Making the Most of Your Visit
Teacher Previews
Teachers may preview exhibits and OMNIMAX® films free of charge in advance of the scheduled field trip date by presenting school letterhead signed by their principal or supervisor to the cashier at Cincinnati Museum Center’s kiosk.
Enhancing Your Museum Visit
One of the most rewarding aspects of a museum field trip for students is to fully understand what it is they are going to see. In order to assist teachers in planning the visit, we suggest the following preparations:
- Take advantage of the pre-visit planning materials provided on-line for each exhibit and the Learning Labs. Each museum exhibit also has a corresponding gallery guide that can also be downloaded from our web site at www.cincymuseum.org/education to assist in preparing for your visit.
- Suggested activities for students prior to visiting Cincinnati Museum Center could include discussing items they have collected over the years, why those items are important to them and what kind of museum might house their items.
- While at the museum, it's always best to have directed activities that give students the chance to view an entire exhibit. If an exhibit is too large for a single visit, students can be assigned specific sections of the exhibit and report back to the class after they return to school to compare notes.
- Educators can also take advantage of suggested post-visit activities once students return to their classroom. This can be a capstone to the entire museum experience so that students can more fully understand and appreciate what they saw.
The education staff is available to assist area teachers in relating all programs, exhibits and OMNIMAX films at Cincinnati Museum Center to state teaching standards. If desired, education staff will meet with teachers prior to their visit to show how museum exhibits can be tied in with the state standards of each of the surrounding states to make school visits more productive. For more information, call the education office at (513) 345-2645. Teachers may also visit our web site at www.cincymuseum.org/education.
Look for interpretive staff in period clothing in the Cincinnati History Museum and for uniformed staff stationed throughout the exhibits in both the Museum of Natural History & Science and Duke Energy Children’s Museum. Interacting with these individuals will add rich detail to your visit. We also offer changing seasonal demonstrations and interpretive activities to enhance your visit.
Museum Rules
- ALL students must be accompanied by adult chaperones at ALL times to prevent noisy and undisciplined behavior that makes other visitors uncomfortable and that can be dangerous for the students. Without the appropriate number of chaperones, school groups may not be admitted to Cincinnati Museum Center.
- Please talk with chaperones about being responsible for the students they bring. An adult with a baby or small child is NOT a suitable chaperone.
- Be considerate of other museum visitors. Rude language and behavior cannot and will not be tolerated.
- Students should not use exhibit cases as writing surfaces.
- Be aware of the age appropriateness of exhibits. Those marked for younger children must NOT be utilized by older students, particularly the Duke Energy Children's Museum and the sand area in the Museum of Natural History & Science. NOTE: School groups may NOT visit Little Sprouts Farm in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum because it is limited to those under age 4.
- Food, drink and gum are permitted only in the Rotunda. Food, drink and gum are not allowed in any of the museums, OMNIMAX Theater or special exhibit halls.
- In case of an emergency, contact a staff member.
Educator eClub
Keep up-to-date on all Cincinnati Museum Center school programs by subscribing to our Educators eClub. To sign up for this free eNewsletter, visit eNews Sign-Up and remember to check the "Educators" box
or complete and return the postcard enclosed in this guide.
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