CLEVELAND (April 28, 2026) – Set sail with Great Lakes Science Center in May with a series of fun boat and water themed family activities, perfect for all ages, to celebrate the grand opening of TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition on May 21, and the reopening of the Steamship William G. Mather on May 2.
 
The engineers who built the Titanic and the Mather designed these ships to be fast whether they were carrying passengers across the Atlantic Ocean or iron ore across the Great Lakes. Put your engineering skills to work designing your own boat from everyday materials and see how fast you can sail it along a water-filled lane during our Sailboat Speedway Family Workshop, offered on Sundays May 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 1 and 3 p.m. There is a $5 materials fee for the workshop.
 
Then on May 23, 24 and 25, we’ll host a weekend filled with Great Lakes Adventures to celebrate the 101st birthday of the Steamship Mather. Programs include:
 

  • Wacky Water Big Science Show – watch with wonder as we work with water and explore some of its wackier physical and chemical properties!
  • Watery Scavenger Hunt – track down some of our watery exhibits and record your observations for a prize!
  • Water Refraction Cart – explore the properties of water and how it interacts with light as we make glass beads vanish from sight!
  • Guided Mather Tours – Take a 60-minute, staff-led tour highlighting the many features, artifacts, and story of this restored Great Lakes freighter. Visit one of the cargo holds, the brass and oak pilot house and four-story engine room, and discover how the William G. Mather contributed to Cleveland’s history.
  • Design a Ship Flag – come onboard the William G. Mather and design your own flag, inspired by the some of the flags on display in the Mather hold that once flew onboard Great Lakes freighters.

 
Note: There is a separate admission fee for the Mather.
 
For ticket information for the Science Center, the Mather or TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition, visit GreatScience.com..
 
About Great Lakes Science Center
Great Lakes Science Center, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, has reached more than 10 million visitors, and serves as a STEM education leader in Northeast Ohio. The Science Center produced Total Eclipse Fest in 2024, one of the largest free eclipse events in the country and is home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. The Science Center makes science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) come alive for more than 300,000 visitors a year through hundreds of hands-on exhibits, temporary exhibitions, the Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater, historic Steamship William G. Mather, daily science demonstrations, seasonal camps and more. The Science Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit institution, earned a Charity Navigator Four Star Rating in 2025, receiving top scores for financial efficiency, sustainability and trust worthiness. The Science Center is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Visit GreatScience.com for more information. 
 

Photo credit: Gayle Norris