Beloved Children's Museum exhibit opens re-energized Friday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Cody Hefner (513) 608-5777, chefner@cincymuseum.org

Beloved Children's Museum exhibit opens re-energized Friday
Physics, simple machines and motor skills come alive through play in Energy Zone

CINCINNATI – One of Cincinnati Museum Center’s most-loved exhibits is opening re-energized this week. The Children’s Museum’s Energy Zone reopens Friday after a five-week re-energization project that will introduce new components and supercharge fan favorites.

“We’re excited to re-energize learning through play as we reopen our beloved Energy Zone,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president & CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “The Energy Zone is a foundational exhibit for our young learners, helping introduce simple machines and cause-and-effect while developing gross and fine motor skills.”

Energy Zone – CMC’s plastic ball paradise of machines and gadgets – brings physics and the science of simple machines to life through pulleys, gears and a cascade of plastic balls, all powered by the exuberant energy of young learners. As kids use a rope to raise a bucket full of balls overhead or launch a ball with air power, they discover cause and effect. Working with new friends to fill the Big Bucket to the brim, balls come cascading down as bells ring. Using the interactives encourages experimentation to find different ways to reach goals and observing those changes helps predict outcomes.

Fans of the Energy Zone will enjoy the addition of a second Bernoulli Blower that allows a ball to float in mid-air – science masquerading as wizardry. Turn a newly introduced Archimedes screw to lift balls into the Big Bucket. A revamped vacuum tube with ramps and a Plinko wall offer a cause-and-effect activity guests will want to do again and again.

Propellers and light-up bike wheels will be powered by foot and hand pedals, replacing an existing treadmill to make it easier for younger learners to activate and clearly illustrate the power of gears. A re-energized catapult will continue to delight as it hurls plastic balls across the exhibit. Every plastic ball is still eventually destined for the Big Bucket, newly centralized for a more satisfying payoff as the balls rain down. New caregiver prompts will ensure adults help kids get the most out of learning through play in the Energy Zone.

Energy Zone opens re-energized this Friday, March 13, just in time for Spring Break. Learn more at cincymuseum.org/energy-zone.