Visitor Education Center

The stories of Ohio courts and the men and women who shaped them unfold in the Visitor Education Center.

Interactive exhibits, bold graphics and video clips convey the role of courts, illustrating important cases and issues. Visitors are introduced to an array of characters and narratives – from Hugo Zacchini, the human cannonball, to Florence Allen, the judicial trailblazer, to Jazz, the pudgy cocker spaniel lost in a storm, whose fate was sealed by a DNA sample retrieved from a grooming brush.

The center features:

• Three courtroom settings where visitors are decision makers as they participate in trial proceedings
• An interactive scale inviting visitors to balance the three branches of government
• Videos that deflate the myths presented on television and movies about courts

A new exhibit, "Identity on Trial," portrays the increasingly important role of scientific evidence presented in courtroom trials. The exhibition features colorful graphics, storylines and interactives that test visitors' skills as an eyewitness, fingerprint analyst and DNA profiler. The Ohio Museum Association named it the best new exhibit of 2009.

Staff and volunteer guides play an important role in leading school tours. The guides engage the students throughout the experience, leading activities and answering questions.

Extra Credit: Classroom Activity

Visits are scheduled Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 614.387.9223 or e-mail courttours@sc.ohio.gov to schedule a tour. School tours typically last 90 minutes.