Topic: Cincinnati: Downtown - National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

[natininja]

It's amazing to me how many people here are against the URFC. I'd expect this on Enquirer comments, but not here.

I have a feeling local animosity to the museum plays a big part in the lack of success.

I think you have this reversed.

The animosity is DUE to the lack of success. Which is normal.

The place cant pay for itself, said it wouldnt need funding, and now is trying to ask for some.

Sounds erily similar to our losing bengals team that many are showing animosity to.

Chicken or the egg?

People didn't like it before it was built. Their minds were made up.

[Sherman Cahal]

Yes, Chris, and I see no reason to return to the UGRFC (shortened it for typing sake). It's much of the same content, with some rotating exhibits, but nothing that particularly interests me enough to go back and pay again. It's a subset of the museum genre that I've been interested in for a while - I've written articles and photographed numerous similar sites, notably the National Underground Railroad Museum in Maysville, the Ranklin House, the Parker House and over three dozen Civil War heritage sites and reenactments. I've also been to the Muhammad Ali Museum down in Louisville multiple times (which is seeing YTY traffic growth and is not subsidized) for assignments. It's not that I don't respect the UGRFC, it's just that I personally find it to not be a repeat attraction in my opinion.

As for the Dayton Art Institute, I was using that as an example since it was recently posted about several times in the Dayton Daily Times. It is suffering from some of the same parallels to the UGRFC, but it's not entirely comparable.

@OCtoCincy: It is irrelevant whether you think the Creation Museum is a "museum" or not. It's an attraction, and one that is worth comparing to for how it was funded and how much attendance it generates. There is also no need to badger people on whether or not they have been to the museum; all opinions can be equally weighted. There are many who believe museums on the whole should not be subsidized on the backs of taxpayers, for instance.

[kevster]

Kevster, have you been to the museum?  Just curious.

Yes - I've been there once. When they first opened the Invisible Slavery exhibit, after hearing talk about it on the radio.

[ColDayMan]

Yes, Chris, and I see no reason to return to the UGRFC (shortened it for typing sake). It's much of the same content, with some rotating exhibits, but nothing that particularly interests me enough to go back and pay again. It's a subset of the museum genre that I've been interested in for a while - I've written articles and photographed numerous similar sites, notably the National Underground Railroad Museum in Maysville, the Ranklin House, the Parker House and over three dozen Civil War heritage sites and reenactments. I've also been to the Muhammad Ali Museum down in Louisville multiple times (which is seeing YTY traffic growth and is not subsidized) for assignments. It's not that I don't respect the UGRFC, it's just that I personally find it to not be a repeat attraction in my opinion.

And that's fine.  But it is false to portray the image of the museum is about "one race."

As for the Dayton Art Institute, I was using that as an example since it was recently posted about several times in the Dayton Daily Times. It is suffering from some of the same parallels to the UGRFC, but it's not entirely comparable.

Sure.  For one, the DAI is free.

There are many who believe museums on the whole should not be subsidized on the backs of taxpayers, for instance.

So should every "free" museum in Washington start charging admission and be owned by News Corp.?  Would that be preferable?  What kind of Tea Party Preamble is this?!?

[Ram23]

The marketing (now) isn't the problem.  The marking reports (or lack thereof) that allowed the thing to get built in the first place were the problem.  Taft and the CAC serve a relatively large niche of art culture that exists in Cincinnati, and are thus successful.  There's not a big enough niche for the Freedom Center, and there's not enough draw that it can, by itself, increase tourism like the Rock and Roll hall of fame might have.

I guess the only thing wrong with my prior statement is that it should be "somewhere else in the city;" it shouldn't, it should probably be in Washington, perhaps as a part of the forthcoming Smithsonian National Museum of African American History.

You're saying- since cincinnati isn't well cultured, we should just get rid of museums that relate to our history.

No, we shouldn't pour money down the drain on niche museums that aren't successful. As I said, the CAC, the Museum Center, the Taft, etc. are all successful and deserving of tax dollar support.  The Freedom Center, by comparison, is way, way too large and expensive for what it is.  It's almost twice the size of the CAC, (by square footage) for example.

Also, I saw ColDayMan mentioned it should have been federally funded.  I'd completely support it if that were the case, if it truly was a national museum.

[dmerkow]

Part of the battle the Freedom Center has been battling against its whole life is a connection to the racial antipathy that was so nasty at the beginning of the last decade.
It has an odd vision - mixing a memorial to the underground railroad museum, a history of slavery, and a broader social justice museum. The slave pen is entirely too clean to drive home the experiential aspect.
Unfortunately, the fact that the Cincinnati Historical Society museum hasn't had more churn in its own presentations doesn't allow the Freedom Center to engage in a fruitful dialog w/ a more dominant narrative.
I don't think the problem is that the center is too focused on one group, but rather they spent too much on the building and not enough on developing interesting exhibits in its first few years. The American I Am exhibit that they just finished developing and have sent off to travel the country is supposedly quite good.

I do think that the atmosphere of race relations in Cincinnati has retarded its potential. Many Cincinnatians aren't interested in the more challenging aspects of the narrative they want to present, while others consider this to be blood money paid after April 2001 and that it isn't radical enough.

[ColDayMan]

The marketing (now) isn't the problem.  The marking reports (or lack thereof) that allowed the thing to get built in the first place were the problem.  Taft and the CAC serve a relatively large niche of art culture that exists in Cincinnati, and are thus successful.  There's not a big enough niche for the Freedom Center, and there's not enough draw that it can, by itself, increase tourism like the Rock and Roll hall of fame might have.

I'd say there is a big draw if it were marketed properly, particularly nationally to African-Americans.  I'd argue the Taft is more of a niche market than the Freedom Center and has to compete with the much-larger Cincinnati Art Museum.  But I'm presuming you aren't suggesting that Cincinnati doesn't have the market to support a museum devoted toward its own unique history.  If a steel parabola can be supported in St. Louis, a prominent museum devoted toward the history of slavery should do well in Cincinnati.  The problem is that Cincinnati doesn't know how to market sh!t, and that isn't just the Freedom Center's problem.

No, we shouldn't pour money down the drain on niche museums that aren't successful.

So what should they do?  Just throw it into a wing of the CAM?

The Freedom Center, by comparison, is way, way too large and expensive for what it is.  It's almost twice the size of the CAC, (by square footage) for example.

The more visitors, the more space utilized.  The more space utilized, the more unique exhibits can be shown.  The more exhibits, the attendance grows.  The attendance grows, so does the money tree.  The problem: visitors.  Solution: advertise.  The problem again: Cincinnati.

Also, I saw ColDayMan mentioned it should have been federally funded.  I'd completely support it if that were the case, if it truly was a national museum.

Hey, we both agree on something in this thread!

[Sherman Cahal]

Just did a look through some old articles, to see what I could find.

From a 9/24/04 Enquirer article, their annual attendance estimate for their first year was 260,000, based on an estimate of 21,666 per month. The first month was positive, attracting 30,000 visitors (25,000 paid).

Compare that to the CAC during that time, which attracted 21,408 paying visitors the first month after it opened in May 2003. It then averaged 14,823 visitors per month for 2004.

Taft averaged 9,925 people for the first month after it reopened in May.

The Cincinnati Museum Center in comparison drew 83,333 per month.

In a 5/2/05 Business Courier article, it noted that there were 130,000 paying visitors for the first six months the museum was open, which put it on track for attendance.

In a 8/6/05 Enquirer article, the NURFC announced that it had attracted 280,000 visitors, beating its goal. But the Business Courier article above alluded that it may have difficulties in covering its annual operating budget of ~$10 million because it's proportion of earned income (e.g. memberships, attendance, gift shop) was lower than other museums. NURFC had 33% of its budget pegged towards earned income, while the Cincinnati Museum Center had 70%. Consultants - as early as 2002, stated that 66% of the budget would come from earned income (3/19/06 Enquirer).

By 9/16/05, the Enquirer reported that the first cut was performed - $2 million, along with 15 positions.

Then, in a 03/15/06 Enquirer article, the NURFC sought a $2 million/year subsidy. When the NURFC first opened, museum director Spencer Crew said the museum would never need any public money.

It was also reported that attendance dropped sharply. For the first 12 months, there was an average of 33,960 per month from August 2004 to August 2005. In the seven months after, attendance dropped to 10,200 a month. The new revised attendance numbers was 175,000-200,000.

And... by 3/17/06, the Cincinnati Post stated that the NURFC needed $3 million from taxpayers to help turnaround its falling attendance numbers. More staff was trimmed, and to cover costs, the museum began to dip into a loan to cover a $5.5 million 2004-2005 deficit.

The original construction bonds were paid off in the $10 million "Bridge to the Future" fundraiser, concluding in mid-2007.

[ColDayMan]

Part of the battle the Freedom Center has been battling against its whole life is a connection to the racial antipathy that was so nasty at the beginning of the last decade.
It has an odd vision - mixing a memorial to the underground railroad museum, a history of slavery, and a broader social justice museum. The slave pen is entirely too clean to drive home the experiential aspect.
Unfortunately, the fact that the Cincinnati Historical Society museum hasn't had more churn in its own presentations doesn't allow the Freedom Center to engage in a fruitful dialog w/ a more dominant narrative.
I don't think the problem is that the center is too focused on one group, but rather they spent too much on the building and not enough on developing interesting exhibits in its first few years. The American I Am exhibit that they just finished developing and have sent off to travel the country is supposedly quite good.

I do think that the atmosphere of race relations in Cincinnati has retarded its potential. Many Cincinnatians aren't interested in the more challenging aspects of the narrative they want to present, while others consider this to be blood money paid after April 2001 and that it isn't radical enough.

*Nail on the head icon here*

Bingo.

[natininja]

In my post, I said an increase in marketing or a rise in awareness due to traffic at the Banks are the main hope. I didn't address the current events topic of federalization. I think that could do wonders. And why wouldn't the federal government go along with it? The museum really does have great merits, and the history is not just Cincinnati's, Ohio's, or the region's. It's highly relevant to the whole country. Marketing and name recognition could really take off.

Why not put it under the umbrella of the Smithsonian?

[Ram23]

Well, I think we can further agree on a federally funded advertising campaign then.  It might work.  I just think that, as of now, it's wasting money and space.  If if were wasting federal money, I wouldn't be as upset.  If federal funds actually made it popular, I'd be thrilled.

In hindsight though, I think it should have been somewhere else, and smaller, or maybe even a traveling exhibit (that focused on and started in Cincinnati) rather than a museum in and of itself. It could have gotten its start in Union Terminal, for instance.

[edale]

This is a really interesting dialogue we have going here.  Cincinnati NEEDS the Freedom Center.  Every city worth its salt has a natural history museum, art museum, contemporary art museum, zoo, etc.  The Freedom Center is a unique attraction that can help set Cincinnati apart from its peers.  The content of the museum is worth while, and calling it a "niche" museum is really absurd, as all museums serve a 'niche' market.  IMO people use the term "niche museum" as code for "black museum" when discussing the Freedom Center, which only displays ignorance of the museum.  The museum should appeal to people who have interests in American history, slavery, social justice, black history, etc. but it seems like people only latch on to the black history part.

That said, there are some things that the Freedom Center could change, and somethings beyond its control that should definitely help increase attendance.  The completion of the Banks and the Riverfront Park should make the riverfront more of a destination, and help drive more people into the museum.  Second, the Freedom Center should devote more space to traveling exhibitions.  Once people visit a museum, they feel they don't need to go very often because it's the same thing every time.  That is why traveling exhibitions are very important.  The Museum Center was kind of stagnating, and God knows their permanent exhibits are dated, but the reason people keep coming back is because of rotating movies at the omnimax, and blockbuster exhibitions such as Bodies, Titanic, Tut, etc. If the Freedom Center could consolidate some of its permanent exhibitions, and make room for more changing exhibition space, that would give people a reason to keep coming back.  They could also, of course, stand to increase its marketing and advertising a lot, but that has already been covered in the thread.

To the people that don't like the Freedom Center, say it's propped up by tax payers, doesn't have strong enough attendance, etc. What do you think about the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum?  The ballpark and the museum was paid for almost exclusively by the taxpayers.  The attendance at the HoF is minimal (certainly an example of a "niche" museum), and I can't imagine it not operating in the red.  The Museum Center, Library, and Zoo also have had to rely on tax payer levys.  Why is there no disdain directed towards these institutions?  Why is there such disgust for the Freedom Center, but seemingly everything else gets a pass?

[TheCOV]

To the people that don't like the Freedom Center, say it's propped up by tax payers, doesn't have strong enough attendance, etc. What do you think about the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum?  The ballpark and the museum was paid for almost exclusively by the taxpayers.  The attendance at the HoF is minimal (certainly an example of a "niche" museum), and I can't imagine it not operating in the red.  The Museum Center, Library, and Zoo also have had to rely on tax payer levys.  Why is there no disdain directed towards these institutions?  Why is there such disgust for the Freedom Center, but seemingly everything else gets a pass?

Just a thought......   maybe this is because the institutions you are speaking of have been around awhile.  The Freedom center is MUCH newer than the Reds, Zoo, Library, Museum Center etc.  Maybe some people have a hard time viewing this newest member of the family as worthy of support until it has become a more time-honored member of the community???

I do think that as The Banks become more fully realized, it bodes well for The Freedom Center.

[natininja]

edale, I wouldn't say it is necessary, but things like it certainly are necessary. It plays a very important role of being something unique for the city. It's something that works on the Ohio River that doesn't work (unlike what Ram23 thinks) in Washington, D.C. It pays homage to our local culture and shared heritage. In short, it's exactly the kind of thing we need more of.

The idea that we shouldn't nurture it and try to make it reach its potential is absurd. The fact that Cincinnatians aren't proud of it and promoting it is mind-boggling, but that's Cincinnati for you.

[Ram23]

edale, the stadiums being propped up by taxpayer dollars is a whole other story, and the Reds Hall of Fame is just a tiny part of that development (in fact, the freedom center is over 10 times the size of the hall of fame, 15,000GSF vs 160,000+).  I'd imagine the costs are much, much lower as well, if it really is running a deficit, and I'm not sure it gets propped up by tax dollars, minus the initial construction cost of course (which also goes for the Freedom Center).

I agree it could be something Cincinnatians are proud of, but it isn't.  The "niche" it serves (and I'll ignore the hint you made that I'm using that in some sort of racial terms) is much smaller than any other museum in Cincy, especially when you consider how much larger and more expensive the Freedom Center really is.  As ColDayMan and I were discussing, if it were reaching out to a national audience, and had some sort of national backing/funding, it could be viable at its current size and cost.  As it is, just serving Cincinnati and the few tourists that are in the city anyway, it's not working. 

[TheHemroid]

The Freedom center just reminds people of the past which causes racism to still exist today.  People don't know how to shut up about it and they wonder why it keeps manifesting.  That's why you go to a peace rally and not an anti-war rally.  It is absolutely insane that we have to still listen to BS today about what happened almost 200 years ago.  Was it a horrible time? ofcourse it was.  Racism is horrible and so is slavery.  But when are people going to let go? Bottom line...when you relive the past, you get the same results today.

[pointycollars]

I think it would help a lot if the Freedom Center had more artifacts and exhibits. The most striking thing about that place when I've been there is just how empty it is. It feels like a large majority of the floor space in the building is completely underutilized. The exhibits feel crammed into small areas on the sides while the center of the building is a vast, empty circulation space.

[natininja]

The Freedom center just reminds people of the past which causes racism to still exist today.  People don't know how to shut up about it and they wonder why it keeps manifesting.  That's why you go to a peace rally and not an anti-war rally.  It is absolutely insane that we have to still listen to BS today about what happened almost 200 years ago.  Was it a horrible time? ofcourse it was.  Racism is horrible and so is slavery.  But when are people going to let go? Bottom line...when you relive the past, you get the same results today.

Just...no.

[Scrabble]

Since this discussion started with me asking about the Freedom Center, here's what I believe followed by specific responses:

• What is it?
  
  The NURFC needs to decide what it is. Is it an Underground Railroad Museum or is it a Freedom Center. 
  
  If it is a "Freedom Center", it needs to focus on all aspects of American freedom as well as contemporary, high profile freedom issues.  If by freedom, it means "social justice", it needs to say that. A "freedom center" like this could potentially be appropriate anywhere in America from Las Vegas to New Hampshire.
  
  If it is the museum of the one and only Underground Railroad, it needs to know more about it than anywhere else in the world. It has a good start with this idea in its genealogy center. Descendants of slaves in America and Canada should all know about this place. Ancestry.com could partner with it, etc. The Underground Railroad Museum could only be on the banks of the Ohio in Cincinnati. I think it would be more appropriate for the NURFC to focus primarily on the Underground Railroad and have "Freedom Center" exhibits more on the side.  "Freedom Center" is entirely too vague.
• Money issues
  
  The building's space is not efficiently utilized. It doesn't have enough artifacts. Its endowment is insufficient. Marketing is mostly nonexistent.
  
  These are all symptoms of poor leadership, a highly political atmosphere and lack of identity. To fix them, the Museum needs to pick an identity, resolve political issues (which will probably mean reaching out to non-blacks), and pick a leadership team that can carryout necessary changes.

What I love about Cincinnati is the amazing racial cynicism people have to that museum.  It's like white people are offended by it (I'm white, moved here a few years ago from the pacific coast)...

I'm a white male conservative and I really love the place and what it could be. I wish it did even more on the actual Underground Railroad and the Ohio Valley's role in the 1800's.  I hear its genealogy department is superb.

Now, that being said, I don't know the local politics behind it. If it really is bleeding money from taxpayers and is way over-extended or was created in highly political atmosphere then I could understand some cynicism.

Idea: Open up the "Freedom Museum" to include more than one race. Lay off employees. Reduce hours and operating days. It's a recession.

The Freedom Museum DOES include more than one race (even YOUR ancestry), if you've ever been.

I'm torn because the museum is torn. If it's a "freedom center" for all people: Does it include white people and the role the thirst for freedom (from Old World oppression) and the opportunity to succeed played in the colonization of America. If it's an Underground Railroad museum: it really should focus on the time period and the people who lived then (free blacks, fugitive slaves, abolitionists, slave traders, bondsmen, owners, lawyers, the roots of slavery in Africa, etc).

I'd prefer it make its claim as the Underground Railroad Museum. It's on the Ohio River in Cincinnati for a reason. It needs to focus on that.

I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more exhibits like those described above and if the actual underground railroad had been featured more.  I had expected it to be more of a celebration of those who risked their lives to smuggle slaves out of the south. 

Exactly.

What I love about Cincinnati is the amazing racial cynicism people have to that museum.

Racial cynicism, you ain't neva lied.  The mere suggestion that the Freedom Center "would be a great theater" instead of one of those slave museums is downright insulting. This latest installment in this thread is damn-near proving Jeffrey's comments about how Cincinnati isn't cosmopolitan.

Insulting, really. 

The reason the museum does poorly is marketing.

Agreed but the building's space doesn't seem properly utilized. Marketing matters but so does identity. Is it going to promote a nebulous "social justice" or focus on real history of the UR? I'd prefer it focus on the UR really well and then have exhibits too.

The Freedom Center is not a successful museum, and the subject matter is far too specific to merit being a standalone establishment (at least in a city like Cincinnati that does not have a lot of tourists).

And if you want to head the "niche market," it should attract AFRICAN-AMERICAN visitors to the city (and if ANY city in this state needs that press, it's Cincinnati).

Bingo and I think there's a good number of history buffs who would love to know more about the complexities of freedom in antebellum America.

The Freedom center just reminds people of the past which causes racism to still exist today.  People don't know how to shut up about it and they wonder why it keeps manifesting.  That's why you go to a peace rally and not an anti-war rally.  It is absolutely insane that we have to still listen to BS today about what happened almost 200 years ago.  Was it a horrible time? ofcourse it was.  Racism is horrible and so is slavery.  But when are people going to let go? Bottom line...when you relive the past, you get the same results today.

I think I know where you're coming from, but if you actually enough of the particulars from history you wouldn't say what you just said.  Unfortunately, history is oftentimes boiled down to a narrative that serves ulterior motives.  If people knew more about the true history of the Underground Railroad and the spectrum of freedom in America, there would be less animosity from all sides.

I think it would help a lot if the Freedom Center had more artifacts and exhibits. The most striking thing about that place when I've been there is just how empty it is. It feels like a large majority of the floor space in the building is completely underutilized. The exhibits feel crammed into small areas on the sides while the center of the building is a vast, empty circulation space.

This is a significant issue that should be fixed with the acquisition of some big museum displays/artifacts.




Oh, and Sherman referred to the "Dayton Daily Times" and no one corrected him.

[Jeffery]

I'm going to have to revist this museum.  I was there during Oktoberfest one year, shortly after it opened, and never finished seeing all the exhibits, which were pretty well done, IMO.  Probably as good as the new Indiana State Museum and the Holocaust Museum.  That level of exhibit design.

And yeah, some of this discussion is just plain wierd for UO.  Well, maybe not given the anti-government sentiment (opposition to govt. sponsorhip or support for museums in general and this museum in particular).

I can see the racial or special-interest angle.  The museum is about "them" and who cares about "them" and "their history?  It's about "them" and not "us".

So the attendance is weak becuase it doesnt interest enough people.   Yet I think that will be case for most special -interest museums.   

It's like that "Latino" (aka Mexican) Museum in Pilsen in Chicago.  It gets white hipsters (becuase non-black ethnicity is "culturaly diverse", and thus "cool") and latinos and thats about it. 

Or railroad museums, which pretty much just attracts parents and grandparents w. kids (maybe) and railfans...and railroad museums struggle unless they get outside support, like the California State Railroad Musuem (funded by the state) in Sacramento.

Interestingly a good model for federalization would be a railroad museum.  Steamtown over in Scranton PA was federalized and is now run by the National Park Service as a National Historic Site (and they are focusing in on interpreting regional railroading as well as steam locomotives in general).


Another issue is parking, which isn't that obvious down around the Freedom Center.  Maybe better signs on that.."Freedom Center Parking..this-a-way"? With a place like Museum Center and the Art Musuem its pretty obvious as those places are surrounded by parking lots.

[Jeffery]

 

I wish it did even more on the actual Underground Railroad and the Ohio Valley's role in the 1800's.

There's an opportunity to tie in with regional heritage tourism.  And places like Ripley and the part of Kentucky across the river are doing that.  Ripley already has that abolitionist house, the Rankin House, and they restored this freedmans house (he owned a foundry but was also active in the UR), and are marketing themselves in relation to the Underground Railroad.  You are seeing somewhat similar tourist pitches across the river in the Maysville area....though this could be developed more.

This area has a lot of inherent value in terms of vernacular architecture, townscapes and landscape, and could be tied in with the Freedom Center as day-trip destination to see the environment where events transpired. 

[JYP]

Lets revisit some things here:

Freedom Center seeks federalization
By Mark Curnutte
January 6, 2011

... Pepper, who noted 2010 was a good year for the center, which unveiled a first-of-its-kind permanent exhibit on contemporary slavery and human trafficking.

That exhibit, "Slavery Today," is one reason that through the first 11 months of 2010, the Freedom Center attracted 108,632 visitors, better than all of 2009. In addition, it paid off all of its debt, started an endowment and increased its level of private funding to $2.5 million, including $900,000 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Pepper said.

[Emphasis mine]

Give this thing a chance. 

[OCtoCincy]

^ amen.

[Scrabble]

JYP, yeah I'm not really worried about NURFC. It'll be fine I'm sure but I want it to do really well.

Jeffery, have you ever read Ohio before 1850? It's a pretty good, short book. Chapter IV is "The Problem of Slavery and the Free Black Projected into Ohio". The whole book is an illuminating read and can be found online here: http://books.google.com/books?id=_k8mAAAAMAAJ&ots=HiEOGdeVsO&dq=ohio%20before%201850&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

The regional heritage tourism along the Ohio and Cincinnati in particular is really lacking compared to what it could be.

I'm hoping parking will be more obvious once the Banks is completed.

As far as interest and federalization is concerned, it shouldn't matter so long as the museum is doing its job right. People will come and I don't see the harm in federalization unless it comes with some sort of problematic string attached. 

[ColDayMan]

The Freedom center just reminds people of the past which causes racism to still exist today.  People don't know how to shut up about it and they wonder why it keeps manifesting.  That's why you go to a peace rally and not an anti-war rally.  It is absolutely insane that we have to still listen to BS today about what happened almost 200 years ago.  Was it a horrible time? ofcourse it was.  Racism is horrible and so is slavery.  But when are people going to let go? Bottom line...when you relive the past, you get the same results today.

Lord.  Jesus.  This.  Is.  Why.  This.  Museum.  Exists.

This is like one of those Southern arguments where someone says "Slavery is over!  We have nuthin' to do with it!  Get over it!"  I expect better out of a pro-abolitionist region like Cincinnati.

I think it would help a lot if the Freedom Center had more artifacts and exhibits. The most striking thing about that place when I've been there is just how empty it is. It feels like a large majority of the floor space in the building is completely underutilized. The exhibits feel crammed into small areas on the sides while the center of the building is a vast, empty circulation space.

Totally agreed.

It's like that "Latino" (aka Mexican) Museum in Pilsen in Chicago.  It gets white hipsters (becuase non-black ethnicity is "culturaly diverse", and thus "cool") and latinos and thats about it.

Heh.

I wish it did even more on the actual Underground Railroad and the Ohio Valley's role in the 1800's.

There's an opportunity to tie in with regional heritage tourism.  And places like Ripley and the part of Kentucky across the river are doing that.  Ripley already has that abolitionist house, the Rankin House, and they restored this freedmans house (he owned a foundry but was also active in the UR), and are marketing themselves in relation to the Underground Railroad.  You are seeing somewhat similar tourist pitches across the river in the Maysville area....though this could be developed more.

This area has a lot of inherent value in terms of vernacular architecture, townscapes and landscape, and could be tied in with the Freedom Center as day-trip destination to see the environment where events transpired. 

Fantastic idea.

[mrnyc]

they should build one of these museums up in lorain too, being it was the last stop on the underground railroad. wait -- maybe just a statue of former slaves on a boat headed to canada giving the usa the finger would suffice!   

[Scrabble]

They should do riverboat tours on the river that tie in with the heritage tourism stuff...I wonder how long it takes to go from Cincinnati to Ripley to Maysville and back by riverboat.

[City Blights]

The Freedom Center is one of the finest cultural exhibits I have ever been to.  To say that a movie theater should replace it, which Cincinnati has dozens of, or that it should be moved, or shrank, are some of the most ignorant comments ever uttered on UO.  Cincinnati needs the Center.  Whenever I've been there, the attendance was steady.  It isn't the Center's fault it was launched in the epicenter of Cincinnnati's second largest boondoggle, its riverfront.  OTR/West End being the biggest of course.

[OCtoCincy]

^ While I agree with what you're saying- I HATE the word boondoggle.  The banks was delayed, but it's currently under construction and is looking great! In 5 years will be one of the cities great neighborhoods. 

[Ram23]

The Freedom Center is one of the finest cultural exhibits I have ever been to.  To say that a movie theater should replace it, which Cincinnati has dozens of, or that it should be moved, or shrank, are some of the most ignorant comments ever uttered on UO.  Cincinnati needs the Center.  Whenever I've been there, the attendance was steady.  It isn't the Center's fault it was launched in the epicenter of Cincinnnati's second largest boondoggle, its riverfront.  OTR/West End being the biggest of course.

I'm always amazed at how ignorant someone can be when they call another's views ignorant. Your anecdotal evidence of being there and observing steady attendance has nothing to do with the fact that the place gets barely 100,000 visitors annually, compared to the joke that is the Creation museum, which gets well over 3 times the amount.  These points have all already been made, and your quick move to dismiss them as ignorant only shows your own hypocrisy. 

[Sherman Cahal]

The Freedom Center is one of the finest cultural exhibits I have ever been to. [...] Whenever I've been there, the attendance was steady.

And that is objective and "ignorant" at best (using your word). I pointed out the facts here, which show that while the first 12 months showed promising attendance numbers - 33,960 per month in its first year, the 7 months after showed a steep drop to 10,200 per month. And instead of hoping for 260,000, as they did in 2004, the revised estimates for 2005 were 175,000-200,000.

The Taft Museum now draws nearly as many as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. And they are a much smaller institution than the Freedom Center! And I won't even disclose again how many the Creation Museum receives (yeah, so it's not a scientifically-accurate institution, but it's an attraction none the less).

Spencer Crew, the museum director, stated that the museum would never need public assistance, but by March 2006, he was seeking a $2 million per year subsidy.

[City Blights]

The Freedom Center is one of the finest cultural exhibits I have ever been to. [...] Whenever I've been there, the attendance was steady.

And that is objective and "ignorant" at best (using your word). I pointed out the facts here, which show that while the first 12 months showed promising attendance numbers - 33,960 per month in its first year, the 7 months after showed a steep drop to 10,200 per month. And instead of hoping for 260,000, as they did in 2004, the revised estimates for 2005 were 175,000-200,000.

The Taft Museum now draws nearly as many as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. And they are a much smaller institution than the Freedom Center! And I won't even disclose again how many the Creation Museum receives (yeah, so it's not a scientifically-accurate institution, but it's an attraction none the less).

Spencer Crew, the museum director, stated that the museum would never need public assistance, but by March 2006, he was seeking a $2 million per year subsidy.

We've already heard from several posters complaining of the premise of the museum, thus challenging the validity of racism in America.  Don't you think that affects attendance?

The riverfront as constructed today is a bust.  Wouldn't that be a factor in people coming?

Let me say this again.....African-American history is secondary to a large section of the population.  The Creation Museum feeds right into the right-wingers of the area.  Would right-wingers want to visit the Freedom Center?

Unbelievable.

[jim uber]

^ Sherman's facts are persuasive, but it is more interesting to think about what could be as opposed to what was.  I'm no prognosticator, but there's no way that I'd be caught guessing that FC attendance stays level into the future.  There's too much changing in their neighborhood at the moment to allow that.  The banks development is a nice positive step, but I'd think once the streetcar is built and the riverfront park is complete, you'd see an attendance increase.

[City Blights]

^ Sherman's facts are persuasive, but it is more interesting to think about what could be as opposed to what was.  I'm no prognosticator, but there's no way that I'd be caught guessing that FC attendance stays level into the future.  There's too much changing in their neighborhood at the moment to allow that.  The banks development is a nice positive step, but I'd think once the streetcar is built and the riverfront park is complete, you'd see an attendance increase.

I completely agree about future attendance.

[Sherman Cahal]

I agree Jim, but what I believe should have happened is that the NURFC should have been established in a much smaller venue, gained a foothold and then expanded. There is no reason that this could not have been located at say, Union Terminal, or in a small storefront in OTR, and then progressively expanded as the operations grew. Instead, we went all out on a lavish building that is money-losing and simply isn't popular.

@City Blights: Your rationales are objective at best, though. Who cares that the Creation Museum feeds into the right-wingers who don't visit the NURFC? Both are attractions. Who cares that black history is secondary to most of the population? It's irrelevant to the popularity of the museum; exhibits, programming and marketing plays a hue role in the failure and success of attractions, along with the gift shops and secondary merchandising - for which the museum is much too dependent upon for revenue (noted in the linked post in my previous text).

Let's see how it plays out when there are 300 new apartments open at The Banks, along with some storefronts and restaurants.