Coral reefs, wading birds, a bison, prehistoric hunter, beaver and others complete the island exhibit. The main exhibit gallery holds approximately 2,500 square feet of exhibits chronicling the prehistory and history of the Falls. Large fern trees depict some of the forests occurring 360 million years ago. A total of 78 exhibits take the visitor through time, discussing prehistoric man, Native Americans, the legend of the Welsh Prince Madoc, settlement, mapping, river navigation, and more. Interactive exhibits for children and adults include reproduction pilot houses from a steamboat and a modern tow boat.
Visitors can stand at the wheel and pilot themselves down the mighty Ohio River.
Originally, the Falls of the Ohio boasted 550 acres of exposed fossil beds - such an impressive phenomenon that scientists, geologists, and paleontologists from around the world have traveled here to study them. An exhibit on early naturalists discusses some of those scientists, including John James Audubon, Rafinesque, Dr. George Greene, Dr. Ashel Clapp and more. Detailed explanations of the natural plant communities and wildlife of the falls, including pocket prairies and Passenger pigeons, make the exhibits informative and eminently readable. Situated more than 40 feet above the river, the observation room and outdoor observation deck provide splendid viewing opportunities. The wildlife observation room also features a full, wall-sized viewing window through which visitors can watch feeding songbirds or bathing raccoons.