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Duke Energy Children’s Museum to reopen in May

CINCINNATI – After a temporary closure, the Duke Energy Children’s Museum at Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) will reopen May 4, 2018.

The Children’s Museum temporarily closed in November 2017 to accommodate construction activity on the mezzanine level as part of the effort to restore Union Terminal . Initially, CMC had intended to keep the Children’s Museum open as much as possible throughout the restoration, but the required work on the mezzanine level was more extensive than anticipated. As portions of the Children’s Museum became active construction zones, CMC made the decision to close the entire museum. The necessary work will be complete in late April, paving the way for the Children’s Museum to reopen on May 4.

The current restoration of Union Terminal is the first full structural restoration in its 85-year history. Eight decades of water penetration have taken its toll on the building, seeping through exterior masonry. One area that proved particularly susceptible to water penetration is the plaza in front of the building, which sits above mezzanine and lower level museums spaces below, including portions of the Museum of Natural History & Science, Cincinnati History Museum and Duke Energy Children’s Museum. Steel beneath the plaza has been affected by water penetration and required more extensive work than anticipated. This work is taking place above and adjacent to the Children’s Museum, necessitating the closure.
“The construction activity on the mezzanine level has been a big leap forward as we continue the historic restoration of Union Terminal,” says Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “The project has been an impressive feat of engineering and is critical to the long-term future of Union Terminal and its role as the home of Cincinnati Museum Centre.”

With the museum temporarily closed to accommodate the mezzanine work, CMC is taking advantage of the opportunity to refresh the Children’s Museum. The entire museum will receive a fresh coat of paint and new flooring throughout, and much-played with exhibits are currently undergoing repairs.

“We look forward to welcoming guests back into the space as they get back into their weekly routines, rediscover their favorite exhibit and reconnect as they share these experiences together,” Pierce says.

The critical restoration of Union Terminal will secure the National Historic Landmark’s long-term future, ensuring it remains a focal point of memory-making for past, present and future generations. The restoration of Union Terminal will be complete in November 2018.

For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org