A museum of museums
Built at the height of Cincinnati’s role as a major hub for railroad traffic in the late-19th century, the stunning Art Deco Union Terminal once saw over 216 trains come and go every single day. However, after the decline of railroad travel in the USA, the terminal building was saved from demolition and preserved as an historic landmark in 1973, before being renovated and redeveloped as the Cincinnati Museum Center in 1986.
As well as being home to a fully-functioning Amtrak station, the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal now houses the Cincinnati History Museum, the Museum of Natural History and Science, the five-story OMNIMAX Theater, the Cincinnati Historical Societal Library, the Duke Energy Children’s Museum and the Cincinnati Railroad Club.
Whether you’re visiting the region for the first time or you’re a Tri-State regular, at just 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) from CVG, there’s always something to see in one of Cincinnati’s most iconic buildings.
The garden of Eden
Just 20 minutes east of CVG Airport, the Krohn Conservatory has stood in Eden Park for over 120 years and contains over 35,000 unusual plant species collected from all around the world.
The conservatory’s extensive range of gardens and collections includes bonsai trees, a desert garden featuring exotic cacti and succulents, an orchid display in year-round bloom and a 46-foot (14-meter) palm house that contains fruiting banana trees, which is a sight to be seen whether you’re a budding botanist or you fancy some fresh air amongst the flora.
Historical house of Ohio
The Taft Museum of Art is a lovingly preserved Greek Revival house filled with an incredible collection of European paintings, sculpture and Chinese porcelain that was donated in its entirety to the state by the family of President William Howard Taft in 1927.
Housing works by such old masters and world-famous artists as Dutch polymath, Rembrandt van Rijn, and the British ‘painter of light’, JMW Turner, the museum has recently undergone substantial renovations in order to introduce a gift shop, an atmospheric café-restaurant and a performance space.
If you’ve got time before you fly, why not take the 20-minute trip and explore a unique gallery that is as arresting as the works it exhibits?
A sign of the times
From one American institution of art to another, the American Sign Museum has restored, preserved and archived over 3,800 items and artefacts of signage, ranging from elaborate and intricate gold-leaf lettering from the late-19th century to the neon glow of the 1970s and 1980s.
Half an hour north of CVG, the museum displays over 200 signs from the collection at any one time and visitors can expect to be welcomed to the museum by a pristine Frisch’s Big Boy statue complete with slingshot and a 20-foot (6.1-meter) tall fiber-glass genie.
A colorful and eclectic slice of iconic Americana, paying a visit to the American Sign Museum is an easy-going way to explore an alternative side of the county’s more recent history.
How do you zoo?
The second-oldest zoo in the country, Cincinnati Zoo was founded in 1875 and has since earned itself the reputation as one of the best in the world for both its visitor attractions and its extensive history of contributions to conservation and breeding programs for critically endangered species.
Presenting visitors with a rare opportunity to see unusual animals, including bonobo monkeys, Sumatran rhinoceroses, Malaysian tigers, western lowland gorillas and Californian sea lions, Cincinnati Zoo regularly attracts over 3,000 people a day.
It’s a good idea to guarantee entry by pre-booking your tickets, especially during peak periods; they are valid for a full year from the date of purchase.
Hit a home run
Step up to the plate at the Great American Ball Park, home of baseball’s first-ever professional team, the Cincinnati Reds, and their prestigious Hall of Fame. Featuring scorebooks and paraphernalia dating from their first professional game in 1869, plaques commemorating the 81 inductees into the Hall of Fame and their three World Series trophies, the Great American Ball Park is a sporting institution just 30 minutes from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport. Keep an eye on the schedule and see if you can catch a game before you fly.
Ohio on high
An impressive 574 feet (175 meters) tall, the 49-story Carew Tower is a beloved part of the downtown Cincinnati skyline. Completed in 1930, it is one of the tallest buildings in America to have been constructed before World War II and has been lovingly preserved for over 80 years since.
Featuring a decadent French Art Deco atrium, nicknamed the ‘Hall of Mirrors’, the beauty of the tower’s interior almost rivals the breathtaking views from the observation deck on the uppermost floor. If you’re short on time and want to take in all the city has to offer before you fly, make sure to stop by the Carew Tower at the heart of Cincinnati and only 13 miles (20.9 kilometers) from CVG.
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