But I know what you’re really wondering…Is there anything to do in Cincinnati?

The answer is a resounding YES! Here are some resident favorite activities broken down by common interests:

If you…

Have kids or are a kid at heart:

• Smale Stadium Riverfront Park: on the Ohio riverfront, the park sits between the Paul Brown and Great American Ballpark and includes playgrounds, a carousel, family sized porch swings, a rose garden, multiple fountains and a flying pig!
• Newport Aquarium: home to the largest jellyfish gallery in the Midwest, you can get up close with penguins and mermaids and Santa have been sighted in the Shark Tank.
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden: a world-class zoo and horticulturist’s paradise
• Kings Island Amusement Park: The largest amusement and waterpark in the Midwest offers rides, a kid’s area, Soak City Waterpark and Dinosaurs ALIVE
• Starlight Drive In:Visit an old style drive in movie.

Like Sports:

• FC Cincinnati: an MLS Soccer Team that began play in the USL in 2016
• Cincinnati Cyclones:an ECHL team that plays at US Bank Arena
• Cincinnati Reds:the oldest franchise in major league baseball, opens the season each year with the largest Opening Day Celebration in the country
• Cincinnati Bengals AFC Champions 2022!
• UC Bearcats:  Football - AAC Champions 2021, and went to the Cotton Bowl  - Basketball
• Xavier Basketball: appearing in the NCAA tournament 26 times, of teams yet to make a Final Four appearance, Xavier has the most all-time tournament wins with 24
• Tennis - Western & Southern Open: the oldest tennis tournament in the US still in its original city and the second largest American summer tournament after the US Open, come see some elite players like Roger Federer and Serena Williams, and many more!

Like Beer: 

Craft Beer Central!- in 2020 Smart Asset compared 384 cities and rated Cincinnati as the top city in the nation for beer drinking. We have 31 breweries in the Queen City which offer around 112 different beers. Thats 10.20 breweries per 100,000 residents!

• Madtree Brewing, Rhinegeist Brewery, Fifty West Brewing Company and Urban Artifact are just a few of the 50+ craft breweries in Cincinnati!
• Cincinnati Bock Fest Cincinnati Beerfest and OTR Beer Fest

Like Food:

• Cincinnati Style Chili: with only about 140 options including Skyline, Goldstar and Camp Washington. Cincinnati Chili is not traditional. It’s served over spaghetti or a coney often with oyster crackers on the side, so whether it's a 3-way, 4-way or 5-way make sure to try some!
• Sotto Cincinnati - Old world Italian ambiance serving food with a modern Italian flair listed on Open Tables top 100 restaurants in the nation
• The Eagle - A food and beer hall
• Taste of Cincinnati: held downtown each Memorial Day weekend a great opportunity to try some different food from around the area
• Graeters Ice Cream: founded in 1870, Graeter’s is a Cincinnati tradition, the family still utilizes the same recipes and methods of production at their plant off Reading Road
• Aglamesis Bros.: opened in 1908 Aglamesis Brother’s is being run by the third generation and is known for delicious ice cream and candies
• Goetta: made of ground meat and steel cut oats, Goetta was popular with the German settlers who emigrated to Cincinnati in the 19th century, 80% of the Goetta produced by the largest producer is consumed in Cincinnati
• Findlay Market: at the center of Over-the-Rhine Findlay market was founded in 1852 and is now the oldest continuously operated public market in Ohio, offers fresh meat, seafood and produce by local suppliers

Like Festivals:

• The list goes on and on, Festival Park Newport has a festival for everyone: Goetta Fest, Bacon, Bourbon & Brew Festival; Brew Ha Ha, Cincy Blues Fest, Taste of Newport, PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo,  Newport on the Levee Summer Concerts.
• Octoberfest Zinzinnati: the largest October fest in the country held downtown on 5th street
• Bockfest: celebrating the coming of spring and the brewing heritage of Cincinnati, complete with the crowning of the Sausage Queen each year

Riverfest & Fireworks:  Celebrate the end of summer with a daylong festival and spectacular fireworks over the Ohio River.

Like the Outdoors:

• Purple People Bridge: the bridge built in 1872 was repurposed as a walking bridge and connects downtown Cincinnati and Newport
• Ault Park: events, trails, gardens, multiple picnic spots and playgrounds
• Red River Gorge - Daniel Boone National Forest: a 2-hour drive from Cincinnati offers rock climbing, trails and camping sites
• Krohn Conservatory: located in Eden Park the conservatory has more than 3,500 plant species and is home to the International Butterfly Show
• Ohio River Paddlefest: rent a kayak or bring your own, Paddlefest travels 8.9 miles up the Ohio River
• Little Miami Scenic Trail: The Little Miami Scenic Trail is the third longest paved trail in the United States, running 78.1 miles though five southwestern counties in the state of Ohio
• Biking trails: Lunken Airport, Miami Whitewater Forest, Loveland Bike Trail, East Fork State Park
• Mammouth Cave National Park: 3 hours south of Cincinnati is the world’s longest known cave system offering cave tours, surface hikes, canoeing on the Green river and camping
• Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum: founded in 1845, Spring Grove is one of the largest cemeteries in the US, and remains one of the most beautiful places in Cincinnati. 
• Perfect North Slopes: That right, just 45 minutes from Cincinnati we have a ski slope and tubing!

Like the Arts:

• Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal:  This beautiful Art deco train station houses the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children’s Museum, Museum of Natural History and Science and the OMNIMAX Theater
• Taft Museum of Art: Our 200-year-old historic house holds an extensive art collection of European and American masterworks
• Aronoff Center for the Performing Arts: home to the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Music Theater, Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative, Contemporary Dance Theater and touring Broadway shows
• Cincinnati Music Hall: home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Cincinnati Opera the Music Hall is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Cincinnati
• Contemporary Arts Center:
• Cincinnati Art Museum: located in Eden Park - free admission!
• American Sign Museum: the museum preserves and displays a collection of signs, neon and otherwise and also demonstrates the making of neon signs
• Playhouse in the Park

Have a Dog:

• Washington Park Dog Park: complete with a creek and water fountain for dogs to play in
• Otto Armleder Dog Park
• Mt. Airy Forest Dog Park

Also, Cincinnati happens to be a very popular place to film movies, here are a few you may recognize:

• 2018: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
  
• 2017: The Life and Death of John Gotti
  • Inconceivable
• 2016: The Killing of the Sacred Deer
• 2015: Miles Ahead- Sony Pictures Classics
• 2014: Carol- Salt Film Productions
• 2011: The Ides of March- Cross Creek Pictures
• 2005: Elizabethtown- Paramount Pictures
• 2004: Mr. 3000- Touchstone Pictures
• 2003: Seabiscuit- Universal/Spyglass Entertainment
• 2000: Traffic- USA Films
  • Summer Catch- Warner Brothers
• 1991: Lost in Yonkers- Columbia Pictures
• 1988: Rain Man- United Artists

Cincinnati’s central location lends itself to lots of easy day or weekend trips:

1 Hour

Dayton, OH: home to the National Museum of the Air Force

2 Hours

• Louisville, KY: home to the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• Lexington, KY: catch a Kentucky basketball game
• Columbus, OH: go check out an Ohio State football game
• Indianapolis, IN: home to the Indy 500
• Red River Gorge/Natural Bridge State Park: go climbing, rapelling, camping