In an unexpected turn the Cincinnati Museum Center's Children's Museum is closing through Spring 2018. The museum says the annual Holiday Junction display will be open.The Cincinnati and natural history museums are closed while Union Terminal undergoes renovations. The Children's Museum, however, was slated to remain open during construction. The Museum Center announced last week that the Children's Museum was being closed temporarily because of some "unexpected construction activity."
"As crews work to address and repair 84 years of water damage during the restoration of Union Terminal," the museum announced Tuesday in an email, "we now understand that construction activity will have a significant impact on public access to the Duke Energy Children's Museum. As portions of the Children's Museum become an active construction zone, Cincinnati Museum Center made the decision to close the area."
According to the statement, the steel beneath the front plaza - which serves as the roof above the Children's Museum - has more extensive water damage than previously known.
Museum CEO Elizabeth Pierce acknowledges the closure is "disappointing" but says "this is necessary for future fun in the space as we diligently work toward securing Union Terminal's long-term future."
Media Relations Manager Cody Hefner tells WVXU, "We have contingencies built in for just this reason so the overall budget and timeline are not affected."
Holiday Junction opens Friday. It will not include the popular Duke Energy trains, which remain under protective covering during construction.
