Cincinnati Attractions

This "spacious" Eden Park "gem" is "one of the more sophisticated museums in the country", offering a "good collection of art for a city this size" "appealingly displayed" in light-filled galleries; even better, visitors "love the fact that there's no admission fee" to view a permanent collection that ranges from Greek "funerary lions" to "Chagall's rooster painting" (there are charges for special exhibits); P.S. there's also an "exquisite" terrace cafe.

You'll find "lots to do" at this "must-see" museum that tells the city's history from its frontier-post beginnings through the early 1900s; guided by costumed storytellers, visitors can board a 94-ft. sidewheel steamboat, speak with a WWII-era housewife or explore a "great scale model" of 1940s Cincinnati; and thanks to its location in the "amazing", restored art deco train station that is Museum Center, it's a "wonderful way to spend the day."

"Beautifully laid out" and "easy to navigate", this Evendale attraction is also "the perfect size": big enough to have "something captivating around every manicured corner" but "small enough to be manageable in a day"; its "wide array of exhibits" allows visitors to "come face-to-face with underwater polar bears", "spooky vampire bats" and other "unique animals", or take in over 3,000 varieties of plants in the "lush botanical gardens"; P.S. as "one of the oldest zoos in the country", it's been designated a National Historic Landmark.

The other attractions at this Andersen amusement park "are just accessories" to the "spectacular" Sunlite Pool, where "lifeguards need boats to get to the center" of the "largest recirculating pool in the world" (a three-million-gallon affair complete with sun decks, waterslides and six diving boards); "a Cincinnati tradition" since 1867, this nostalgic destination also has retro rides like Dodgem Cars and bumper boats, as well as a miniature-golf course and picnic areas overlooking the Ohio River.

Founded in 1939, this contemporary art pioneer is now housed in a Zaha Hadid–designed concrete-and-glass structure Downtown; with no permanent collection, the 80,000-sq.-ft. museum hosts temporary exhibitions and installations that range from drawing and painting to sculpture, photography and video; there's also a performance space and a floor – dubbed the UnMuseum – dedicated to interactive, touchable art; N.B. free on Mondays from 5–9 PM.

There's "not a bad seat in the house" at this Downtown stadium that's home to the Cincinnati Reds, baseball's oldest club; it's a "terrific venue" where big league fans can down bratwursts and kielbasa – along with more standard baseball fare – as they watch the grass-field action or ogle the state-of-the-art scoreboard; N.B. there's a separate admission fee for the 16,000-sq.-ft. Hall of Fame & Museum, which documents the team's history and is open year-round.

Built in 1933, Eden Park's "gorgeous" "old-school" greenhouse, a five-room mega-terrarium filled with over 3,500 species of "exotic plants from around the world" (rainforests, deserts, the tropics), feels like a "hidden gem" – especially "on a cold winter's day" or in late spring at the "spectacular" annual Butterfly Show; it's a "favorite for all ages", and its "manageable size" means the permanent displays "can be done in an hour or less."

One of several institutions in the landmarked Union Terminal (home to the Cincinnati Museum Center), this "great" option is especially "interesting" for sometime spelunkers who are bound to appreciate the "very realistic" simulated limestone cave whose 500 feet of passageways house a live brown-bat colony; back up in the light, "be impressed by" the crevasses of a glacial ice cavern, scout the Ohio River valley of 17,000 BC or watch staffers preserve newly collected fossils.

"One of the best" of its ilk, this facility has drawn over six million visitors (since 1990) for its repertoire of eye-popping films that capture the thrills of mountaineering, the lives of prehistoric sea creatures or the rugged terrain on Mars; the five-story domed screen and 15,000-watt digital sound system may make the "realistic images" too intense for some, but the rest of the Museum Center – located in historic Union Terminal – is suitable for all.

Reopened in 2004 after a two-year renovation, this National Historic Landmark in Downtown Cincinnati has doubled in size, adding 20,000 sq. ft. of space that includes a gallery for special exhibitions, a performance and lecture facility, a tearoom and a redesigned garden; the permanent collection runs the gamut from American and European art to Chinese ceramics and a display of 17th–19th century timepieces; N.B. free on Wednesdays.

This "enjoyable course" owned by the Hamilton County Park District "keeps you coming back" and is "always a good challenge" given "well-maintained" fairways lined with "lots of big old trees" (look for "beautiful foliage" in the fall) and greens that strike some as being "too tiered for the average golfer"; although play can be "slow on weekends", a "friendly staff" and "excellent rates" help to make it a "very good value."