Things to Do in Cincinnati

The city of Cincinnati has many great places to visit, a vibrant history, and many things to do throughout the week. This guide will offer some insights into the city, and the information to continue planning your trip to the Queen City. Cincinnati was once the biggest producer of beer in the United State, and has been called porkopolis for its long background in pork meat processing and production. Situated along the Ohio River just across from Kentucky, Cincinnati was also a major player in the riverboat days and during the era of slavery, being the first city the escaped slaves could live freely. Cincinnati has a big place in the history of the Underground Railroad, and has the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center located along the riverfront.

While downtown there are many other places to visit. Carew Tower is currently the tallest building in Cincinnati, at 49 floors, is listed as a National Historic Landmark and has an observation deck you can go and enjoy. There is a new building currently under construction just 5 blocks away that will replace Carew Tower as the tallest building in Cincinnati sometime in 2010. Once you leave Carew Tower, right across the street is the main downtown outdoor gathering place for the local business crowd for lunch, Fountain Square. During the spring, summer and fall, lunchtime visitors are greeted with free music, filming of television shows, puppet shows, any number of events. There are also plenty of places to eat and drink during your visit. After you have completed your lunch, stroll two blocks east to the world headquarters of Proctor and Gamble and their outdoor 2-block park to sit and people watch, or bring your laptop to enjoy the free wifi. Stop downtown along the riverfront to Sawyer Park for a nice walk along the river, open park space, and on many weekends during the summer there are events going on that are free to the public. On Wednesday evenings, Party in the Park is a nice after work event to stop, have a few drinks and listen to some live local music. If you're in the mood to shop for fresh produce, meats and other items, Findlay Market is the place to be downtown.

Once you're ready to continue exploring Cincinnati, your next trip should be just about a mile northeast of downtown, the Mt. Adams area. The views of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky from this area of town are magnificent. You'll also want to head to just about 2 miles north of downtown to see the world famous Union Terminal, home to Amtrak trains and once a thriving train station in its heyday. Now, it houses three museums (Natural History, Children's Museum and Cincinnati Museum) as well as an IMAX theater.

If you want to consider your history lesson, head west to the small suburb of North Bend to see the gravesite of the ninth United States President, William Henry Harrison. The Cincinnati Zoo is listed as a top Zoo in the United States, and in the world, and any visit to the area would not be complete without it. If you are an art lover, you have two great places to stop and visit, the Taft Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Art Galleries. The Cincinnati Fire Museum offers the chance to see the history of the first American paid fire department, and Cincinnati Music Hall will end your evening with the sounds of world famous symphonic composers, or to the enjoyment of the performing arts at the Aronoff Center. To watch plays in an intimate setting, the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is one great place to spend an evening.

For the fun and adventurous side of you, there is also plenty to do in Cincinnati. You can make a visit to Kings Island, which opened a new roller coaster in 2009, bringing the park total to fifteen, and they have a huge waterpark as well. You can stay at the Great Wolf Lodge, right up the road from Kings Island, which has a huge indoor waterpark. The Cincinnati Reds , the first professional baseball team and Cincinnati Bengals play downtown, so depending on what time of year you visit, you can catch a game. There are many festivals and other events that go on throughout the Queen City, so stop by the Cincinnati Visitors website to see what's going on during your visit!