Thursday, September 16, 2010

Support Your Community By Supporting Its History

"I didn't realize there were so many museums around here."

"I've lived here all my life, but haven't visited any of these places."

"This is all free?!"

"I remember visiting the Taft and the Fire Museum on a field trip when I was in school, but haven't been back. I should really visit again soon."

"My kids really liked this museum when the school took them."

"I should really get over to see these museums."

These are some of things I heard on Fountain Square yesterday during Museum Day. Museums from all over Greater Cincinnati showed off their educational programming, histories, and wares. While a few where surprised to see such a wealth of history and culture, many more expressed a matter of fact sense of pride in their Queen City. They knew.

So while a loud and vocal few continue to complain there is not much in Cincinnati, and a younger group of professionals who have transplanted themselves in (or transitioning through) Cincinnati call for events, services to appeal to their tastes, those rooted here know the city's wealth. And this wealth and love for the city is what keeps many of these historical sites and museums free.

So be sure to visit and support our historical sites and museums.

1 comments:

Anne said...

What I like is moving back after a few decades to find (not always but sometimes) things better than I left them. A great example is the Trailside Nature Center/Museum in Burnet Woods.

What an amazing arts & crafts building! It's been rehabbed, they let some light in (used to be just dark, populated by taxidermied animals), there's always something going on there. Yes there are still stuffed animals (not of the Hello Kitty sort) but guess what, they uncovered a planetarium, installed a photo exhibit in the hallway, put in extra windows for birdwatching, landscaped, etc.!

This place was actually closed up when I left town. Nice. Now, if the parks would just promote the fact that it exists, and start funding more staff...