Visiting a water park is a favorite way for families to beat the summer heat and Sandusky, Ohio, located one hour west of Cleveland, has enough splash-centered parks to fill a weekend and beyond. Kids can cool themselves off at a variety of indoor water parks including Castaway Bay, Kalahari Waterpark Resort, Great Wolf Lodge and Rain Indoor Water Park.
For those wanting to head outdoors, Cedar Point’s Soak City, an 18-acre outdoor park, provides hours of fun, zipping down more than a dozen slides and relaxing in a giant wave pool.
After the kids towel off, they’ll scream with excitement at Cedar Point, voted the “Best Amusement Park in the World” for the past 12 years by Amusement Today. The park houses dozens of rides and attractions from roller coasters and go-karts to live shows and mini golf.
In downtown Sandusky, the Merry-Go-Round Museum is another popular spot for families. Tours are available and visitors can even watch carvers at work. A few blocks away, kids can learn how to tie nautical knots at the Maritime Museum of Sandusky while parents learn about the area’s history as a shipping port.
Set aside some time to jump on a ferry departing from Sandusky for a day of island hopping. Many cruises stop first at Kelleys Island, where families can explore by golf cart or bike, and then it’s off to Put-in-Bay, popular for family fun, food and nightlife, too.