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Ohio Statehouse Museum

Executive Gallery

State of the State Exhibit

Every Ohio Governor has a duty to report on the progress of the state to its citizens. This is usually done at the "State of the State" address. With this exhibit, visitors can step into the Governor's shoes and deliver a State of the State address. Visitors see and hear actual State of the State addresses from Ohio governors throughout history.

Through the interactive multi-media presentation, visitors learn about the history and importance of the State of the State address.

Meet the Governor Exhibit

The Governor stands as Ohio's chief executive. In the "meet the governor" exhibit, visitors have the opportunity to learn about the people who have led Ohio since 1803. Visitors explore the governor's time in office and also learn about the person before they entered the political spotlight. Through an interactive touchscreen and web based technology, visitors will learn important facts about the individuals who have led our great state and what it takes to "build" a governor.

Visitors are greeted by eight life-sized, illustrated, graphic, flat panels of governors as they enter the Executive Gallery. Through interactive activities, each life-sized cutout will educate visitors about a particular characteristic or trait shared by each of the governors. For example, visitors learn which served in the military, how many had advanced degrees and how many were born in Ohio.

Visitors come to understand that there is no definitive resume to be an Ohio governor. Through interactive activities, visitors are invited to select the skills that their "ideal governor" would possess. Visitors are able to choose a variety of characteristics and traits as they "build their governor." Visitors will then see which past and/or current Ohio governor most closely met the criteria they selected.

Balancing the Budget

One of the biggest responsibilities lawmakers have is drafting, and working within, a responsible budget. In this exhibit, visitors get to see how easy (or difficult) the creation of a state budget can be. The goal of this exhibit is to teach visitors about the state budget system and how it affects all Ohioans. This process is seen in a very real way through this exhibit setting. One aspect of this setting is a series of clear acrylic tubes containing "actual" money that will flow through the exhibit and across the visitor space to the nearby Working for Ohio exhibit.

Visitors are presented the state's budget process and then make their own budget priorities, comparing their version to actual data from actual past state budgets through Ohio's history. By manipulating sliders on a touchmonitor, a tour group can guess about big categories of funding, and then compare to the actual numbers. Visitors have the opportunity to choose categories and initiatives to fund to the allotted budget. Through interactive touchscreen technology, visitors are able to learn about the importance of the budget, how it is created and where the money comes from.

Working for Ohio

The Governor relies heavily on each of the cabinet agencies and the members of various state commissions to help plan and execute the business of the state. While the work they do affects every Ohioan, do citizens really understand who does what? This exhibit helps visitors learn about the work of the Cabinet and some of the larger commissions and boards. The Working for Ohio exhibit illustrates the impact of Ohio's budget in the landscape of our everyday lives. Thirty-four clear-faced file drawers, 21 representing departments of the State and 13 major commissions, each contain a mixture of scale model props, specimens, artifacts, paper ephemera and graphics. Through touch screen technology, interactive components and games, visitors get a sense of the important part that each state department plays to carry out the laws of the state.