Museums
Please don't let the word "museums" throw you off. They have a lot to offer and your kids will have a wonderful time - you might even enjoy them too. We have so many choices in the area - Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky are filled with some of the best museums around. I've also included planetariums.
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Greater Cincinnati Museums
American Sign Museum
1330 Monmouth Street, Cincinnati OH 45225 - (513) 541-6366
They have signs from every era. You can visit on your own or schedule a guided tour. Children 12 and under are free with an accompanying adult. Visit their website for current admission charges. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and some holidays.
Cincinnati Art Museum - FREE
953 Eden Park Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 - (513) 639-2995
Located in Eden Park, the CAM is FREE for general admissions and is a great place to go to get a bit of culture! They have a cafe onsite too.
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Family Artventures - Tour CAM with a docent with touchable objects at the ARTSTOPS.
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Family First Saturdays - Offered on the first Saturday of the month from 1-4pm. FREE family fun with interactive workshops and art making. Read more on my post on Family Friendly Cincinnati.
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ArtWorld - Open every Sat. & Sun. from 11am-5pm - FREE.
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Wee Wednesdays - program for preschoolers and a caregiver.
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Cincinnati Museum Center
1301 Western Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45203. (513-287-7043)
Currently undergoing rennovations so not all areas of CMC are open. The Duke Energy Children's Museum is open though. This place is not only an architectural landmark (it used to be the old train station back in the day), it has three awesome museums, an Omnimax theatre (closed during rennovations) and the most interesting rotunda you'll ever see - you just have to look up! It still functions as a train station for Amtrak. It may be hard on kids to do all three museums in one day, so you may want to limit it to two. A season pass is well worth it for a family.
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Duke Energy Children's Museum (open)
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Museum of Natural History & Science (closed during rennovations)
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Cincinnati History Museum (closed during rennovations)
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Omnimax (closed during rennovations)
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Cincinnati Observatory
3489 Observatory Place, Mt. Lookout - (513) 321-5186
The "Birthplace of American Astronomy" is home to the world's oldest telescope that is still used today. They offer astronomy lectures and other events. Check their website for details but on some Sundays, they have free historical tours of the observatory buildings. After you visit the Observatory, you are so close to Ault Park so make sure you save time for a stroll around this beautiful park.
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fam
100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 - (513) 765-7923
Baseball fans and more will love this museum. I was pleasantly surprised when we went through the museum, I thought my girls wouldn't be that excited but they really enjoyed it (Mom did too). Highlights for them included the "Play Ball" area where they could pitch a ball or catch a fly ball. I loved seeing all the memorabilia in the "Ultimate Reds Room" and especially liked the seeing the interactive press box where you could go in and pretend you were announcer for the game.
Contemporary Arts Center - FREE
44 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 - (513) 345-8400.
The CAC is geared more for adults, but they have a floor set aside that is very kid-friendly; it's called The UnMusuem®. This is a wonderful intereactive art museum that kids will love. They can create their own art and touch and feel some of the exhibits on site. They also have Family Sunday on the 4th Sunday of each month filled with guided art activities. On select Thursday's they have Thursday Art Play for ages 3-7. Museum admission is FREE.
Drake Planetarium
2020 Sherman Avenue, Norwood, OH 45212 - (513) 396-5578.
Did you know we had a planetarium in Cincinnati? It's located in the Norwood High School. This is fun for the entire family. The music can be loud but the laser light shows are really entertaining. They have various public shows - you must pre-register for the show and be on time. They also offer birthday parties (ages 4-12 yrs).
Fire Museum of Greater Cincinnati
315 W Court St # 1, Cincinnati, OH 45202 - (513) 621-5553
The Fire Museum of Greater Cincinnati is a smaller scale museum that is really nice to visit. It has over "200 years of firefighting history". My kids loved sitting in the cab of a fire truck and making the lights and siren go off. They also have a mini re-created house to demonstrate fire safety. Children 6 and under are FREE general admission with adult/senior admission. Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays and holidays.
Fort Ancient
6123 St. Rt. 350, Oregonia, Ohio 45054 - (513) 932–4421 or 1–800–283–8904.
A great day trip for families. Located in Oregonia, Ohio (about 25 minutes North of Mason), you will find a Native American museum filled with displays, artifacts and educational materials. Learning how the Native Americans moved all the soil to create their ceremonial grounds is amazing. You'll want to pack you hiking shoes and water because part of the adventure is walking through the park and the trees. We visited the overlook of the Little Miami and hiked part way down - remember you'll have to hike back up. Prices are very reasonable too. If you visit the museum the outdoor hiking and trails are included with your visit.
Heritage Village Museum
11450 Lebanon Rd., Sharonville, Ohio 45241 - (513) 563-9484
Located in the fantastic and beautiful Sharon Woods, you'll find a historic 19th century town complete with train depot, apothecary, homes and more. They have some great events throughout the year including Haunted Village, Civil War Weekend, Holly Days, Vintage Baseball and more. A Great Parks Parking Pass is required for entry ($3/day or $10/year).
Loveland Castle & Museum
12025 Shore Road., Loveland, Ohio 45140 - (513) 683-4686
Such a unique place to visit! The grounds are gorgeous and it is so much fun to see a real castle. Built by Sir Harry Andrews in 1929, this Chateau Laroche is open to tour and walk the grounds. Stop by the front door to pay your admission fees (nominal charge) and do a self-guided tour.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, Ohio - (513) 333-7500
Truly a wonderful museum in the Banks area of Cincinnati. They have permanent exhibits as well as mobile exhibits that showcase the story of the struggle for freedom in the United States and how slavery impacted so many.
Taft Museum of Art
316 Pike St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 - (513) 241-0343
We love visiting the Taft. They are very welcoming for families. This is a smaller, historic museum with many famous works of art. The Lindner Family Cafe is on site. I think this would be a great place to do a Mommy/Son or Daddy/Daughter date. Check out their "Third Sunday Fundays" for family friendly themed activities (FREE). TDuring the holiday season, take some time to see the Antique Christmas exhibit.
National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting
8070 Tylersville Road, West Chester, OH 45069 - (513) 777-0027
This used to be the prime site for radio broadcasts and it had a worldwide audience. The Bethany Relay Station allowed America's voice to be heard. The Veterrans of the VOA Fund are constantly working to maintain and restore this piece of American history and its located in our hometown's backyard. For tours (3rd Sat. of the month), there is no entrance fee but they suggest a $5 donation for adults and $1 for kids. Many events are hosted throughout the year on the VOA grounds from Kite Flying to Wine Tastings to Dog Fests.
Wolf Planetarium
Burnet Woods, 3251 Brookline Drive - (513) 761-3679.
Located in Burnet Woods Trailside Nature Center in Clifton and part of the Cincinnati Parks system. The planetarium has affordable shows throughout the year. It only seats 20, so you'll want to make sure you have a reservation before heading to the show.
Dayton Museums
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
2600 DeWeese Parkway, Dayton, OH 45414 - (937) 275-7431
A wonderful children's museum with so much to offer, from a wonderful kid-size grocery story, court house, animal hospital, recycling station, and a cool "Tower" (kids can climb inside then slide down the big slide) to wonderful hands-on exhibits. They also have a really cool tree house you can go to and you can sit and read a book or hopefully catch site of a bird or two. Within the museum there is a mini zoo. They don't have a cafeteria on-site - but you can bring your lunch and store it in their vending machine room area - it has small tables where you can eat. If you're a member of Cincinnati's Museum Center, check out your membership since there may be a reciprocal admission program going on - double check before going.
National Museum of the US Air Force - FREE
100 Spaatz Street, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433 - (937) 255-3286
This is an absolutely awe inspiring museum and it's huge - you probably won't be able take it all in just one visit but you definitely need a place to start. Be sure to visit the newly opened Presidential plane wing. The US Air Force Museum is filled with actual airplanes, bombers, Airforce memorabilia from the start of aviation to present day. It even has a cool area dedicated to space shuttles with actual shuttles to see. You can even walk in to some of the planes. There is a big bomber one that is fun to walk inside. They have free guided "Heritage" tours and they have "behind the scenes tours" (sign up in advance). A great field trip activity for a local Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop. There's also an IMAX theatre (charge for this) and a cafe onsite. It's open seven days a week from 9-5 but closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
SunWatch Indian Village
2301 W. River RoadDayton, OH 45418 - (937) 268-8199
In the 1960's this was the near the old Dayton Incinerator and then two archeologists discovered some Indian artifacts and now this is a partially reconstructed village complete with guided tours, classes in archeology, and the Heilman-Kettering Interpretive Center which has recovered artifacts. They have lectures, seasonal ceremonies, sleepovers and more. Off of I-75 North (from Cincinnati area), take exit 51.