10 reasons you need to visit Cincinnati Museum Center this winter

Winter’s settled into the Queen City. And if that thought has you reeling, let me share my favorite place to visit all year round (but especially in the winter): Cincinnati Museum Center.

There are so many reasons to put this Cincinnati gem on the top of your winter must list, from its epic indoor playground to the dinosaurs to the space gallery. Here are 10 reasons you need to visit Cincinnati Museum Center this winter:

 

1. The OMNIMAX is the most epic movie theatre in town

Every parent knows that movies are a tried-and-true option for those too-hot, too-rainy, too-tired days. Why not take your movie morning to the next level? CMC’s OMNIMAX puts your kids there, whether it’s with Jane Goodall or chugging through the Canadian Rockies in Rocky Mountain Express.

2. Two words: The Caves

The Cincinnati Museum Center's Cave

Cincinnati Museum Center’s Cave is about as realistic as it gets (without actually venturing underground), with waterfalls, pooled water, tight corridors and cave formations like stalagmites and stalactites. You’ll feel the chill as you dip below ground and follow the flow of water as it carves formations through the underground. It’s an immersive and totally awesome experience.

3. Your kids can get creative at the Duke Energy Children’s Museum

Our children’s museum is the best place to spend a winter day! Play in the only indoor-outdoor playground in town: The Woods, splash (and learn!) at the epic water table, and go shopping for ice cream and other summer essentials at Kroger.

4. You’ll get a hands-on history lesson at the Public Landing

Step back in time at the Public Landing. In addition to old favorites — like the massive Riverboat and market — the Landing now includes several interactive elements that make this as must-visit with kids. There are six new historic shops, including a dressmaker with dress-up clothes, a printmaker where you can DIY your own headlines and a Ball and Thomas photography studio that lets you snap a 19th century selfie! The Public Landing is more fun that ever.

5. See trains, planes and automobiles at Cincinnati in Motion

Cincinnati in Motion

If your kids love trains, enjoy all the little details in LEGO displays or simply like cars and trucks and things that go, Cincinnati in Motion is for them! Cincinnati in Motion displays Downtown Cincinnati as it appeared in the 1940s. Cincinnati in Motion is the nation’s largest full-motion urban layout — and all the little details and touches are stunning.

6. Be STEM-spired in the Science Interactives Gallery

Science Interactives Gallery

You kiddos can inside a volcano vortex, lift themselves sky-high with pulleys, see themselves like never before with infrared cameras and create their own storm clouds! Read all about CMC’s Science Interactives Gallery here.

7. Get up-close with your fave prehistoric pals at the Dinosaur Hall

The Dinosaur Hall is the Cincinnati Museum Center’s 7,000-square-foot ode to all things prehistoric, and features six massive dinosaur specimens ranging from the Jurassic Period to the Cretaceous Period — including five on display to the public for the first time. Special interactive elements provide a unique, prehistoric perspective for your kids: video microscopes put you in the paleontologist’s seat, footprints on the floor lets you walk in these animals’ footsteps and an interactive globe shows the evolution of the earth beginning 600 million years ago.

Be Extra: Take it to the next level and visit CMC’s Paleontology Lab!

8. Blast off at the Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery

CMC’s Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery is a lunar love letter that must be experienced. The gallery features unique artifacts and equipment from the Apollo 11 mission, plus lots of fun, kid-friendly interactives. As with all CMC exhibits, what makes the Neil Armstrong Gallery so special is how immersive and accessible everything is. Admission to the Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery is free for Members or included in Discovery Pass.

9. Girlhood (it’s complicated)

Girlhood (It’s complicated) features nearly 200 artifacts from the Smithsonian to reflect the diversity of girls’ experiences and tell the stories of girls who have challenged the status quo, who have been on the front line of social change and who have made history. In the process, it provides a fresh perspective for our shared American experience. Girlhood (It’s complicated) opened October 14.

10. Snap a selfie

There are numerous next-level photo opps at CMC. Get your kiddo’s pic with dinosaurs and astronauts, in front of a miniature Cincy skyline or the iconic CMC Fountains. Tag your pic #cincymuseum and they might share your selfie on social media!

The best part? Admission to all these CMC experiences (except from the OMNIMAX and Girlhood (it’s complicated) exhibit) is FREE for Members or included in Discovery Pass.

This winter, get your passport to the wide, wonderful world — simply visit the Cincinnati Museum Center! For more information or to plan your next visit, check out Cincinnati Museum Center’s website.

Southwest Ohio
Southwest Ohio
Midwest Parenting Publications published Cincinnati Parent for over 35 years and Dayton Parent for over 7 years. In 2021, the two merged to become Southwest Ohio Parent, expanding our reach into the growing Southwest Ohio market. At SW Ohio Parent, we proudly serve as the top parenting resource magazine and website for Cincinnati, Dayton, and the surrounding communities. Every day, we strive to deliver exactly what our readers need and are 100% dedicated to providing parents with the most trusted resources to find local events for every day of the week, community service organizations, and businesses that cater to the family market.

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