Volunteer Linda at the Cincinnati Museum Center

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The final stop of the AASLH September trip was the Cincinnati Museum Center, where I was scheduled to participate in Food Stories Workshop. While the workshop itself was fantastic (Yes, I now know the secrets of making authentic Cincinnati Chili) what resonated most with us didn’t occur in the classroom (though the teaching kitchen is phenomenal) but what happened in the dining room.

While enjoying lunch with a friend, we were unexpectedly approached by a volunteer named Linda. With confidence and warmth, she told us about free tours of Union Station Terminal, something we hadn’t seen listed on the website. She gave clear, concise information and invited us to join a tour starting in just 30 minutes.

Since I was participating in the workshop, I couldn’t attend, but my colleague Lyndee joined. She later described the experience: “Cincinnati Museum Center is in an old art deco train station. The architecture was stunning. Linda highlighted the glass mosaic murals, the art deco style, and how the building transformed from a train station into a museum. We even got to see behind-the-scenes spaces like the old offices. The style and details were amazing.”

What impressed us most was Linda’s initiative, essentially making a “cold call” at our lunch table to invite us into a free program we would have otherwise missed. Kudos to Linda for her excellent outreach and tour delivery, and kudos to the Cincinnati Museum Center for the training and support that empower volunteers to create such meaningful visitor experiences.