Wayne County

Huntington, West Virginia

Huntington, West Virginia, is redefining fun and encouraging families to get in on the action. Through the Huntington Area Fun Pass, several of the area’s attractions are offering a 20% discount to offset the cost of inflation.

Experience what life was like on the Appalachian Frontier at Heritage Farm. Then, conquer TalithaKoum, the destination’s four-story aerial adventure course built on the mountain overlooking the village.

West Virginia’s only amusement park, Camden Park, is home to The Big Dipper, an old-fashioned, wooden roller coaster that will take your breath away.

Get on the trails at Rustic Ravines, where families can take a hike or rent an ATV. You’ll find out why West Virginia is nicknamed “Almost Heaven.”

If your tastes lean more toward arts and culture, take advantage of the 20% discount for admission to the Huntington Museum of Art, a world-class art museum. Immerse yourself in a live Pops performance by the Huntington Symphony Orchestra on the banks of the Ohio River. Or, take your seat to enjoy a play presented by Alchemy Theatre.

Add in the wide assortment of local dining options and hotel accommodations, and you have the perfect getaway. Best of all, there is no fee for the Huntington Area Fun Pass. Visit the website to download the discounts and let the fun begin. For more information, contact the Huntington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau by calling 304/525-7333 or by visiting the website at visithuntingtonwv.org/funpass

Traverse City, Michigan

New family activities are popping up in the northern Michigan getaway of Traverse City. While Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, beaches, festivals, hiking and biking trails always top the Traverse City activities, there are new family-focused things to do this year, too.

Wheels on Rails is a unique, 6-mile railbike tour that includes scenic hills alongside streams. The bikes are tandem or quad, and they travel along a now-closed train line. For families that want to take to the water, the Inland Seas Education Association offers a new option. The organization, which has operated a school ship for many years in Grand Traverse Bay, is expanding. The group has purchased the three-masted schooner Alliance and will bolster its environmental education programs on the lake.

The acclaimed National Cherry Festival is slated for July 1 through 8, featuring parades, fireworks, concerts and an air show with performances by the U.S. Air Force precision flight team, the Thunderbirds. A majority of the festival events are free.

Other family-friendly activities include Traverse City Horse Shows, the Northwoods League baseball team the Traverse City Pit Spitters and the Interlochen Center for the Arts summer concert series, which includes performances by Styx, The Temptations and the Beach Boys. For more information, including available accommodations, visit traversecity.com.

Camden Park, West Virginia’s only amusement park, offers fun for all ages (above). Enjoy beaches, festivals, hiking, biking trails and more activities in Traverse City (bottom left).

Family fun thrives in Toledo, with a range of museums, educational destinations and natural escapes. Get immersed in a multisensory experience at Imagination Station, Toledo’s hands-on science museum, then head across the Maumee River to learn about the world’s greatest natural resource at the National Museum of the Great Lakes. Be sure to tour the SS Col. James M. Schoonmaker and Tug Ohio museum ships, both included with full admission

The world-renowned Toledo Museum of Art features 35 galleries, a campuswide sculpture garden and the Glass Pavilion with its famous glass collection. The Family Center offers free sessions for young children and adults to create their own unique art together. The museum is a Certified Autism Center, expanding on accessibility offerings found throughout Toledo.

Summer is the perfect time to visit The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, where families can experience three attractions with one admission and enjoy the zoo, aquarium and ProMedica Museum of Natural History. Check out the new Komminsk Family Kodiak Ridge, the new home of three rescue bears, including two grizzlies and a Kodiak brown bear.

Step back in time at Sauder Village, located nearby in Fulton County. Ohio’s largest living-history destination features more than 40 historic homes and shops, working craftsmen and highlights such as the 1920s Main Street.

From the 1,336 acres at Maumee Bay State Park to river cruises aboard The Sandpiper, Toledo offers so many ways to embrace the outdoors. Metroparks Toledo features more than 19 unique destinations and a robust lineup of programing to get all ages involved in outdoors fun. For more information, go to visittoledo.org.