“Way better than the average museum!” This is how I describe the Cincinnati Museum Center which is located in the old Union Railroad Terminal. After the decline of railroad travel, the building was used for other random uses and in 1978 an attempt was made to convert the terminal into a shopping mall known as the Land of Oz. (Wikipedia) The mall opened in August of 1980 after two years of construction and then the recession hit and the mall took a hit. In 1982 the Cincinnati Museum of Health, Science and Industry opened in the terminal. The Oz project closed in 1984. The terminal was virtually empty for the next decade. In May of 1986 a bond levy was passed to save the terminal and transform it into the Museum Center. Former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer was one of the major proponents of saving the building and converting it to a museum. Amtrak still runs out of the terminal three times weekly. The conversion cost in excess of $40 million, funds provided by federal and state governments, local millage and donations.

Six organizations now have their homes here: The Cincinnati History Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, Robert D Lindner Family Omnimax Theater (a five story domed movie house), the Cincinnati Historical Society Library, Duke Energy Children’s Museum, and the Cincinnati Railroad Club. We were most interest in the science part which was featuring dinosaurs, while the Omnimax Theater showed a movie, Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants of Gondwana (Patagonia).

The dinosaur exhibit featured fossils, skeletons, and 20 full scale casts of assorted dinosaurs. The Omnimax movie was projected on a five story dome which allowed for a full surround picture and digital sound. Watching this movie that appeared to be three dimensional, but you didn’t need 3-D glasses is so realistic that it freaks some people out. Dinosaurs are layered over natural habitat for a completely realistic experience. The movie featured the discovery of the first super-big giganotosaurus which is possible the largest land predator that every lived. It measured 45 feet in length and weighed six tons, slightly surpassing the T-Rex in size. We followed Fr Rodolofo Coria a renowned Argentinian paleontologist who has discovered several new dinosaurs in Patagonia. This was one of the most amazing movies we’ve ever seen, with supersized dinosaurs walking right over your head.

The museum featured a series of diaramas starting at the beginning of geologic time. Wonderful displays of rocks, minerals and fossils–I wished I owned the beautiful red and black Kentucky agate that I saw. I specialize in great agate jewelry.

Also featured was the official invertebrate fossil of Ohio, the trilobite (isotelus). This was a 12-13″ specimen, not your friendly little pendant sized ones I make into jewelry! Now as far as I know, Ohio is the only state with an Official Invertebrate Fossil(Ordovician), which leaves open the opportunity to name any number of other types of fossils as official. Naming other Official Fossils would be a good activity when state legislatures have nothing else important to do in the future. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of this official fossil, but picture one the size of your biggest dinner plate! Pennsylvania also sports the phacops rana (Devonian) that is also a trilobite as their official state fossil. Does this make it more or less important than an official invertebrate fossil? This will give you something to ponder today: which is more important Official State Fossil or Official State Invertebrate Fossil?! I just hope Ohio is not still upset over trading Michigan a small strip of land for the entire Upper Peninsula.

There were a number of mastadon fossils on display from Ohio, including several sets of teeth, which of course reminded me of the jewelry I made from them! Seriously, they were black and kind of boring looking color-wise. Notice that the pendant I made from a mastadon tooth had interesting mineral replacement giving it earthy blues and browns.

Across the huge lobby from the entrance to the Science museum is the History Museum. As we entered the museum we were met with a friendly volunteer that pointed out their scale model of Cincinnati as it may have looked beginning in the 1930’s. The detail and accuracy of this model is jaw-dropping especially as Cincinnati goes from daylight to darkness, and the lights come on. Miniature people, streetcars, trains, automobiles and animated action are all part of the scene. The history of Cincinnati is throughly detailed, including a neat 2/3 scale steamboat and small historic town on the lower level.

If you are ever in Cincinnati, do take a day to visit the Museum Center.