Educators
Educators
Welcome to our Educator HQ
Let Cincinnati Museum Center be your teaching partner! From Field Trips and Programs on Wheels to Youth Programs and Early Childhood Educator Workshops, explore the sections below to discover all the ways CMC can be a resource for you and your students!
Educator Discount
Cincinnati Museum Center shares your mission to educate. To show our appreciation, educators receive a $20 discount on membership. Enrich your family life and the lives of your students.
*Discount cannot be combined with other offers.
Ready to book your experience?
Fill out one of the request forms below or call (513) 287-7021.
Educational Experiences
Field Trips
Delight your students with a visit to The Children’s Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, Cincinnati History Museum, Featured Exhibitions and/or OMNIMAX® Theater! Field trips are available seven days a week. Funds may be available to cover admission costs for schools with 60% or more of their students enrolled in free and reduced-price meal programs. Discounted admission is available for schools with more than 30% of students enrolled in free and reduced-price meal programs.
View group pricing details. Save when you bundle Museum Admission with an OMNIMAX® film.
Use this helpful guide to plan your trip.
Request a field trip here or by calling our scheduling department at (513) 287-7021.
Can’t make it to CMC? Access our free virtual field trips anytime!
The Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater
The Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater takes you to places you can only imagine. Immerse yourself in epic adventures in our five-story domed theater, traveling to the ocean alongside dolphins, to Ohio’s natural spaces or to the beaches of Normandy. Each film is approximately 50 minutes long. Choose from currently playing titles or book a custom film from the below list of past favorites.
Custom films can be reserved – first-come, first-served – at 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. with a minimum group size of 30 individuals.
The following films are available during the custom film timeslots:
- Arctic: Our Frozen Planet
- Backyard Wilderness
- The Blue Angels
- Blue Whales: Return of the Giants
- Call of the Dolphins
- D-Day: Normandy 1944
- Deep Sky
- Jane Goodall – Reasons for Hope
- National Parks Adventure
- Ohio: Wild at Heart
- Secrets of the Sea
- Serengeti: Journey to the Heart of Africa
- Space: The New Frontier
- Superpower Dogs
- T.REX
- Volcanoes: Fires of Creation
- Wild Rescue
Please note: groups cannot be scheduled during the OMNIMAX® Classic Film at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Featured Exhibits
Rotating featured exhibitions make great additions to field trips.
Current and upcoming exhibits include:
“Equal to Any in the City:” Ball & Thomas Photographs 1840s-1870s
Open through October 14, 2026
Free with Museum Admission
Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains
Open November 13, 2026 through January 5, 2027
LEGO® Jurassic World: The Exhibition
Open through January 4, 2027
Programs-on-Wheels and Programs at Union Terminal
Immerse your students in educational and entertaining topics such as dinosaurs, world cultures, archaeology, local history and chemistry with hands-on programs that meet state and national standards. Enhance your students’ visit to CMC with any of our Programs at Union Terminal, or let us pack up the car and bring them to you as Programs-on-Wheels! You can even stream select programs digitally into your classroom.
Minimum age requirement: 3 years
Programs are available 7 days a week pending staff availability.
Printable program list with pricing and standards information.
Reserve a Program on Wheels here or by calling our scheduling department at (513) 287-7021!
Conversations with an Expert
Invite a CMC science or history curator, a librarian from the Cincinnati History Library & Archives, an exhibit designer or fabricator or other expert to a live, virtual conversation with your students! Learn about their background, explore their research and learn about their day-to-day responsibilities. In-person conversations can be scheduled during field trips to CMC, too! Choose from a list of prepared presentations or customize a conversation with an expert of your choice.
Cincinnati History Library & Archives
The Cincinnati History Library & Archives have been collecting and preserving materials related to Greater Cincinnati, Ohio and the Old Northwest Territory since 1831. This resource houses one of the most significant regional history collections in the United States with thousands of books, pamphlets, maps, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs and films. Collections include items related to the social, political, economic and cultural history of Cincinnati and the surrounding area. Original materials cover a vast array of topics, from abolitionism to wartime recipes to family histories. Use the Library & Archives’ extensive collection of primary and secondary source documents to examine events from Cincinnati’s past from multiple perspectives.
Contact library@cincymuseum.org to schedule a group visit. We can accommodate up to 20 students at one time
Virtual Programs
In-person experiences not an option? Bring CMC’s vibrant exhibits or programs live to your classroom via virtual connection.
Choose from our virtual field trips, virtual group educational programs, or virtual Conversations with an Expert.
Digital Resources
We are always exploring ways that CMC can be a resource for you and your students. Explore our growing collection of videos, virtual exhibits, lesson plans and exploration units.
If you are looking for ways to bring America 250 into your classroom, use our digital curriculum to engage your students with audio, video and print content highlighting items from CMC’s collections and featuring curators and other experts. Access curriculum ideas and learning standard connections to help you commemorate and explore this national anniversary.
Early Childhood Educator Workshops
CMC’s Early Childhood Science Inquiry Teacher Education (ECSITE) programs help early childhood educators create and implement inquiry-based science activities for their students. Participating educators gain greater understanding of different approaches to teaching science and the skills students develop through science activities that will help them become successful learners. ECSITE workshops are Ohio Approved Professional Development Trainings and Kentucky Approved Early Care and Education Trainings. Choose from five topics.
Ohio History Day
Region 8 Contest: March 13, 2027
Ohio History Day asks students to be creative and collaborative and think critically about history. By engaging students in grades 6-12 in research, this year-long program provides an opportunity for students to practice cross-curricular learning and practical application while developing public speaking skills. Students choose to write an essay, create a documentary, build and display an exhibit, write and perform a song or play or create a website to share with an authentic audience of local historians and community partners. Led by Ohio History Connection and coordinated regionally by CMC, Ohio History Day is an affiliate of the award-winning National History Day program. We are proud to co-host Ohio History Day’s Region 8 competition for Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland and Warren counties.
Cincinnati Museum Center Youth Programs
Cincinnati Museum Center’s Youth Programs empower a diverse group of teens with valuable life experiences that prepare them for success in high school, college and beyond. Operating year-round, the program engages volunteers throughout the school year and summer. Participants can remain with the program until they graduate from high school. Participants gain hands-on experience by working with museum guests and enhancing their public speaking and customer service skills within CMC’s three museums. Youth volunteers support museum operations by greeting visitors, leading programs and interacting with guests. CMC staff coach youth in career and leadership development and life skills, inspiring them to pursue educational opportunities beyond high school.
Serving students ages 13-18 from public, private and homeschool backgrounds, the program fosters mentorship and peer learning among youth from diverse communities. Youth may apply annually from January through March.
Partner Experiences
Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center
Engage with History by Booking a Field Trip
Explore the Holocaust & Humanity Center’s interactive, award-winning museum through the voices of those who witnessed history. Take a journey with local survivor stories featuring artifacts, photographs, quotes and video testimony. Learn about upstanders in the Humanity Gallery and leave feeling inspired to be the best of humanity today.
Learn with Us
Through professional development workshops, gain essential resources and strategies for effectively teaching the Holocaust, fostering critical thinking and inspiring upstander behavior. Choose from a variety of options, available at our Center or onsite at schools.
Upstander Youth Programs
Youth programs equip students with the leadership skills and tools to become upstanders. By exploring their character strengths, fostering a sense of community and defining personal beliefs, students harness their agency and find their purpose. Programs align with Ohio’s social-emotional learning standards and can be delivered at the Center or on-site at schools, offering flexible and impactful educational experiences.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center connects the past to the present, using the lessons of the Underground Railroad to inspire today’s fight for inclusive freedom. Located near the Ohio River, in an area once called Little Africa and the landing place of many on their journey to freedom, the Center shares powerful stories through exhibits, programs, and educational resources— sparking dialogue and action to create modern abolitionists committed to justice and equality for all.
Join us for an educational journey, spanning over 500 years, into Cincinnati’s Underground Railroad story. Imagine your classroom and curriculum beyond four walls—where history, culture, and art come alive. Book your visit today or speak with our Sales team to create a customized experience. Our resources expand beyond the historical events of the Underground Railroad to include topics from various periods in history, allowing educators to utilize social justice as a lens throughout the year
Edge of Appalachia
The Richard & Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System in Adams County, Ohio, is a 20,000-acre nature preserve owned and managed by CMC and The Nature Conservancy in Ohio. The Edge is a perfect outdoor learning lab, with xeric limestone prairies, dolostone outcrops, high-quality streams and rare plants and animals.
Educator Resources
Educator eNews
Get the latest news about Teacher Preview Nights, gallery and exhibit guides, special exhibitions, teacher resources, professional development opportunities and so much more!
Educator Discount
Educators receive a $20 discount on their Membership! This offer is not valid in combination with any other discount, coupon or special offer. Proof of educator status must be presented at time of purchase.
Accessibility
Do you have questions or comments about accessibility at CMC? Please contact us at accessibility@cincymuseum.org
Preview and Prep
Have a field trip booked to Cincinnati Museum Center and want to take a walk through to prepare? Educators who have booked a field trip may visit any of the three museums for free one time before their scheduled visit. Simply bring your confirmation letter and ID to verify you are the educator on the reservation accompanying the students.
Teacher Preview Nights.
Preview our new featured exhibitions or OMNIMAX® films to see if they are a good fit for your class and talk to our team about related programming. Sign up for the Educator eNewsletter to receive dates.
