Even though I’ve lived in Northeast Ohio my entire life, I’ve yet to visit the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, a hidden gem in Cleveland’s University Circle. But their holiday “Glow” exhibit gave me a great reason to travel up north to finally check it out.
My kids want to build a gingerbread house every year, and every year we struggle to get the walls to stay upright, the roof to stay on, and enough candy to decorate the whole thing. But the Glow exhibit boasted more than 60 gingerbread houses, all impeccably built and creative enough for me to snap a few photos and say, “I’ve got some ideas for next year.”
In addition to the houses, there is a short train ride for the kids, a build-your-own gingerbread station, and the expansive “glass house” where you can walk through a Costa Rican rainforest or see the spiny wildlife of Madagascar. My kids thoroughly enjoyed it and we will definitely be back in the warmer months so we can explore more of the exhibits and gardens outside.
“Glow” is open now until January 5. Visit the website to see available hours and ticket information.