Things to Do in Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati is home to several attractions such as Kings Island, the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and the Belle of Cincinnati.
Nicknamed “The Queen City,” Cincinnati’s regal landscape is filled with interesting architectural sites along with multiple visitor attractions.
In This Article
Play Ball
Home to Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds, Great American Ball Park seats 42,319 and features a number of interesting amenities. They include a Riverboat Deck party area, a Rose Garden tribute to Pete Rose, and an upscale Riverfront Club restaurant with full views of the field and the adjacent Ohio River.
Plant Yourself
More than 300,000 tourists annually visit Irwin M. Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park, home to 3,500 plant species from throughout the world. Exhibits have names like Bonsai Collection, Desert Garden, Orchid Display and Tropical House, plus a Palm House houses towering palm, rubber and banana trees as well as a waterfall and goldfish stream.
Visit the Taft
He might not be the most famous U.S. president ever, but the William Howard Taft National Historical Site showcases the home where the 27th president was born and lived for most of his first 25 years. The two-story Greek Revival house is open daily for tours, and about 15,000 people visit each year.
Take a Ride
Open from May through October, Coney Island is a small amusement park and water park on the banks of the Ohio River, about 10 miles east of downtown. The amusement park has a roller coaster called Python and 24 other rides, while the water park has attractions with names like The Twister and Cyclone.
Bet and Binge
Open since March 2013, Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati spans two stories along the Ohio River and features 85 table games, 2,000 slot machines and a 31-table World Series of Poker room. Several specialty stories are on site along with restaurant choices like Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Bobby’s Burger Palace, and Jack Binion’s Steak.
See Harriet’s House
Now owned by the Ohio Historical Society, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House served as home to the influential antislavery author who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The house at 2950 Gilbert Avenue was built in 1832 and is open for guided tours, thanks to volunteers with the Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House Inc.
Hit the Museum
Baseball’s first-ever professional team was the Cincinnati Red Stockings, and showcasing their long history from 1869 to today is the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum, located on the west side of Great American Ball Park. Highlights include an interactive radio booth, authentic pitcher’s mound, and dress-up uniforms for kids.
Follow the Signs
In the Camp Washington neighborhood of Cincinnati is American Sign Museum, which features hundreds of signs dating as far back as 1870. Items on display include hand-carve wooden signs, gold leaf, electric light signs, and neon that fill several galleries of the Monmouth Street museum. It’s open Wednesday-Sunday.
Cherish Our Freedom
Standing as the country’s newest monument to freedom is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which recognizes Cincinnati’s role in the history of the Underground Railroad. Thousands of slaves escaped to freedom by crossing the Ohio River to Cincinnati during the Civil War, and the museum recognizes all efforts to abolish human enslavement.
Walk the Dan
A five-mile Dan Beard Riverwalk Trail takes hikers through Cincinnati as well as Covington, Ky., and Newport, Ky., crossing three bridges over the Ohio and Licking rivers. Walks can begin in all three cities, although the most popular starting point is in Newport at the L&N Bridge, because there is plenty of free parking.
