5 Things You Need to Know About Visiting the Greater Cleveland Aquarium

If you’re looking for a fun and educational weekend activity for all ages, you might consider spending an afternoon at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. This local gem captures the wonders of the deep seas, with walkable tunnels, captivating exhibits, and recreations of natural habitats from all over the globe. Here’s what you need to know about visiting the Greater Cleveland Aquarium.

You Should Buy Tickets Beforehand

“Greater Cleveland Aquarium” by Erik Drost licensed under  CC BY 2.0

Advance tickets are required to visit the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, so it’s advantageous to buy them online before you attend. The site will prompt you to choose the date and time you prefer to visit. It’s helpful to plan carefully and make sure you’re on time. The aquarium manages traffic carefully, so you might not be able to enter early or stay late. The Greater Cleveland Aquarium allows you to reschedule your visit, but there are no refunds, so if you don’t reschedule, you’ll forfeit your ticket. Be sure to communicate with the staff if you’re not able to attend as scheduled.

If you have guests of all ages, you can choose their ticket types. Admission for guests older than 13 is $19.95. Children between ages 2 and 12 can use a children’s ticket, which costs $13.95. If you have toddlers or babies younger than 2, they can enter for free. You’ll have to show your ticket at the door, but a digital version on your phone will suffice.

You Can Learn About Local Aquatic Life

You might know that the Greater Cleveland Aquarium has galleries that spotlight some of the ocean’s most iconic creatures, like octopuses and sharks, but it may come as a surprise that you can also learn about water-dwelling creatures in your backyard. The aquarium features a special section about Ohio lakes and rivers. An indoor recreation of a local forest will make you feel like you’re in the middle of the Midwestern woodland. As you move through the forest, sounds of native wildlife like musical morning doves and the smells of local mosses surround you.

Meet native wildlife creatures like the channel catfish and the unique shovelnose sturgeon. In smaller tanks along the walls, fish large and small swim around, and you can read blurbs about the various species that live in nearby waters. There’s a section dedicated to saving Ohio’s precious spotted turtles, and you can watch one float around, climb on rocks, and feast on meals. Around the gallery are other helpful tips about keeping Ohio waters clean and helping native species thrive. You can even get involved with local conservation efforts through the aquarium’s community group, the Splash Fund.

It’s in an Old Power Plant

Water and electricity typically don’t mix, unless you’re at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. The aquarium is in the historic FirstEnergy Powerhouse, a building built in the late 19th century to power local streetcars. A National Historic Landmark, the aquarium preserves the building’s Roman-inspired architecture with beautiful arched windows and pointed roofs. The plant closed in the 1920s, as the transportation industry changed and personal automobiles replaced railcars throughout the area. Over time, the building became home to shops, bars, and entertainment venues.

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium moved into the Powerhouse in 2012. Throughout the aquarium, you’ll see touches of 19th-century industry. Jellyfish bounce beside coal stacks, and rounded archways house collections of exotic fish. The Powerhouse, originally designed by local Cleveland architect John Richardson, is a unique emblem of local history that’s found many uses over the years.

There Are Fish From Across the Globe

In the Industry & Habitat exhibit, the aquarium’s first saltwater gallery, you can explore some unique species of fish you might’ve only ever seen on television and in pictures. With fish from Fiji, Hawaii, and Indonesia, the Industry & Habitat exhibit can expand your horizons. The focal point of the gallery is the majestic red-and-white lionfish. Beautiful as it may be, it’s known for its powerful venom. The gallery is also home to the elusive snowflake eels, which you might not see right away. If you’re patient, you’ll catch one darting in or out of the tunnels where they hide.

As an homage to the building’s history, the industrial half of the exhibit pays tribute to the FirstEnergy Powerhouse. You can learn about the many industries that have called it home and explore its Romanesque revival architecture with arched walkways and round wooden windows. Structures like coal carts fill the room, representing the building’s role in powering railways around the turn of the century. In this unique gallery, you can explore a piece of Cleveland’s history and meet creatures from the other side of the world.

There’s More Than Just Fish There

While the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is home to plenty of stunning aquatic life, you can also meet other animals that you don’t see every day in Ohio. In the tropical forest exhibit, a huge tree hangs above your head, and birds call out. Here, you can see vibrantly colored poison dart frogs. Kids will stay safe from these small-but-mighty frogs, though. They’re jumping around safely behind glass. Tropical birds chirp and sing all around you.

If you have any reptile fans in the family, they might enjoy watching the exhibit’s sneaky black and white tegu lizard putter about the tank. You might even catch the eye of an animated, bright-eyed turtle. The Tropical Forest also contains its fair share of sea-dwellers. Perhaps the most exciting is the ocellate river stingray, a gray-and-white spotted beauty.

If you’re always up for an adventure, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is a fascinating way to spend an afternoon. Whether you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, a lesson in local history, or opportunities to help save the environment, you can find it here. If you need a reliable new vehicle to explore Cleveland in, come visit us at Honda of Cleveland Heights. Honda has a reputation for providing Americans with smart, long-lasting, vehicles, and our collection of durable SUVs, practical sedans, and spacious vans are no exception. Contact us today to learn more about our diverse inventory.