15 minute read
Arts & Culture
The Swing House.
Unique Attractions
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Hailey Bollinger
From ventriloquism and lucky cat museums to old-school amusement parks and oddities shops, the Queen City is full of strange and obscure attractions. You won’t find many of these destinations in most Cincinnati guide books, and that’s why we love them.
Vent Haven Museum
The world has just one museum dedicated to the art and history of ventriloquism, and it’s right here in the Greater Cincinnati area. Fort Mitchell’s Vent Haven Museum is home to 900 (and counting) unique sidekicks, some dating back to the 19th century. They’re joined by an exhaustive collection of ephemera and historical archives, documenting what many consider the world’s greatest art form. The museum also hosts the international ConVENTion every year for hundreds of ventriloquists. To make more space for their large collection, they are currently in the process of adding more buildings to their campus — housed on the property of the now-deceased founder. 33 W. Maple Ave., Fort Mitchell, venthaven.org.
Lucky Cat Museum
Located inside Essex Studios, the museum boasts a one-of-a-kind collection of Japanese maneki neko “lucky cat” figures. The glass displays stretch across the walls, containing thousands of styles, colors and sizes of cats. Some are golden, others white with red ears and a green bib. Some don black fur or are chipped. Some are stuffed, others ceramic and plastic. There are some wacky ones, too. All of them, however, carry an undeniable charm. There’s even a gift shop. 2511 Essex Place, Walnut Hills, luckycatmewseum.com.
The Swing House
The Swing House is a whole-building art project — a freestanding 1880s three-story brick home in Camp Washington where owner and artist Mark de Jong has removed the interior walls and upper floors and built a swing right in the middle of the opened-up interior. Made from pine that he salvaged from third-floor joists, the swing is attached by 30 feet of natural-fiber rope to a metal beam on the ceiling. The artist hosts open houses from time to time, but the space is also available for rent on Airbnb. 1373 Avon Place, Camp Washington, swing-house.com.
Loveland Castle
Former World War I army medic and Boy Scout troop leader Harry Delos Andrews
Voting results from CityBeat’s 2021 readers’ poll Art Gallery
1. Contemporary Arts Center 2. 21c Museum Hotel 3. Pendleton Art Center
Art Museum
1. Cincinnati Art Museum 2. National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center 3. Contemporary Arts Center
Artworks Mural
1. “Fiona and Bibi at the Cincinnati
Zoo” 2. “Cincinnati Toy Heritage” 3. “Charley Harper’s Beguiled by the
Wild” 4. “Martha, the Last Passenger
Pigeon” 5. “Ezzard Charles: The Cincinnati
Cobra” 6. “Democracy!” 7. “Mr. Dynamite” 8. “Dream Big and Fly High” 9. “Homecoming (Blue Birds)” 10. “Swing Around Rosie”
Charity Festival/Event
1. Cincinnati Pride 2. Flying Pig Marathon 3. My Furry Valentine
Church Festival
1. Panegyri Greek Festival 2. CincItalia 3. St. Cecilia Parish Festival
Fountain Square Event
1. Ice Rink on Fountain Square 2. Reds Opening Day Rally on the
Square 3. Light Up the Square
Free Attraction
1. Findlay Market 2. Smale Riverfront Park 3. Cincinnati Art Museum 4. Jungle Jim’s International Market 5. Cincinnati Public Library 6. Washington Park 7. Tunes & Blooms at the Cincinnati
Zoo & Botanical Garden 8. Contemporary Arts Center 9. Fountain Square 10. 21c Museum Hotel
1. The Dent Schoolhouse 2. Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt 3. The USS Nightmare 4. Land of Illusion Haunted Scream
Park 5. All Hallow’s Eve Terror Town 6. Horror Hike Haunted Trail 7. Sandyland Acres 8. Brimstone Haunt 9. Fenwick Haunt 10. The Mayhem Mansion
Holiday Light Display
1. Festival of Lights (Cincinnati Zoo &
Botanical Garden) 2. Christmas Nights of Lights (Coney
Island) 3. Journey BOREALIS (Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum)
Instagram Account
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (@cincinnatizoo) 2. Cincinnati Refined (@cincyrefined) 3. The Friends of the Public Library (@cincylibraryfriends)
Kid-Friendly Attraction
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Kings Island 3. Duke Energy Children’s Museum at the Cincinnati Museum Center 4. Great Parks of Hamilton County 5. Cincinnati Parks 6. Newport Aquarium 7. Cincinnati Art Museum 8. Coney Island 9. The Friends of the Public Library
Warehouse 10. ComedySportz
Local Actor/Actress
1. Bob Herzog 2. Andrew Maloney 3. Annie Fitzpatrick
Local Artist
1. Leah Noumoff 2. Pam Kravetz 3. Shay Nartker
Local Author
1. Phil Nuxhall 2. Curtis Sittenfeld 3. Travis McElroy
Local Classical Music Group
1. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 2. Cincinnati Pops 3. MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir built Château Laroche over the course of 50 years with handmade bricks (formed with quart-sized paper milk cartons) and stones from the nearby Little Miami River. Modeled after European castles, it features towers, a dry moat, hand-tiled ceilings, murder holes and a collection of period weaponry. The castle grounds are available for picnics, overnights and private parties and are rumored to be haunted by a variety of ghosts. 12025 Shore Drive, Loveland, lovelandcastle.com.
Glendale’s Black Squirrels
Stroll through the Cincinnati suburb of Glendale, and you might notice its rambunctious mascot scurrying up trees or across lawns. And we’re not talking about a human in a costume; the black squirrel, a color morph of the species Sciurus carolinensis, aka the eastern gray squirrel, is a unique inhabitant of the village. As the legend goes, businessman Thomas Carruthers III brought back two black squirrels from Harbor Springs, Michigan in the 1940s. The population grew in the following decades. And to pay tribute to this local quirk, 5-foot-tall fiberglass squirrel statues dot Glendale’s streets and yards. Twenty-five squirrel statues were revealed in 2005 as part of the village’s sesquicentennial celebration. Of those, 13 can still be viewed today; the others have been moved to private property or were sold. glendaleheritage.org/glendale-squirrels.
Butler County Donut Trail
Just a short 45-minute jaunt from Cincinnati is a magical place called Butler County, home to one of the largest number of donut shops per capita in the Midwest. And among these donut shops are 13 family-run establishments that have come together to offer humans a chance to test the limits of their interest in fried and filled dough, as well as their blood glucose levels. Get an official Donut Trail passport stamped at all nine and get a free T-shirt. Various locations throughout Butler County, gettothebc.com/ donut-trail.
The Mercantile Library
The Mercantile Library — located on the 11th and 12th floors of a downtown office building — is Cincinnati’s own Room of Requirement (for those who aren’t Harry Potter fans, basically it’s just an extraordinarily cool, secret space). Open since 1835, this membership library (one of only a two dozenish left in the U.S.) is home to more than 80,000 books, dynamic lecture series — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ray Bradbury, Tom Wolfe, Julia Child are just a handful of names who have spoken here — concerts, yoga classes and cocktail hours. While you have to be a member to check out books, the public is welcome to wander the stacks, attend events and marvel at the luddite luxury of this classic club. 414 Walnut St., Downtown, mercantilelibrary.com.
American Sign Museum
Get lost in the ads and landmarks of yesteryear. Winding pathways of colorful signage give way to a mocked-up Main Street, with faux storefronts, cobblestone and giant logos from Howard Johnson, McDonald’s and Marshall Field. From roadside nos-
Black squirrels statues can be seen all over Glendale.
talgia and a looming Big Boy to pharmacy signs and gas station markers, the flashing lights, buzzing electricity and rotating wonders are almost a sensory overload. Almost. Guided and self-guided tours available. 1330 Monmouth Ave., Camp Washington, americansignmuseum.org.
Stricker’s Grove
Stricker’s Grove is closed to the public for most of the year, save for a few special days in the summer and fall (or if you feel like renting it out for a private event). This family-owned and operated, 25-acre old-fashioned amusement park is home to tons of nostalgic games and classic rides. Play mini-golf and arcade games or take a ride on the Ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirl or swinging pirate ship. If it’s thrills you seek, hop on one of their two roller coasters: the Teddy Bear or Tornado. The wooden Tornado, completed in 1993, was constructed by park owner Ralph Stricker. 11490 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton, strickersgrove.com.
The Anderson Ferry
This nationally registered historic site has been in operation since 1817, transporting people and goods across the Ohio River, from the West Side to Northern Kentucky. It used to be powered by horses walking on a treadmill, but now people use it as a shortcut to the airport. Still a fun novelty. Buy a ticket, drive your car onto the barge, go across the river and come back. 1 Anderson Ferry Road, Delhi, andersonferry.com.
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum
With 15,000 square feet of treasures, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is a wonderland to any baseball fan. The interactive, historical museum celebrates those who paved the way for the Reds’ legacy of quality ball. Through memorabilia, vintage uniforms, art and powerful stories, the Hall explores Reds history with exhibits dedicated to the Negro Leagues, Cooperstown honorees, broadcasting greats, the team’s former ballparks and World Series wins. 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, mlb. com/reds/hall-of-fame.
Cincinnati Fire Museum
Cincinnati was the home of the first professional paid fire department in the country. The museum preserves and exhibits Greater Cincinnati’s firefighting artifacts from the last 200 years. A permanent installation honors Paula Duncan-Anderson, one of the city’s first Black female firefighters. 315 W. Court St., Downtown, cincyfiremuseum.com.
Cincinnati’s First Police Dog at the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum
Handsome was the city’s first police dog. Found by a patrolman in 1898 as an abandoned puppy, the mutt quickly became a fixture at the police station and soon joined daily patrols, chasing down thieves and murderers. He reportedly assisted in hundreds of arrests in the course of his career. After his death in 1912, the beloved Handsome was stuffed and placed in a glass case to honor his contributions. He is now on public view at the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum, also home to thousands of local law enforcement artifacts and a memorial wall to fallen local, state and federal officers. 308 Reading Road, Pendleton, police-museum.org.
Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum
One of the largest cemeteries in the U.S. — 773 sprawling acres — featuring a bird sanctuary and park. This National Historic Landmark is the final resting place of many famous (and not-so-famous) Cincinnatians,
Local Comedian
1. Gary Owen 2. Steve Caminiti (TIE) 2. Mark Borison (TIE) 3. Josh Sneed
Megan Waddel
Local Dance Group
1. Cincinnati Ballet 2. Cin City Burlesque 3. McGing Irish Dancers
Local Filmmaker
1. Cincy Stories 2. Mark Borison 3. Biz Young
Local Improv/Sketch Comedy Group
1. Improv Cincinnati 2. OTRimprov 3. ComedySportz
Local Theater Company
1. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 2. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company 3. The Children’s Theatre of
Cincinnati
Local Tour
1. American Legacy Tours 2. Spring Grove Cemetery Tours 3. ArtWorks Mural Tours
1. MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir 2. May Festival Chorus 3. Cincinnati Youth Choir
Movie Theater
1. Esquire Theatre 2. Mariemont Theatre 3. AMC Newport on the Levee 20
Museum
1. Cincinnati Museum Center 2. Cincinnati Art Museum 3. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Old Thing
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Findlay Market 3. Union Terminal
Opportunities for Local Artists
1. The City Flea 2. ArtWorks 3. ArtsWave
Public Artwork
1. ArtWorks Murals 2. “Fiona the Ballerina” by Joshua
Stout 3. Winold Reiss industrial murals at the Cincinnati Museum Center
Pumpkin Patch/Farm
1. Blooms & Berries Farm Market and Garden Center 2. Shaw Farms 3. Gorman Heritage Farm
Regional Arts Theater
1. Dayton Contemporary Dance
Company (Dayton, Ohio) 2. Actors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, Kentucky) 3. Human Race Theatre Company (Dayton, Ohio)
Regional Museum
1. COSI (Columbus, Ohio) 2. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, Indiana) 3. National Museum of the United
States Air Force (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio)
Washington Park Event
1. The City Flea 2. Summer Cinema 3. Opera in the Park
Carew Tower Observation Deck
Jesse Fox
from Salmon P. Chase and Skip Prosser to William Procter and James Gamble. But for local ale fanatics, it’s worth making a pilgrimage to the cemetery just for one of their Beer Baron tours, where guides lead you on a walk to visit the graves and ornate mausoleums of the likes of Christian Moerlein, John Kauffman of the Kauffman Brewing Company and more. Frequent other themed tours available. 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove, springgrove.org.
Carew Tower Observation Deck
Completed in 1930, Carew Tower is one of the world’s finest examples of French art deco architecture and includes Rookwood Pottery floral tiles, an Art Deco shopping center and the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel (complete with a Great Gatsby-esque hotel bar and five-diamond restaurant). One of downtown’s tallest skyscrapers, the viewing area and observation deck on top of the building features a wonderful panoramic view of downtown, the Ohio River and Northern Kentucky. 441 Vine St., Downtown.
Brewing Heritage Trail Tour
Once one of the largest brewing boomtowns in 19th-century America, the Queen City was home to major pre-Prohibition beer kingpins and, in recent years, has bolstered an ever-expanding craft brewing scene. Over-the-Rhine’s Brewing Heritage Trail explores, preserves and celebrates the city’s storied past as a beer-producing capital with a series of guided tours and a free walking trail. “Hop on” the trail at either terminus — which stretches about three-fourths of a mile between Findlay Market (1801 Race St.) and Grant Park (73 E. McMillan Ave.) in Over-the-Rhine — and follow embedded medallions in the sidewalk to discover historic buildings, brewing sites, public art and more. A number of guided tours are also available to complement the self-guided trail. Brewing Heritage Trail, brewingheritagetrail.com.
The B-Line
Cincinnati may be well known for its beer but, for something stronger, hop over the Ohio River into Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Craft Trail Tour. The Craft Trail features almost two dozen artisan microdistilleries broken into four regions, including Northern Kentucky, where local New Riff Distilling (24 Distillery Way, Newport, newriffdistilling. com) and Second Sight Spirits (301 Elm St., Ludlow, secondsightspirits.com) sit as two stops. It’s an artsy alternative to the big Bourbon Trail and still has its own passport at kybourbontrail.com. For something even more local, Northern Kentucky’s B-Line features stops at nearby distilleries and bourboncentric bars and restaurants to help enthusiasts find their sipping point. findyoursippingpoint.com.
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum
Art appreciation and fresh air aren’t mutually exclusive, at least at Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. The 300-acre nonprofit outdoor art park features more than 80 “monumental outdoor sculptures displayed in a landscape of rolling hills, meadows, lakes and hiking trails” — from abstract metallic works to realistic figures hewn in stone. If you don’t feel like walking, the park rents out special Art Carts (aka golf carts) on a first-come, first-served basis. During select winter nights, you can also get in your own vehicle for a special 2.5-mile drive-through holiday light display. 1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton, pyramidhill.org.
Newport Aquarium Shark Bridge
Ever wonder what it would feel like to walk the plank into shark-infested waters? Well, you can get a little taste of the experience by venturing across Newport Aquarium’s Shark Bridge, the world’s first rope bridge to be suspended above a shark tank — just inches above the 3,000-gallon Surrounded by Sharks exhibit. Thankfully, once you complete the 75-foot-long walk over more than a dozen sharks, shark rays, stingrays and fish, you’ll end up safely on the other side of the tank, not splashing down next to an apex predator. 1 Aquarium Way, Newport, newportaquarium.com.
Cincinnati Gets a Hard Rock Casino
Get ready to add to your T-shirt collection. The iconic rock-memorabiliainfused tourist favorite Hard Rock Cafe is now open in Cincinnati’s freshly rebranded Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati (formerly JACK Casino).
And, yes, that means you can get your official Hard Rock Cafe Cincinnati shirt.
The cafe — which exclusively welcomes those 21 and older — opened to the public in July 2021.
The first Hard Rock Cafe premiered in London in 1971, and the brand now has more than 185 locations in over 74 countries.
Along with collectibles, the cafe offers lunch and dinner with a focus on freshground burgers and cocktails. The Cincinnati location will “continually” update its menu with limited-time offerings.
In addition to eats, there is gambling, of course — it’s a casino.
Hard Rock includes 1,800 slot and other gaming machines and 100 tables, as well as 33,000 square feet of conference space, six restaurants and two bars.
Bonus: Hard Rock in fact “rocks” with plenty of live concerts.
And, as with other locations of the chain, the Cincinnati casino is also full of celebrity memorabilia. Inside you’ll see iconic keepsakes worn or owned by a wide genre of artists including outfits from Stevie Nicks, KISS and Lady Gaga, plus Eddie Van Halen’s 1996 933 Porsche. Local artist Jenny Ustick also created a vibrant mural for the space, representing famous Ohio musicians including Tracy Chapman, Rosemary Clooney and Queen City Funk king Bootsy Collins. 1000 Broadway St., Pendleton, hardrockcasinocincinnati.com.
Hailey Bollinger
TOUR through private and public spaces in this majestic structure led by our knowledgeable guides. SEE for yourself how it reflects the spirit of both past and present. DISCOVER our work to restore the finial ornamentations.
Explore The History
Indoor Tours of Music Hall Return!
