Falls of the Ohio State Park

Experience the fun just over the river at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. It is a fun day with the family and the kids will have fun playing and discovering fossils. 

A group of friends and I took our families to Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville. We explored the museum. Watched the movie and adventured all over the state park area.  

 

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When you arrive at Falls of the Ohio State Park (destination information HERE), you can simply visit the outdoor aspects of the park or you can go to the museum as well. If you don’t go to the museum, there is a $2 parking fee that is on an honor system so bring some single dollars to pay for that.

If you do visit the museum, you can take the parking stub into the museum and turn it in with your admission and it is included in your admission. We went to the museum, which is $9 for anyone 12 or older, $7 for 5-11, and free under 5.  If you go during the summer, get your Cultural Pass, it will save you paying for the kids to get in. 

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The museum, or Interpretive Center, was full of history from the Falls of the Ohio area.  It has over 100 different exhibits and it was a great size for younger kids. It has a small learn and play area for small children with coloring and toys. We also liked the wildlife viewing area where we sat and played “I spy” to spot the many birds flying about. This museum is great for elementary and middle school students who are curious to learn about the history of our area. They also show a short 15 minute movie about how the Falls of the Ohio was formed and I found this to be very well-made, interesting, and entertaining. Definitely for people of all ages. The kids loved the “Build a Bridge” activity and spent a long time coming up with different bridge designs. 



                   

We spent about 1 hour in the museum and then headed outside. There are stairs part of the way down to the rocky beds by the river but then it’s some climbing and rocks. Wear supportive shoes, wear sunscreen/hats, and bring water in a water bottle. We had such a great time. It was one of my favorite day trips with my kids and our friends. The kids (ranging in age 10-2) really enjoyed being explorers and discovering hidden coves and pathways.

We went down by the river on the rocks, up into the wooded area, and headed east to go back down again to the bottom where we found a perfect spot to collect some driftwood and playground some more. There was a natural cave formed that the kids crawled through, sand to dig in and fish to watch jumping out of the water.

After the kids were done on the fossil beds. we made our way back to where the kids can tackle huge piles of old shale and take home a piece. We also found a nice picnic table near the pile, in the shade, had had lunch.  You are not permitted to take anything from the fossil beds. The kids are already asking when are we going again. We did all agree that we will bring some brushes, a bucket, and some other supplies to help us fossil hunt better. 

 


 

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