Press Room

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 20, 2025

Last call for discounted early bird tickets to all-inclusive Layers of Exploration

Cincinnati Museum Center's party with a purpose invites you to drink with the dinosaurs on Nov. 7; discounted early bird tickets available through Friday

CINCINNATI - Time is running out to save on tickets to Cincinnati’s ultimate adults-only night at the museum. Early bird pricing on all-inclusive tickets to Cincinnati Museum Center’s Layers of Exploration is available through this Friday, October 24.

Layers of Exploration is CMC’s party with a purpose, turning a night at the museum with three levels of food, drink and fun into a fundraiser that, last year, raised over $265,000 for the museum. Now in its sixth year, the November 7 event invites you to dine with the dire wolves, drink with the dinosaurs and dance on the deck of the Queen of the West.

“Layers of Exploration encourages you to blaze a trail through the museum, exploring every nook and cranny,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president & CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “As you work your way through the building on the tasty adult field trip of your dreams, you’ll rediscover a museum you thought you knew but turns out is even cooler than you remember.”

From custom cocktails and creative culinary concoctions to electrifying experiments and DJ JonJon spinning tunes all night, Layers of Exploration is a thrill for all five senses. Explore scientific spectacles and culinary experiences, party with paleontologists and relive memories of field trips past as you enjoy an unforgettable night at the museum.

The event invites you to get lost among 30 food and drink vendors and over 20 exhibits buzzing with energy. Explore familiar favorites as you wriggle through 500 feet of twists and turns in The Cave or stroll the cobblestone streets of The Public Landing and fall in love with brand new exhibits, including the 420-million-year-old fossils of Ancient Worlds Hiding in Plain Sight. You can also ride the cardiovascular superhighway or zap bacteria as you travel nine body systems in Advancing Health, presented by Mayfield Brain & Spine.

Proceeds from CMC’s Layers series support the museum’s efforts to bring you the most immersive exhibits and learning experiences and ensure the sustainability of the museum for future generations. The event has grown each year, in both attendance and in the proceeds raised for the museum. 2024’s Layers of Innovation welcomed nearly 900 guests.

All-inclusive general admission tickets are $250, but early bird tickets are available now for $195 through October 24. Host/hostess packages are also available for $600, which include two VIP tickets with one-hour early admission and an exclusive VIP experience featuring Molly Wellmann, Ruby’s Chocolates and CMC’s Cincinnati Heritage Programs.

Food vendors for Layers of Exploration include 80 Acres Farms; Abigail Street; The Arepa Place; Baru; Bru Brothers Coffee; Crown Restaurant Group; Del Gardo’s; The Delish Dish; Eddie Merlot’s; Graeter’s; Honey Child Pops; LaRosa’s; La Soupe; Magnificent Morsels Catering; Maple Street Biscuit Co.; Mazunte; Mon-Petit-Choux Pastry Shoppe; Murray’s Cheeses; New Riff Distilling; Novus Foods; Pepsi; Rhinegeist; Rollin’ Bowls; SSA Group; Seasoned Dish; Shagbark Seed & Mill; Skyline Chili; Soleil Kitchen; Southern Grace Eats; Taste of Belgium; and WX Brands.

Experience and entertainment vendors for Layers of Exploration include Accent on Cincinnati; All On Productions; Cincinnati Observatory; Curative Painting; Daisy Jane’s Flower Truck; East to Vest Productions; JonJon & Friends; and Mayfield Brain & Spine.

Layers of Exploration is sponsored by Atomic Data, Bartlett Wealth Management; Constellation Wealth Advisors; Dean Dorton; Dinsmore; ESI Electrical Contractors; Fenton Rigging + Contracting; Frost Brown Todd Attorneys; Gallagher; HBC Facility Management; Kroger; Losproductions; Merchandise Inc.; Messer Construction; Photo Lab Inc.; RBC Global Asset Management; RCF Group; Sands Capital; SHP; Smith Group; Taft Law; Three Corners Capital; and TK Elevator.

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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized, award-winning institution housed in a National Historic Landmark. CMC is a vital community resource that sparks curiosity, inspiration, epiphany and dialogue. 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, one of a select few museums in the nation to receive both honors. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, The Children’s Museum, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX^® Theater, Cincinnati History Library and Archives and the Geier Collections and Research Center. Housed in historic Union Terminal – a National Historic Landmark restored in 2018 and recognized as the nation’s 45^th most important building by the American Institute of Architects – CMC welcomes more than 1.8 million visits annually, making it one of the most visited museums in the country. For more information, visit cincymuseum.org.