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    Duke Energy Children's Museum

    4.2 (44 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    The woods play area
    Amanda M.

    Interactive and fun This was a great children's museum. All the exhibits were educational in a fun and interactive way. Highlights include the woods - playground set in a forest setting, water play area, teeth area to learn about keeping them clean and going to the dentist. Plus real life jobs you get to test out - construction worker, restaurant worker, market, etc. My kids loved this museum. We tried to spend about 15 minutes in each area so they could fully explore each section. You can easily spend a few hours. They also have a special play area for infants and toddlers.

    Dance party
    Steffanie C.

    We are annual members to the museum center and the children's museum is our favorite! We love that there are exhibits that appeal to all age groups. We have a 4 and a 1 year old, and they both have a great time. Our 4 year olds favorite is The Woods, which is a fun woodsy playground with lots to climb, slide, and crawl through! The staff go to great lengths to keep everything clean, including changing out the toys for cleaning frequently. We tend to come on the weekend, and while it can be busy there is still plenty to do and it doesn't feel overcrowded. The passes are a great value as they include the entire museum complex.

    3
    Rebecca M.

    I jokingly tell anyone I bring, this place is awesome as long as you don't look up... like seriously, when are they going to fix the ugly looking ceiling that I fear will eventually start dropping debris on all our precious cargo's heads.... shew, seriously, don't look up. Instead head straight in to a world of wonderful play and exploring for littles. We've been members for about a year while Union Terminal has been under construction. I feel like my 3yo gets the most out of her time here. There's some many stations and learning to be had. The ball pit is a blast and is in tune with kiddos with a mechanical side. Groceries, a cafe, building with wood/play rocks, dentistry, crafts, water and a huge playground primarily for all the kiddos are all tucked away in the lower level Children's museum. We are especially fond of the designated area for kiddos under the age of 4 (or 5? I forget). It keeps the older kids from accidentally trampling the littles. Highly recommend anyone to visit the museum with their kiddos as long as you don't look up ;)

    Leah A.

    A must see and place to visit for parents with young children. The place seemed like heaven for curious mind and active body, there's so many stations that a child will always find something to do. The place was a little crowded when we were there, but overall it was a great visit. The crawl places or caves seemed big enough to fit an adult to accompany his/ her child.

    Amanda A.

    We've lived in Dayton for almost 10 years and hadn't made it down to check this place out until just recently. What a fun and exciting place! My kids had a blast. They really loved the animal area and some of the fun stuff that the staff had set up. We saw a toad and my three year old son was just so into it. Everyone we were with enjoyed learning about the toad, seeing it pee, and watching it eat. My son loved that he was able to touch it. It was the highlight of his trip. The water area is super fun and exciting. It could do with more toys or someone talking about how the current works, but it's a fun little play area. The Woods or tree house was neat! I even liked getting in there and looking around. There were so many great nooks to explore. Being able to go behind the fish tank and crawl through was neat and again my son loved it. The ball zone was fun, but crazy busy. My kids had fun, but would have enjoyed it more with less kids. The area for little kids was cute, but definitely didn't keep my three year old entertained enough. It is perfect for young toddlers though. The Kids Space area was a cool area to take a break in. My kids loved that they had stuff you could glue and make a craft with. I do wish the women sitting in there would have led them in a little something instead of just sitting there. It would have been way more hands-on and a better learning experience. The play area with the grocery store, vet clinic, restaurant, construction site, and dentist area is really nice, but it was way too crowded with a few school groups who were not being watched at all. They got out of hand quick and would run over the smaller kids. I had to say something many times for them to stop and actually listen. This in particular is something I wish places would address more. Make specific times for large groups to come in so everyone can enjoy themselves. I will still come back, but I hope they think about limiting the amount of groups or having more staff to manage them.

    Tiffany D.

    Duke Energy Children's Museum is a cool experience. What I found unique about the atmosphere and look of the museum, was that is resembles the New York Train Station. With school getting ready to start back, what better way to get the kiddos back into the swing of things than exploring history and science at the Children's Museum. This is a great way for kids and families to get out and explore together. My family and I visited the Children's Museum and had a blast. You will learn about dinosaurs, the evolution of technology, Cincinnati's history, and so much more. My children's favorite parts were the dinosaur exhibit as well as the hands-on activity exhibit. The museum offered different hands-on activities for the kids to learn different objectives. After we played and visited the exhibits, we watched a 45-minute movie in the Robert D. Linder Family OMNIMAX Theater. This was a fun, full screen experience. The theater is in the shape of a dome and the screen takes up the entire front side and moves up. Its pretty neat! If you are feeling inspired to learn more about the world through science and regional history in a fun, educational, and engaging way, the Duke Energy Children's Museum is the place for you. It will open your eyes to a world of meaningful experiences.

    Under 4 play area
    Elyse F.

    I never seem to get around to reviewing the children's museum. I have been here for both private events, and as a regular guest. Every visit seems to be different. If one comes on a not too busy day, this museum is a real gem. All the different themed play areas delight young children. They get a kick out of pretending to be various carers. There is also a water play area, an area to learn about animals, an are that occasionally has arts and crafts. There is an area for every child. Even my older children enjoy the Energy Zone, and the black lit forest area. The black lit forest is like one of those Chick-fil-A or Mc Donald's play places. The difference is, this one is more than double the size, and black lit. The forset can be difficult to navigate for smaller children. The Energy Zone seems to be a favorite of all ages. All of my children enjoy collecting the balls and loading them onto and into the various apparatuses. With so many options to choose from, it is us dragging our children away rather than them being bored and wanting to go home. My youngest asks often to come back here. If one comes on a busy day, the children's museum can be less enjoyable. Some days it is downright chaotic. Small children are at risk on being run over. Even by children their own age. On these busy days, there always seems to be children throwing items they shouldn't be. They are so caught up in the chaos. The busier it is the less people watch their children. Employees are constantly hunched over trying to move items back to their intended themed areas. (It hurt my back just watching them.) The children's museum may actually be rented out for parties. This is usually after the museum closes. Don't know that many people? That's okay, neither do I. The museum will also assist in planning birthday parties during regular operating hours, for smaller groups.

    Giant light brite!
    Heather L.

    A group of us came here for a special Adults only 90's night at the kids museum. This was my first time here as I do not have kids and did not grow up here. There are so many neat features available that I cant speak for kids, but were super fun for me! First we came across a ball area with all kinds of contraptions to load and launch them, a really creative science take on the traditional ball pit. There is a real feel village with a Kroger grocery store, house, post office, gas station, vet hospital, ice cream cart, and much more that offers the opportunity to "play adult". There is also a really cool craft area with rotating instruction for specific projects offered. One of my favorite things was the giant light brite. A giant mouth teaches about proper hygiene. We really enjoyed a medium sized lego building area, and across from that is a bulldozer with "fake rocks" for moving. The best part of the museum is the jungle like play area with all kinds of climbing, tunnels, slides, stuffed animals (taxidermy), and a live aquarium with turtles. Make sure to stop by the water play area too! At this event they offered drinks, bites, and some nostalgic 90's music. So much fun!

    Of the many unmasked children here are two

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    We have been here two times and absolutely love it! It was a perfect place to take a 2 1/2 year old boy :)

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Duke Energy Children's Museum

    Review Highlights - Duke Energy Children's Museum

    Go and check out this exhibit, it's a "hidden treasure "- and you can see pictures and accounts of the history of Union terminal.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal

    Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal

    4.2
    (314 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Wow! What a cool space! I love the art deco style, so walking into this incredible museum complex…read morejust gave me an almost overwhelming sense of joy. It was so beautifully built and so meticulously cared for and restored. I love that they carried the deco details throughout the entire space, including the restaurant areas. When you enter, there is a large ticketing area. They can help you with access to the main museums and for tickets to the movie theater. The staff is extremely helpful in guiding you to the right person and the individuals behind the counter are very helpful as well. I was using a reciprocal membership and once they verified Pittsburgh was far enough away (it very much is as Cincinnati is almost five hours from Pittsburgh) it was easy for them to issue us the tickets. We came specifically for the Auschwitz exhibit which was located on a lower floor. Signage was clear and there were ample staff to help guide to the appropriate location. In addition to the four museums covered by the one museum fee, this building also houses a gift shop, cafe area and the Holocaust Center (whose entrance is at the back of the space and a different ticketing system). There is a LARGE parking area in the front of the complex. It is an uncovered surface lot and on a busy day could be quite a walk to the entrance. You can, however, pull up right in front if someone from your party needs to be dropped off. I really enjoyed my time here, and will definitely be back to spend additional time in the various museums (as we were rushed because we spent so much time in the Auschwitz exhibit). If you are in the Cincinnati area, definitely make sure you visit.

    I came here for the Aushwitz exhibit - which I felt was overpriced for what was displayed - it was…read morean audio and reading geared exhibit whereas I was hoping for more artifacts to see. The museum as a hole is very well maintained and clean. The prices are a tad expensive however compared to other museums I have been to in touristy cities. The childrens museum is the star of the show - it is so interactive and if I had kiddos I would take them here often for a day of play - even as an adult passing by I wanted to jump in the ball pit I saw.

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    The Lucky Cat Museum

    The Lucky Cat Museum

    4.9
    (22 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    What a charming, quirky and fun place! I was in the…read moreCincinnati area and this popped into my Facebook feed. You need to book an appointment to visit and the owner very graciously fit us in even though they had a fairly packed schedule. The space is in a cool art/studio space where various artisans rent out areas. The museum owner told me about some of the history of the building which was really interesting to hear. I love when old spaces are reimagined. When you get to the building that the museum is in, the cat museum is down the hall and to the right. (there isn't any directional signage when you enter the building). You know you are in the right place when you see the giant blow up lucky cat. The museum itself is a small space, but it is packed, literally wall to wall and floor to ceiling with lucky cat and other cat related items. There are several interactive items (noted with a paw so you know what you can and can't touch). There are items the owners collected, items created by the owners and items created and donated by others. One of my daughter's favorites was the weird al lucky cat and the super tiny lucky cat. We spent a surprisingly long amount of time in there because my daughter wanted to look at and take in as many details as possible. The museum itself is free, but you can make a donation. You can also support the museum and owner by making a purchase in the shop. They have everything from $1 small trinket items to large and expensive stuffed animals and souvenir shirts. If you are looking for something unique and quirky to do, definitely check out this super fun space.

    A bit difficult to sign up for a tour and once you are there it is also a bit hard to find…read more Go to the big glass door entrance located in the corner of the building. Once inside go to the back and to the right... from there on it is easy because then you will see a big ole lucky cat and the entrance is marked. It is a small museum, but houses thousands of lucky cats. Varieties you have never seen before. Big ones, tiny ones, interactive ones, old ones, new ones.... Enjoy

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    Don't miss the gift shop!

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    American Sign Museum

    American Sign Museum

    4.6
    (280 reviews)
    2.3 mi

    One of my favorite experiences in Cincinnati!! As someone who's always been obsessed with signage…read moreand neon, it was a dream come true for me to visit. Someday I'd love to go to the museum in Vegas and compare. I really wanted to take neon classes here, but didn't get the chance to - neon classes are generally super rare from what I can tell. If you have interest at all, you should take classes!! The love, care and knowledge put into this museum is really obvious. I just wish it was larger and had even more signs :) Loved the "city" concept as a display. I'll think of the sign museum fondly when I remember Cincinnati!

    Great experience at the sign museum on our first ever trip to Cincinnati. We had spent way longer…read morethan expected browsing at Jungle Jim's and hurried our way over to the sign museum with an hour to spare. The employee let us know they closed in an hour, but we should still have enough time (an hour was the perfect amount of time for us to read and look at all the signs). It's priced reasonably enough that I would pay to go back and see it again if I wanted. Tons of signage (haha) to read about the signs. A couple of them had QR codes you could scan to read more about. The history of the sign industry was really cool to learn about, and seeing them lit up and in action was even better. I loved the way the museum was styled and designed, making it look like you're walking down a bustling street complete with storefronts, street lamps, and even a couple fire hydrants. If you're a fan of vintage artifacts and big flashing signs, then this is the place to visit!

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    Duke Energy Children's Museum - childrensmuseums - Updated July 2026

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