FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 12, 2019

MEDIA CONTACT: Cody Hefner (513) 608-5777, chefner@cincymuseum.org

Celebrate Apollo 11’s 50th anniversary at Cincinnati Museum Center

OMNIMAX® film, Space Gallery and more commemorate giant leap

CINCINNATI, EARTH – Celebrate the 50th anniversary of man’s first steps on the Moon at Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) July 20. CMC’s celebration includes hourly screenings of Apollo 11: First Steps Edition in the OMNIMAX® Theater, programming throughout the building and the opportunity to see a moon rock and other artifacts from the historic mission.

CMC’s Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery, presented by the Harold C. Schott Foundation, features incredible artifacts from the Apollo 11 mission. Armstrong’s “Snoopy cap” – the communications cap he wore under his helmet on the mission – and the flight jacket he wore under his suit are displayed alongside a detailed replica of the suit he wore when he first stepped on the Moon. One of the Moon rocks collected during the mission is also on display in the gallery, a gift NASA that Armstrong gave to CMC in 2006. An immersive 360-degree theater anchored by a projection globe allows guests to relive moments from the lunar landing and interactive stations give you the opportunity to call the shots from Mission Control and test your space knowledge.

In the Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery budding astronauts can also make their own space helmets, explore what it’s like to live in space, learn more about moon rocks and craters and test whether they have the right stuff with the Mars Rover Challenge. Visit cincymuseum.org/space-theme-day for a full schedule of activities.

Relive the mission with never-before-seen-footage

Apollo 11: First Steps Edition puts you inside Mission Control, inside Apollo 11 and on the surface of the Moon in stunning detail. Crafted from a newly-discovered trove of never-before-seen 70mm footage and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Apollo 11: First Steps Edition is a cinematic event 50 years in the making. The film uses only original 50-year-old footage and audio without any modern commentary, transporting you to 1969 as you live the historic moments in real time, including the thunderous rocket launch and Armstrong’s iconic first words on the Moon. Apollo 11: First Steps Edition shows hourly from 11 a.m. to 9 pm. in the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater. Visit cincymuseum.org/first-steps for more information and tickets.

Destination Moon pre-sale tickets available starting July 20

Don’t miss your chance to see the final stop of the Apollo 11 command module Columbia’s national tour. Organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the National Air and Space Museum, Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission features more than 20 original Apollo 11-flown objects, models and videos, telling the story of Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and the thousands of NASA employees supporting them who made the mission possible. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the Columbia command module, the only portion of the spacecraft to return to Earth, bringing the three astronauts safely home. Destination Moon opens September 29.

Pre-sale tickets for Destination Moon go on sale July 20 and are available in person or online at cincymuseum.org/destination-moon.

Tiny Torah in Space – free lecture

The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center presents Tiny Torah in Space, a free lecture with Holocaust survivor Dr. Henry Fenichel. On February 1, 2003, the Columbia Space Shuttle (STS 107) crashed, leaving no survivors. Aboard was Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, who carried with him a small Hebrew Torah Scroll. The Torah Scroll did not survive the crash.

Dr. Fenichel had a “sister Torah” similar to the one Ilan had taken into space. At the request of Rona Ramon, Ilan’s widow, Dr. Fenichel’s Torah was taken into space aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantic in September 2006. Hear Dr. Fenichel share the story and the origin of the little Torahs, including their connection to two child survivors of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of mankind’s most incredible achievements July 20 as CMC shoots for the Moon.

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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.