General admission includes all-day admission to the general exhibit areas, including the NASA Glenn Visitor Center.

Tour this restored 618-foot historic ship and see what life was like on board a working Great Lakes freighter. Explore the 1925-built Mather from stem to stern and see its huge cargo holds, brass and oak pilot house, elegant guest quarters and four-story engine room. Walk the decks and marvel at the “engineering firsts” that helped transform Northeast Ohio into a great industrial center. Experience the golden era of steamships on one of the best.

Narrated by Academy Award® winner Robert Redford, National Parks Adventure takes audiences on the ultimate off-trail adventure into the nation’s awe-inspiring great outdoors and untamed wilderness. Immersive cinematography takes viewers soaring over red rock canyons, hurtling up craggy mountain peaks and into other-worldly realms found within America’s most legendary outdoor playgrounds, including Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Yosemite, the Everglades and Arches.

An entire generation came of age with the indescribable awe of landing on the Moon — and the ensuing Golden Age of Space has changed our world forever for the better.  More than 50 years later, what is the next step for humankind?  A second golden age of space has quietly dawned on us, with new hope for humanity as a spacefaring species.

In the quest to make human spaceflight accessible within in a decade, not a century, and ultimately affordable to ordinary citizens, leading innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and daredevils are locked in a race into the unknown.  From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, launching rockets without fuel to building the Lunar Gateway to deep space, history is in the making as we speak.

Space: The New Frontier captures a time as epic as the Giant Screen, and as real as our present moment.  Come aboard: life on earth or in space will not be the same again.

Includes general admission to the Science Center exhibits plus the Steamship William G. Mather (open  Tuesday - Sunday June - August and weekends May, September and October).  More information on the Mather can be found here. 

Includes general admission to the Science Center plus Blue Whaless DOME Theater film (Length: 45 minutes, full dome format).

Includes general admission to the Science Center plus Animal Kingdom: The Tale of Six Families DOME Theater film (Length: 45 minutes, full dome format).

Includes general admission to the Science Center, Blue Whales: Return of the Giants DOME Theater film (Length: 45 minutes, full dome format) and the Steamship William G. Mather.

Includes general admission to the Science Center, Animal Kingdom: The Tale of Six FamiliesDOME Theater film (Length: 45 minutes, full dome format) and the Steamship William G. Mather.

Explore the Mather like you never have before! This tours allows access to areas of the ship not included in self or guided tours. Cost includes general admission to the Science Center and admission to the Mather after the tour. Closed-toed, closed-heeled athletic shoes or boots are required. Guests will be given hard hats and safety glasses to be worn during the tour. Ages 10 and up only.

General Admission to Great Lakes Science Center is required to participate in Family Workshops. 

August 17, 2025 - States of Matter: Ice Cream Science

Can we turn hot chocolate into ice cream? Explore the properties of solids, liquids and gasses in this tasty experience. Dairy free options will be available.

August 24, 2025 - Water Park Design Challenge

Science Center guests can test their engineering and design skills and build their own water park! Design a trampoline capable of launching your park “guests” into the pool. Can you make the best water slide? 

September 14, 2024 - Dissection: Owl Pellets

Owl pellets are the digested, sterilized leftovers of an owl’s last meal.  By investigating the contents, your family can learn about what owls eat and practice observation and identification skills by comparing the shapes of the bones you find. This kid friendly biological treasure hunt provides a memorable experience full of unexpected surprises.

September 28, 2025 - Jumping Jitterbugs

Your family will explore circuits, electricity and mechanics to design and decorate your very own Jumping Jitterbug “bot” to take home. The jitterbug you build will vibrate and skitter across the table based on the way you build it. This workshop is a great, playful introduction to engineering and design thinking.

Includes general admission to the Science Center plus "National Parks Adventure" DOME Theater film and Steamship William G. Mather (schedule varies, please check times and dates here).