Does the cold winter weather have you feeling stuck inside? That doesn't mean there's nothing to do! Cincinnati and the surrounding areas offer many wonderful indoor venues for your child. Read below for the first in a series of exciting places to visit that your child is sure to find delightful!
Cincinnati Museum Center
The Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) is home to three very different museums. If you'd like to give your children a taste of Cincinnati past, pay a visit to the Cincinnati History Museum. Inside you'll find a model of the city of Cincinnati from the 1900's to 1940's with working trains and inclines, a replica of the Public Landing as it was in the 1850's complete with costumed actors, World War II artifacts and more. Hint: If your child is a train buff, visit the semi-hidden train play area located at the bottom left of the model of Cincinnati.
If your children love caves and dinosaurs, check out the Museum of Natural History and Science. In here you can step through a glacier and travel back in time over 19,000 years to visit the Ice Age of the Ohio Valley, explore a recreated Kentucky limestone cave, see fossils and replicated dinosaurs, visit Nature's Trading Post, watch bats in flight, learn about the human body and much much more. There is also a wonderful sand play area for children ages 5 and under.
A trip to CMC would not be complete without a stop at the Duke Energy Children's Museum. From the pint sized grocery store, diner, veterinary office and more found in Kids Town to a water play area to the slide, tunnels and adventure of The Woods, your child will love all of the hands-on learning opportunities found here. There is also the Little Sprouts Farm play area for children 5 and under featuring a sand table, puppet play area, small grocery store, slide and climber, an area for babies and more.
Finally, after you break for lunch in the rotunda and take in the beautiful tile murals created by German-born artist Winold Reiss in the 1930's, go see the featured film at the Omnimax Theater. It features a five-story, 72 foot diameter, tilted, domed screen and a state of the art sound system which puts you right in the heart of the action!
Before you head out, be sure to stop in one of the three gift shops for a souvenir to commemorate your trip. Last but certainly not least, make a pit stop at the Rookwood Ice Cream Parlor for a scoop (or two) of their delicious ice cream!
For interesting facts about the origin of Union Terminal, visit http://library.cincymuseum.org/uthisthelp.htm.
For hours, admissions and more information visit their website at www.cincymuseum.org.
Comments
You know, I'm there all the time, but I forget about all the other cool stuff they have outside of the Duke Energy Children's Center! Now I really want to go visit all the other parts I forgot about! Great article.
I haven't been to the Museum in awhile - You've made me want to go back! Cincinnati's children of all ages are so lucky to have this treasure.
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