For seniors living in urban retirement communities, museums offer a fantastic opportunity for cultural enrichment. Many of the best museums are inexpensive or even free, allowing anyone to appreciate the treasures of our rich history.
Cincinnati offers some of the most interesting and unique museums in the US. Let's take a look at a few of the Queen City's best.
American Sign Museum
If you haven't been to the American Sign Museum, you're missing one of the most delightfully quirky attractions in Cincinnati. The museum is dedicated to collecting and preserving vintage signs, most of which were once used by businesses. The Sign Museum has a wonderful time capsule quality, as viewing these often overlooked historical artifacts can immediately transport you back dozens of years. By showing signs in a museum setting, we understand how such everyday items transcend their initial purpose to become real works of art.
Cincinnati Art Museum
There is no better value in town than the Cincinnati Art Museum. You can gaze at 60,000 works of art– including celebrated works by masters such as Botticelli, Monet and Picasso— without an admission charge. The Art Museum, one of the oldest in the U.S., has a variety of fascinating exhibitions now underway. These include an exploration of modernist jewelry and an exhibition of photographic self-portraits taken by artists. The Cincinnati Art Museum isn't flashy or new– it's a 130-year-old cultural institution. But Cincinnati seniors will see something amazing every time they walk through the door.
Taft Museum of Art
Most cities are fortunate to have one world-class art museum. Cincinnati has several, including the Taft Museum of Art. Housed in a home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Taft is stuffed with works from European and American masters, including Rembrandt and Whistler. The museum also displays Chinese ceramics and Limoges enamels. A smaller, more intimate experience than the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Taft has two wonderful attributes: the beautiful treasures it displays and the historic home that holds them.
21c Museum Hotel
If you're looking for art that's a bit more contemporary, consider the 21c Museum Hotel. Situated in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, the building functions both as a 156-room hotel and an art gallery. That means guests are essentially sleeping in an art museum. For the art aficionados among Cincinnati seniors, it doesn't get much better than that.
Fire Museum of Greater Cincinnati
The history of Cincinnati's Fire Department stretches back 150 years, and this institution does a great job detailing that long, proud tradition. The museum is packed with fascinating vintage firefighting artifacts, including a 19th century pumper, the oldest fire engine in the city and leather fire buckets. Best of all, the museum is a piece of firefighting history in its own right, as it sits in a converted, century-old former firehouse.
Creation Museum
The Creation Museum offers high-quality exhibits created by a former lead designer at Universal Studios in Florida. The theme park lineage shows-- large animatronic dinosaurs, a special effects theater and dozens of immersive exhibits make the experience a memorable one. A petting zoo, a living insect exhibit, a zipline and nature trails are also part of the package. All of this makes the Creation Museum a good choice for residents of local retirement communities seeking a fun day out with their grandchildren.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
This downtown Cincinnati attraction celebrates and honors the history of the Underground Railroad, paying tribute to the heroes who helped slaves seek their freedom while enabling the eventual abolition of slavery. The museum's rarest artifact is a 21-by-30 feet, 1830s-era slave jail. It's the only object of its kind remaining.
Nearby access to good museums is a great feature for retirement communities. Luckily for Cincinnati seniors, we have a plethora of wonderful museum choices to explore.
