Meanwhile... at the Museum

America's Founding Documents with Katherine Gould and Jill Beitz

It's July 2026, and that means we're commemorating 250 years since America's Declaration of Independence. Cincinnati Museum Center is fortunate to care for documents dating to the Revolutionary era and the early days of the republic, including a rare July 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence, which is on display from July 3 to August 23 2026. Today, we're talking about these founding documents and what they tell us about our country 250 years later. Katherine Gould, Curator of History Objects and Fine Art, and Jill Beitz, Manager of Reference and Research at Cincinnati Museum Center discuss some of the crucial documents in the country's history and within our own collections at Cincinnati Museum Center.

Dr. Kimberly Hamlin, Historian, Author and Professor of History at Miami University

It's the 250th anniversary of American independence, and that's got us thinking a lot about history. So we called up our friend, colleague, and in Cody's case, former college history professor, Dr. Kimberly Hamlin. Listen in as we talk about Dr. Hamlin's work as a historian and author, discuss big questions like when past events become history, and doing research in the age of AI. Warning: this episode will make you think deeply about the very philosophy of history and also want to get some ice cream.

Bob Genheimer, George Rieveschl Curator of Archaeology

After 36 years at Cincinnati Museum Center, archaeologist Bob Genheimer is retiring. In this episode, Bob digs into a career spent uncovering the human stories he's discovered. Along the way, he shares why archaeology is about people and makes a strong argument in the archaeologist vs. paleontologist debate.

Ryan McNaught AKA The Brickman on LEGO Jurassic World The Exhibition

LEGO Jurassic World The Exhibition is now open at Cincinnati Museum Center (May 22 2026 - Jan. 4 2027)! To celebrate, we chatted with the leader of the Brickman Team, Ryan McNaught, about how he became The Brickman, his role as a judge on LEGO Masters Australia and what it takes to design and build an exhibit full of large scale and life size dinosaurs made from LEGO Bricks.

Cordel George Jr., Manager of Volunteer and Intern Services, CMC

Cincinnati Museum Center wouldn't be what it is without the hundreds of volunteers who greet guests, take tickets, guide tours, catalogue the collections, and so much more. But coordinating those volunteers is a job all its own. In this episode, we chat with Cordel George Jr., Manager of Volunteer and Intern Services at Cincinnati Museum Center, about what it takes to run a large and diverse volunteer program and the impact our volunteers have across every part of the museum. And Cordel reflects on his path from history student to educator, his personal journey of uncovering his ancestry and how these experiences shaped his perspective on community and service.