Top 10 Ohio Family Vacation Ideas

Cedar Point is one of the biggest amusement parks in the world and boasts some of the most thrilling roller coasters. It also provides live shows, jet skiing and other activities.

Cleveland is the second-largest city in Ohio and has a wide array of different activities. If the family wants to catch a sporting event, Cleveland is the home of the NBA's Cavaliers, the NFL's Browns and Major League Baseball's Indians. There is also the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Metroparks Zoo, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Museum of Art (one of the best in the country).

Columbus is Ohio's capital and largest city and offers many fun activities for the family. Sports fans will enjoy watching an Ohio State Buckeyes event, art lovers won't want to miss the Columbus Museum of Art and the whole family will enjoy the famous Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Although Sandusky is most famous as the home of Cedar Point, the Lake Erie Islands, which include the famous Put-in-Bay, can offer relaxing days of bicycling, sunbathing and boating.

Amish country in Northeast Ohio offers many fun and educational activities. Horse-drawn buggies, handmade quilts, authentic foods and various other unique aspects of Amish life can fascinate family members and make for a memorable vacation.

Canton and Akron provide fun-filled days and nights. Canton is the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a must-see for football fans. Akron is the home of Geauga Lake Amusement Park and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Cincinnati is known for its small-town feel in a fairly large city. A wide array of shops and entertainment can be found downtown in Fountain Square, and the summer months offer plenty of cultural events and festivals.

Southeast Ohio is filled with rich history, small towns and beautiful landscapes. For families that prefer a relaxing and laid-back atmosphere with many different outdoors activities, towns like Portsmouth might be the perfect destination.

The Ohio State Reformatory, or Mansfield Reformatory, was made famous as the shooting location of the film "The Shawshank Redemption," but it has plenty of other interesting stories to tell. Once a fully functional prison, it now serves as a museum and offers tours. For thrill-seeking families who love Halloween, Mansfield Reformatory is believed to be haunted, and those hoping to see a ghost might get lucky during one of the many ghost hunts.

Toledo might not be as popular as it once was, but it still has plenty to offer for sports fans and especially art lovers. Toledo offers many art shows, summer jazz festivals, touring classical musicians that play at the University of Toledo and daring local theater, from the university's theater department to the homegrown professional Glacity Theatre.