Cincinnati Art Museum

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August 27, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

There’s a pretty good selection of various art from around the world and across the ages.

We like the Islamic Art wing.

We visited the Albrecht Dürer exhibit in February 2018.

Dürer made six prints of Jerome, one of the most popular saints of the German Renaissance.

We visited the Terracotta Warriors in August 2018.

I never really expected to view these and we jumped at the chance to go see them. It was almost at the last minute because this was a busy time for us. They only had 5 tickets left that day and we nabbed them!

Also, the Art of Robert McCloskey was another exhibit at this time. It was cute.

Visit Cincinnati Art Museum.

Special Exhibition Ticket Pricing

General public	Seniors
(ages 18 and up) $12	(ages 65+) $6
Children	Children 5
(ages 6-17) $6	and under FREE
College students	Thursday
(with valid ID) $6	5–8 p.m. FREE

General Admission is always FREE!

Parking is FREE in Museum lots.

Tuesday–Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Thursdays 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

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National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

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August 26, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

This museum is too big to do all in one day!

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force galleries present military aviation history, boasting more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles on display in 12+ galleries.

We first went in September 2017.

We returned in August 2018 to see the Memphis Belle.

Tori did space camp this summer and there are lots of family events throughout the year.

For our first visit, we focused on WWI and WWII.

Eighty silver goblets commemorating each man who flew in the Doolittle Raid over Japan in April 1942.

In December 1946, Gen. James “Jimmy” Doolittle and his fellow Raiders gathered to celebrate his birthday, and that event turned into an annual reunion.

At every reunion, the surviving Raiders meet privately to conduct their solemn “Goblet Ceremony.” After toasting the Raiders who died since their last meeting, they turn the deceased men’s goblets upside down. Each goblet has the Raider’s name engraved twice — so that it can be read if the goblet is right side up or upside down. When there are only two Raiders left, these two men will drink one final toast to their departed comrades.

Retired Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Cole, the last of the 80 Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, died on April 9, 2018. He was 103.

We viewed the Memphis Belle and everything else on our 2nd visit.

Visit National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Some museum exhibits have special hours.

Admission to the museum is FREE.

There is a charge for the Air Force Museum Theatre and flight simulators.

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National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

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August 19, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

We had an incredible visit to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. I highly recommend it for all.

The 8,000-square-foot exhibit From Slavery to Freedom provides historical context about 300+ years of slavery from the Middle Passage up to the Civil War. Artifacts include the rope from which abolitionist John Brown was hanged to Frederick Douglass’ hat and trousers to first-edition copies of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Three pavilions celebrate courage, cooperation, and perseverance.

This humongous exhibit was very intense, full of lots of reading and historical artifacts.

It was so educational for me, who grew up in the South and had very skewed American history, even from Black teachers.

I love learning along with my children. This is very, very important history and I want the truth. Even if, especially if, it makes me uncomfortable.

In this age of information, there is no excuse to be ignorant.

We were literally exhausted and overwhelmed by the end of this exhibit. It was just so much to process. It was really hard.

Escape! Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad allows children and adults to play a game that gives them the perspective of a fugitive slave.

We’ve read lots of books about this, but seeing where escaped slaves could hide and how they traveled and were cared for was eye-opening.

It made us confront ourselves and the question of what would we have done?

Freedom’s flame continues to light the way, no matter the weather.

Muhammad Ali and first lady Laura Bush jointly lit the eternal flame of freedom when ground was broken for the center in 2002.

Poignant with a gorgeous view of Cincinnati and the Ohio River.

People knew once they crossed that river, they were mostly safe from slavery, but new laws kept cropping up that made it legal for them to be captured back into slavery.

The Hall of Everyday Heroes pays tribute to ordinary people who resist tyranny. Important history everywhere.

Again, what would we do?

What are we doing in the face of tyranny?

The Struggle Today examines the legacy of the Underground Railroad and contemporary freedom movements.

We actually did not do much more than peek inside this one. We were emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted at this point. We will have to gear ourselves up to return.

There are often new exhibits and we could barely process it all.

“Journeys I and II” is an ongoing piece created by artist Aminah Brenda Lynn.

The Slave Pen, the principal artifact at the Freedom Center, is a 21 by 30-foot, two-story log slave pen built in 1830. Originally owned by Captain John Anderson, it is “the only known surviving rural slave jail,” previously used to house slaves prior to their being shipped to auction. The structure was moved from a farm in Mason County, Kentucky, where a tobacco barn had been built around it.

This was especially horrific, with manacles still inside. It smelled evil.

Upwards of 27 million people are currently enslaved around the world, more than at any other time in human history.

Americans still won’t admit what our history did and is doing to our citizens.

Visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Tickets – Buy online.

Adults: $15
Seniors 60+: $13
Children ages 3-12: $10.50
Children under 3: FREE

Hours

Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday-Monday Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Tickets sold until 4:00 p.m.

Outside the museum, is a piece of the Berlin Wall.

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Golden Spike

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August 5, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

When we first arrived in Utah, we traveled to the Golden Spike national park for a re-enactment.

It was hot and dry and out in the middle of nowhere.

The kids were young, but we’ve shown them the pictures each history cycle since to refresh their memories as we learn about American history.

And then there’s an interesting story.

Golden Spike National Historic Site is open year round and receives nearly 60,000 visitors a year. Visitors come to explore the site and connect with one of the most transformational moments in our nation’s history. The most popular attractions include stepping out to the site where history was made, viewing the site’s replica steam locomotives, participating in historic re-enactments of the famous “Last Spike” ceremony and exploring the nearly 150 year-old railroad grade on the auto tours and hiking trail.

Learn more.

Hours and Re-enactments.

150th anniversary events on May 10, 2019.

The girls got their Junior Ranger badges. It’s a great way to get kids interested in history and learning.

We like hands-on history.

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Fort Ancient Archaeology Park

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February 11, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Fort Ancient Archaeology Park offers exploration and learning both indoors and out. Visitors will enjoy watching an introductory film in the indoor theater, viewing artifacts and learning about the history of the Village and its inhabitants in the Interpretive Center, and immersing themselves in the 800-year-old lifestyle by visiting the reconstructed structures, located in their original, exact locations.

The indoor museum teaches about Ohio native peoples and how European white people came for trade and decimated the native populations. It’s very accurate.

There are lots of artifacts that are family-friendly like clothing, musical instruments, and toys.

Native houses and a garden are in the courtyard.

We attended a special event last year to learn about native food.

Our Boonshoft membership is reciprocal.

Guides taught us about native foods – growing, preparing, and preserving.

We tasted some stew with hominy and bear meat.

Native foods and preserving

There are lovely hiking trails along the river.

There are events all year round for families to learn about the area and the native peoples who inhabited this area.

We’re excited for summer field camp!

Fort Ancient Archaeology Park Hours and Admission

April–November
Tuesday-Saturday
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sunday: noon-5:00 p.m.
Closed on Mondays

December–March
Saturday
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sunday: noon-5:00 p.m.
*Closed Monday-Friday, except by appointment

Closed: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Easter

Adults $7.00
Seniors (60+) 6.00
Students (6-17) $6.00
Members are always FREE!

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Boonshoft Museum of Discovery

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December 9, 2018 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Our favorite event every month is the Boonshoft Homeschool Day.

It’s the first Thursday of the month from September through May.

I purchase a membership each year since we all attend the homeschool days each month and it pays for itself in two sessions.

My middle girls attended invitation only Summer Field Camp and loved it.

There are homeschool science activities all day long. The earlier activities are geared for younger kids.

We like to show up for the 1:30 Do Lab activity.

They usually have stations set up at lab tables around the theme of the day. My kids like to learn together.

Safety first!

We’ve learned about ponds.

They have great equipment we don’t otherwise have access to, like microscopes.

The kids have learned about coding and robotics.

We’ve learned about African American inventors and their inventions.

We’ve learned about Native American history and archaeology.

We like chemistry and physics.

Testing water salinity from the pond.

We all shocked pennies and watched them change color.

Biology is not a favorite.

Bone density day was ok.

We dissected eyeballs and a heart for the last homeschool day last year!

After the 1:30 Do Lab, there are often animal meet and greets at 2:15 and science theatre at 3:30.

Boonshoft offers a small zoo, StarLab, hands-on science exhibits, special exhibits, NOVA weather station, archaeology exhibits, space exhibits, a children’s museum with a fun playground, treehouse birdwatching, pond and walking paths through the woods. There are fun special events throughout the year.

Boonshoft is a fun afternoon for our whole family!

Hours

Monday – Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: Noon – 5:00 p.m.

Admission

Children (3-17) $11.50
Adults $14.50
Seniors (60+) $12.50
Children (under 3) Free
DSNH Members are FREE

Check for discounts and deals or how to become a member.

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Dayton Art Institute

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September 24, 2018 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

The Dayton Art Institute is a great beginner art museum for people of all ages.

It’s small and doesn’t take long to go through. There are some important examples of art for every era.

For military families, DAI is FREE all summer long. Students and kids are always FREE.

My teen daughter and I visited to check it out.

We were a little silly.

Some of our favorites:

Visit DAI:

REGULAR HOURS
MONDAY	Closed
TUESDAY	Closed
WEDNESDAY	11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
THURSDAY	11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
FRIDAY	11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
SATURDAY	11 a.m. – 5 p.m
SUNDAY	Noon – 5 p.m.

Leo Bistro is now open!

MUSEUM ADMISSION
Suggested general admission to the museum’s collection galleries:

Adults: $8
Seniors, Groups & Active Military: $5
Members, Students, & Youth: FREE

NOTE: Special exhibitions, programs and events may carry an additional admission charge.

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Städel Museum

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June 9, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

We love art museums! Most of our travels center around visiting art.

The Städel Museum in Frankfurt offers 700 years of art under a single roof.

What to see:

Old Masters

van Eyck, Vermeer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Rembrandt, Botticelli

Modern

Monet, Degas, Kirchner, Picasso

Contemporary

Francis Bacon, Warhol

Prints and Drawings

Durer, Pollack, Ernst, Cezanne, Delacroix, Raphael, Rembrandt

We were excited to see the Impressionist art after studying them!

This statue of Esmeralda and the Goat by Antonio Rosetti is lovely.

We saw some fun contemporary art:

We still don’t know what to think of this one:

Don’t miss the fun outdoors exhibit with mirrors and let the kids run around.

This was a fun exhibit on the Städel Museum lawn – a round beaded curtain.

A rare image of the mama:

Admission

14 € for adults

24 € for families

Admission is free for children under the age of 12.

Free wifi!

Hours

Tue, Wed, Sat, Sun 10 am – 6 pm
Thu, Fri 10 am – 9 pm
closed Mondays

Prints and Drawings

Wed 2 – 5 pm
Thu 2 – 7 pm
Fri 2 – 5 pm

The Städel Museum is about 1.5 hours from Ramstein and 2 hours from Spangdahlem.

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Speyer Technik Museum

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February 16, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We visited Technik Museum Speyer and admission next door to the Museum Wilhelmsbau is included!

We loved seeing cars, planes, space vehicles, and the train at the Technik Museum!

There are places throughout the museum where you can insert a coin and the machines actually move. It was very educational.

Alex loved the big tires!

There’s a gorgeous antique carousel too!

Outside are airplanes to explore and slides!

We stopped at the cafe and got ice cream and drinks.

The kids loved this fun sculpture in the courtyard.

We loved all the costumes and music machines next door at the Wilhelmsbau Museum.

Admission:

9-5 every day!

Children under 5 years: Free
Children 6 to 14 years old: € 12
Adults: € 14

It’s about an hour from Ramstein and 2 hours from Spangdahlem.

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Natural History Museum of Utah Field Trip

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October 2, 2012 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We went to the new Natural History Museum of Utah to explore.

It’s a HUGE place with so many exhibits and collections.

Alex really liked all the skeletons of animals.

Katie loved seeing the bugs. Especially since these weren’t alive.

Sweeping for fossils.

This was a huge gravel pit outside on a patio where the kids could sweep and uncover an entire dinosaur skeleton.

Giant sloth…Sid?!

Alex loved looking through the magnifying glass to see the brine shrimp, er, sea monkeys.

Way to knock out some of our Tapestry of Grace projects at the field trip!

weaving, plied cordage, twining.

A model of layers of an archeological dig of a hut.

It was a playground!

Just a cute pic of my babies.

Watching wind erosion inside a tunnel.

Alex was obsessed with these fact wheels. He just wanted to spin them.

How cool is this? They offered notebooking pages in their science lab for museum attendees to write about their experiences.

Tori drew roly polies and said she likes them. Katie drew beetles and said they were pretty. I love it!

Alex was so exhausted that he fell asleep right as we were pulling into the PF Chang’s parking lot. He did wake up for the rice and noodles though!

Visit the Natural History Museum of Utah:

Daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesdays 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Adult $13.00

Senior 65 and over $11.00

Young Adult 13 – 24 $11.00

Child 3 – 12 $9.00

Child 2 and under FREE

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