Cincinnati Heritage Programs

Heritage Programs is an invaluable gem to our Queen City!An outreach association of the Cincinnati History Museum, the organization strives to inspire people to learn and appreciate the region's history. Each month, Heritage Programs offers scheduled tours of unique sites of local or regional interest.Heritage Programs is comprised entirely of volunteer docents who have been presenting for over 25 years. These folks are perhaps the most knowledgeable people at Cincinnati Museum Center. Honestly, they may be most knowledgeable people in the entire city of Cincinnati!I've attended several tours and lectures, and all of them have been amazing. Tours range from one hour to 3 hours to an all-day affair. I suggest taking the longer tours, as the docents have so many stories to share it's hard to cover everything in one hour.The following I have attended and thoroughly enjoyed:- Behind The Scenes at Union Terminal: climbed the "high steel" architecture above the Rotunda and viewed the working gears of the giant clock; viewed the Omnimax projection room; learned about engineering and upkeep of the Museum Center; saw the historical rail yards; talked with the Historical Library preservationist and viewed rare documents in the collection... and much more!- Subway Tour: Went INSIDE Cincinnati's subway system that was abandoned in 1928. This was preceded by a presentation with old construction photographs and storytelling. (Learn more about the subway here: http://www.thecincinnatisubway.com)- Union Terminal Rotunda Tour: Learned about the construction, architecture and art of the landmark, viewed the President's office and Rookwood Tea Room. (This takes place every weekend at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 and is FREE.)There are dozens more tours listed on their website.I've also heard many a lecture either at the Museum or at local libraries from Heritage Programs docents:- Cincinnati Subway- Cincinnati Inclines- Cincinnati German Heritage- Powell Crosley's empire- Cincinnati and the Erie Canal- Cincinnati from 1788-1925- Cincinnati Brewing History- Sad, Steamy & Sinister Cincinnati- History of Cincinnati-style ChiliWhat makes Heritage Programs special is that the docents LOVE talking about the city. Their passion makes the tours very entertaining: you're guaranteed to be smiling, laughing, and asking questions throughout.Heritage Programs tours and presentations are great for all ages, including children 10 & up. I see a lot of grandparents and grandchildren as well as parents with adult children having fun on the tours. Generally, guests tend to be 40-somethings or retirees, but as a younger adult, I think couples my age would be intrigued with the programs.Pricing for Heritage Programs tours varies from $25.00 to $80.00 (pricier tours include lunch and bus service.) Some tours and most lectures are free. You can also arrange a presentation for your group at the Museum Center or at your place of business.For the amount of awesome historical things you get to see, information, and vibrant storytelling you receive with a Heritage Programs tour, you're definitely getting your money's worth. Whether you're a lifetime Cincinnatian or a visiting tourist, you MUST take a Heritage Program tour!