Wildlife  •  Education  •  Planetarium
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education

child and family programs

programs for families

Please note that many of our wonderful classes and programs require pre-registration. We encourage you to call ahead to confirm availability: 440-871-2900.

Planetarium Public Shows

Family Fishing Day
Date: Saturday, May 19 Time/Duration: 1 - 4 p.m.
  For Families with Children of ages 5 & up Fee: $7/person; $35/family of 5 or more
Ever wanted to take your family fishing, but didn’t know where to start? Tory Gabriel, Ohio Sea Grant, Extension Educator, is ready to lead the way! Learn about basic fishing equipment, how to cast, where to fish and what kind of fish you’ll catch in different locations. We’ll start at the Center and then head to Lake Erie to do some real fishing! All equipment will be provided. Adults and teens (ages 16 & up) who wish to fish must possess a valid fishing license.


Animals a la Mode
Date: Friday, February 24
Friday, May 4		 Time/Duration: 6:30 p.m.
  For Families with Children of all ages Fee: $5/person (children 1 and under FREE)
Live animals (and maybe YOU ) take center stage in this upbeat, interactive and educational show. The whole family will be captivated as Maggie Watson presents our collection of furry, feathered and scaled creatures. And the fun doesn’t stop there - cap it all off with a serving of delicious ice cream! (Program lasts about 30 minutes.)


Daddy & Me Day
Date: Sunday, March 25 Time/Duration: 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
  For Fathers and their Children of all ages Fee: $5/person (children 1 and under FREE)

members FREE (RSVP required)
Join us for a special afternoon devoted to dads and their children!
Discover the universe with a planetarium show, meet some of our resident animals and enjoy engaging hands-on activities.


Family Night at the Center!
Date: Wednesday, March 14 Time/Duration: 6 - 8 p.m.
  For Families with Children of all ages Fee: $7/person; $35/family of 5 or more
The Center exhibits will be lit and ready for a fun-filled evening at the Center! See what the animals do after the Center is closed to the public! Encounter mesmerizing live animals up close and personal. Enjoy a “natural” family activity at this fun-filled evening event.


Meet an Animal
Date: Select Saturdays Time/Duration: 3:00 p.m.
  All Ages Fee: $2/person (children 1 and under free)
The Beaver
February 25
We’ll be “busy as beavers” as we learn about these fascinating, industrious animals. We won't have a live beaver but a mounted specimen and other hands-on materials will aid both children and adults in understanding the life of North America’s largest rodent.   (This program is FREE.)

The Turkey Vulture: Buzzard, Bird-Of-Prey, or Stork?
March 3
With the help of our live Turkey Vulture, we’ll explore the misconceptions and fascinating truths about this commonly misunderstood animal. Director of Wildlife, Dave Wolf will explain how this animal suddenly changed ancestors. We’ll also discuss vomiting, bed-wetting, even nose-picking! Are we talking about children or wildlife? Not for the weak of stomach but everyone welcome!  

The Opossum
March 17
Come and visit with one of our most interesting educational animals. The lives of these ubiquitous, trash-eating suburban animals are poorly understood by most. After listening, seeing and touching, you will leave with a newfound appreciation for these unique animals.  

Barred Owl
April 14
This program features one of Ohio’s lesser known owls, the Barred Owl. Come for a daylight, up-close look at this mysterious denizen of the woods. We’ll talk about “who cooks for you”, silent flight, and other “head-turning” facts about owls.  

Squeezers: Boas & Pythons
April 21
Come ready to touch these "huggable" animals. Snakes are one of our most feared animals and quite often, this reputation is undeserved. Gain a newfound respect for these exotic snakes, and all snakes, by attending this informal live animal program.

The Red-Tailed Hawk
May 5
One of the most majestic birds in the sky will help educate and fascinate us with an up-close look at it and its life. Director of Wildlife Dave Wolf will present this bird and discuss its impressive habits and awesome characteristics which make it one of our most successful urban, suburban and rural predators. This is a chance for everyone to learn more about a locally abundant and awe-inspiring creature.

Tails, Scales and Africa
May 26
Lizards with armor and purple tails? Come take a quick "travel" to Africa as we look at, and learn about two different African lizards, the Sudan Plated Lizard and the Leopard Gecko. There will be opportunity to touch these two very different feeling reptiles and hear about their unique defenses and habits.

Tickets go on sale on the day of the program.


Wild & Free
Date: Sunday, February 26 Time/Duration: 3 p.m.
  For All Ages Fee: Free
Join our Level 3 Junior Naturalists (ages 10-14) for a wild and free program, where they take the "Center Stage" and present LIVE ANIMALS!

Each Junior Naturalist will use the knowledge they’ve gained through our Junior Naturalists classes to share their excitement for, and information about a variety of our resident animals.

This program represents the culmination of as many as three years of extensive Junior Naturalist program participation and is a hallmark event for our group!

Facilitators: Susan Fisher & Christine Barnett-Cain


All-Access Pass
Date: Wednesdays, January 11 or February 8

 Time/Duration: 6:30 – 8 p.m. or 8 – 9:30 p.m.
  For Families with Children Ages 5 & Up Fee: Fee: $12/person; members $10/person
Go Behind-the-Scenes with Director of Wildlife, Dave Wolf, as he leads you where few have ever gone before! Go upstairs & downstairs, on & off display with Dave as he promises to leave no door unopened. Find out what happens when injured wildlife arrives at the Center, go hands-on with rarely seen resident animals and find out what they get up to after-hours!

This exclusive tour is limited to just 10 participants per time-slot.

Guide: Dave Wolf

This program requires advance registration.


Winter Holiday Programs
Date: See Description Time/Duration: 10 - 11:30 a.m.
  For Children Ages 1 - 5 with One Adult Fee: $5/child
Learn a little about the holiday, meet an animal, make a craft, read a story, and of course have FUN! This free-flow program will allow you and your little one to move at your own pace, make new friends and focus on what you enjoy most. Each program will have different activities, so sign up for one or all and get ready to learn through play on every holiday.

Groundhog Day - Thursday, February 2
Valentine’s Day - Tuesday, February 14
President’s Day - Monday, February 20
It's Leap Year! - Wednesday, February 29


Wild Things!
Date: Winter Session III: Fridays, February 3, 10 and 17
Spring Session I: Fridays, March 2, 9 and 16
Spring Session II: Fridays, April 20 & 27 and May 4
Spring Session III: Fridays, May 18 & 25 and June 1		 Time/Duration: Fridays 9:30 - 10:30 am OR
11 am - Noon
  For children ages 1 - 5 years of age with ONE adult.

 Fee: Each 3-week session: $45/child; members $35/child
Explore the wild things of your backyard and beyond! Meet an animal, make a craft and get wild with nature! Choose one or more sessions.

Instructor:  Maggie Watson or Annmarie Slyman

Winter Session III: Limited Availability

Spring Session I: Open
Spring Session II: Open
Spring Session III: Open

These programs require advance registration.   


Monthly SkyQuest
Date: Saturdays
 Time/Duration: Saturdays at 1:30 p.m.

1st and 3rd Saturday evenings

*Free telescope viewing follows the evening shows, weather permitting
  For adults and children who can sit quietly through a 30-minute program. Recommended for ages 7 and up. Fee: $3/person
What's up tonight? Stay on top of the changing seasonal sky. Catch a new Skyquest topic every month. This is a longer program for those who want to delve a little deeper into the latest astronomy and space topics with our expert planetarium staff. Not for very young children.

Animals in Space
January 21 and 28 at 1:30 p.m.
January 21 at 7 p.m.
Here at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, our visitors get the opportunity for a close encounter of the furry, feathery or scaly kind, thanks to our fascinating live creature collection, rehabilitation efforts and animal outreach. But did you know that the first living things we launched into space were animals? Come join us in the planetarium this month as we talk about Earth’s very first space travelers, look at experiments involving animals in space; and see how we’ve even studied animal migration patterns on Earth from outer space. 

First Americans in Space
February 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 1:30 p.m.
February 4 and 18 at 7 p.m.
50 years ago this month, Ohio’s own John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth. Join us in the Walter R. Schuele Planetarium as we look back at the achievements of NASA’s Project Mercury and our first generation of space explorers. The Mercury 7 Astronauts proved they had the "right stuff" when they took the very first steps on an amazing adventure that has taken us to the Moon and continues as we plan for journeys to Mars and beyond.

The Star of Our Show
March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 1:30 p.m.
March 3 and 17 at 7 p.m. 
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is one of 400 billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy. And our galaxy is one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in our universe with each containing hundreds of billion stars. So this month, as we celebrate the vernal equinox, let’s take a closer look at the Sun. Not directly - that would damage our eyes. Instead we’ll use the safety and comfort of our planetarium. We’ll see what makes our star work and how it compares to other stars. We’ll even learn how to date a star (first get on a bus to Hollywood – sorry, old astronomy joke).

April Showers Bring…Meteors!
April 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 1:30 p.m.
April 7 and 21 at 8 p.m.
Those shooting stars we see at night are not stars at all – they’re meteors! Tiny bits of dust and rock that are burning up as they enter our Earth’s atmosphere. This month we will experience the annual Lyrids Meteor Shower which people have been watching for the last 2,600 years. Come join our discussion about these visitors from outer space and we’ll even let you hold the oldest thing you will ever touch! We’ll also show you where to look in the sky for the Lyrids as well as some other interesting astronomical events going on this month.

Space, Inc.
May 5, 12, 19 and 26 at 1:30 p.m.
May 5 and 19 at 8 p.m.
For more than fifty years, space travel and exploration have been undertaken exclusively by a few nations using very large government organizations. But, today, we are entering a new and growing era of “going where no ‘private’ person has ever gone before.” Join us this month in the Walter R. Schuele Planetarium as we review the privatization of space. We’ll look at commercial companies, private organizations and others doing things only governments had attempted previously. Who knows, with new areas such as space tourism being developed, maybe some of us will be taking our vacations on the Moon!

Please note:  Planetarium doors close promptly at posted start times. Tickets are available at the front desk 30 minutes before the program begins on a first-come, first-served basis. All programs highlight the current night sky and cutting edge news from space agencies like NASA.


Stellar Stars
Date: Wednesdays & Saturdays
Time/Duration: Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Saturday at 12 noon
  2 and up Fee: $2/person
Grab your passports and visit one of the billions of tourist attractions in our solar system! Find a different picture in the stars each week, watch lasers moving to music, take home a planet picture to color and add a sticker to your passport. Great for children 2 years and up! 

Upcoming program schedule:

1/11 & 1/14:      Neptune & Gemini
1/18 & 1/21:      Dwarf Planets & Ursa Major
1/25 & 1/28:      Comets & Ursa Minor 
2/1 & 2/4:          Sun & Auriga
2/8 & 2/11:        Mercury & Cassiopeia
2/15 & 2/18:      Venus & Cancer
2/22 & 2/25:      Earth & Lepus
2/29 & 3/3:        Mars & Monoceros
3/7 & 3/10:        Asteroid & Leo
3/14 & 3/17:      Jupiter & Draco
3/21 & 3/24:      Saturn & Bootes
3/28 & 3/31:      Uranus & Canis Minor
4/4 & 4/7:          Neptune & Corvus
4/11 & 4/14:      Dwarf Planets & Hercules
4/18 & 4/21:      Comets & Hydra


Twinkle Tots
Date: Thursdays & Saturdays
 Time/Duration: 11 a.m.
  Newborn and Up Fee: $1/per person (including infants)
This is a program designed to introduce the youngest astronomer in your family to the planetarium. Watch lights dance across the sky, see some magic and learn what’s new in space. Like the nighttime sky, our program changes with the seasons! Children should be able to sit for about 15 minutes.




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