Review of The New Interpretive Center at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Southern Indiana
The new Interpretive Center at the Falls of the Ohio State Park recently reopened and it is spectacular! The center is renovated with engaging exhibits, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the history of the Falls of the Ohio like they haven’t been able to in the past. There are four new themes: An Ancient Sea, A Changing Land, Converging Cultures and The Falls Today.
Begin your visit in the now handicap accessible auditorium where you will watch a short film about the Falls. Around the corner from the auditorium is the new, brightly colored and oh-so-cool Devonian Sea Creature station. There is a large screen with an underwater scene playing, levers, doors and drawers to pull and open, a huge Dunkleosteus fish overhead, touch screen, fossil tracing station, an underwater tunnel to crawl through and rocks to climb on. There is so much to see, touch and read in this area!
The next area is devoted to paleontology, archeology and the early people that settled near the Falls. The area again was very hands-on with such things as a wall puzzle for children, drawers that opened to display arrowheads, a Shawnee wegiwa visitors can walk through and furs to touch.
There is a new Lewis & Clark Theater where you can learn about the explorers and a small exhibit of Clark’s cabin. My children liked touching and learning about the tools and supplies that would have been used by Clark.
There is an area with more information and historical facts about the Falls today along with a virtual aquarium. Visitors can touch small kiosks with different Ohio River creatures and items to learn more about them on the giant screen in front of them. In this area is also a cool 3D sculpture, created by a local artist, of different garbage items found floating in the Ohio River.
Your family will love the new Interpretive Center! The center has been transformed from glass cases of artifacts with lots of reading, to interactive, hands-on, sensory-stimulating exhibits! The center is open year round (except for Thanksgiving and Christmas) and admission is $9 (12 and older), $7 (5-12), under 5 are free. More information is available on Facebook.
