How to Spend 2 Days in Cincinnati, Ohio: A Guide to the Queen City
It's a conversation I often have when I'm traveling: the “so where are you from?” conversation. And, weirdly, when I tell people that I'm from Ohio, there always seems to be a good chance that the person I'm talking to will respond with, “Oh, I went to Cincinnati once!“
This always used to surprise me before I spent much time in Cincinnati myself. But of course, if you've ever been to Cincinnati, you'd know that this isn't really surprising at all.
Cincinnati, with its rich history, great beer scene, and long list of things to do, is a great Ohio city for anyone to visit.
A quick Cincinnati history lesson
The city of Cincinnati sits at the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers in southwest Ohio, right across the state line from Kentucky. The city was settled in 1788, and quickly became a “boom town,” growing rapidly in both population and wealth.
In fact, by the mid-1800s, Cincinnati was one of the largest and most prosperous cities in America thanks to the steamboat and pork processing trades. It became known as “The Queen of the West,” or simply “The Queen City,”
The city has a few other notable claims to fame, too, like…
- Cincinnati is home to the first professional baseball team: The Cincinnati Red Stockings (later the Reds) were formed in 1869.
- The first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, lived in Cincinnati.
- The Cincinnati area was also home to several US presidents, including William Howard Taft, Ulysses S. Grant, William Henry Harrison, and Benjamin Harrison.
- The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden opened in 1875 and is the second-oldest zoo in America.
The boom years of Cincinnati faded after the Civil War, and the economic downturn that affected many other rust belt cities 100+ years later hit Cincinnati hard, too.
But, just as cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland and Indianapolis have been turning the tides of their city narratives in recent years, so too is Cincinnati.
2 days in Cincinnati: Top things to do in Cincinnati
Cincinnati is a great destination to spend a long weekend. It's easily reachable from several major Midwestern cities (it's within 4 hours from places like Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, and even Nashville and Detroit), and has plenty of things to keep you busy.
Even if you visit over a cold, wet weekend like I did, you'll still find plenty of things to do in Cincinnati in 2 days.
Here is just a sampling of what there is to do in Cincinnati over a weekend:
1. Visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
During the Civil War (and in the years leading up to it), Cincinnati was a border town in Ohio (a free state) across from Kentucky (a slave state). The city unsurprisingly played a huge role in both abolitionism and the Underground Railroad.
The story of slavery in America is told at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which is a fantastic museum right on the river in downtown Cincinnati.
The museum doesn't just focus on the early days of America, though. According to its mission statement, the museum's goal is to “reveal stories about freedom's heroes, from the era of the Underground Railroad to contemporary time, challenging and inspiring everyone to take courageous steps to freedom today.”
Along with large exhibits on the slave trade in the Americas and the Underground Railroad, the museum also has exhibits on modern-day slavery and the fights for freedom that are ongoing in our world today.
This is a must-visit in Ohio!
2. Shop at Findlay Market
No visit to Cincinnati would be complete without spending some time in the city's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, where you can experience the city's German influences.
My favorite stop in this part of the city is the Findlay Market, which is the city's oldest open-air public market, dating back to 1852. The market building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and inside you'll find fresh produce, meats, and pastries year-round.
You can even take a tour of Findlay Market while you're there.
3. Visit a brewery
Findlay Market is located in the aptly-named Brewery District, a part of the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood that once was home to the largest collection of pre-Prohibition-era breweries in the country. Today, there's an entire Brewing Heritage Trail here, plus plenty of working craft breweries to discover.
Some favorites include Rhinegeist Brewery (which offers both historic tours and tasting tours), Northern Row Brewery & Distillery, and Taft's Ale House (which is located in a renovated 1850s church).
There are also some unique tours you can take in Cincinnati that include touring local brewery caverns and underground tunnels. This cavern tour also includes a beer tasting.
4. Spot the murals
I'm a huge fan of street art, and it turns out that Cincinnati is a great city for murals. An organization called ArtWorks was tasked by Cincinnati's mayor about a decade ago to create a mural in each of Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods – and they are well on their way to doing that and more.
Even just around the downtown area, you can find all sorts of cool and colorful murals.
ArtWorks has a list of all its murals if you want to look for them on your own, or you can join them on a mural walking tour on weekends.
5. See the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
If you think the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge looks familiar, that's because it was designed by the same guy who would go on to build the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City!
Cincinnati's Roebling bridge was completed in 1867 and at the time was the longest of its kind anywhere in the world. Today, the bridge connects Cincinnati to the city of Covington, Kentucky.
6. Visit the American Sign Museum
A museum of signs might not immediately sound exciting, but I promise that the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati is worth the time and the admission fee. The museum takes visitors through 5 decades of sign-making, from the gold leaf signs of the early 1900s, to the neon signs of the '30s and '40s, to the funky plastic signs of the 1950s.
One large room in the museum is set up to look like a 1950s-era main street, completely decked out in all manner of colorful, blinking, and spinning signs.
The museum offers free tours on weekends, and even has a working neon shop inside. Of all the things to do in Cincinnati, this is probably my favorite!
Other museums worth visiting in Cincinnati include:
- Cincinnati Art Museum (one of the oldest art museums in America)
- Duke Energy Children's Museum (located in the Cincinnati Museum Center, which is in the city's former Union Terminal)
Cool tours to take in Cincinnati
Looking for a more guided look at the history and food of Cincinnati? Here are a few tours to consider:
- Cincinnati Streetcar Food Tour With Findlay Market (3-hour tour with an all-day streetcar pass)
- Ultimate Queen City Underground Tour (a tour of Cincinnati's underground tunnels)
- Saturday Cincy Brunch, History and Streetcar Tour (a fun weekend food tour featuring brunch foods)
- Ultimate Queen City is Haunted Tour (a great Over-The-Rhine tour that includes entry to the haunted Emery Theatre)
- The Original Findlay Market Tour (complete with food tastings!)
If you have one more day
Making a long weekend out of your visit to Cincinnati? Then I would suggest driving a little north of the city to Butler County, where you can find some other really unique things:
The Donut Trail
In 2016, Butler County officially launched the Donut Trail. This “trail” features 13 independent, family-owned donut businesses spread throughout the county.
I LOVE this concept – not only does it allow you to eat some delicious donuts that don't come from Dunkin, but it's also a fantastic way to promote and support local businesses, some of which have been around for generations.
Head up in the morning and hit up a few stops on the trail (I really liked Kelly's Bakery and Jupiter Coffee and Donuts), but just be aware that many of these shops do close as soon as they sell out of fresh donuts!
Jungle Jim's
Google Jungle Jim's, and you'll be told that it's a grocery store. But I'm here to tell you that this 6-acre behemoth is so much more than just a grocery store!
Jungle Jim's is a tourist attraction in its own right, with its funky decorations, giant cheese tower, and more than 180,000 food items from around the world. Go for the spectacle, and stay to fill up a shopping cart!
The original Jungle Jim's is in Fairfield, north of Cincinnati. But they recently opened up a second store in Eastgate, much closer to downtown.
READ MORE: A Butler County Bucket List
Where to stay in Cincinnati
Looking for a great place to rest your head for your trip to Cincinnati? Here are the hotels I would recommend:
1. Hampton Inn & Suites Cincinnati-Downtown
Not only is this hotel located smack dab in the middle of downtown (within walking distance of many local attractions and restaurants), but it's also located in an historic building that used to be home to the Cincinnati Enquirer. If you like historic touches along with large and comfortable hotel rooms, then this is the place for you.
Read reviews on TripAdvisor | Book a room here
2. Aloft Newport on the Levee
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, head across the river into Kentucky. I love the Aloft Newport of the Levee. Aloft hotels in general are modern and a little funky, and this one is also within a few steps of dining, shopping, and the Newport Aquarium.
Read reviews on TripAdvisor | Book a room here
3. Book an apartment or condo
There are plenty of cool vacation rentals around Cincinnati to choose from, whether you want to stay right downtown or a little further out.
Some of my favorite rental options in Cincinnati include:
Have you ever considered Cincinnati as a tourist destination? If not, will you now?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Thankyou for great ideas. I hear there’s a trolly? How do I find details on that and the riverboat tours?
I don’t know about a trolley, but maybe you mean the streetcar/tram? You can find that here: https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/streetcar/how-to-ride/hours-route-and-station-stops/ And as for the riverboat, maybe this sunset one? https://gyg.me/mPjR5UKg (But you can also find several with a quick Google!)
I had heard Cincinnati was a good place to visit. We will plana trip there !
Thanks for the great article and infirmation! I must add ther two main reasons we, and thousands of others visit, are the creation museum and the ark encounter.
The Cincinnati Zoo-the nations best is definitely the best place to visit in Cincinnati.Not only beautiful but one of the best animal collections anywhere.
Hello I am interested in coming to Cincinnati,Ohio August 2021. I want to see city in Kentucky across the bridge too.
You are definitely welcome to do that, and it’s very easy to visit Kentucky across the river, too. I don’t sell trips or plan them for others, though – I just write about destinations.
Why censor my comments? I thought journalists were interested in truth.
I haven’t touched any of your comments, Frank. I moderate comments on my site from people who have never commented before, because 99% of the time those comments end up being spam. If you want to go rag on journalists, please take your comments elsewhere. This is a privately-owned website, and technically I don’t *have* to publish any comments at all!
I have now lived in Cincinnati for over 20 years, and it is a great city. Thank you for writing about The Queen City, but I have to take exception with your “notable claims to fame”. President Hayes was born in Delaware, Ohio and is most closely associated with Fremont, Ohio where his grave is located. Hayes was a city solicitor for Cincy for only about 4 years. President Grant was born at Pleasant Point, Ohio about 30 miles east of Cincinnati and he is most closely associated with New York City where his tomb is located. Benjamin Harrison was born at North Bend, Ohio about a dozen miles to the west of Cincy and could be considered part of the metropolitan area today. However, he spent much of his life in Indiana. These men and many others had ties with Cincinnati but I doubt we should consider it their “home”; most people do not think of them in connection with Porkopolis. Taft is the only President truly associated with Cincinnati and his longtime home is a National Park site here (which worth seeing if visiting). Also, Cincinnati is known for having the first paid professional fire department and the there is a fire fighting museum located downtown (also worth a visit, especially for children). I could go on but this will suffice to show that you need to do a bit more research before putting ’facts’ before the reading public. Your opinions and observations are fine but Please be more careful with history in the future. Thank you.
Loved your tips about Cincinnati.
Thank you!
Bringing a group of high schoolers to visit Creation Museum/Ark Encounter during the day but they close at 5. Any suggestions on fun unique restaurants and things to do for the evening time?
I don’t know that area well, I’m afraid. When in doubt, I usually consult Google maps to see what’s nearby – Google reviews are usually pretty reliable too!
Great article. I live in Tampa, but Cincy is my hometown. Most of my family still lives there. I would say some of our parks are second to none; and there are a lot of them. The most picturesque are probably Alms, Adult and Mt Eden Park because they all are on hills and have great views and are very peaceful. So many great restaurants and for dessert no one who loves ice cream should go without Graeter’s. It’s over 100 years old and one of Oprah Winfrey’s favorites that she talked about on her show once.
If it hasn’t been mentioned already, beer fanatics should do the underground tour of how the beer industry started here back in the 1800’s. Their Oktoberfest celebration in September is 2nd in size behind the one celebrated in Germany. It’s a great time!
Jungle Jim’s is a must see. You can find many products that are sold in other countries in this place. I’m from Massachusetts, but have Canada roots and they had many of my favorite items from Quebec. The cheese area is HUGE!
Skyline Chili and Holtman’s Donuts are Cincinnati spots not to be missed.
I really should go to Oktoberfest in Cincinnati one of these years!
Lohhve it!! I live here and you just made me feel like a child. I walk by these places once or twice a week, and you just showed me around my own town. I’m so proud of this city, and to be from here, but like our chili, I thought it’s beauty an acquired taste. It makes me feel so happy that even though we have awesome amusement parks, colleges, dining, casinos, nature reserves, ya ya ya, you pointed out OTR! Just can’t stop smiling. No tourist just hangs out in OTR, luuvs it, then .. i mean your pictures … jus.. thank you. .. and Bravo!
Thanks so much for this lovely comment! I feel like most of Ohio’s cities are severely underrated – Cincinnati is awesome if you take some time to dig into it a little bit!
Cincinnati has many craft breweries. There is an underground tour where you see and learn how beer was made in the 1800s. There are other types of tours as well. There is a casino, a major league football and baseball team. A new stadium is being built for a major league soccer team also. There are so many great restaurants. There is always some kind of event or festival going on. We moved here 20 years ago and love it.
So much to do! And that underground tour sounds cool.
Ha! Not only have I been to Cincinnati once, I actually used to live there. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back though and I know a lot has changed. Thanks for the update on what’s going on! I might have to go back and visit some old friends sometime soon 🙂
Like many Ohio cities, Cincinnati has changed quite a bit in recent years!
I have not been over for a couple years now, but I used to drive over to Cincinnati and spend a weekend often. It has a much more comfortable downtown feeling than many large cities. But, my main reason for commenting is the time of year. Cincinnati, or Zinzinnati, has what is claimed to be the second largest Oktoberfest in the world, after Munich of course. It starts on September 15 this year. Every time I attended, it was a wildly entertaining time.
Yes, their Oktoberfest is supposed to be very good!