PRESS RELEASE

May 5, 2011

MEDIA CONTACT: Stephanie Lowe, (513) 287-7054 office, (513) 373-3242 mobile, slowe@cincymuseum.org

Cincinnati Museum Center celebrates National Train Day at historic Union Terminal

CINCINNATI - Trains, trains, trains! What better place to celebrate National Train Day than at historic Union Terminal? On Saturday, May 7, Cincinnati Museum Center will celebrate National Train Day and the 40th anniversary of Amtrak, along with dozens of other institutions around the nation.

Built as a train station in 1933, Union Terminal once served as many as 20,000 passengers a day during WWII. Now a National Historic Landmark, Union Terminal still houses a working Amtrak station.

Visit Tower A, once the main control tower for Cincinnati Union Terminal, and get a bird’s eye view of the tracks that are still in use today. Learn about upcoming trips, railroad tours, and enter to win prizes! The tower will be open for extended hours, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tower A is free and open to the public.

Roll through history with the Cincinnati History Museum’s Cincinnati in Motion exhibit. It is the nation’s largest full motion, S-scale urban layout in the Cincinnati History Museum and includes 17 miniature trains. You can also journey through the history of transportation as you hop aboard our historic streetcar, check out our WWII-era Crosley vehicle, and explore a replica 19th century steamboat.

Union Terminal’s Amtrak station will also be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information and planners will be available throughout the day.

Explore Union Terminal and learn about the history, architecture and art of this Art Deco gem with our free Rotunda tours at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.

For more information, please visit our website at www.cincymuseum.org.

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About National Train Day
National Train Day is back again to celebrate America’s love for trains with events across the country! National Train Day marks 142 years of connecting travelers coast to coast and commemorates the day the first transcontinental railroad was created. On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the “golden spike” was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, transforming America by creating the nation’s transcontinental railroad. For more information, visit http://www.nationaltrainday.com/.

About Amtrak
Amtrak is America’s Railroad, the nation’s intercity passenger rail provider and its only highspeed rail operator. A record 28.7 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2010 on more than 300 daily trains – at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kph) – that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces. Amtrak operates trains in partnership with 15 states and four commuter rail agencies. Visit Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information. 

About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration. As one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest, Cincinnati Museum Center has served as an educational, research and entertainment resource to millions of visitors from around the world. Organizations within Museum Center include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. These organizations combine to serve more than one million visitors annually, reaching out to nearly 400,000 young people through hands-on exhibits and programs. Originally built in 1933 as a train station, Union Terminal stands as one of the last remaining grand-scale Art Deco style railroad terminals. The building is a National Historic Landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990. For information, call 1-800-733-2077 or visit www.cincymuseum.org.