Local Attractions/Things to Do
Cincinnati Museum Center is housed in Union Terminal, an art deco train station and National Historic Landmark, and brings the world to Cincinnati through its more than 3 million specimens, artifacts, archival materials, and artworks. Free for SVP attendees October 18-21, with meeting badge – present at kiosk for all-entry ticket! (OMNIMAX theater separate charge)
From October 12 through October 23, conference attendees may present their badge or registration confirmation email at the box office to receive a complimentary Museum Admission ticket which includes access to Museum of Natural History & Science, Cincinnati History Museum, The Children’s Museum and Girlhood: It’s Complicated (starting October 14).
A 2021 USA Today reader’s poll named the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden the best in America.
From October 18 through October 22, SVP meeting attendees may present their badge to receive free access to the zoo.
You could travel to visit a rainforest or a desert – or come to Krohn Conservatory, Cincinnati Parks’ nationally recognized showcase of more than 3,500 plant species from around the world. Until October 22, the Conservatory presents First Flowers featuring Dinosaurs! – man-made botanical sculptures of dinosaurs and more in a conservatory filled with prehistoric plants such as cycads, horsetails, and ginkgo trees.
See paintings from Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Turner, and more at the Taft Museum of Art, a downtown Cincinnati historic house museum.
The Contemporary Arts Center by Zaha Hadid was called the “best new building since the cold war” by the New York Times, and admission is free!
Over the Rhine/Brewery District. Well-preserved 19th-century buildings pepper this onetime working-class German neighborhood now home to craft breweries, hip gastropubs, and trendy bars. Take the free streetcar to loop through it all!
If you like quirky neon, the American Sign Museum is for you.
Visit Findlay Market, operating continuously since 1852, for artisanal food and drink.
The Banks/Smale Riverfront Park. Food, drink, and fun abound at this riverside entertainment district, while park walking/biking trails run for miles.
Discover freedom’s heroes, and find your own, at The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
The Newport Aquarium, on the banks of the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky, immediately across the river from Cincinnati exhibits sharks, penguins, alligators and more.
Join Principal Guest Conductor Damon Gupton and the Cincinnati Pops at Music Hall for a symphonic celebration of Disney Music, animation, and memories – 100 years in the making, October 20!
One of the oldest arts institutions in the United States, the heart of the Cincinnati Art Museum is its rich collection of more than 67,000 works of art, celebrating 6,000 years of human creativity. Free excepting special exhibitions!
The world’s oldest professional baseball team has its own museum and hall of fame.
Designated as a National Historic Landmark, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is a hidden gem in the queen city with over 700 acres to explore.
A 5-minute drive from downtown Cincinnati, Mainstrasse Village in Covington, Kentucky is walkable and chock-full of eclectic shops, restaurants, and watering holes, all in a storybook setting.
The B-Line, northern Kentucky’s gateway to the self-guided Bourbon Trail includes 5 craft distilleries, 7 bourbon bars, and 6 bourbon-centric restaurants.
BB Riverboats in Newport, Kentucky offers cruises on the Ohio River.
The Cincinnati Observatory proudly calls itself “the birthplace of American astronomy.” Visitors can take a tour, watch a presentation, and explore the various displays of moon rocks and space suits – and there’s telescope viewing available both night and day!
Adjacent to the meeting hotels, the beating heart of downtown Cincinnati is Fountain Square, where you’ll find some of the best dining and entertainment that our vibrant city has to offer.