Lima's location just 30 miles from the Indiana state border means that there are literally hundreds of options for family activities within a 250 mile radius of the city. This radius includes all of Indiana and Ohio and much of the surrounding six states, and includes three of the Great Lakes. There is an abundance of activities in both the summer and winter months.
One activity that always goes over well in any family is a visit to the zoo, and there are a number of excellent zoological gardens to choose from within 250 miles of Lima. Toledo Zoo (toledozoo.org) just 70 miles to the north is known as the world's most complete zoo, and is home to 3,000 animals with more than 500 species. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (clemetzoo.com) is a little farther at 150 miles, but with more than 300 acres, half of which are wooded, and 3,300 animals, it is worth a visit. Another option just 80 miles away is the African Safari Wildlife Park (africansafariwildlifepark.com) where you can drive through the park and have animals come right up to your car.
Theme parks are always fun places to take the family, whether they are the traditional theme parks with lots of slides and rides, or water parks, which have become popular more recently. The Coney Island Amusement Park (coneyislandpark.com) in Cincinnati is one such park, and it is about 120 miles to the south of Lima. Other options are the Cedar Point Amusement Park (cedarpoint.com) in Sandusky, 100 miles to the northeast on the shores of Lake Erie. For smaller kids, try out the Memphis Kiddie Park (memphiskiddiepark.com) in Brooklyn, a suburb of Cleveland, which isabout 130 miles away.
You'll find numerous lakes within 250 miles of Lima, but one of the most popular spots to take the kids is Sandusky (sandusky.net) on the shores of Lake Erie. There's a mile of beach to relax on, where the kids can play. The resort also offers picnicking, dancing, boat slips, camping facilities and several good restaurants. 120 miles to the southeast close to Logan is the Hocking Hills State Park (no website: 20160 State Route 664 S, Logan: 740-385-6841) which is an excellent place for a relaxing day's outing, with wildlife, rocky outcrops, waterfalls and deep gorges.
There is still plenty of fun to be had even when the snow is on the ground. Just 100 miles to the east close to Mansfield are the Snow Trails Ski Resort (snowtrails.com) and Clear Fork (skiclearfork.com) resorts. There are more resorts 150 miles away close to Cleveland, such as Brandywine Ski Resort (bmbw.com/winter). All ski resorts have beginners' areas and many have special areas for snow tubing, which the whole family can enjoy.
