Entertainment in Cincinnati
Fun is in our DNA
From record holding roller coasters to some of the most culturally significant museums, Cincinnati’s entertainment scene is full of adventures and experiences you can’t find anywhere else. Read on to learn about the best entertainment in Cincinnati!
Outside
Tucked away in Cincinnati’s East Side is the Cincinnati Observatory, otherwise known as the birthplace of American Astronomy. Here you’ll find one of the oldest working telescopes in the world, which is also the first public observatory in the Western Hemisphere! Founded in 1842, it is still “the people’s telescope.” The observatory offers viewings throughout the week as well as events, historical tours, and school programming.
Not far from the Observatory is Krohn Conservatory, a green oasis. Built in 1933, this Art Deco greenhouse and the surrounding gardens feature more than 3,500 plant species from all over the world. While the conservatory has amazing seasonal programming, you can visit at any point in the year to find a tropical rainforest, a thriving desert garden, or a colorful orchid house.
the Tallest Coasters
Kings' Island
We definitely know a thing or two about roller coasters around here. Located 25 minutes from downtown Cincinnati, Kings Island is a world-class theme park with more than 100 rides and attractions. Here you’ll find record-breaking coasters like The Beast, the world’s longest wooden coaster, and The Banshee, the world’s longest steel inverted coaster! Kings Island is also home to kid-friendly rides, an impressive water park, and seasonal festivals like Halloween Haunt, and Winterfest.
Coney Island
If you’re all about the water rides, Coney Island is the place for you. The park’s Sunlite pool sits at 200 feet wide, 401 feet long, and holds more than three million gallons of water. The park is also home to Typhoon Tower, which includes 73 interactive play stations, 4 waterslides, a 70-foot cyclone, and in 2021 the park will become home to the largest Aquaglide pool obstacle course in the country!
Animals
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens
If you’re looking for entertainment in Cincinnati that’s geared toward kids, check out the Cincinnati Zoo! In January 2017, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden became the home of one of the world’s heaviest celebrities: Fiona the Hippo. The famous Nile hippo is only one of the many remarkable things to come from the zoo’s conservation efforts. Known as the greenest and second oldest zoo in the United States, the Cincinnati Zoo is full of unique animal encounters, education programs, plant species, and the best zoo lights in the country.
Newport Aquarium
Located just seven minutes from Cincinnati’s downtown on Northern Kentucky’s riverfront is the Newport Aquarium. Here, you’ll find a white alligator and shark ray, some of the rarest underwater creatures in the world. This award-winning aquarium is all about getting visitors up close and personal with the animals, like the Shark Bridge, the only suspension bridge in North America where guests can walk just inches above nearly two dozen sharks.
Museum
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is the perfect place to visit if you’re a DC Comics fan or history buff. This Art Deco train terminal and museum is the largest half-dome structure in the Western Hemisphere and served as the inspiration for the design of the Hall of Justice (aka the Justice League’s headquarters). Inside, you’ll find four world-class museums: Cincinnati History Museum; Duke Energy Children’s Museum, one of the top 10 children’s museums in the country; Museum of Natural History & Science, which is home to some of the world’s oldest and rarest dinosaur specimens; The Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, located in the site where numerous Holocaust survivors arrived in Cincinnati to rebuild their lives; and the five-story domed Omnimax theater.
Located on the historically significant banks of the Ohio River, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center shares stories of freedom’s heroes from the era of the Underground Railroad to contemporary times, highlighting today’s ongoing enslaved issues and concerns. Through permanent and traveling exhibits, as well as public events, it’s Implicit Bias Lab, and school programming, the museum aims to illuminate the true meaning of inclusive freedom.
The American Sign Museum might be one of Cincinnati’s coolest hidden gems. This 20,000 square foot museum is the largest public museum dedicated to signs in the United States, and just a few steps inside will transport you to a neon paradise. Home to over nearly 100 years of signage and a fully functioning neon shop, the museum’s collection only continues to grow as the usage of signs in the United States evolves. If you’ve got an artistic side, this entertainment in Cincinnati is perfect for you.
Intrigued by the entertainment scene?
Check out the downtown Cincinnati website to learn more about entertainment in Cincinnati and upcoming events.