10 Best Family Things to Do in Cincinnati

The Duke Energy Children’s Museum is consistently named one of the best children’s museums in the United States and any family with elementary-age children would be remiss to not visit this museum during their tour of Cincinnati. The museum includes more than half a dozen educational areas, all of which encourage learning through hands-on play and exploration. Two separate educational areas are created with your youngest travellers in mind, specifically those who are toddlers or even younger.

Make sure to check the museum’s calendar before you visit; there are more than 1,800 hours of special programming each year and you may decide you want to visit for a special cultural, artistic, entertainment, or educational event.

You may know Coney Island as the historic theme park outside New York City, but there’s another Coney Island Amusement Park in Cincinnati. It provides a nice respite for families looking to burn off some energy and stay cool throughout the summer. Originally founded in the 1800s, this vintage amusement park sits right on the Ohio River.

What can you expect to find? How about North America’s largest recirculating pool? Or an acre-large kiddy pool? More than 4 waterslides that stretch more than a quarter of a mile? Check Coney Island’s calendar before your visit, to catch fun summer events like fireworks shows, too.

Enter the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza and travel up, up, up to the outdoor rooftop observation deck atop Carew Tower. The second-tallest building in the city, Carew Tower has been open for nearly a century and stands 49 storeys above downtown.

Families will enjoy the sweeping views of the city as they peer down on the pedestrians below. Help your kids find famous landmarks in the skyline as you take in the views. Adults will enjoy the observation deck just as much as the kids.

As BB Riverboats’s cruises embark from the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, you’ll have to take a short drive across Ohio’s famed John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge to get to this favourited Cincinnati activity. Known as the “Official Riverboat Cruise Line of Cincinnati”, BB Riverboats has offered a variety of river cruising experiences for approximately 4 decades.

Take a daytime sightseeing cruise with the kids (just about any kid loves a boat ride, after all) or book a dinner cruise for the older travellers in your party, for a unique date night.

It’s worth a stop by the Cincinnati Reds Museum if you have anyone in your family with an interest in sports and even if you and your family don’t get to catch a Cincinnati Reds baseball game during your visit to the city. The 16,000-sq-ft facility offers a range of exhibits over 2 floors, all on a self-guided tour that only takes about an hour. The museum is near many other favourited attractions in downtown Cincinnati, making it an easy stop on most itineraries.

The Highfield Discovery Center is an open-air, garden-set educational centre that will appeal to children and adults alike. Explore 12 acres of delightful fun and landscaping, including a 25-ft Discovery Tree and 7 small gardens.

Look for the frogs among the lily pads in the Frog & Toads Garden. Keep your eyes peeled for fairies and dragons in the Wizard’s Garden. Watch the trains go by in the Trolley Garden. Learn all about growing your own food in the Vegetable Garden. Sniff out your favourite smells in Grandma’s Scent Garden and then get up-close and personal with some butterflies in the Morph and Butterfly Gardens.

Cincinnati Nature Center shows that you won’t have to go far to enjoy a bit of nature while visiting Cincinnati. Though it's just a few minutes’ drive from downtown, it feels like it’s a world away. The centre is made up of more than 1,700 acres of forests and fields, dotted with beautiful waterways.

Take a hike on one of the trails that make up the centre’s 20-mile trail system, or just enjoy the beautiful colours that adorn the grounds all year long, from the spring flowers to the fall foliage. Kids and adults programming alike help round out any visit.

Cincinnati Fire Museum is a place you won’t want to miss if you have a child who dreams of being a firefighter one day. Even adults will enjoy learning about the history of firefighting in the birthplace of the profession.

Hour-long tours are suitable for all ages and led by a trained educator. Tours cover not only the history of firefighting and how the profession got its start in Cincinnati but also common fire hazards and how families can better protect themselves from home fires.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a first-of-its-kind museum in downtown Cincinnati. The museum’s location near the Ohio River is a significant part of its story, as the Ohio River was the natural barrier separating the US slave states from the free states of the North – and often the final barrier slaves would need to cross when travelling along the Underground Railroad.

Visitors learn all about this period of American history, as well as how racial issues and abolitionism still impact us today.

Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati has been delighting audiences for over a century. The theatre puts on a regular season of riveting productions, both new and old, all with top-tier talent and state-of-the-art tech.

Shows include the likes of Harriet Tubman: Straight Up Outta’ the Underground, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical, and more, including an array of family-friendly holiday productions. Performances feature diverse casts, educational storylines and moving messages the entire family will appreciate.