Cincinnati Museum Center and Welcome Back!

Welcome Back Blog!

Well, let's be honest, let's be real.  I got a wild hare to start blogging again. Yeah, I know, blogs are so 2000's dude. People expect more from bloggers, they want them to create fully edited video packages that they can just veg out on a sofa and watch.  Well, my video skills never evolved beyond Shoot, Share, Store, and I would have a lousy voice for video.  But, as a wise teacher once told me, "The palest ink will outlive the most vivid memory"  So, I don't know how long this wild hair will last, but for now, On with the Blog.

 TR: Cincinnati Museum Center

(For those that have forgotten, a TR stands for Trip Report)  Breaking from my usual chronological run down of the day format, this TR will cover numerous trips to the museum center throughout the year.  Why so many?  Well, this year has been real hard on me, no, I'm not going to "Dear Diary" about it here, just also recall "Everybody is facing a personal challenge you know nothing about" So, as sappy as it may sound, the museum is sort of like one of my comfort spaces.  But I haven't gone just randomly, every visit had a mission and purpose, and planned that way, there has always been something new to see.

Visits thus far this year:

1. April 8 - To see the newly renovated museum, and Egypt.
2. May 4 - Mummies Omnimax and the Presidents office suite was added back to the building tour.
3. May 12 - Neil Armstrong Space gallery
4. June 8 - CurioCITIES event means being able to see and photograph the Children's Museum unhindered.
5. Late June - Random visit with family
6. August 10 - 1940s Day!
7. October 6 - Apollo 11
8. November 9 - Holiday Junction

So rather than write 8 separate reports, let's write one omnibus that covers content of all 8.  

Almost forgot the header, I am out of practice at these.

TR: Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal

Cincinnati, OH

Dates: See above

Admission: FREE with a pay as you explore plan.  The core exhibits (dubbed the Discovery Pass) are $14.50, with special exhibitions and attractions at an upcharge.  Annual plans are available, I purchased my voucher while the museum center was still closed for renovation so for $40 (I think?) I think I have done pretty well for myself in value.

Parking: $6

Public Transit - Serviced weekends about once an hour by Metro Rt 49 (Was Rt 1 before the renovation) bus stop is in the main traffic circle just to the south of the building.  Sometimes friendly drivers will drop you off right at the door.  Oh, and serviced by Amtrak train, if you don't mind arriving\leaving at 3 in the morning.

Arriving: One of the first things return visitors will note is the retro art deco marquee sign at the edge of the driveway has been replaced by a more contemporary sign in a simple easy to read font.   From what I learned from one of the docents, the iconic art deco font used in Union Terminal signage really is trademarked, and apparently in the latest remodel the deal was to use it only in its historical context, thus modern signage and such use the new much simpler font  This isn't all bad as it made them implement an all new, and I think much improved, signage system. 

Getting to the front doors. during the remodel they had been replaced with generic modern front doors, so one of the first things I was glad to see is the originals have returned.  It's the little things that make me happy.  There's something about those door handles I remember from my early years when the place was a shopping mall.  Once inside, take several moments to breathe in the atmosphere of the rotunda.  Gone is the temporary lobby we have had the last few years. Now the newly restored mosaics gleam, the paintwork more vivid than ever, you can still spy remnants of the damage the terazzo floor sustained in the shopping mall era, but even it shines giving its subtle directional cues.  Outside, the grand fountain has been restored , flagpoles that had long sat disused have been repaired and now proudly show their colors.  The concourse level common area is just as much of an attraction as any of the museums being an art deco masterpiece and again housing the mosaics.  May I remind you the concourse is free to explore.  

I do believe the main ticket booth has been replaced.  The white booth has been replced with an orange and black striped booth that just may be more true to the period.  The clock tower above the ticket booth still stands, but unfortunately while it does advertise "TIME", it is not forthcoming with that information.  I would be remiss not to mention the clock on the exterior of the builiding was restored and is fully functional.  

Let's walk around the rotunda and see what has changed.  Starting at the front doors "TO STREET", the first storefront which had been the public safety office is now mostly an elevator.  A small part was left on the exterior wall for a showcase window.  This very large elevator is a key component in the buildings new vertical transportation system, which I will get into when I discuss the lower levels.  (Hey, it's a Coasterville Trip Report, as one of my friends used to say, "I could go visit the attraction faster than I could read your report about it).  Continuing along, the escalators and stairs remain where they were, and then we come to the Newsreel theater.  

For a long time, there were really only two ways to see the Newsreel Theater, one was to be lucky enough to attend an event that had booked it, and the other was to take the free building tour.  (The building tour starts with a historical lecture about the terminal which is held in the Newsreel Theater).  The theater has received much love, from restored seating and wall textures, though I heard the wall sconces, while true to the original plans, were never actually installed in the original. Be sure to check under your seat for your hat rack.  Lately, access to this room has expanded in the form of a series of video presentations held in this room throughout the day.  Which are, by the way, free.

Continuing around you turn the corner at the Historical Society museum entrance and enter the main curved area of the rotunda.  But first be sure to check out the massive oversized drinking fountain in the corner.  Just don't hold a private discussion here, even speaking softly it may be heard by a spy at its counterpart across the way.  Or this may give you a fun idea to hold a conversation from opposite corners via the magical whispering fountains. 

Anyway the south side of the rotunda was as a train station, and still is concession stands.  These have been updated with both a better menu, and a self serve station of grab and go items.  The Cup and Pint stand is there to satisfy those who want freshly brewed products, of multiple types.    In the center is access to the dining room.  This was a confusing space in last incarnation, as it was labeled "Private Dining Rooms", and was used mainly for banquets but sometimes opened as overflow seating.  I suspect its purpose may be similar today, but more food service windows are inside. In factg, I think you may order in the rotunda and pick it up inside the dining room.  The wonderful think of it is, the new food windows look like they have always been there, even when faces with photographic evidence that there were phone booths  in their place before.  More importantly the renovation included ripping out the carpeting so the original floor can shine showing off a hint what the room may have been like when it was a serpentine style lunch counter.  More restoration work is evident in the foyer of the women's lounge, and in the back formal dining room.  The are preservationists did a lot bring out the detail in the city map that forms the basis for the design of the ceiling.  

Skipping the main concourse area with its "TO TRAINS" signs proudly lit, (For some reason I don't recall those being lit before, may be faulty memory), on the other side, in what was the former main ticket office, and then the gift shop before the renovation.  The gift shop seems to be cut in at least half of what it was.  Maybe even smaller. Gone is the maze of little rooms and the bookstore.  In the front there is a small section devoted to the terminal, then some stuff that relates to the current special exhibits, and maybe some stuff that relates to past special exhibits.  Unfortunately most of the selection is generic museum gift shop merchandise.  I know why they did it, the stuff will sell, but the gift shop just doesn't appeal to me in its current state.  I've walked through it now, all the way, twice, and I don't know, I may not be able to say why, but it just isn't doing it for me.  The space also seems a bit small as evidenced by the fact that some of the merchandise is spilled out into the Natural History Museum lobby.  At least they stuck the dinosaur stuff out in the overflow area, so that kind of works. 

The big mystery is the blacked out space next to it, the sign says "Premium Experience"  No word from anybody on what this may entail in the future.  Perhaps a replacement for the missing "Collectors Shop", the former high end gift shop.  As I mentioned the signage, it would be wise to note that the overhead signs, some of which where in the faux art deco font have all been removed.  The new signage program in the concourse area seems to be a frosted panel in one of the doors with the name of whatever is inside left see through.  The main building signage program now is the same font, usually white on black, but with a few variants with different color background to fit the area.  

Coming back around to the front, the Greaters ice cream parlor has returned to restored Rookwood Tea Room.  This little dining area is a work of art in itself and usually my last stop of the day.  Across the front, is an alcove with the kiosk for the automated parking program (though any ticket window can also collect parking), ATM, and at times a "Learn CPR" machine has been there.  If it's not here, it also likes to hang out by the lockers on the lower level concourse.   Rounding out the Rotunda tour is the older large elevator, now dubbed the Express Elevator to make it clear that it does not serve the Mezzanine level, whereas the new one does, then the newly relocated Public Safety office where the Collector's Shop was.  

Continuing back from the rotunda you come to the former Checking Lobby.  Step around the stairway down in the center of this passage.  Don't blame the museums for this, I think this used to be where the shopping mall people had an escalator.  This gives access to parts of the lower levels that aren't accessible by the elevators, escalators and stairs in the front.  The organ console has returned to its glass box at the top of the stairs, and I am eager to hear of any upcoming organ concerts.  On the north side, not much has changed functionally.. Restored yes, but functionally the same.  A hallway leads back to the Presidents Office Suite. A subtle change is I think the doors to the hallway are no longer frosted, so you can see back the hall, and they have been turned around so they now open out into the concourse.  The main feature on the north side is the auditorium, and a vending room in the auditorium lobby.  One disappointment was before the renovation the vending machines in this room were priced to say train station prices, and might have been mainly for the Amtrak customers. I always did wonder why I could get a Coke from a machine for $1.50 that was $3 at the snack bar.  That loophole has, sadly, been closed.  

Going back further to the west, you come to the Amtrak strain station.  It's the ultimate case of full-cycle recycling: Train Station -> Shopping Mall -> Museum Center -> Train Station.  Yeah, its very limited service, at crappy hours, but the room they gave Amtrak to use still has train motif wall coverings, and while the furnishings look a bit more modern, the room still screams 1930's Right down to access to the only boarding ramp left after the main concourse was mostly destroyed.  

The Omnimax theater remains at the end of the concourse sporting new seating, and a new all digital system.  Don't worry, they did digitize their (in)famous (depending on your point of view) light tunnel opening.  Returning back the other side of the hall is the Corbett Gallery, a seemingly seldom used expo hall, but I did notice the temporary stanchions for the Omnimax have been slightly repositioned so this area is now accessible.  The major change in the area is to the restrooms.  You see as I said the north side has the auditorium, and the south side has had the restrooms.  There is also an alcove hallway leading off in each of the corners.  In the north east corner is the hall to the Presidents's Office, the north west has an elevator, from which the public can access the ADA entrance for the Omnimax, or Tower A. (when open).  In the past the south east corner had the men's room, elevator to the lower level back areas (the same areas served by the center stairwell) and the locker room, and the south west corner had the women's room. The former bag claim windows are now show windows advertising current and future attractions and showing some of the stuff you could buy in the gift shop.  Even before a hallway had been cut into the center of this space, that goes to a mystery room which I believe is the storage area for all the banquet equipment when not setup for functions in the rotunda. 

What they have done is move the restroom entrances so both the men's and women's rooms now enter off this center hallway.  The rest of the hallway is lined with lockers.  So now the wouth west corner hall would seem to go nowhere, and the former locker room in the south east has been replaced with family bathrooms. Also as part of the visual cues, the floor and walls around the entrances to the rest room areas are now green, makes them easy to spot from a distance.  

That's the main floor, so lets ride the escalator down to the mezzanine.  Before the renovation there wasn't much to do on the mezzanine level from this point of entry.  You would get to the boom of the escalator, take a long winding walkway to, the top of the escalator or staris to the lower level.  Oh, ok, you could look into the woods part of the Children's Museum via overlook    Now things are much different here.  While you can still do everything you could before, now on the mezzanine level, there  is a lot more to do.  (depending on what is open when you visit)  The are is full of special event spaces.  The big wooden door in front slides open to reveal the Fountain Gallery (this is where Holiday Junction is located), turn around and go up a couple steps (or short elevator ride) to get access to two more special exhibit areas, as well as a hallway that may lead to the facilities classrooms.  The Natural History museums main classroom/lab also has an access point here.  In addition there is a set of restrooms here, and be sure to check out the numbered pole.  They have left some of the support columns and walls in this area unfinished so you can see the original.  According to the signage, much of the underground area that now contains the museums was once a parking garage.   

Not to be disjointed, but speaking of public ares of the mezzanine, if you take the back stairs or elevator to the mezzanine, you come to a foyer for the Historical Society Library, the Holocaust and Humanities Museum, a special event room, AND two more mosaics that a lot of people may not know are down here, and you can get a close view of these two.  It also has stairs down to the lower level back entrance of the main Exhibition Hall.  A long time ago, the idea was the Exhibition Hall could float between museums by way of twin ramps and how you lock/unlock doors at the top of said ramps.  At the time the idea was if the Museum Center wanted to stage an exhibition completely independent of the museums, access could be obtained by locking off both ramps, and sending people down the back stairs. That all came to an end when they added their third major museum tenant, the Children's Museum.  That was when the front elevator, escalator and stairs were installed, leading down to a new lower level concourse that served both the new Children's Museum, and by way of even more special exhibit galleries the main Exhibition Hall.  I don't think they have sent people down the back stairs since.  The event rooms on the lower level, as I mentioned are modular and can be reconfigured, allowing them to bring in even larger exhibitions than the mail hall would allow.  It's not uncommon for an exhibition to start by going through some of the smaller rooms, then leading people to the ramp up to the main hall, through the main hall, down the other ramp, to wind through more of the special event rooms.  (Usually the last of which is a gift shop)

This lower level concourse received many upgrades.  For starters, all three museums included in the core Discovery Pass can now be accessed via the lower level concourse.  (This wasn't quite the case until the Neil Armstrong Galley opened up in the Natural History and Science Museum), so it really has made a new traffic flow.  Guests can now wind they way through one of the two original museums from the top down, then take in the main traveling feature in the Exhibition Hall or let the ids have some fun and blow off energy in the Children's museum.  Perhaps grab a refreshment, then tackle the other museum from the bottom up, finishing at the rotunda. 

To support this the restrooms on this floor were expanded (and there was MUCH rejoicing!, particularly when those were the only public restrooms in the whole place during the renovation. But this had a cascading effect.  Moving the restrooms to the very end of the hall meant the entry way for the Exhibition Hall could be expanded.  They almost always used a relaxed timed ticket system for their traveling shows.  Meaning if its busy, come at your time, if its a slow day, they may be lenient and let you in whenever. They used to stage two upcoming groups in the childrens museum lobby, then after one group was admitted, one of the staging areas was emptied into the cramped hallway, made even more cramped  by a rope down the middle maintaining access to the tiny restrooms, and even worse when the exhibit was configured to exit out the same doors it entered. Now the new found area by moving the restrooms and perhaps losing a closet or some such, has been turned into a holding room off the main hall, configured to hold two groups, have a ticket check podium, and a exit lane if the configuration warrants.  Losing the staging area in front of the Children's Museum has meant they have added a new seating area, kept the supposedly temporary refreshment stand they had during renovations, and replace on of the former special exhibit rooms with Bean Sprouts, which a healthy conscience food option (don't expect sodas or french fries at that stand).  Additional lockers are also in this area.

Ok, Ok, I hear you, this short report is now almost as long as reading the Harry Potter septology, and I haven't talked about one museum artifact yet.  Lay of the land is important, and as I said I consdier the building itself to be an architectural masterpiece.  

Let's continue with the Core Museums.  Warning up front, not everything is going to be rosey from this point forward, I realize they are reopening in phases, but they are taking their own sweet time about it, and a lot of the former content was removed and not replaced.  Then again, I sometimes think the Gilbert Ave museum was the best version.  

Museum of Natural History and Science (and when did it add on the Science moniker)

Entered via the main concourse to the north between the gift shop and Graeters, or the north end of the lower concourse by the Exhibition Hall.  

Let's start up top. As you may know, each side wing of the terminal has three bays (originally thought to be streetcars, busses, and taxis), with four ramps leading down from the concourse.  Each side also has a stairway down to the street below (used only as emergency exits, as far as I know), as well as an elevator that is internal to just that museums galleries.   As I mentioned before the gift shop is also overflowing into this area up top.  This has led to a subtle move of the ticket check point back closer to the ramps and some portable stanchions.  The core museums main checkpoints have also been redone in the same black and orange design of the main ticket booth, bringing another visual cue and unifying the look.  With a day ticket be sure to hold onto your ticket stub, as you will need to show it at every ticket checkpoint.  Members need to dig out their membership card and ID every time.  At least they now allow members to get handstamped so they don't have to get all their customs documents ready for every checkpoint.  

So lets start with the front most bay.  This one in the prior version had a few seemingly random items, but amongst them was the polar bear that had greeted visitors since Gilbert Ave and maybe before, a totem pole, and the Nature's Trading Post, a unique stand that allows (mainly children) to bring in items (within certain critiera) that they find out in nature, perhaps get some information on their find from the trader, and trade it for something else.  I understand this program is popular so it was moved to the Children's Museum during the renovation downtime and has remained there since.  At the bottom of the ramp flanking the doors to the mezzanine level were admittedly antique exhibits that tie straight to my childhood.  One was a large rock you tried to lift with a fulcrum lever, and the other was a rattlesnake that would rattle when you pressed the button.  By the time this piece arrived at Union Terminal it was past its prime and the interpretive sign even lampshaded this by not labeling the object a rattlesnake but instead something like "This is an early example of an interactive exhibit"

So what replaced these items?  Dinosaur Hall.  At least 4 large scale dino skeletons dominate the area.  Video screens givr wsy to more information, and telescopes with signage are locked onto a particular feature.  Having trouble finding the feature of the dino skeleton they are pointing out? Press the button to activate a laser pointer.  Then there are the tables of small fossils, instead of magnifying glasses which would be the traditional way of handling this, they give you a camera (hidden inside a vacuum tube), and the fossil or other item you point the camera at is magnifed on a nearby monitor..  The area is also one of the first in the museum to incorporate braille and raised print signage, and even cast metal portions of dinosaur skeletons where the signs tell you "PLEASE TOUCH!" which allows a visually impaired person to feel around a model of the item.  It's a well done exhibit that screams natural history museum, and placed right up front.

Turning to Bay 2, the center bay.  Recall this area used to hold "All About Me" a tour of the human anatomy aimed at the younger set.  (Who remembers Dr. Digesto, where they tried to illustrate the digestive system using a one-of-a-kind pinball machine.  I don't think Dr. Digesto made it to end of All About Me's life.) a small bit of this content has moved to Children's Museum in the form of the dentist office (and the giant teeth), but for the most part, its gone.  The other half of center bay, and ending at the back bay was "Pathways to Change" a trip through time with a conservation theme. It too has been lost with no apparent replacement. So, what is in this area now? An exhibit titled "Phyisics Interactives"  The "All About Me" area is now a stage show on based on science, and the rest, as you can guess, is a collection of hands on exhibits that demonstrate various physics properties.  Popular is one where they givee you one of those old fashioned conical paper drinking cups, and give you some ideas on how to tear and fold it to get the best flight out of it, and then provide a wind tunnel to test out your attempt. Another is the tornado simulator (which unlike at other attractions does not charge money), or the unfair Tug of War.  (Hint two ropes connected to a central pole, on one side the rope is tied to the very bottom of the pole, on the other side its tied to a point halfway up.) , or one where you drop a bowling ball in a closed tube such that the forced air causes a tennis ball to almost hit the ceiling.  Other stuff like that.  

In the third bay, which before was the end of "Pathways to Change", they have an extra charge VR experience ($6), on something called a Birdley, which is like being a flying dinosaur.  VR headet, fan in your face, you lay down on a base shaped like a bird, to fly you have to use your hands to flap the birds wings.  This was where the science stage show is now, so its a bit disjointed from the rest of the dinosaur exhibit.  Oh and a kids play area and sandbox used to be here.

Continuing down to the mezzanine level, was "Earth Stories"  In its first incarnation it was presented as a show, where you were held at the doors and allowed in as a grop and told to gather around the first display case.  As the show went on the case you were at would go dark and the next set would light up prompting you to move ahead to the next set.  Towards the end the lights were all kept lit, and each set was activated on demand by push button.  Okay, the intended purpose of this was to teach the visitor about the museum process all the way from archeological dig to museum display.  After showing a couple items in the first case it focused in on an Indian arrowhead, which it would follow through the excavation, research and preservation process.  That was on one level, on another level, the figures and sets were recycled from the "Indian Trail" that was at the Gilbert Ave. facility.  Maybe not the most PC exhibit.  

It was at this point, on that first visit in April that I had a "They changed it, this SUCKS" moment.  Polar Bear, gone, Rattlesnake, gone, large rock fulcrum, gone, Indian Trail gone.  (And even though I haven't gotten there yet, Ice Age - which in large part recycled the Wilderness Trail from Gilbert Ave, has not yet returned, it was at one time promised to return, but I haven't heard much buzz in this regard, so for now Wilderness Trail, Gone!.  It's like they did a Temple of Doom on my heart!  Ok, lets take every last nostalgic childhood memory of the museum I grew up with, and throw it away!  No, I still have not gotten over losing the Planetarium, and that was what 30 years ago!!

Ok, let's calm down and continue our tour.  At the doors to the mezzanine level, they have really neat spherical television, find the control panel and you can view what is believed to be the way the Earth looked at that given point in time.  OK, that's kind of cool.  The hallway, however where Earth Stories is now just a hallway.  Classrooms and labs line the right hand wall, and for lack of a more dignified term, a display case of assorted museum stuff is mounted to the left hand wall.  

Down the steps at the U turn and you get to the larger event room/ lab (the one you can get to from the common area part of the mezzanine) and an overlook into a lab.  

The preserved rhino guards the way further and you may be startled if you set off the recording of it's story.  A special exhibit gallery is to the right, and straight ahead where the space items were are the stairs and a new elevator down to the Neil Armstrong Gallery.  If i recall right, the mummy and mummy case were where that small exhibit gallery is now, they are currently residing up against the back wall of the Cave foyer where the entrance to Ice Age was.  I do note the back wall looks rather temporary so perhaps one day.

The bat cage has moved to space of prominence in the center of the Cave lobby, behind which is an exhibit about Mommoth Cave.  The cave itself is mostly how it was.  The poles to check visitor girth entering the advanced path are gone.  Yes, the cave still has two paths the "Beginner" (read ADA path) and "Advanced"  Formerly the upper ADA path utilized windows to look down on the feature parts of the lower path.  These windows have been replaced with railings, which should help improve the view.  Both paths manage to show the same content.  The time I visited with family we had a lengthy debate over which Cave was better Gilbert or this one.  Another safety enhancement was replacing the solid exit doors at the end of the cave with open grate doors (with plexiglass on them so you can't just reach inside and open it)  They even managed to theme this by having an interpretive sign on the outside of the exit doors explaining how grates are used to seal off cave entrances to keep tresspassers out, while still allowing small animals access. 

Now for the totally new, the Neil Armstrong Gallery.  Either down the stairs (with a mission control mural), or via the main stairway from the mezzanine or by either internal elevator, or by the lower lever entrance..  The main feature his a movie in the round that takes place in, you guessed it, a round room.  This would be what Disney would call Circlevision 360.  Except its their own take on it.  The main movie screen is not 360, its close but there are three gaps for the entry/exit points, in addition in front of each wall panel, there is a floor panel that is part of the projection show, and even the sphere in the center of the room gets in on the act being either the Earth or the Moon,.  Continuous showings run all day, just a couple minutes break between each.  You may want to watch thrice to see it from the viewpoint of each screen as they are sometimes the same, but they are usually different,.  Unlike the Disney setup the orb in the center of the room ensures that you just can't see the whole thing from anywhere in the theatre, in fact I think the best place to watch is in the entryways.  I think the orb effect is lost on a lot of people who may think it a back rest for a bench. There is a ledge around the orb right at the proper height.  I don't know if its meant to be a bench but that's what it gets used for.,  Oh and children playing on the floor panels.  I sometimes wonder if audience instruction is needed.  The presentation tells the story of flight and as you may expect goes up to an includes the Apollo 11 mission.  In fact, given what is in the Exhibition Hall right now, and the OmniMax, two of the three screens are now plugging those attractions while the third is showing the usual mission control "Countdown to next showing".  

Outside the round chamber are exhibits like a piece of moon rock, complete with a "Feel it" model (Inside a dark hole for extra creepiness.).  A jacket, snoopy cap, and spacesuit round out the artifacts (ok, if you look close, they do admit the spacesuit is a replica)  Interactive stations provide "Be a flight captain" - make critical decisions under time stress, see if you made right call, and a fun little interactive that puts your head inside a snoopy cap and spacesuit photo op.  It even sends you a digital download, for free.  

Cincinnati Historical Society Museum

Again, lets go top-down.  

Before the front bay housed Cincinnati In Motion, a wonderfully detailed an accurate model city.  The main downtown 1940's set is intact, and even running it's day/night modes. Be sure to play the scavenger hunt of the month.  Other parts are slowly coming on line.  Such as Riverboat Row (Covington) is now setup, along the second ramp from the left they are working on Mt. Adams.

At the bottom of the ramp, Union Terminal is mostly done, and they are now working on Music Hall/ Washington Park and that area. In the back you can see the Incline District, Crosley Field taking shape.  The workshop being in full view of the guests.  At the bottom, but still not rebuilt are the Lunken Airport and Coney Island sets.  I'm eager for them to finish Mt. Adams so that A) maybe the incline model will ride again, and B) that ramp can reopen, its been closed since at least August, and hat blocks visibility to a huge chunk of main Downtown.

In the center bay, "Cincinnati Goes to War" - which was a locally based exhibit on World War II is gone, replaced by the Transportation Gallery.  This is really a mismatch of odds and ends.  They have a milling machine or two from Cincinnati Milacron which may have been used in "Cincinnati Goes to War", or may have been in the industrial equipment exhibit at the end of the musem.  The crosley car that was at the end of Cincinnati Goes to War is here, as well as the streetcar.  They no longer allow you to board the streetcar, but I can see why, just out of item preservation.  Anyway, I got to ride its twin up in Maine a few years ago.  An old bike, a depot hack round out the odds and ends.  The back bay is currently unused and blocked off.  

Now we come to the "Rip my heart out" part here.  In the past at this time you would enter a long walk through taking you from the settling of the are up to 1865.  Old flags, a typical cabin, the creepy talking busts , the exhibit showing how canals and locks work, the flatboard boat you would walk through, then there an interactive showing how the same wood would then become a house.  (and much more I'm sure), ending up with you stepping out onto the public landing of 1865.  Well take all that before the public landing and threw it away.  After seeing Holiday Junction I think it's safe to say never to return in that format, as Holiday Junction is, I believe, taking up that exhibits old space.  Which means they can leave Holiday Junction setup all year, just block it off.  I'm sure its better on the historical train sets to not be moved every year.  

So, now we come to a big disjointed part.  You can either make your way to the internal elevator or down the long stairway all the way to the lower level. I prefer to see the stuff up in the wing, exit the top exit the way I came in, ride the escalator down, and re-enter through the lower level entrance.  

In the lower level lobby you see at least one more mosaic, and a carriage.  The area also has displays of things to come.  You peek in on their classroom areas, before entering the public landing.  Most times a year you now enter and exit the Public Landing through the "church" on the riverside road.  DurignngHoliday Junction, you can enter through the women's wear shop just like how you used to enter the Public Landing.

The area largely remains the same, I think the interactives have been expanded on.  The market stall in front of the markteplace, the beer hall is open (no, they don't serve beer here, but in family fun they have little aprons and you children can pretend to be bartenders and servers)  The area explains how beer halls were  a big part of 1860's social life (and I look at craft breweries and I think we are coming full circle on that again)  The area also has pub games, and be sure to look in the beer mugs, there is trivia in them there mugs.  The print shop is now an interactive, I want to say it was either a gift shop or closed before, but now you can try setting type the old fashioned way.  The pharmacy is still open, and I note the street curb, it used to be a tep on one side and ramp on the other, A carefully placed barrel blocks the stair.  Lastly the photography studio is open with a unique (also free) selfie opportunity.  But be sure the check out the signs and notes in the area.  Look at everything, do the scavenger hunt on the riverboat.  

Children's Museum

Ok, generally the Children's Museum has a "You must have a child" to enter policy, and given the craziness that is society today, that is an understandable  So, I took the opportunity to attend one of the Curiocities evenings.  CurioCities is a 21 and over series.  They are essentially cocktail parties that take place in the museum.  It's in a different gallery every time, so check that schedule. So for the Children's Museum's 21st birthday, they gave it a cocktail party. These do come with an extra charge and are held in the evening after the rest of the museum center has closed, so don't plan on combining this with anything else.  

In this case in the lower level lobby they had a stand setup selling small plates. In this case based on snacks you may have been served as a child, like Bagel Bites pizzas and a cash bar.  Another cash bar was in the center of the Children's museum which is startling both for its location, and because the museums are generally food/drink free.  Some cocktail tables and party favors lined the entryway. 

Enough of that, I'm here to look around.  Starting from the entryway and working clockwise, first is the energy zone. Make your way into the netted off ball cage.  From here the goal is to get the balls into the center hopper using a variety of wacky methods that may involve biking, a treadmill, an air cannon, vacuum tubes, and more.  Just be alert for the alarms and lights that signal when the big hopper in the center is going to open and shower balls down on those below.  

Continuing on, is Kids Town, this is a neat play town.  Its got a vet, a grocery, house, diner, post office, metro bus, and more for kids to act like adults.  In the grocery store, for example the cash register and barcode scanner really work.Next up is a construction area with a crane, and arch shaped blocks (large and padded), It would take teamwork to the the arch built. 

Then comes the dental office with the largest set of teeth you have seen.  Around in the back corner is a more secluded arts and crafts area.  On the other side of the entryway is the Natures' Trading Post I mentioned earlier, a kids farm area, a giant water table for water play. Going this was the big feature is the Woods.  Yes you could just walk through the woods, but if you look there are stairs and other means to climb up into the trees and walk around up above like being in a treehouse or a network of tree houses.  This is the area that is visible from the mezzanine overlook.

This ends the core museums part, and what is generally included in your $14.50 discovery pass.

Building Tour

Available on weekends in the afternoon on the hour.  - FREE

A docent led tour.  Generally you meet just outside the entry way to the Historical Society museum, and make your way into the Newsreel theater for the opening lecture.  This presentation gives the history of the building from what a union terminal is, to why it was build, construction, the war years, and finally its closure as a union terminal.  From there yuo go up to the rotunda catwalk (this part, to my knowledge is not ADA accessible)  From there you get an up close view of the light fixtures and the inside of the front window, or actually the inner front window, there are two layers offset.  From there they show the two main mosaics and explain how traffic flow would have been through the building in its prime.  One docent pointed out how advanced their planning was when you think about it, if you arrived by bus or taxi (the streetcar line was never installed), you unloaded inside the building in the curved wing area, meaning you and your baggage never go outside, then there were ramps, not stairs up tot he concourse.  You entered via the north doorways, and made a right turn and you came to the ticketing office, continue along that wall you came to the baggage drop, and then to the main waiting and boarding areas.  Boarding was also down a ramp.  (So ADA compliant in the 1930's)  If you were arriving, as you left the main concourse, the bag claim was on the right, and then the snack windows were on the right to grab a bite, then you left, yes to the right down the south ramps to get into a bus or taxi.  They also explain how this upper catwalk was used as a nursery during the war years.  Busy terminal, restricted access gave a safe place for the families of soldiers to let their child rest while waiting.  

The tour continues by showing off the Rookwood Tea Room (which was the USO lounge during the war years), you continue across the rotunda, and then the feautre of the tour the Presidential Offices.  The woodwork and furnishings in these rooms is just spectacular.  You visit the secretaries office, then go through the president's office, then the board room, and the waiting room.  

From the presidential suite, you take a quick look into the Amtrak waiting room, which was the men's lounge back in the day, and see the details that still remain.  Sadly the former women's lounge was not maintained and could not be restored.  But that gives them a special event room.  The tour ends by showing off the dining room and the formal dining room.  Unless you attend a private event, or take a train, the tour is the only way to see the President's office, Amtrak station or formal dining room. 

Holocaust and Humanities Museum

This is the newest museum of the complex and is hidden down the back stairs.  It is not included in the admission and as a stand alone is $10, but you can add it on to a Discovery Pass for $7.50.

The museum visit starts with a movie, so you have a wait in the lobby until the next show starts.  To pique your interest they have a display in the middle of the bag check concourse and along the stiars down of some of what you will see.  Once admitted you are led to an auditorium for the movie.  The movie sets the stage for what you are about to see, you then exit to the back of the auditorium.  In my case I was the only on in the theater, and as I left the back door, the docent mentioned I was brave to do this alone.  At this point I recalled how immersive some Holocaust museums are, but luckily for me this is not one of those.  

What comes is a series of sets that lead you to life before the holocaust, pointing out that the Jewish people have been persecuted for a longer time than just that, up to a very complex diagram showing how marriages of different races were treated in Germany and how the offspring of each would be treated.  Each set has, not a video like a modern museum would have, but fairly elaborate mechanical animations.  Push the button, things open up, things light up, things move, panels "fly" in and out.  These are a joy to watch, even if the message they are telling is sobering.  They just don't do stuff like this anymore, now they would just film a video, put a monitor there, put it on loop and call it a day. Except these are new and gives a unique feel.  

From there the story just gets worse, as you probably know.  As it goes from putting a fear in the public not to interfere with the bad stuff blatantly going on around them, to the ghettos, to the concentration camps, to the trials after the war.  You then go into a second smaller theater, and the video in this presentation is the purpose of the museum, specifically the growing denial this ever happened, and going into cases how it still happens today.  The ultimate message, are you a bystander or an upstander.  You exit the second theatre to kiosks where you learn about other human rights atrocities before exiting back to the lobby.

Omnimax Movies - these run $9 each, (cheaper for members, next year if I am still visiting as much, I'm going to do the Omnimax add on to my membership).  Movies are generally 45-50 minutes in length and include the (in)famous light tunnel animation before the feature.  Sometimes a preview of comingor other movies is shown.  I think Apollo 11 barely fits in the time slot as it is, so you do get the light tunnel but no previews.  

Seen this year:

Volcanos - Explores the natural phenomenon of the volcano and those that like to explore them for scientific or recreational reasons.  I wound up not particularly liking this one. 

Mummies - This was billed as a companion piece for the Egypt exhibition.  The description sounded dry, but I wound up being very interested in this story of how a great casce of Egyptian artifacts were discovered,  along with the perils and shady dealings along the way.  

Cuba - Don't expect your typical travelogue.  This is a delightful telling of the culture of Cuba without getting into the political side.  Learn about the ever popular ballet, a car culture where the older cars they have are kept running in ingenious ways.  

Apollo 11: First Steps Edition - This is the CNN Apollo 11 movie edited down to museum show length. Fascinating to see on the Omnimax Screen, though it is letter boxed, so its more like IMAX. This goes from the final check off a couple days before the flight, to launch, to the landing on the moon,to the return flight, to the ocean landing.  Ending with JFK's bold challenge to congress.  I liked this one so much I have seen it twice so far, and both times the movie ended to loud applause.  

Special Exhibits:

Egypt - This was a massive exhibition taking up all of the lower level expo space.  You started with animal statues, then a section on the Egyptian gods.  Follow that up with a section on hiroglyphics as illustrated by a replica section of the Rosetta stone, video presentations, and even a draw your own interactive exercise where you took a stylus and drew on a monitor as you followed the illustration above.  From there into the main exhibition hall, where they had large scale models of palaces, temples and more. A control panel would let you light up the entire display or point out just one particular feature.  On the temple one, you could start a light animation depicting the flow of people and a ceremony.  Past some items of daily living and another large wooden model where if you noticed the part lit up on the model was exactly what the animation was showing on the walls.  I also liked how in some cases where only a shard of something remained, its display surrounded it by a drawing or picture of what the whole item may have looked like, so you could see it in context. Towards the end you get to burial practices, a full scale model tomb, elaborately painted, a model of a pyramid, burial containers.  Perhaps the most fascinating piece was the final room.  In it was a pyramid shaped glass case with benches around it.  Take a seat a mummy case would rise up out of the floor of the case, they even animated it to look like a little door opened.  Then the mummy case opened, and the mummy lifted out, then the mummy case disappeared, then the wrappings disappeared and so on until just the skeleton remained,  All the while it is floating around so that all four sides get a good view, then the process repeats itself in reverse.  I stood up and walked around it, and the effect held.  Its almost like holographic cinema, though I noted on the sign they stopped just short of calling it such.  Then, of course, its exit through the gift shop.

Destination Moon - in size a smaller exhibition, but it dovetails nicely with the Neil Armstrong gallery right next door.  Let's be honest here, you came to see the command module, and when you get into the expo hall thats what people flock to.  Along the way are some smaller items, flight plans, his watch, helmet and gloves.  The barriers are much closer to the module than I would have expected, allowing one to get close and really look it over.  To the side banks of kiosks allow you a guided virtual tour with annotations, zoom in and pan and tilt abilities, just like you were looking at the real thing. I heard some people snark "Why are you fascinated by the VR simulation, when you can walk 10 feet and look at the real thing"  Well, the VR presentation really lets you know what to look for when you look at the real thing, and what you are looking at.  They also had a model of the Saturn, a video of JFK's challenge speeches.  The other half of the room was a photo gallery full to the brim of lunar photos.  The area includes a small gift shop, and the plush Saturn rockets are so cute, yet I did resist buying one.  

Through the year they also had an art show showcasing their sister property in Appalachia, an exhibit of soldier photos and other items telling of what looks like military shows and displays, these were held in the small rooms on the Mezzanine.  On the lower level, since Appollo 11 doesn't take up the whole expo hall, the front half of the main special events area is housing an art gallery, where the theme is birds.  Tucked into a small corner of this exhibit is a meta exhibit on the history of the musems.  I never realized how much they moved around the city until it finally settled down into the Gilbert Ave. facility.  

1940s Day 

The traffic circle out front is loaded with 1940s vehicles both civilian and military in nature, there ws a warbird fly over.  On the inside, folks were dressed in their 1940's finest, and the formal dining room was alive with  he sounds and dancing of the era.  Presentations filled the special event rooms ranging from the USO, to codebreaking and the Enigma machine, to holocaust survival testimonials.  In the rotunda one could put on a VR headset and actually walk around the terminal as it was in the 1940's all the way the concourse that no longer exists.   Detail so great you could read the writing on the departure signs.  

Holiday Junction -

The main part accessed through the Fountain Gallery requires a Discovery Pass.  Upon entering a light tunnel covers the ramp down into the area.  At the bottom of the ramp, there he is, our Polar Bear has returned!!!  Christmas Trees, snowmen (which kids can decorate) fill the cneeter of the room, and train layouts fill the sides.  From a Thomas the Tank layout in an alpine village complete with cable cars, to a layout that goes up over your head, to a train ride for children ($1). Also in the area are exhibits of railroad/train related artifacts in an attempt to give a historical side to the presentation.  Continuing into the next room and down the long ramp. I remember this ramp, it the one you would have come to halfway through the Cincinnati to 1860 exhibit.  At the bottom is our feature, the Duke Energy Trains.   As the story goes ever since the 1940's this train layout had been on display in the lobby of Cincinnati Gas And Electric (now Duke), and as most locals know, was a cherished holiday tradition until 2011 when Duke decided not to do it anymore.  Lucky for us they gifted the display to the museum center.  So here in all its glory is that famous train layout.  Along with it is a Lionel set from the 1950's, an early train model (labeled as being from 1904, still in working order, and some more train era artifacts. Exit is through the gift shop which sends you through the Women's Clothing shop of Public Landing.  

But wait, there's more!  Follow the Lego signs to the one of the mezzanine level galleries for a room filled with elaborate Lego layouts assembled by local (and maybe not so local) Lego fan groups.  Everything from realistic to fantasy is depicted.   In an adjacent nook are tables and Legos to play with on your own.  A more cynical me would say this free exhibit is an elaborate walk through Lego commercial. The adjacent special exhibit room is being setup for the traditional photos with Santa area.  

But there is still more!

For the run of Holiday Junction, they have temporarily reopened Tower A for limited hours.  Tower A was the terminals main control tower, and visitors to the tower can see the original track switch map, look out the windows over the still live rail yard, get unqiue views of the city.  The train club that was in this area has not yet returned so the reading room is empty, and most of the stuff they had displayed int he area is not there.  (Hey maybe that's the stuff strewn through Holiday Junction) If you visit Tower A, be warned it is a tower.  It is not ADA compliant, which gave me worries it wouldn't reopen.  Yes, you go up by elevator , but only for the first three floors, you then have 35 more stairs to climb.  

So finally, we come to the end of the report.  Lengthy, I know but hey this is covering eight visits!