Exhibit Archives - Ohio History Connection

August 23, 2025

Armstrong Museum Holiday Lights

For over ten years now, the Armstrong Air & Space Museum has been inaugurating the holiday season by illuminating our grounds with a vast array of festive and colorful lights known as the Holiday Lights Display. The overall exhibition contains a multitude of aviation and space-themed displays made from tens of thousands of vibrant LED […]

July 11, 2025

Beyond Paul: Alice Dunbar Nelson’s Life and Legacy

Join the National Park Service, Ohio History Connection and the University of Delaware by exploring a new exhibit on Alice Dunbar, featured this summer at the Paul Laurence Dunbar House Visitor Center. Born July 19, 1875, in New Orleans, Alice Dunbar Nelson navigated a world that attempted to limit the success of Black people, especially […]

April 24, 2025

Community Quilts

McCook House Museum will be once again showcasing outstanding quilts by experienced quilters of yesterday and today. See exquisite examples of hand-sewn and machine-sewn quilts, many of which are heirloom treasures for local families. Hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is charge is $5/adult and $3/child.

April 8, 2025

New Exhibition—Trailblazers of Innovation: African American Inventors Who Changed America

Dive into the fascinating world of lesser-known African American inventors who revolutionized our lives with their brilliant innovations. This new permanent exhibit shines a spotlight on inventors who created groundbreaking devices to improve fire safety, refrigeration, lighting, water management and many other areas that continue to impact our lives today. Highlights of the Exhibit Fire […]

January 28, 2025

Special Exhibit: Inside President Hayes’ Library

This exhibit will explore the authors who shaped and inspired President Rutherford B. Hayes. He owned a personal library of about 12,000 books and was a founding member of the Cincinnati Literacy Society. This exhibit will be open through June 30, 2026. Access is included with regular admission, and Hayes Presidential Library & Museums members […]

January 12, 2025

Unveiling The Trees

A complimentary Christmas walk-thru tour allows visitors to glimpse Victorian grandeur at its best for the holidays! Trees that are decorated by local groups and families will be displayed throughout the building. Meet Austin Brodzinski, train enthusiast on Saturday the 6th when he fields questions and operates his model trains throughout the day. There is […]

November 26, 2024

St. Clair’s Defeat Revisited: A New View of the Conflict

Discover the complex history of the greatest defeat of the U.S. Military by indigenous forces

October 1, 2024

Hide and Seek: Finding Young Ohioans in the Archives

Young people are poets, musicians, explorers and so much more. They're history-makers! From early-1900s newsies to 1960s garage bands, discover how Ohio kids have shaped our state's story. This interactive exhibit is open to museum-goers of all ages on the third floor of the Ohio History Center—and be sure to check out our children's book […]

September 25, 2024

Hayes Train Special 2025

This operating model train display runs through an intricate Victorian holiday scene. Interactive buttons allow visitors to control aspects of the trains’ movements along the winding, multi-tiered layout. Access to the “Hayes Train Special” is free, although donations will be accepted. This exhibit will be open through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.

March 20, 2024

Special exhibit—Factions and Fraternalism: A History of America’s Political Parties

In 1796, outgoing President George Washington warned succeeding generations about the rise of “factions” (political parties) through which “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.” With yet another contentious presidential election looming in 2024, American voters have become […]