Top Things to Do in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Art Museum, founded in 1881, is located in the city's Eden Park cultural district. The neo-classical building houses a collection of more than 60,000 objects. Highlights include an extensive collection of locally-made Rookwood Pottery, an array of American and European portraits, and the largest collection of ancient Nabataen art outside of Jordan.

The Cincinnati Art Museum is open Tuesday - Sunday from 11am to 5pm and on Wednesday until 9pm. Admission and parking are free.

Ohio's National League baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds, play at Great American Ball Park, located at the edge of the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati. The park, completed in 2003, has a capacity of slightly more than 42,000 and a wonderful view of the river. The Reds frequently meet the Cleveland Indians during inter-league play.

Kings Island, opened in 1972, is located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. The 364-acre family amusement park is open from May through October each year. The park boasts 41 rides, including 13 coasters and three water rides. The centerpiece of Kings Island is the centrally-located 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Findlay Market, Ohio's oldest continuously operating market, is located just north of downtown in the city's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, also known for its many 19th century Italianate homes. The Market, built in 1852, is open Wednesdays through Sundays and offers a variety of produce, dairy products, and meats. It's a fun place to visit, even if you aren't shopping for food...or, pick up the makings for a picnic and enjoy one of the parks by the Ohio River.

The Cincinnati Zoo, located in the city's urban Avondale neighborhood, is the second oldest zoo in the country (after Philadelphia). Founded in 1875, the 75-acre park houses over 500 animal species and over 3000 varieties of plant life. New in 2008 is Giraffe Ridge.

This unique museum, opened in 2004, traces the story of thousands of slaves that began the road to freedom by crossing the Ohio River at or near Cincinnati. (Many of them found their way to NE Ohio before crossing Lake Erie into Canada.) The centerpiece of the 158,000-square foot museum is an authentic slave pen, used to house slaves prior to an auction. It was moved from a farm in Kentucky, just across the Ohio/Kentucky state line.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is located in downtown Cincinnati, between Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday.

This colorful neighborhood is located atop one of the seven hills that make up Cincinnati and looks across downtown to the Ohio River beyond. Originally settled by German and Irish immigrants, today Mt. Adams is one of Cincinnati's most sought after addresses. Visitors will find an eclectic mixture of restaurants and boutiques.

This garden center is located in Eden Park, near the Cincinnati Art Museum. The Conservatory, opened in 1933, features more than 3500 plant species. Particularly interesting are the Bonsai collection and the ethereal orchids.

The Krohn Conservatory is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.

The Taft Museum, in downtown Cincinnati, is housed in a Greek Revival mansion that once belonged to President William Taft's half-brother and his wife. The Tafts donated the structure as well as their extensive art collection to the city in 1929 and the museum opened in 1932.

Today the museum houses thousands of works, including those by Ingres, Gainsborough, Rembrandt, and Whistler. The museum is also noted for its collection of Limoges enamels, 19th century American paintings, and European decorative arts.

The Taft Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Admission is free on Wednesdays.

The William H. Taft Historic Site, located in Cincinnati's Mount Auburn neighborhood, includes the house where the former president and Chief Justice was born and lived his first 25 years. The house became a national landmark in the early 1960s and was restored to the condition it was in when the Taft family lived there. Today, the site includes a visitors center with artifacts and audio-visual presentations about William H. Taft and other members of the Taft family.

The William H. Taft Historic Site is open daily from 8am to 4pm, except for major holidays. Admission is free.