Guide to Cincinnati: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The most interesting in Cincinnati: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
According to toppharmacyschools, Cincinnati is the third largest city in Ohio, the “Royal City” and the “Queen of the West”. The local culture is a blend of regional traditions from the Northeast, Old South, Midwest, and Appalachia, tinged with a strong German Catholic heritage. Cincinnati was one of the first to start a land boom, and the most popular area of the city beyond the Rhine is the largest of the national historic districts in the country. And the city center is surrounded by picturesque foothills that form the legendary landscape of Cincinnati.
A bit of history
Formerly Lausantville, the city was renamed St. Clair, the first Governor of the Northwest Territories, in honor of George Washington’s noble act. He stepped down as president after two terms, at the end of the revolutionary war, just like the Roman consul Cincinnatus, who renounced the emperorship after a highly successful reign to take up farming.
The city’s economy was originally based on pork. In the 1800s there are many immigrants from Germany who brought their culture here – with beer gardens, dancing, wurst and so on. The anti-German sentiments of World War II greatly muted this culture, but at the end of the 20th century, the inhabitants of the city again remembered their roots. And today, Boxfest, Mayfest and Oktoberfest are celebrated annually in Cincinnati.
The German heritage is amusingly manifested in the speech of the townspeople. While other Americans, not hearing you, will repeat: “What?”, Cincinnati residents say in German: “Please?”
How to get to Cincinnati
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is located on the same side of the Ohio River as Kentucky, connected to Cincinnati by a bridge. The airport is the sixth largest Delta airline hub in the country. You can also get to Cincinnati by Amtrak train, Greyhound bus or more budget Megabus (from Chicago, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Atlanta, Knoxville, Cleveland and Columbus).
Entertainment and attractions in Cincinnati
One of the city’s iconic landmarks is the John Roebling Suspension Bridge. After being built in 1866, this bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world and, with a length of 322 m, remained so until 1883. It was this bridge that became the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, designed by the same author. The bridge appeared in one of the episodes of the famous film “Rain Man”.
The city’s second tallest building, the Carew Tower, was modeled after the Empire State Building. In the second half of the 80s. there was even a giant baby gorilla sitting upstairs. On the 49th floor of the building there is a stunning observation deck from where, for a small fee, you can see the entire city at a glance.
Cincinnati was the only American city of the 19th century that made a favorable impression on the 30-year-old C. Dickens. “Cincinnati is a beautiful city: cheerful, prosperous and lively,” Dickens writes in his American Notes. “Seldom have I seen a place that seems so gracious and pleasant to a stranger at first sight: with clean, beautiful and white houses, well-paved roads and sidewalks of light-colored paving stones. And on closer examination, this impression does not get worse.
The Cincinnati Observatory was the first professional observatory in the country, and today it is run by volunteers. From time to time, stargazing events are held here.
6 things to do in Cincinnati:
- Walk up one of the many stairs built on hillsides in pre-automobile times. The most famous are the stairs of Mount Adams, which leads to the Church of the Holy Immaculate Cross, and St. Gregory stairs.
- Sit by the Tyler Davidson Fountain in the newly renovated Fontaine Square.
- Visit Harriet Beecher Stowe’s home on Gilbert Avenue.
- Go on an exciting tour of the underground tunnels.
- Visit Riverfest to see the famous waterfall. Riverfest takes place on the waterfront on Labor Day and is the biggest party in town with a rubber duck race and mind-blowing fireworks.
- Try a very special Cincinnati chili, based on a Greek recipe, without beans and onions, but with unimaginable spices like cinnamon or cocoa powder.
St. Peter’s Cathedral is an architecturally significant and beautifully decorated building, which at the time of construction was the tallest in Cincinnati. Copying elements of classical buildings in Athens, architect Henry Walter created one of the finest examples of the neoclassical Greek Revival in the United States.
Another notable church in the city is the Plum Street Temple, sometimes referred to as the Wise Temple. It was built in 1866 and is one of the best preserved examples of the Moorish Renaissance style.
The Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Immaculate Cross stands on Mount Adams and is often referred to simply as “The Church on the Hill”. On Clean Friday, many citizens climb the stairs to the church, reciting a prayer at every step.
Spring Grove Cemetery can also be called a full-fledged city attraction. Carefully designed over 160 years ago, it is listed as a National Landmark and looks more like a beautiful landscaped park. To complete the similarity, the cemetery has an arboretum with many centuries-old trees.
In general, there are more than 100 parks and squares in Cincinnati with a total area of more than 5 thousand acres. The city has the largest and most highly regarded park system in the country.
Museums in Cincinnati
Cincinnati has a huge number of excellent museums, cultural centers and art galleries, and it won’t take a week to see them all. Especially since many of them are free to visit – even the amazing and famous Art Museum.
The city’s art museum is located in beautiful Eden Park and is ranked the best in the country by the Art Institute of Chicago and the New York Museum of Modern Art. Special exhibitions include exhibitions of contemporary urban artists and the world’s largest collection of Rockwood ceramics. The Damascus Hall is also extremely interesting: this is the very exposition that cannot be missed during a visit to the museum.
At the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, you can learn about the history of classical music in general and in the United States in particular through interactive displays. On Main Street is Art Beyond Limits, an art gallery that exhibits the work of local artists with disabilities. The East Six Street Contemporary Art Center is one of the regional leaders in provocative art, and the building itself is amazing.
The Taft Museum of Art is known as one of the finest small art museums in the country.
Occupying a historic building built in 1820, the museum owns a collection of fine paintings by European and American artists and Chinese porcelain. The Weston Art Gallery, located at the Aranoff Arts Center, has 3,500 sq. m of space fit paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, fabrics, electronic media and independent films. And every last Friday of the month, the Pendleton Art Center exhibits (including for sale), according to the administration, “the world’s largest collection of artists under one roof.”
The Union Terminal Museum Center occupies a National Landmark-listed 1933 train station building and houses the Cincinnati History, Natural History, and Science Museums, as well as the Duke Children’s Energy Museum and Movie Theater. Other interesting museums in the city are the Fireman’s Museum, the Holocaust Center, and the National Underground Railroad’s Freedom Center, a reminder of the importance of Cincinnati, where thousands of slaves fled to freedom across the Ohio River.
