FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 22, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Cody Hefner (513) 608-5777, chefner@cincymuseum.org

Cincinnati Museum Center welcomed 1.8 million visits in 2019

Highest attendance in museum’s 29-year history

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) had a year to remember! We welcomed over 1.8 million visits in 2019, an attendance milestone in the first year after the historic Union Terminal restoration and in the 200th anniversary year of the Museum of Natural History & Science.

Throughout 2019, wide-eyed guests spelunked through 500 feet of narrow passageways in The Cave and came face-to-face with one-of-a-kind dinosaurs (some 60 feet long!) in the Museum of Natural History & Science. They walked the cobblestone street of the 1850s riverfront and marveled at the details of a S-scale Cincinnati in the Cincinnati History Museum. And they climbed through the tree tops and across giant teeth in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum. CMC unwrapped the secrets of mummies and ancient Egypt, ignited scientific learning in an explosive fashion and brought a national treasure to Cincinnati to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.

“We are dancing with excitement at the support the community has shown our organization over the past year,” says Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “It’s been invigorating to hear the sounds of guests reverberating through the Rotunda and to see the smiles of people reuniting with the museums they’ve grown up with and come to love. Thank you to our donors, Members, volunteers, partners, staff and enthusiastic guests!”

As the Cincinnati History Museum and Museum of Natural History & Science reopened for the first time since the summer of 2016, guests eagerly explored new exhibits and galleries, part of CMC’s vision for a dynamic museum experience, and fell in love all over again with newly refreshed details of familiar exhibits.

One of the most anticipated reopenings following the restoration was the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater. The new all-digital theater experience provided crisp clarity to the immersive experience of the five-story dome theater.

“The immersive experience in our five-story domed OMNIMAX® Theater has been a favorite for guests since we first opened in 1990,” says Dave Duszynski, president of Mercury Museum Services, a subsidiary of Cincinnati Museum Center. “The digital technology transformation and upgrades put our theater on the cutting edge of domed theater technology as we continue to take you places around the world few have ever seen.”

CMC will build on a strong 2019 as we head into a bold 2020 that will feature the opening of additional permanent galleries in the Cincinnati History Museum, the reopening of the Ice Age Experience and the expansion of The Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery, presented by the Harold C. Schott Foundation, in the Museum of Natural History & Science. This is paired with the stunning new featured exhibition Maya: The Exhibition (making its U.S. debut March 14), a celebration of the women’s suffrage movement and creativity-inspiring exhibitions to be announced in the coming months.

CMC’s current featured exhibition Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission featuring the Apollo 11 command module Columbia and Buzz Aldrin’s iconic gold-visored helmet and gloves is open through February 17. OMNIMAX® films Apollo 11: First Steps Edition (closing February 17) and Superpower Dogs (closing March 19) are also available.

Visit cincymuseum.org for a full list of attractions and to purchase tickets.

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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution and national historic landmark. Dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration, CMC was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2012. CMC is one of a select few museums in the nation with both of these honors, making it a unique asset and a vital community resource. Union Terminal has been voted the nation's 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater and Cincinnati History Library & Archives. Recognized by Forbes Traveler Magazine as the 17th most visited museum in the country, CMC welcomes more than one million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org.