I'm visiting my sister in Cincinnati next week and need help with ideas for things to do and see in the city and local area for day trips. She just moved there so she doesn't know much about the area. I'll be there for a week. We enjoy all kinds of recreation from nature/hiking to museums.

Thanks!

I hope you get some good replies. I will be in Cincinnati at the beginning of August to see a Reds game and will have most of two days to fill.

I'm starting to worry there is nothing to do in Cincinnati!

There is good antiquing in the area. There is baseball. The area across the river called Uber Rhine, I think, is fun.

There are several attractions in Cincinnati, including:

-an excellent zoo.

-a fine medium-sized art museum. It's in Eden Park, which itself is a pleasant green space. Has a good quality to quantity ratio.

-the Taft Museum of Art, a most worthy smallish house-style art museum.

-the Contemporary Art Museum has no permanent collection, but may be worth a stop depending on what's currently showing.

-a history museum and science museum, both located in Union Terminal. The former will be the more interesting option for adults, while kids will appreciate the latter.

-the birth house of William Howard Taft. Maybe a bit less essential than the other attractions above, depending on your interest.

Good day (or couple of day) trips would include Columbus, Indianapolis, and Frankfort KY. The first two of these can be reached by bus or train if need be, the last requires a car to visit. Frankfort, sorry to report, is the only state capitol in the US inaccessible by commercial or inter-city bus, train, or flight.

Go to www.freedomcenter.org..the museum dedicated to the history of the underground railroad, well done. Cincinnati has a great zoo, go across the river to KY to visit the Newport Aquarium and eat nearby looking back at the city. Go to the following Cincinnati neighborhoods: Mount Adams, Hyde Park, Mount Lookout..Cincinnati Reds baseball..
Excellent art museum, Fountain Square downtown city center..
Have dinner on the Ohio River at Montgomery Inn-Boathouse for great ribs.

Enjoy Great American Ballpark. Was a very nice stadium as I enjoyed it. As with all new ballparks, it does lack a historical feeling for obvious reasons. It also doesn't have a very special feeling but we may have just been savoring PNC Park in Pittsburgh which is still my favorite stadium...I would definitely go here again.

take a river boat ride.

have a meal on the kentucky side and admire the cincinnati lights.

Canoe the Little Miami

http://www.littlemiamicanoe.com/

See an opera or ballet.

Get Graeter's ice cream in Hyde Park.

Then get Aglemesis' ice cream in now trendy Oakley Square.

Take a look at the largest pool ever..might also be a concert on when you are there.

http://www.coneyislandpark.com/

Blue Ash also has some fun concerts and events

http://rodeo.cincinnati.com/ent/even...ults.aspx?c=89

some beautiful countryside along rte 32.. amish country. http://www.ohiotraveler.com/keim_family_market.htm

and THE MOST AMAZING food market anywhere. you want it.. they got it.

http://www.junglejims.com/

Day trip
architecture.. columbus indiana is amazing. All public buildings were designed by world renowned architects from FLWright to Saarinen. http://www.columbus.in.us/listings/index.cfm?catId=336

Eat chili!!

You are all AWESOME!!!!! What a great assortment of things to do.

I am printing this and taking it with me.

Thanks!!!!

There is A LOT to do around Cincinnati, as detailed above, but here are a few more ideas, as well as some day trip ideas.

PANEGYRI FESTIVAL at Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Awesome annual greek festival with amazing food, music, dancing,
http://www.holytrinity.oh.goarch.org/92.html


Go hear THE BLUEBIRDS at Allyn’s Café on Columbia Parkway (Big Band Music) on Sunday nights
http://www.allynscafe.net/
http://www.allynscafe.net/Blue-Birds-Big-Band


Check out THE BLUE WISP JAZZ CLUB
Downtown Cincinnati at 318 East Eighth Street
Between Broadway and Sycamore
Awesome jazz music every night.
http://www.thebluewisp.com/


If you are here Sunday July 3, RED, WHITE AND BLUE ASH is a great live music and fireworks show, this year with Kenny Loggins as the headliner. ALL FREE.
http://www.cincinnatiusa.com/attract...tractionID=467

2011 Balloon Glow at Coney Island – July 3
http://www.coneyislandpark.com/upcom...nts.php?nID=14

Check out Newport on the Levee
On the Kentucky side, great complex with restaurants, shops, aquarium, live music and a great view of Cincinnati
http://www.newportonthelevee.com/events/


Walk over the Purple People Bridge
http://www.purplepeoplebridge.com/


Go to the Horse Races at River Downs
http://www.riverdowns.com/
or at Turfway Park in Florence Kentucky
http://www.turfway.com/


Visit the International Butterfly Show at Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park
http://www.butterflyshow.com/
While you are up there, stop at the Eden Park Overlook for a nice view of the Ohio River and Cincinnati


For a great relaxing evening of wine and live music, check out
HARMONY HILL WINERY in Bethel, Ohio (East of Cincinnati)
http://www.hhwines.com/
there are picnic tables, but you can bring your own lawn chairs and snack and a bucket of chicken or sandwiches. Buy their wine, walk around the vineyards and just enjoy.


Visit METAMORA, INDIANA an Historic Canal Town.
http://www.metamoraindiana.com/

Ride the Whitewater Valley Railroad from Connersville to Metamora
http://www.whitewatervalleyrr.org/excursions/


North of Cincinnati, in Dayton, Ohio is the
National Museum of the US Air Force.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/

If you are in town July 23-24 see the DAYTON AIR SHOW. Really awesome!
http://www2.daytonairshow.com/


Drive north a bit and visit OHIO CAVERNS
http://www.ohiocaverns.com/

Do some hiking and see CLIFTY FALLS near Madison Indiana
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2985.htm

Go to THE MADISON REGATTA, July 1-3
In Madison, Indiana three days of hydroplane racing, P1 USA offshore race boats, an airshow and a spectacular fireworks show on Saturday night
http://www.madisonregatta.com/

Still more to do around Cincinnati and other ideas for Day Trips

If you like antiques and small town shops, check out WAYNESVILLE
http://www.waynesvilleohio.com/

Also see Caesars Creek State Park while you are there.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/par...0/Default.aspx


Take a bike ride on the Loveland Bike Trail
http://www.lovelandbiketrail.com/index.html


Check out The Historic Loveland Castle _ Chateau LaRoche
http://www.lovelandcastle.com/
hand built by Sir Harry Andrews with stones he carried from the Little Miami river himself

GOETTAFEST 2011 in Newport August 5, 6, 7
Newport on the Levee
http://www.cincinnatiusa.com/Attract...tractionID=371
Live music, goetta dishes, games and rides.

Spend a day at Sharon Woods.
http://www.hamiltoncountyparks.org/p...aronwoods.shtm
Walk the 2.6 mile trail, check out the fitness trail, play some golf, rent a pedal boat, canoe, kayak or row boat.

SHOPPING AT OUTLET MALL AT MONROE
Cincinnati Premium Outlets
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=79


SHOPPING AT Prime Outlets at Jeffersonville
http://www.primeoutlets-jeffersonville.com/
about an hour’s drive north of Cincinnati


DRIVE down to Lexington KY (about 1 hour 30 min from Cincinnati) to visit
KENTUCKY HORSE PARK
http://kyhorsepark.com/


Drive 2-1/2 hours from Cincinnati to visit SHAKER VILLAGE of Pleasant Hill Kentucky. Restored shaker village with living history museum and live costumed characters who demonstrate life in the village in the mid 19th century. Music, crafts. Great restaurant.
www.shakervillageky.org


Visit SERPENT MOUND
http://www.greatserpentmound.com/
http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/sw16/index.shtml

Visit HOCKING HILLS
http://www.1800hocking.com/
awesome scenery, hikes, caves, nature, waterfalls and more. Don’t miss Old Man’s Cave, Rock House, Cantwell Cliffs.

Re selected area food options:

-yes, definitely go to Graeter's Ice Cream. There are several locations around the city, and it's some of the best ice cream I've had anywhere. Haven't ever had a chance to try Aglemesis Brothers Ice Cream, but have heard good things.

-for Cincinnati chili. Note that this is an unusual style chili that includes sweet spices and chocolate in the recipe. Normally, this is served over cooked spaghetti (a "two way"). Add shredded cheese, diced onion, and kidney beans to make this a "three-way," "four-way," of "five-way." It's best gotten accompanied by a couple coneys, which are small hot dogs in buns covered with chili, mustard, onions, and cheese. It's all really delicious stuff, at least to my taste buds. Skyline Chili is the iconic chain purveyor of this, though Gold Star also does this well. Two independent stores, Camp Washington Chili and Blue Ash Chili, can be found in their respective Cincinnati outlying neighborhoods and are supposed to be excellent, though I've never been to either.

-if you're a fan of scrapple, you might want to try goetta, which is similar but adds oats into the meat mixture. It's usually encountered at breakfast, sliced and fried up as a substitute for bacon or sausage.

Sorry if I'm repeating some things.

http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/

Cleopatra exhibit is supposed to be excellent at:
http://www.cincymuseum.org/


Great community theater in the area:

http://www.cinstages.com/

Natural Bridge and Red River Gorge about an hour south in Kentucky:
http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/resortparks/nb/


http:http://www.ohioriverscenicbyway.com///
www.byways.org/explore/byways/2286/

Lots of Hamilton County parks: (hiking trails and history in these parks)
http://www.hamiltoncountyparks.org/a...directory.shtm

Rowe Woods:
http://www.cincynature.org/rowewoods.html

Ludlow Avenue in Clifton and Hyde Park Square (more upscale) have interesting little shops and restaurants.

http://local.cincinnati.com/calendar/calendar.asp

http://www.cincinnatiusa.com/attractionsandevents/

Kings Island if you like amusement parks.

There are also 3 casinos nearby in Indiana.

While you are visiting in Eden Park, make sure you visit the Krohn Conservatory, which is very nice. It used to be free, they just recently changed the times and started charging admission.
http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/pages/-41023-/

If your sister lives in Cincinnati and has access to a kitchen, it might be fun to visit Jungle Jim's grocery store in Fairfield. This place is HUGE and has a pond with live fish you can pick out for dinner right in the middle. The wine store is well stocked as well and there are ethnic foods from many different cultures represented. Their cheese, bakery. produce displays are all interesting. http://www.junglejims.com/

The Cincinnati Zoo is located in the middle of the city and is a nice place to visit for 1/2 day or so. IIRC, they have a particularly interesting komodo dragon display, if you are into them.
www.cincinnatizoo.org

If you are into history, the macabre, and funeral statuary, you can visit Spring Hill cemetery which has beautiful mausoleums, replicas of famous historical places like the small scale replica of Notre Dame, and other interesting stuff.
http://www.springgrove.org/sg/sg_home.shtm

Also are wineries around if you want to do some wine tastings.

Again---you are are great! Thanks for taking so much time for your wonderful answers. I only have a week but my sister will love having all these ideas while she gets to know the city. She loves getting out and being active where she lives.