SPECIAL EVENT

December 20, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Entry: Free for Members or included with Museum Admission | Location: Union Terminal

Festive Frolic at Cincinnati Museum Center

Celebrate the winter season with programs that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit!

Special Programming

Cincinnati History Museum

Gather ‘round the Radio: The Night Before Christmas (10 a.m. to 5 p.m., You Are Here)

Travel back in time to an era when radio was the dominant form of entertainment! Enjoy a reading of Clement-Clark Moore’s The Night Before Christmas while sitting around an old-fashioned radio.

Maker Moment: Stained-Glass Mistletoe (1 p.m., History in the Making Classroom)

Make your own stained-glass mistletoe! Choose from an array of precut stained glass from all makers and eras, then learn copper foil and soldering to create a 2D or 3D design. Hang it up or make a charming, planted version—perfect for adding holiday cheer to your home or gifting something truly unique! Note, this is a paid workshop, and a ticket is required for entry.

Print your own Seasonal Bookmark (1 to 2:30 p.m., History in the Making Classroom)

Join us as we break out our antique letterpress and use it to make some festive wooden bookmarks, which you can take for yourself or give as a gift!

The Children’s Museum

April Eight Songs and Stories (11 a.m., Corbett Theater)

April Eight brings her tales and tunes back to Cincinnati Museum Center, and this time it’s all about just how wonderful winter can be.

Solstice Dance Party (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Corbett Theater)

Jingle Bell Rock the afternoon away as we play all your favorite holiday hits with a beat you can really get your feet moving to!

Holiday Harmonies Sing Along (12:30 to 1 p.m., Corbett Theater)

Do you have a good singing voice? Who cares! All are welcome as we belt out the wintertime jams you know and love.

Story time and Diya making with Cultural Centre of India (1 to 3 p.m., KidSPACE)

Join us for a story time and art-making experience with the Cultural Center of India featuring Longest Night: Winter Solstice Wisdom. Create your own clay diya light and discover the cultural traditions and creativity celebrated by families in India during winter festivals as we welcome brighter days.

KidSPACE Holiday Programming (3 to 5 p.m., KidSPACE)

Stop by KidSPACE to make some winter-adjacent art that will enhance your day!

Museum of Natural History & Science

Solstice Shivers Stage Show (11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Science Stage)

Explore the science of cold, as we turn the temperature way down with experiments using liquid nitrogen and dry ice!

Rotunda

Broadcast to the Past: Holiday Hits (11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Newsreel Theater)

Experience our vast collection of Cincinnati-based video media, much of which hasn’t been seen in decades. This time we’re focused on Holiday programming that was created by and for the people of Cincinnati!

Caroling Cuisine (11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cr(eat)e Culinary Studio)

Step into the holiday season as your favorite carols come to life in the most delicious way. Taste the magic of old-fashioned sugar plums, enjoy perfectly crisp latkes and warm up with a cozy cup of wassail, just like the verses sing about. It’s a merry little journey through flavor and festive cheer!

Allergens: Tree Nuts, Flour, Eggs, Dairy

Puppet Show (1:30 to 1:45 p.m., Newsreel Theater)

Join Cat Winks puppet troupe as they put on a puppet show all about the magic of the Solstice!

Pogie and Patter’s Reindeer Sing-Along Extravaganza (2:30 to 4 p.m., Newsreel Theater)

Meet Cincinnati’s famous talking Reindeer, Pogie and Patter! Sing songs with them, hear stories of Cincinnati’s past and ask all your pressing Santa questions!