Heading off to Cincinnati tomorrow. So, what is there to do up there?
The zoo is good. Jungle Jim’s is a supermarket but unlike one that you have ever seen. It is worth a visit.
Stop at Graeter’s for ice cream!
Just across the river is Newport Aquarium and Newport on the Levee. The Aquarium is great and NotL is a nice little mall. There’s also a real Hofbrauhaus, if you want German food.
Chili is a specialty; try that if you want. The Art Museum is very nice, so is Union Station (?).
Cincinnati native. I second the chili; I prefer Skyline, but feel free to try both them and Gold Star if you have the chance. (There’s also a number of independent local shops; Camp Washington Chili is well regarded.) A three-way and a cheese coney is the way to eat like a local.
Graeters is good, but (IMO) Aglamecis Bros. is better. Plus, their original location still has the marble soda fountain counter, pressed tin ceiling, and Tiffany lamps.
Dewey’s is a local(ish? I don’t know where they started) pizza joint with excellent pies and a solid rotating beer selection. I prefer the Ryan’s Inferno (buffalo chicken) and Green Lantern (pesto, artichoke and garlic, IIRC) myself.
If you’re looking for night life, I’m probably not your guy. But Over-the-Rhine is an up-and-coming neighborhood with lots of hip new bars and clubs. Can’t specifically recommend any, though–I’ve not lived there in a couple of years. If you prefer a bit of history and a more laid-back, mature vibe, Arnold’s downtown is the city’s oldest bar, and was a speakeasy during Prohibition if I recall; they still have the bathtub that they made the gin in, not to mention a dumb-waiter for getting drinks and food upstairs. They usually have live music weekends at the minimum. One of my favorite places in town to drink, if not my absolute favorite.
In Norwood, which is an enclave of Cincinnati and my actual home town, Gordo’s Pub is worth checking out for a burger. Gastropub owned by a former chef from one of the fancier joints in town; good beer selection if a limited set of taps.
No idea what’s going on at the moment or whether you could get tix, but Music Hall is a gorgeous venue and worth a visit for a symphony or opera.
The Reds were baseball’s first professional team and the new stadium’s very nice, if you’re so inclined.
Ault Park is gorgeous, with lots of nice hiking trails. Frequented it in my youth. Krohn Conservatory is also worth a visit; the annual butterfly show is on now, so that’s an extra reason to check it out.
If you go no place else, go to Jungle Jim’s. I’m going to be in Ohio in August, and I wouldn’t miss it.
What about the amusement park the Bradys visited?
There’s only one amusement park in Cincinnati that’s worth mentioning, Kings Island. Probably only open weekends now. If you’re a coaster enthusiast, it’s worth it for The Beast if nothing else; some of the other coasters are quite good also (or at least I think they are; nostalgia may be coloring my lenses).