Seasons Greetings from Cincinnati Museum Center!

Happy Holidays from Cincinnati Museum Center!

Holiday cheer is echoing all throughout Union Terminal right now.

Voices of singing groups are delighting us with daily Holiday Harmonies performances. The sounds of train whistles emerge from the Cincinnati History Museum, now home to the Duke Energy Holiday Train display and our annual Holiday Junction, as well as from the Rocky Mountain Express barreling through the OMNIMAX® Theater. Laughter and sounds of WOW are daily occurrences in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum and our Museum of Natural History & Science. Even reverential silence can be heard in the spectacular exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times.

I want to share this cheer with you and invite you to be a part of it in the next few weeks and throughout the year.

A few inside tips from me to you:

• Duke Energy is generously offering FREE vouchers to its customers to see the holiday train display. Get your voucher at www.holidaytraindisplay.com and be sure to use it before Dec. 24.

• We’ve got special hours, including extended evenings on Friday and Saturday nights. This is a great time to visit, the lines are shorter and you can make a date of it with a great restaurant downtown! Our holiday hours (through January 6, 2013) are:

Monday through Thursday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday:11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
December 24: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
December 31 and January 1: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

• And, Membership is the best deal around. This is a great gift, providing free admission to our museums, discounts on OMNIMAX®, special exhibits, retail and food, and free parking! Buy one Membership now, get the second for 50 percent off.

Thank you for supporting Cincinnati Museum Center. Happy New Year!

 

For Your Consideration

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

Do you know what the largest artifact we have at Cincinnati Museum Center is? Hint; it is too big to fit inside our Geier Research and Collections Center. Give up yet? It is Union Terminal itself! As you have probably read in the news as of late, our largest most important artifact needs your help.

Grand Rotunda Mosaics

Union Terminal, declared a national landmark in 1977, has been the centerpiece of memories and traditions for over three quarters of a century. I have personally been told dozens of stories from men and women who themselves traveled through Union Terminal to go to war, or remember seeing their fathers and mothers come through The Terminal. I’ve talked to people who take the train from Union Terminal today for historical and nostalgic reasons. Most importantly, many of you have fond memories of Union Terminal.

While the thousands of rail passengers per day have dwindled down to more than fourteen thousand per year, the building itself is home to not one, not two, but THREE museums, a library and archives, and Southwest Ohio’s only domed OMNIMAX theater. The IMLS medal winning Cincinnati Museum Center provides a strong series of community-based programs, world renowned research, and brings world class special exhibitions to Cincinnati’s front door. This doesn’t even mention the work we do for the tri state and for the world!

Grand Rotunda Flag

Not only will a levy repair the old deteriorating infrastructure of Union Terminal, but The Terminal is inextricably linked to the entire neighborhood. A restored, fully operational Union Terminal would lead the way for an economic revitalization for the entirety of Queensgate – financial stability that is badly needed in Cincinnati in a neighborhood rich with untapped potential. It would mean a renaissance for the entire area with better infrastructure, green space, and of course, job creation.

I ask that each of you consider what the quality of life would be like in Cincinnati absent Union Terminal at its highest potential. Your support means a lot to me professionally and personally. If you feel as strongly as I do about this matter, please contact the Hamilton County Commissioners and ask that they put Cincinnati Museum Center and the restoration of Union Terminal on the ballot. Their information is below as well as the two Cincinnati Enquirer articles about this matter in particular.

Sincerely,

Marcus A. Harshaw Jr.

Enquirer Articles:

“Museum Center Pressing for Levy

“Museum Center Levy Gets Cool Reception”

County Commissioners to Contact:

Republican Greg Hartmann
(513) 946-4405 or greg.hartmann@hamilton-co.org

Republican Chris Monzel
(513) 946-4409 or chris.monzel@hamilton-co.org

Democrat Todd Portune
(513) 946-4401 or todd.portune@hamilton-co.org