Museum of Natural History Courtesy of ThisisCleveland.com
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Your next stop will take you to one of the finest institution of its kind in North America, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Established in 1920, this museum works to inspire through science and education a passion for nature, protection of diversity, and a fostering of health toward a sustainable future. Inside this museum, you will have the chance to see many different disciplines of education and history including the Hall of Human Ecology, Hall of Astronomy, Archaeology, Gems and Jewels, and Prehistoric Life. One of the most exciting exhibits here is The World’s Largest Dinosaur, a historical homage to the Sauropod, a 60-75 foot long herbivore dinosaur that used to roam freely in the area that is now China.
This museum is well known for its over 5,400 acres of protected natural areas, including hardwood forest, Lake Erie Island, Fossil Dune Ridge, marsh, swamp, and glacial wetland. Within these gorgeous areas, your group will have the chance to observe many animals up close and personal, as well as many featured flowering plants, shrubs, and trees. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History also offers the Shafran Planetarium and Smead Discovery Center, the ladder of the two having the motto of “please touch” once inside its interactive learning paradise. Before you leave, make sure you check out the Hamann Todd Gallery, the permanent home of 3100 human and 900 primate skeletons, shining a light on our origin and evolution throughout the years. There is even an exact replica cast of the very important "Lucy" skeleton, discovered at the time by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History curator!
