The Cincinnati History Museum
1301 Western AvenueCincinnati , Ohio 45203
513-287-7000 | www.cincymuseum.org
The Cincinnati History Museum
The Cincinnati History Museum at Cincinnati Museum Center explores the history of the city, from its public landing to developments in the urban core, in an early twentieth century, art-deco train station.
The Cincinnati History Museum at Cincinnati Museum Center explores the history of the city, from its public landing to developments in the urban core, in an early twentieth century, art-deco train station and National Historic Landmark.
When walking into the museum, purchase tickets in a beautiful rotunda featuring a mural that depicts the Winold Reiss’s interpretation of the history of Cincinnati. Visitors enter the History Museum on the left of the main desk, where they will find an incredibly accurate and detailed model of Cincinnati’s skyline and urban core with moving trains and streetcars that wind between its labeled streets. Visitors truly obtain a sense of a modern mid-twentieth century city in constant motion. Interpretative signs discuss a variety of topics, such as how the Ohio River serves as a point of reference for comparisons of the city and architects that designed the city’s famous buildings. The model is the perfect height for children to push buttons and watch the trains but also set low enough for those less vertically challenged to enjoy a relatively aerial view of the city.
After enjoying this portion of the museum, visitors go under the city and travel back in time for an immersive experience at the Public Landing. This is where they are greeted by the sights and sounds, but thankfully not the smells, of a bustling Porkopolis. Time travelers can aboard the Queen of the West, representative of the nineteenth-century steamboats with a full-scale steam engine model, and then embark on their journey in Cincinnati. Guests explore historic shops, where they can select fabric for their next dress, learn about lithography and newspaper printing, dress up and take a photograph, or play old-fashioned table games. Within each building, there are hands-on activities for children.
Notes for Travelers
Union Terminal also contains free public exhibits such as the “Until We Meet Again: Cincinnati Portraits from World War I,” temporary and traveling exhibits, an OMNIMAX film theater, and three other museums: Duke Energy Children’s Museum, Natural History & Science Museum, and the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center. When paying for admission, consider the “Discovery Pass,” which allows you to enter the Cincinnati History Museum, Museum of Natural History and Science, and Duke Energy Children’s Museum. Other exhibits or films may be an additional cost. For more information, please consult the Cincinnati Museum Center’s website.