Summer at Cincinnati Museum Center features 100 Days of Fun
CINCINNATI – The weather has warmed up, school is out and the fountain at Union Terminal is ready to be turned on. That can mean only one thing: Cincinnati Museum Center is kicking off its 100 Days of Fun! Whether you’re looking to fill up your summer calendar or just need to squeeze in a few activities between summer camps and vacation, there’s no shortage of activities at Cincinnati Museum Center this summer. The 100 Days of Fun (well, 102, but who’s counting?) kicks off Friday, May 23 as the fountain springs to life for the season at Union Terminal.
The fountain in front of Union Terminal have been a sign of summer for over 80 years in Cincinnati and this year is no different. Presenters from the Museum of Natural History & Science, Cincinnati History Museum and Duke Energy Children’s Museum will be demonstrating some of the activities guests can look forward to this summer, including making mini rockets, meeting a variety of bugs, stepping back in history and making artwork out of clay. Several young visitors will lead the countdown as Cincinnati Museum Center welcomes the arrival of summer with a geyser of water amid fanfare and music. The Cincinnati Observatory is even getting in on the action with sky-gazing activities.
This summer sees the return of BugFest, a celebration of creepy crawlers from around the world. Come out Saturday, June 7 and join scientists and experts from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati Health Department, Great Parks of Hamilton County, United States Department of Agriculture, University of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky University. Meet and hold bugs from around the world, learn about how vital they are to our ecosystem and also which animals feast on insects. And, for those brave enough, you can even eat bugs yourself! Try a chocolate-dipped scorpion, cheddar-flavored crickets or mealworm brownies.
You can also step back in time this summer with Civil War Day June 14 and 1940s weekend August 9 and 10. During Museum Center’s third annual Civil War Day get an up close look at Civil War style during the Ladies Living Historical Society fashion show and listen to music from the era. Take in lectures by the Cincinnati Civil War Round Table and watch The Siege of Cincinnati, a documentary by a local filmmaker. If your interests are a little more modern, stop by for 1940s weekend. Listen to big band music and dance along during the fifth annual Cincy Lindy Exchange featuring over 120 dancers from more than 10 states dancing the Lindy. See a collection of classic cars and a series of films from the 1940s as well as educational activities and historical displays.
If you’re looking to take a vacation this summer you can travel halfway around the globe or even beyond the stars in the five-story OMNIMAX Theater. Island of Lemurs: Madagascar introduces a cast of amazing and adorable creatures found only on the island of Madagascar. Learn about how these ultimate survivors drifted across the ocean on a patch of tangled grass and evolved into over 100 different species on one island. Watch as they dance and sing across the screen, fascinating and delighting viewers of all ages. If you’d rather walk amongst the stars, travel there with Hidden Universe. Explore the farthest reaches of our universe with amazing imagery you’ll never forget. Witness stars being born from clouds of dust and gas or see the last stages of a star as it dies. Marvel at the lonely yet oddly familiar landscape of Mars captured with the world’s most powerful telescopes high in the hills of Chile.
Looking for a little more structured learning this summer? There’s still room left in Cincinnati Museum Center’s Museum Camps. Discover comics through science, art and other creative activities with Super Hero Camp June 16 through 20 or step back in time and travel the city stopping at some of its most historic and iconic spots in Cincinnati Time Machine Camp June 23 through 27. Make your own light saber during Star Wars Camp and enter astronaut training during Mission Control Camp. For more information and to register visit www.cincymuseum.org/programs/museum-camp.
Free Fridays is back this summer as well. Cincinnati Museum Center is opening its doors free of charge from 4 to 8 p.m. on five Fridays this summer: June 13, July 11, August 1, September 12 and October 24. Escape the heat of the summer nights by exploring the dark corridors of the cave in the Museum of Natural History & Science, cool down in the woods in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum and walk under the 1860s street lamps on the Public Landing in the Cincinnati History Museum.
There’s something for everyone this summer at Cincinnati Museum Center. Join us as we kick off our 100 Days of Fun by turning on the fountain Friday, May 23. Visit cincymuseum.org for a complete list of this summer’s events.