes from downtown. Cedar Point is an hour west and it’s the roller coaster capital of the world, so plan accordingly if that’s your thing.
Cincinnati is another couple of days with Kings Island for some of the best roller coasters in the world, the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, the National Museum of the US Air Force, and the world-famous Cincinnati Zoo. A quick visit to the William Howard Taft National Memorial Site gets you another stamp in your NPS passport.
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited June 2021
Best months
May–June, Sept–Oct
National parks
1 + 7 NPS sites
Fly into
CLE · CMH · CVG · DAY
How long
A long weekend, 5 days with Cedar Point
Book ahead
Hotel Breakers at Cedar Point · Hocking Hills cabins · Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Our first Ohio trip was a short road trip that came out of the Every Kid Outdoors year (it was called Every Kid in a Park back then). We stayed at the Westin Cleveland Downtown, walked to the Rock Hall, and stopped by the Christmas Story house. Cuyahoga Valley was the surprise. We hiked to Brandywine Falls and did a few trails, and we didn’t have time for the train, which is the reason to go back. we wrapped up at Cedar Point which is incredible if you love thrill rides.
Our second trip took us to Cincinnati and their famous zoo, a visit to Kings Island for more roller coasters, the Taft National Historical Site, and north to Dayton for some aviation history.
Your Ohio guide
Enjoy exploring Ohio with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials, three road trips, and where to stay.
Essential Ohio
Why we love Ohio
We think you’ll love it too.
Ohio is where we’d send a family that wants a quiet national park one day and an adrenaline rush like no other the next. Up north, Cuyahoga Valley, Cleveland, and Cedar Point make a great trip. Further south, Cincinnati, Kings Island, and the Dayton museums are all great also. Check out the rest of essential Ohio for more ideas.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Guide
We didn’t know Cuyahoga Valley existed until we started planning park trips. It’s free, thirty minutes from Cleveland, and easy with kids, so don’t overlook it.
Brandywine Falls Guide
Brandywine Falls is a 65-foot waterfall at the bottom of a boardwalk. The hike there and a few other trails were fun for all of us.
Cedar Point Guide
Cedar Point has seventeen roller coasters on a peninsula in Lake Erie, an hour west of Cleveland. It’s adrenaline for the whole family.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Guide
The Rock Hall was a short walk from our downtown hotel, and we spent nearly three hours going through the memorabilia. The first floor alone is full of our favorite bands.
And the rest we’d cross the state for
The Christmas Story house Guide
You’ll shoot your eye out, kid! The house from the movie is open for tours in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Guide
The scenic railroad runs right through the middle of the park. We ran out of time for it, and it’s the first thing we’d do on a return trip.
Great Lakes Science Center Guide
The Great Lakes Science Center is next door to the Rock Hall on the lakefront. It’s a good second stop if the museum leaves the kids wanting to touch things.
Hocking Hills
Hocking Hills has sandstone gorges, recess caves, and waterfalls an hour southeast of Columbus. Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls is the family hike, and it’s on our list.
Columbus
COSI is one of the best science museums in the country. The Columbus Zoo is the one Jack Hanna made famous.
Cincinnati AftT Visit
The Cincinnati Zoo is the headliner here. The Museum Center at Union Terminal and the Newport Aquarium, just across the river, round out a weekend.
Kings Island AftT Visit
Kings Island is half an hour north of Cincinnati and a full day of some the most iconic coasters ever built. Soak City, the water park inside the gate, is open in the summer.
Dayton aviation museums AftT Visit
See the Wright brothers’ bike shop and the original 1905 Flyer at Dayton Aviation Heritage, then head up the road to the National Museum of the US Air Force. It’s free and there’s a lot to see, so plan a full day with kids. Are you looking for more national park sites? See our guide to Ohio national parks.
Kalahari & Great Wolf Lodge
Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge are two indoor water park resorts in Sandusky. They make Cedar Point country a year-round trip.
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Routes
Three Ohio road trip itineraries
This is one state with three very different trips. Pick Cleveland and Cedar Point, Columbus and Hocking Hills, or the southwest with Cincinnati and Dayton. See all the best stops on a map.
Home base
Downtown Cleveland
Fly into CLE. We stayed at the Westin downtown and walked to the Rock Hall. Our Cleveland guide has the rest of the day.
Then head to
Cuyahoga Valley
It’s thirty minutes south. Visit Brandywine Falls and the trails in the morning, then ride the scenic railroad if you have the afternoon. We didn’t have time for the train this time, but hopefully on our next visit.
Finish
Cedar Point
It’s an hour west in Sandusky. Plan two days if the kids are tall enough for the big coasters, and one if they’re not. Or, enjoy an extra day at Hotel Breakers playing on the lakeshore.
Home base
Columbus
Fly into CMH. Spend one day at COSI and another at the zoo and Zoombezi Bay.
Then head to
Hocking Hills
It’s an hour southeast. Hike Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, and Conkle’s Hollow, then stay in a cabin with a hot tub.
Add on
Hopewell Culture
It’s an hour west in Chillicothe. Walk the Mound City earthworks and get the badge on the way back.
Start
Cincinnati
Fly into CVG. Visit the zoo, the Museum Center, and the Newport Aquarium across the river.
Then head to
Kings Island
It’s thirty minutes north. The Beast is still the longest wooden coaster in the world. It’s a classic for sure!
Finish
Dayton
Just an hour up the road, the Air Force Museum is free and pretty amazing. See hangar after hangar of historic planes, and the Wright brothers’ bike shop is downtown.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
We did Cleveland in summer, when Cedar Point was open and the falls were running. Ohio has four full seasons and a real winter. Cuyahoga Valley is good all year, and we’ve heard the fall color and the snow are worth a return trip. The lake moderates Cleveland’s summers and dumps snow on it in winter.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
May – June
Cedar Point is open, Brandywine Falls is at full flow, and Hocking Hills is green. School’s out in June, so May is quieter.
July – August
This is when we went. It’s warm, humid, and peak season at the parks. Cedar Point lines are longest, so go on a weekday and buy the Fast Lane.
September – October
Expect Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends, fall color in Cuyahoga Valley by mid-October, and cheaper Hocking Hills cabins after Labor Day.
November – April
It’s cold and gray by the lake. This is museum season, and Cuyahoga Valley under snow is on our list. Kalahari and Great Wolf keep Sandusky open year round.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your Ohio adventure
Ohio is easier when you pick one region. Here’s where we’ve stayed and where we’d stay next.
City trips
Downtown Cleveland
We stayed at the Westin Cleveland Downtown and it was an easy walk to the Rock Hall and the lakefront. Downtown is full of chain hotels and cheap on weekends, so points work well.
- The Westin, where we stayed
- Anything within a walk of the Rock Hall
- Independence or Brecksville to be closer to the park
Theme park trips
Sandusky
Hotel Breakers gets you early entry and a walk to the gate. Kalahari and Great Wolf are the indoor water park alternatives. All three book early for summer weekends.
- Hotel Breakers for early entry
- Kalahari for the indoor water park
- Chains on Route 250 for points
Cincinnati trips
Cincinnati
Stay downtown or across the river in Newport or Covington, and you’re close to the zoo and the aquarium. Kings Island is an easy drive up I-71. The Air Force Museum in Dayton is about an hour north. That makes Cincinnati a great home base for all of it.
- Downtown, or riverfront hotels in Newport and Covington
- Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, near Kings Island
- A night in Dayton if the Air Force Museum takes all day
Good to know
Questions families ask us about Ohio
Yes, since 2000, and it’s free. We didn’t know it existed until we started planning park trips, and it turned out to be a great one for kids. Brandywine Falls is a short boardwalk hike, the towpath is flat, and there’s a scenic railroad through the middle of the park. We hiked the falls and a few trails and ran out of time for the train. Our guide covers what we did and what we’d add.
We had one full day. It was enough for the Rock Hall, the Christmas Story house, and a walk along the lake, but we only scratched the surface. The Rock Hall alone took us nearly three hours. Two days lets you add the science center and the aquarium. Here’s our day.
Fly into CLE for Cleveland, Cuyahoga Valley, and Cedar Point. Use CMH for Columbus and Hocking Hills, and CVG (in Kentucky) for Cincinnati. All three are easy airports.
Yes, you do. The park and the theme park are outside the city, and there’s no practical alternative. Downtown Cleveland itself is walkable.
The big coasters need 48 to 54 inches. Under 48 inches, the kids’ areas and the family rides still fill a day, and the beach is right there.
Early May through Labor Day daily, then weekends through October for HalloWeekends. It’s closed from November to May, but Kalahari and Great Wolf make Sandusky a winter trip too.
Map
Essential Ohio, mapped
Keep exploring
Where to go next
Kentucky with Kids
The Newport Aquarium is across the river from Cincinnati, and Mammoth Cave is down the road near Bowling Green.
