We recently visited the children's museum with 2 families and 4 kids. The children's museum is…read morelocated on the upper levels of the building. Parking lots are located all around the the large building (that houses the children's museum but other stores and shops as well). Parking lots do start filling up fairly quickly but there was more than enough spots. Inside the play museum, there is a free area to hang your costs with ample space. There's tons of stuff to do for kids in the children's museum. Some highlights: Stepping in, there's a giant tree house type play ground where kids can climb up and explore. There's a kid sized town that includes a fire station, dentist/medicL area, ice cream shop, school, home, grocery store, farm. There's even little apron/hats for different areas for dressing up. There's a "sand area" to give up dinosaurs, a space area up on another floor. Perhaps one of the key defining features is the huge water play area that includes a giant fountain to shoot balls up, a fishing area, Lego area to build a dam. They even provide aprons to try to reduce wet shirts on kids. There's a dry off area with hoses that shoot air. There's also an area at the back that changes from time to time - the theme this time was Winter Olympics. There are shows that occur throughout the day like a star show and a fossil show. There are places to eat, a microwave to heat up food and vending machines. Overall, a great day trip for people in the area with young kids!

We had such a great time at the London Children's Museum! It's an amazing hands-on space where kids…read morecan truly learn through play. The water play table is huge and thoughtfully designed, allowing kids to experiment, discuss, and learn basic physics concepts while having fun. The farm area is very educational -- my child loved learning about animals and how chickens lay eggs. There are also lab programs for older kids, which is a great bonus for families with children of different ages. Other highlights include the supermarket role-play area, corn factory (harvest, make, and pack corn), fossils and dinosaur sand digging, light-up puzzles, hospital, fire station, and a packaging station that teaches how factory systems work in a fun way. Everything was clean and well maintained. A big plus for parents: large, clean washrooms, plus smaller washrooms designed for older kids, which made the visit much easier. Admission is very reasonable at $15.50 per person for adults and children aged 1 and up. Overall, this is a fantastic destination for families, especially on rainy days or weekends. Highly recommend if you're visiting London, Ontario with kids!

The Erie Maritime Museum was a fun activity and am glad we checked it out. We were lucky to catch…read morethe last tour of the day for the US Brig Niagara which was definitely the highlight for me. It's impressive to see such a historic ship up close and learn about the sails and pulley system . Inside the main museum, be sure to set aside time for the theater video, which provides great context, and don't miss the upstairs exhibits--they're well worth exploring. The museum does a great job showcasing maritime history, and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

The Flagship Niagara League is a nonprofit that operates the Erie Maritime Museum and the U.S. Brig…read moreNiagara ship. The Erie Maritime Museum opened in 1998, and it is currently located inside the former generator station of the Pennsylvania Electric Company (PENELEC). The museum has exhibits for the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie as well as for the USS Michigan/Wolverine. The U.S. Brig Niagara warship is a replica of the one that Oliver Hazard Perry sailed during the Battle of Lake Erie against the British in 1813. In advance of my visit, I purchased tickets for my husband and me through the website. The cost was $85 per person to sail on the U.S. Brig Niagara and to tour the museum. (Customers may choose to tour only the museum for $10 or less, depending on age.) We had to sign online waivers. On the day of our sailing, we arrived early to tour the museum. We saw items such as maps of Lake Erie, diving helmets, swords, tools for shipbuilding, a cannon, ropes with different types of knots, etcetera. We also watched a short movie about the Battle of Lake Erie. The employees in the gift shop did not talk to us much, but other employees elsewhere in the museum helped us to find the meeting spot for the sailing. On the ship, we sailed for two hours from the bay and into the lake, and then we turned around to return to shore. The employees were training students to pull ropes to reposition the sails. The customers were allowed to help a little if we wanted, such as pulling ropes when told to do so, but we obviously were not allowed to climb up high to the sails. Employees inserted gunpowder into a cannon and shot it loudly into the lake. Tip: The temperature on the water is colder than the temperature on the land, so be sure to dress warmly enough. During my sailing, the temperature on land was in the 50s and on water was in the 40s. My husband and I felt cold in our hoodies and jackets, and so did the other customers.

I stopped at the Hagen History Center on my way through Erie since I wanted to check out the Frank…read moreLloyd Wright office that they have on exhibit. The Hagen is located in a couple of buildings near Gannon University. Fairly recently the Hagen acquired the FLW office that he used in San Fransico near the end of his career; the Hagen built a special building to house the office along with other exhibits. While the FLW office has been on display other places, at the Hagen you are actually able to go into the office and look around, which is a real treat. To start the Hagen has a number of displays before you enter the office giving information on Frank Lloyd Wright, his designs and even identifies the buildings in the region that you can tour. The office itself is relatively small, just a compact reception area, 3 workstations and a small office that Wright used to meet with clients. The office has the feeling of being a Wright design, clean lines, natural materials, and innovation. An interesting element of the installation is that the Hagen has placed photos of what the office looked out to in the windows so you get an idea of how it looked in San Francisco. The Wright office is less spectacular than most Wright designs, it had to fit into a commercial building and was more of a satellite office for work in California. It is a nice visit if you are in the area or are a Wright completist. I did check out some of the Erie history exhibits on the second floor of the building, they seemed to be well presented and a nice look at various elements of Erie history. I was happy I stopped and checked out the Wright office at the Hagen, but it is not worth a special trip and there are much better examples of Wright buildings in the Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York that I would recommend you tour. This might be a great start if you are taking a trip through Erie to see Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob or doing the Buffalo Wright tour.

OH what fun ! stumbled upon this place right next to the Erie Art Museum - the place i never got…read moreinto beyond the front door( -see my other reviews ) The historical Society is on the top floor and looks a bit like a cluttered library stuffed full of books and, well, stuff ! The people inside saw me browsing and quickly came to ask if they could help and explained their hours etc they were very nice to me ! the Cashier's House is also in this building and even though it was in the middle of "moving within the building" they let me tour on my own anyways LOL it is a three story house and i accidentally went to the third floor unattended to have a look around no one seemed bothered by that even tho sightseers were supposedly not to go there the elevator took me right up there so...why not look around LOL ! ? not that security is lax cause there appeared to be cameras all about and on each floor - i wonder if anyone noticed me ? LOL LOTS of fun artifacts in the Cashier's House Victorian stuff to make is appear like a lived in home of that time period .... beside that there is a small Maritime museum of shipwrecks and an interesting but small room of Telephone history in Erie LOL LOTS of stuff in there it seemed well organised lots of old phones and phone books switchboards and wires and cables and insulators what a delight ! all in all a great visit for me even if i was the only one there for a good hour and oh yes .... the front desk guy let me in for free cause they were renovating the Cashier's House - i bet i never get THAT price again ! LOL !

Cute shop in downtown Erie that houses art from local and abroad artists. Jewelry, pairings,…read moreceramics, glass work and more. They recently celebrated their fifteenth anniversary. Friendly staff answered questions about the shop and Erie in general.

Glass art is one of my favorite forms of art. The gallery did not disappoint me. So much to see…read more I loved the jewelry to the pottery to the blown and stained glass. We visited on a Friday evening where wine, cheese, crackers and cookies were served. Quite a few people were in attendance, it was great to be out and about with others taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the arts.

Free and fun This…read morewas our first stop for exploring Erie. Highly recommend since they have a little visitor center area with maps and things to do in the area. Plus a fun nature center. The center highlights ship wrecks in Lake Erie, history, animal ecosystem, art and nature play. They also have a kids play area. Don't forget to climb the tower to oversee several stories above. The volunteers here were great. We learned about rocks in the area. Plus she gave us the hint about the volunteer boat tours.

This place is really great! It's a free nature museum offering video, hands-on play for kids, and…read moresome interesting history of the whole Lake Erie and local PA areas. Thanks to Tom Ridge for your enthusiasm and dedication to environmental education! Thanks to Erie for making this vision come alive! The location is perfect for exploring more of the local scenery, too! If nature is only part of your interest - it's really close to Waldemere amusement park. Unlike Six Flags or the sorts, you can purchase rides one by one and avoid the expensive all-day pass style park system. If camping, fishing, volleyball, or swimming float your boat - check out the shore along Lake Erie on Presque Isle (just keep driving a bit past TREC) and spend the day on the beach!

Beautiful museum with great art and an inspiring atmosphere…read more We attended on a free Friday night and saw their Spring exhibit. A lot to offer and it was filled with people enjoying the opportunity to visit. Wine and cheese served with crackers and custom sugar cookies. Enjoy the photos!

Great museum. Parking and finding entrance is a little hard to figure out from being out of town…read more They have details on their site but I still had some trouble. Definitely worth a visit if you're not sure.

It's been years, but many childhood memories of my dad taking my me and my brother there!read more

From the owner: The Firefighters Historical Museum is housed in the former Engine #4 station, built in 1903. On…read moredisplay are apparatus, uniforms, tools and firefighting memorabilia dating back to the early 1800's.

Lincoln Librarians are the best, most helpful and our Erie County Public library outranks IN, WV…read moreand TN in acquiring new books for JUV and nonfiction historical and current events.

Great staff- lacking leadership at the top level. The situation involving Pride Month was extremely…read moreunfortunate and sad!

I was last in Erie in November - extreme cold and 5 feet of snow. Came back for summer and found a…read more95 degree day with never ending sun. This city is built on grit. Nothing closer is better. You have Waldameer Amusement Park, Peninsula with Beaches, downtown with restaurant, shopping, 2 water parks, custard stands everywhere and a Max and Erma's. What more do you need? Hotels everywhere and a chocolate called sponge candy. Get a bag of Smith hotdogs to take home - Erie thing- and enjoy your visit.

Erie, Pennsylvania is a wonderful city. Home to my favorite State Park, Presque Isle, the Tom…read moreRidge Environmental Center, Erie Art Museum, Erie Film Society/Film Office, Waldameer Park, Splash Lagoon, the Whole Foods Co-op, Perry Square, Erie Zoo, numerous breweries, restaurants, food trucks, and attractions, U.S.S. Flagship Brig Niagara, the observation tower, and so much more . . . I love Erie . . . It's on the move, and going upwards, and onwards . . . Cheers Erie!

We really enjoyed our visit to Erie Playhouse! The staff is very courteous. The venue is lovely,…read morewith an intimate feel. The production of Matilda we saw far exceeded any community theater production we've seen elsewhere.

The Erie Playhouse is one of my favorite places in Erie!…read more Price: The tickets are cheap compared to the talent you see on their stage. Setting: The theater is comfortable (sometimes you will find that, in theaters, the seats are too small or there isn't enough leg room), and really no seat is a bad one, since the theater is relatively small. Shows: The performances are great. We once attended a show where one of the actresses missed a performance (due to hospital emergency) and I wasn't able to tell who was replacing her until the end of the show! (side note: they had offered a refund, a ticket to another show, or for us to enjoy the show with a replacement) I enjoy the Christmas plays and the interactive plays the most. I don't think I have had a better time since I attended We Gotta Bingo!.