Best Things to Do in Cincinnati

The best and most delicious way to explore Over-the-Rhine is by sampling its bevvy of international food. Founder Barb Cooper takes you through some of its more eclectic eateries, from a Lebanese market to an old-school butcher shop, meeting the people who’ve made this neighborhood so special.

The German immigrants who began this neighborhood’s brewing tradition cooled their creations in a network of underground tunnels. The brick tunnels were recently rediscovered and are open to regular tours, which include underground crypts and an education in the city’s brewing history.

The oldest continually operating open air-market in Ohio is again one of the city’s busiest places, with a cool mix of international foods, sweets and traditional food sellers. It also recently added a sunny beer garden where you can enjoy a local beer once you’re done shopping.

The water that fueled Cincinnati’s growth is still a major shipping route, but now it’s also the best place to get out on the water and bathe in southern Ohio nature. The  274-mile Ohio River recreation area runs from Portsmouth, Ohio, to Louisville, Ky., with ample opportunities for cycling and kayaking along the water.

If you’d rather enjoy the river from the comfort of a swinging bench, take the afternoon and relax at this newly developed downtown destination. The 45-acre park near the baseball and football stadiums is dotted with giant sculptures, a bike path and plenty of places to relax with a bowl of chili.

The best view of the Cincinnati skyline is actually in another state, across the river in Covington, Ky. Hike to the top of Devou Park at the Memorial Outlook, then see a two-headed calf and a stuffed black bear in the Behringer-Crawford Museum.

The best biking in Cincinnati is just over the hills along the Little Miami River. You can pick up the 78-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail at a number of spots along US-50, and if you rent a Red Bike downtown, you can ride it out here and escape into the woods along the river. 

Art enthusiasts could easily spend an entire day perusing this grand old two-level museum. It’s home to more than 67,000 pieces, ranging from renaissance to modern, with an especially large focus on American art from the 19th and 20th centuries. If you want a little exercise, take a walk up the Art Climb, a long stairway ascending the hill below the museum dotted with epic modern sculptures. Or just relax in the museum’s sunny courtyard and enjoy a drink from the café.

Just across from the Aronoff Center, you’ll see a two-story robot glittering on a street corner. This is Metrobot, and he marks the entrance to the Zaha Hadid-designed Contemporary Arts Center. This four-story building has a constant rotation of modern works and installations, and if you’re into the contemporary stuff, it’s the first museum you should hit every time you’re in town.

The home of the Cincinnati Reds is one of the more underrated ballparks in the country, where you’ll find sweeping views of the Ohio River from the family level on the upper deck and plenty of beers on the mocked-up riverboat in center field. Outside the stadium, roam freely from bar to bar in a special entertainment zone running between Great American and the Bengals’ stadium.

Over 175 years ago, Cincinnati was a beacon of freedom for enslaved people escaping the South as they crossed the river into Ohio. You’ll learn the story of the Underground Railroad and all the people who made it work, as well as the appalling history of the Atlantic slave trade and how it persists today. Interactive exhibits also include a mock “escape,” where visitors choose their own adventure to escape to the free North.

The “birthplace of American astronomy” sits in a domed structure atop Mt. Lookout, outfitted with two original and still operative telescopes that date as far back as 1845. The first observatory open to the public in the Western Hemisphere is still anyone’s to visit, and even if you’re not into astronomy it’s one of the most unique sites in the city.

The grand poobah of Cincinnati breweries sits in an old bottling plant in Over-the-Rhine, a multistory spot with a sprawling beer hall that feels more like a small college gym. Sit among the industrial relics and enjoy their Cheetah Lager or Whiffle Witbier.

If you’ve got kids in tow, nothing beats this brewery along the Little Miami River. Enjoy your drinks outside at a picnic table or between games of pickleball or beach volleyball on one of their riverside courts. The brewery also offers a superb burger bar with styles inspired by the states that host US-50, for which the 50 West is named.

Set in a former Evangelical church built in 1850, Taft Ale House opened in 2015 and offers a rotating selection of 12-16 creative artisanal beers, plus more. Inside, the place is a trip: it offers 300 seats with an upper floor that offers open views to the one below, and you feel the throwback vibes with brick walls and vintage wallpaper. It’s an old-meets-new tribute in the heart of the Over-the-Rhine nabe.

Never tried Nepali food? No better place than Cincinnati to try it, right? And this former neighborhood hole-in-the-wall does it as well as anywhere at breathable elevation. Try the momos, a Nepali dumping that rivals anything from Hong Kong. Or grab a bowl filled with spicy hakku chuala, a ginger chicken served cold that’s unlike any flavor you’ve ever experienced.

Colombian immigrant Isis Arrieta-Dennis introduced Cincinnati to the steaming morsels of fried corn heaven that are arepas in 2016 and has changed the way locals see street food. The made-to-order, cheese-and-meat handheld delicacies have become a regular part of going to Findlay Market, and are as good as any you’ll find in Isis’ native country.

When Jean-François Flechet moved to Cincinnati, he was dismayed when he couldn’t find a decent waffle anywhere. So he brought a cast-iron waffle iron maker from Belgium and opened this spot, specializing in sweet Blegian waffles, Belgian fries and, yes, Belgian beer. The diverse menu makes it great for meals other than breakfast too, but the waffles are definitely the stars of the show.

Eating in cool, underground Italian restaurants done up in brick and wood isn’t just for New Yorkers! This spot in downtown feels completely secluded from the world above, and serves up meaty, old-world Italian stuff like penne with lamb sausage and pecorino, shaved pork salad and grilled quail with agrodolce.

Just across the Roebling Bridge (John Roebling’s model for his copycat bridge in Brooklyn) sits Covington, a historic small town and Cincinnati’s coolest suburb. Its historic downtown is home to one of the country’s best bourbon bars at the Wiseguy Lounge, but you can’t go wrong at the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar or Bourbon Haus 1841 either.

This hilltop neighborhood looks a little like an old European village, or even San Francisco if you use your imagination, with tall, narrow buildings lining the steep city streets. It’s also got a seriously upscale feel, with bars and taverns like City View and Quincy’s alternating with boutiques and coffee shops. The neighborhood is also home to the Cincinnati Observatory, as well as the Cincinnati Art Museum and lush Krohn Conservatory.

Looking for the neighborhood with all the vintage stores, record shops and coffeehouses? That’s Northside, where you can jam on classic video games at Arcade Legacy, then fuel back up for another round with coffee at Sidewinder. Discover Senegalese food at Darou Salam, then spend hours perusing the stacks at Shake It Records, Cincy’s pre-eminent spot for vinyl.

Look for a purple light next to a nondescript door on Republic Street, then descend down four stories to Ghost Baby, a 1930s-era nightclub set in old beer caves. The subterranean music den has booths surrounding a large stage, where live jazz and funk acts light up the night. Ghost Baby also has some fantastic cocktails to go with the show, as well as inexplicable underground cell service so you can still Instagram it all.

Across the river in Newport, Ky., the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church has turned into a three-room live music venue, where big acts play the sanctuary that’s still outfitted with the original pipe organ. The upstairs Revival Room boasts a pitched ceiling making for perfect acoustics, and the downstairs lounge has frequent open-mic nights if you want to get in the action yourself.

The two-floor art gallery in this hotel next door to the Contemporary Arts Center is only the beginning of what makes it so cool. It’s also got a sweet rooftop bar where you can enjoy craft cocktails with a panoramic view of downtown, plus a rooftop spa with access to the bar.

ALSO SEE: For our full overview of the 21c, see our 21c hotel page.

If you’re looking to explore downtown and the riverfront, the best-situated hotel is easily the Kinley, a downtown boutique done up in midcentury-modern elegance. Its agreement with the nearby 1628 Ltd. coworking space lets you get work done surrounded by colorful pieces by local artists. And Kinley’s onsite restaurant, Khoura, plates some of the most inventive, decadent dishes in the city.

Don’t be fooled by its out-of-state address; the historic Hotel Covington sits less than two miles from downtown Cincy, smack in the middle of the action in this hip suburb. The ground floor restaurant, Coppin’s, is set in an old department store, and offers a sunny patio to enjoy drinks during the summer.