Are you traveling to the bustling city of Cincinnati? Well, be prepared to have a fun time!
Although we’re a Cincinnati SEO company, we’re heavily involved in the community and love to share our thoughts too.
A few facts:
“Cincinnati has been in existence since 1788. And in the 19th century, it was a really popular city in the United States.
Even though it’s not as big as it used to be, it’s still a pretty big place. With a city population of 301,301 and a metropolitan population of 2,137,406, you’re sure to experience a city full of activities.”
When you visit this city, 3 popular characteristics you’ll see is the river, the love for sports, and architectural landmarks.
In fact, Cincinnati is the 3rd largest city in Ohio based on its population. When you visit Cincinnati, being ignorant of where to go can put a dent on what you can experience.
This guide will provide a great deal of knowledge to help you have a wonderful experience when you visit this city.
Top Places to Visit
When you visit a city, one of the most important parts of your experience is the places you visit. What are some exciting places to visit when you get to Cincinnati?
Cincinnati Arts Museum
This art museum was founded in 1881 and is one of the oldest art museums in the United States. It has about 250,000 visitors annually and this is a place you should visit when you go to Cincinnati.
With a collection of over 67,000 works spanning 6,000 years of human history, it’s one of the biggest museums you can see in the Midwest of the United States.
The museum also has The Cincinnati Wing which was added in 2003. This is to exhibit artworks created by Cincinnati artists or for Cincinnati. You can get insights into the Cincinnatian culture through these artworks.
Findlay Market
The Findlay Market is located in the popular Over-the-Rhine region of Cincinnati. The market was built in 1852 and is the oldest public market in Ohio.
The market used the Italianate architecture and houses about 3 dozen indoor merchants who sell goods like meat, fish, poultry, flower, cheese, etc.
This is a popular place where people gather to buy goods and also for the historic purpose. This is evident as the Findlay Market Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on June 5, 1972.
As a visitor, this is a market you should visit for its architecture and history rather than just buying goods.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
This is a museum that signifies the history of the Underground Railroad. It was opened in August 2004. One of the significance of this building is to pay tribute to the efforts to abolish human enslavement and secure freedom for all people.
The 3 buildings in the freedom center depict the cornerstone of freedom which are courage, cooperation, and perseverance.
This museum signifies the impact of the Underground Railroad and the Ohio River in aiding the freedom of slaves.
Many slaves during the slavery period crossed the Ohio River from the Southern states to the north to gain freedom.
Apart from being a monument built to recognize the past, it also challenges you about the importance of freedom in our lives. The museum has an average of 180,000 visitors annually.
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
This suspension bridge was opened on December 1, 1886, and it spans Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky. Initially, it was known as the Cincinnati-Covington Bridge. With a main span length of 1,057 feet (322m), it was the longest suspension bridge when it was opened.
However, the bridge later surrendered this title to the Brooklyn Bridge whose architect was also John A. Roebling.
The bridge was later renamed to its architect’s name John A. Roebling. It’s also a popular path for pedestrians to get to sports venues like Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park.
It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark on May 15, 1975.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens opened in 1875 to become the second oldest zoo in the United States behind the Philadelphia zoo which is the oldest.
The zoo began on a 64.5-acre piece of land but has since expanded to 75 acres. With 1,896 animals and over 500 species, you’ll get to see many interesting creatures.
Apart from the animals, the Botanical garden also boasts of over 3,000 plant species. The main aim of this historic landmark is to conserve nature and provide adventure for visitors to the zoo.
The zoo was added as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
With over 1.2 million visitors every year, the Cincinnati zoos and Botanical gardens get a lot of traffic. It’s one of the places you shouldn’t miss when you visit Cincinnati.
Smale Riverfront Park
The park is located on a 45-acre land between the Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium.
It also flanks the region between the Roebling Suspension Bridge. The park has many features that make for an exciting outing especially when you have kids with you.
With features like the Rosenberg swings, Carol Ann’s carousel, Rope Bridge, climbing wall, vibrantscape, playground, fountain, labyrinth, etc. it’ll be an experience that your family will continue to treasure for years after your visit.
What even makes the Smale Riverfront Park a no-brainer is that it’s located around other structures like the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Paul Brown stadium that you’d want to see on your visit.
And you can enjoy this experience free of charge as the park is free to use.
Krohn Conservatory
The Irwin M. Krohn Conservatory was created in 1933 and is located in Eden Park. It was initially named Eden Park Greenhouse but was later renamed in 1937 in honor of Irwin M. Krohn who was the board of park commissioner between 1912 and 1948.
The conservatory consists of 3,500 plant species from around the world.
Apart from this, the Krohn Conservatory can be used for events like weddings.
It has the capacity to seat up to 120 guests in the room of its atrium and 150 guests in a tent connected to the conservatory. The conservatory attracts about 300,000 visitors annually.
American Sign Museum
The biggest sign museum in Camp Washington at Cincinnati. It was opened to the public in 2005.
However, Tom Swormstedt had been working on the museum since 1999. The museum has over 200 advertisement signs and other displays. It also has over 3,800 items cataloged.
When you visit this museum, you’ll find many signs from popular businesses like McDonald’s, Big Bear Stores, Howard Johnson’s, Earl Scheib, Gulf Oil, Kona Lanes, etc.
With some large signs too big for the museum, it had to expand by purchasing a 42,000-square-foot property in Camp Washington in 2007.
The new bigger museum opened in 2012 and house about 500 signs and artifacts.
The Carew Tower
The Carew Tower is a 49-story and 574-foot (175m) tall building. It was completed in 1930 at the heart of downtown Cincinnati. It’s the second-tallest building in Cincinnati and you can get a good view of the city’s skyline through the building’s 49th-floor observation deck.
The building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark on August 5, 1982, and April 19, 1994, respectively.
Visiting this building will give you a panoramic view of many places in Cincinnati. To visit the observation decks, there’s a charge of $6 for visitors aged 12 and above, $3 for those between 6 and 11, and free for every child 5 and below.
Cincinnati Music Hall
This is a classical music performance Hall completed in 1878. It’s the home of the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the May Festival Chorus. You can visit the music hall at 1241 Elm Street across Washington Park.
If you’re a lover of music, this is one place you wouldn’t like to miss on your visit to Cincinnati. It’s one of the largest permanent concert halls in the United States coming in at fourth.
The Springer Auditorium, which is the main auditorium, can seat 2,289 people for symphony performances and 2,439 people for the Cincinnati Pops.
There are other buildings in the structure to visit when you go to the Cincinnati Music Hall. For instance, the Music Hall Ballroom can accommodate up to 1,300 people and is commonly used for large receptions, exhibitions, fashion shows, etc.
The Cincinnati Music Hall was built using the Victorian Gothic Revival Style. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark on January 26, 1970, and December 2, 1974, respectively.
Washington Park
The Washington Park is located in the popular Over-the-Rhine region of Cincinnati. It occupies a 6-acre land and was created in 1855. The park used to serve as the Presbyterian and Episcopal cemeteries before it was acquired.
The park is across the Cincinnati Music hall. It went through a renovation and was reopened in the summer of 2012. It’s a fun experience to explore especially if you’re in Cincinnati with your partner or family.
Cincinnati weather
Your experience with the weather in Cincinnati will depend on the time of the year you visit the city. During winter, the city is cold with temperatures at an average of 30.8 degrees Fahrenheit (-0.7 degree Celsius) in January.
However, if you’re going during the summer, then you should expect a higher temperature and humidity.
For instance, July, which is the warmest month in Cincinnati, has an average temperature of 75.9 degrees Fahrenheit (24.4 degrees Celsius).
In the warmer months, there could be thunderstorms and there’s even a possibility of a tornado. You should consider the time of the year and the weather before traveling.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati is a city that loves sports. And even though the sports teams have been woeful in the past few years, there’s still large support for the sport.
One of your most memorable experiences will be to watch a live sports game. The Cincinnati Bengals is a professional American football franchise that competes in the National Football League.
The team’s home stadium is the Paul Brown Stadium.
The franchise is yet to win a super bowl. They won the AFC championships in 1981 and 1988 but lost the super bowls to the San Francisco 49ers.
They’re one of the 12 NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl as of 2017. They’re also one of 8 NFL teams that have been in the Super Bowl without winning.
The team is currently without a head coach. If you visit Cincinnati during the season, you should catch a game.
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team that competes in the Major League Baseball (MLB). They play their home games at the Great American Ball Park. The stadium has a capacity of 42,271 and was opened in 2003 at a cost of $290 million.
Make no mistake, the people of Cincinnati love baseball. On Major League Baseball opening day, the Reds usually play the opener due to their history. Many children skip school on this day as they give themselves a kind of holiday.
The team has won the world series title 5 times in 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, and 1990.
The Reds also had one of the most successful baseball teams of all time in the mid-1970s with the team known as The Big Red Machine. If you’re visiting Cincinnati during the season, I recommend a visit to one of the games.
Things to Do in Cincinnati, Ohio
Have you got friends and/or family members coming to Cincinnati? If yes, you can guarantee that they have the best time of their lives: just introduce them to the fun stuff you’ve been enjoying already.
You might even be the one doing the visiting — whoever doesn’t matter. We’ve made it easier for you to find the best things to do in Cincinnati. Let’s dive in.
Tour the brewery
Cincinnati residents have a strong bond with the beer factory. It’s always been so for decades and the city can’t deny it. It takes pride in a strong German heritage (recall that in 1880, the Cincinnati Reds got kicked out of the National League for a while; about a year simply because they couldn’t stop selling beer).
The beer craft is prominent in the city. In fact, more than 30 craft breweries sprung up in the area already. You can book a brewery bus tour to cover as many breweries as possible, without wasting time.
Rhinegeist has a big space with an incredible rooftop to enhance your experience.
MadTree is known for their variety of great brews, coupled with a dog-friendly patio; Urban Artifact operated out of the basement of an old church which can be found in funky Northside and represents a bold signature; the Midwest Fruit Tart beers, often introducing a fresh fruit garnish; as well as Christian Moerlein which is regarded as an old-school, pre-Prohibition brand that’s known for its sleek Lager House at the Banks — it offers an incredible tour and view of the river. And a lot more. Our favorite downtown restaurants are E+O at the banks and Okto Cincinnati Greek Restaurant.
Watch an FCC game from The Bailey
Millions of people have come to know Cincinnati, as a baseball town (Reds, a favorite club you’ll always love.
You may continue “rebuilding” the team for life). Cincinnati’s minor league soccer team, FC Cincinnati, gained a reputation with the locals. In the year 2018, the city got a revamp; an upgrade after it was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise.
As the team awaits a new stadium as part of their major league deal, you can experience awesome gameplay at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium.
Go save some time to and take that step to explore campus before or after the game.
Enjoy a drink at a speakeasy right in ‘that’ video rental store
This is where it gets exciting. When you spend a few hours inside the Quentin Tarantino-themed video store speakeasy, you get to understand what serenity is!
This Cincinnati Speakeasy is notable for it’s ambiance. Right at the front half of The Video Archive, it has the look and feel of a video rental store, properly equipped with all the facilities of VHS tapes.
The clerk is right there to guide and give you a hint as to which tape to pull so that the secret door opens leading inside, perfectly hidden in a sliding shelf.
You’ll see how awesome the drinks menu rotates, but the sumptuous and delicious, bourbon-infused, Pulp Fiction-referencing $5 Milkshake is already ready for you (and yes, you get it for $5).
If you spend some time, you’d have a memorable stay, especially with the culture of frequently hosting movie screenings right on the patio on Saturday nights.
It goes without saying they also host a few hours of the evenings fully dedicated to great shows.
The Video Archive is managed by Gorilla Cinema, a great company that understands entertainment. It’s also responsible for the smooth running of The Overlook Lodge, which has a Shining-themed neighborhood bar, a Tokyo Kitty, and a Lost in Translation-inspired karaoke bar that oozes Japanese tiki drinks.
Takeaway
Visiting Cincinnati is a great decision. But visiting the right places in this bustling city is even better. What do you need to have a wonderful experience?
Fortunately for you, there are so many places to make this an exciting visit even if you’re staying for a day, a week, or even a month.
You’re definitely spoilt for choices. This guide has shown many places to go and things to do while in Cincinnati. Also, some historical facts about Cincinnati, Ohio.
But I’ll admit that there’s even more when you visit the city. Have a wonderful visit!
