Road to freedom
The Ohio River was a major crossing point on the Underground Railroad via which fleeing slaves would escape from Kentucky into abolitionist Ohio. Today, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center stands on the riverbanks in Cincinnati; there, visitors learn the stories of bravery and sacrifice.
A museum visit starts at the Slave Pen, a large wooden cabin that was once used to hold slaves until they could be sold to other plantations. After walking through the cabin, visitors can go through a series of exhibits that tell the stories of slaves on the run, as well as the brave abolitionists who hid and helped the escapees along the way.
Oprah Winfrey narrates the museum’s 20-minute film “Brothers of the Borderland.” Other exhibits introduce modern-day human injustices and the people who continue to work against them.
Stories of Creation
Well over 1 million people have visited the Creation Museum in Hebron, Kentucky, since it opened in 2007. This $27 million facility was created to educate guests on the Genesis account of the world’s origins, countering conventional evolution theories with both scientific and biblical evidence.
Exhibits in the 75,000-square-foot museum include a replica of a mastodon fossil and a walk-through section of the Grand Canyon, which demonstrates how the Genesis flood could have created some of the earth’s most eye-catching natural formations. Detailed dioramas depict a team of modern archaeologists unearthing a dinosaur fossil, as well as Genesis scenes like the Garden of Eden and Noah building his ark.
Though the museum is biblically based, its contents go beyond scriptural stories. Many exhibits include cases for creation highlighting aspects of nature and the fossil record that defy evolutionary explanation. Groups visiting the museum can also arrange to have a conversation with a staff scientist, who can talk to them about a variety of topics.
All aboard for learning
Cincinnati’s chief hub for science and history was once its chief hub for rail transportation: The Cincinnati Museum Center houses a bevy of museum and cultural institutions inside Union Terminal, a 1933 Art Deco train station.
Young visitors have lots of choices when they visit the museum center. The Museum of Natural History and Science features exhibits such as a walk-through simulated glacier and a re-creation of a northern Kentucky limestone cave. The Cincinnati History Museum has exhibits such as “Public Landing,” a life-size street scene from the 19th century in the Queen City.
Two aspects of the museum complex will prove especially attractive to young travelers: The Duke Energy Children’s Museum has been rated one of the best of its kind in the country, and the OMNIMAX Theater shows captivating educational movies on a five-story domed screen.
