|
Cincinnati Attractions
Newport Aquarium
1 AQUARIUM WAY
Newport, KY 41071 USA Phone: (800) 406-3474
Newport Aquarium, off I-471 exit 5 (SR 8), then w. following signs to One Aquarium Way at Newport on the Levee, displays thousands of aquatic creatures from every continent and ocean. Its 14 themed galleries include Shark Central, a touch tank where visitors can pet a shark; Shore Gallery, whose touch pool is populated by starfish, crabs and urchins; Dangerous & Deadly, inhabited by piranhas, poison dart frogs and pufferfish; and The Riverbank, with fish and foliage native to the Ohio River region.
'Gator Bayou, a swampland with alligators snapping beneath a footbridge; Surrounded by Sharks, with an up-close view of the sharp-toothed creatures swimming over and around visitors; Kingdom of Penguins; and Jellyfish Gallery are other exhibits. Rainforests and a coral reef also can be visited. Five acrylic tunnels, murals and a theater disguised as a pirate's ship help set the tone.
Food is available. Allow 2 hours minimum.
Admission: Admission $17.95; over 64, $15.95; ages 3-12, $10.95. Parking $3-$5
Attraction Type: Aquariums
Hours: Sun.-Fri. 9-7, Sat. 9-9, Memorial Day-Labor Day; daily 10-6, rest of year. Phone ahead to confirm schedule
Credit Cards: AE, DS, MC, VI
Abraham Lincoln Statue
501 E. 4th St.
Cincinnati OH 45202 USA
Abraham Lincoln Statue is in Lytle Park at 4th and Pike sts. The figure is a replica of a 1917 work by noted sculptor George Grey Barnard; the original is in Manchester, England.
BB Riverboats
101 RIVERBOAT ROW
Newport, KY 41071 USA Phone: (800) 261-8586
BB Riverboats depart from Riverboat Row behind Newport Aquarium and from Madison Avenue Docks in Covington. The company offers 1-hour narrated sightseeing cruises on the Ohio River leaving from Newport. The lunch, brunch, dinner, holiday and specialty cruises depart from Covington .
BB Riverboats, departing from Riverboat Row behind Newport Aquarium, offers 1-hour narrated sightseeing cruises on the Ohio River. The company also offers lunch, dinner and specialty cruises departing from the dock at Newport Landing.
Admission: Fare $13.95; over 60, $12.95; ages 4-12, $7.95. Reservations are required
Attraction Type: Sightseeing tours-Boats
Hours: Sightseeing cruises depart daily at 11:30, 1 and 2:30, Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day. Other cruises offered year-round
Credit Cards: AE, DS, MC, VI
The Beach Waterpark
2590 Water Park Dr.
Mason OH 45040 USA Phone: (513) 398-7946
The Beach Waterpark is off I-71 exit 25A at 2590 Waterpark Dr. This 35-acre park has nearly 50 waterslides and rides. Visitors can enjoy inner tube rides, children's water areas, a wave pool, a leisure pool, sand volleyball courts and live entertainment.
Food and drink may not be brought into the park; a picnic area is on the east side of the parking lot. Food is available.
Admission: All-day pass $26.99; over 59 and ages 5-9, $10.99. Phone to confirm prices
Attraction Type: Amusement & theme parks; Water parks
Hours: Open daily at 10, Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day; closing times vary
Credit Cards: AE, DS, MC, VI
Behringer-Crawford Museum
1600 Montague Rd.
Covington, KY 41011 USA Phone: (859) 491-4003
Behringer-Crawford Museum is off I-71/75 exit 191 (Pike St./12th St.), following signs to 1600 Montague Rd. in Devou Park. The museum has several galleries that describe the natural history and culture of northern Kentucky and the Ohio Valley, including one dedicated to fossils and prehistoric man. Other rooms contain information about pioneers and riverboats, and an art gallery features changing exhibits. Devou Park provides scenic views of Covington and nearby Cincinnati.
Allow 30 minutes minimum.
Admission: Admission $4; over 59 and ages 3-18, $3. Rates may change for special events
Attraction Type: Art Galleries & Museums; Exhibits & Collections-Historical; Museums
Hours: Tues.-Fri. 10-5, Sat.-Sun. 1-5, Feb.-Dec.; closed major holidays
Credit Cards: MC, VI
Big Bone Lick State Park
3380 Beaver Rd.
Union KY 41091 USA Phone: (859) 384-3522
Big Bone Lick State Park, off SR 338 at 3380 Beaver Rd., is the site of prehistoric animal remains. The creatures came to lick the salt produced by the springs; some became mired in the mud and died. A loop trail leads to dioramas; the last of the springs; marshy areas, grasslands and savanna; and a herd of bison. A museum displays some of the items discovered during archeological digs.
Big Bone Lick State Park, off SR 338 at 3380 Beaver Rd., is the site of prehistoric animal remains. The creatures came to lick the salt produced by the springs; some became mired in the mud and died. A museum displays some of the items discovered during archeological digs; a visitor's center also contains exhibits. A herd of bison can be seen from the park's Discovery Trail.
Admission: Park and museum free
Attraction Type: Archeological Sites; Fossils; Museums; Parks, city/state/provincial
Hours: Park open daily dawn-dusk; closed for a week in late Dec. Museum hours vary; phone for schedule
Cincinnati Art Museum
953 Eden Park Dr.
Cincinnati OH 45202 USA Phone: (513) 639-2995
Cincinnati Art Museum is off I-71 exit 2, following signs to Eden Park. The museum's more than 88 galleries review the visual arts of most major civilizations over the past 6,000 years through sculpture, paintings, prints, musical instruments, costumes, photographs, decorative arts and period rooms. Masterpieces from such artists as Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh are on display as well as artifacts from Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. Asian, African and American Indian works of art also are included.
The Cincinnati Wing features paintings, sculpture and decorative arts by, for and about Cincinnatians from 1788 to the present. Catalogs and computer stations are included in a study room.
Food is available.
Admission: Free. Fees may be charged for special exhibits
Attraction Type: Art Galleries & Museums; Museums
Hours: Tues. 11-5, Wed. 11-9, Thurs.-Sun. 11-5; closed Thanksgiving and Dec. 25
Credit Cards: AE, MC, VI
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
3400 Vine St.
Cincinnati OH 45220 USA Phone: (513) 281-4700
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is reached via I-75 exit 6, following signs to the Auto Gate. In a garden setting, the zoo houses some of the world's rarest animals, including Sumatran rhinoceroses, white Bengal tigers and lowland gorillas. Manatee Springs house two manatees, alligators and crocodiles; orangutans reside in the Jungle Trail; Vanishing Giants is home to elephants and giraffes; and the highlight of Lords of the Arctic is an underwater view of two polar bears. Animal shows are offered in the summer, as are tram and train rides. More than 3,000 varieties of plants grace the 75-acre grounds.
Allow 3 hours minimum.
Admission: Admission $12.95; over 62, $10.95; ages 2-12, $7.95. Parking $6.50. Phone to confirm prices
Attraction Type: Gardens; Zoological parks/exhibits
Hours: Daily 9-5; closed Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Closing times vary; phone ahead. Last admission 1 hour before closing
Credit Cards: DS, MC, VI
|
|
