Must-see attractions in Cincinnati during the InterPore conference 2016

While the preparations for the 2016 InterPore annual meeting and conference in Cincinnati are proceeding, we would like to highlight a few attractions that you may consider visiting while planning your trip to the conference. Thus, in a series of new items, we will feature a few attractions in each issue of the newsletter. Here’s a list of the must-sees announced so far.

1. Fountain Square

The focal point of the Cincinnati city center, with its modern tower blocks, is Fountain Square. Fountain Square has been the symbolic center of Cincinnati since 1871. At Fountain Square you’ll discover tasty restaurants such as, Via Vite, Rock Bottom Brewery and Graeter’s, countless activities and events, such as Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, the US Bank Ice Rink, and the PNC Summer Music Series, along with many shopping destinations.

2. Over-the-Rhine

Over-the-Rhine (OTR) is Cincinnati’s oldest and most historic neighborhood, has been transformed and re-born! It contains the largest collection of Italianate architecture in the United States, and is an example of an intact 19th-century urban neighborhood. Since 2006, $93 million had been invested in the development of locally-owned restaurateurs, boutiques, shops and bars.

3. Arts & Backstage District

Located just north of Fountain Square, this district is home to the Aronoff Center, Contemporary Arts Center and 21c Museum Hotel, the number 1 hotel in the country by Condé Nast Traveler Readers. Nearby award-winning restaurant and entertainment venues include, Nicholson’s Tavern & Pub, Boca, Sotto, Nada, Igby’s, Silver Ladle, and Jeff Ruby’s.

4. Sawyer Point & Yeatman’s Cove

Stroll through this mile-long park along the Ohio River and enjoy the views and features that are sure to please the entire family. Sawyer Point & Yeatman’s Cove make up a mile long stretch of park along Cincinnati’s riverfront between Smale Riverfront Park and Berry International Friendship Park. Featuring award winning landscaping, a performance pavilion, concessions, 8 outdoor tennis courts, 3 sand volleyball courts, a world class playground, the Armeleder Memorial Sprayground, Wheel Fun Rentals, the Serpentine Wall, National Steamboat Monument and more. Plus, the park is home to many of the region’s most popular outdoor performances and festivals.

5. Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Opened in 1875, the Cincinnati Zoo is the second-oldest zoo in the nation and a National Historic Landmark that is consistently ranked as one of the top zoos in the country. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens are famed for their white Bengal tigers and gorillas. It also contains one of the largest insectariums in the world. The Zoo’s 75 acres house more than 580 animal species and 3,000 plant varieties making it one of the largest zoo collections in the U.S. This not-for-profit entity is internationally known for its success in the protection and propagation of endangered animals and plants and engages in research and conservation projects around the world.

6. Horseshoe Casino

Experience legendary non-stop gaming action at Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cincinnati, a variety of casual and fine dining options plus concerts and events indoors and out. Cincinnati’s downtown casino features 2,000 slot machines, 85 table games and a 31-table World Series of Poker® room. Choose from a multitude of dining and drink options including Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Jack Binion’s Steak, Bobby’s Burger Palace (first Ohio restaurant by celebrity chef Bobby Flay), The Spread Buffet, Rock Bar and a 24/7 Starbucks. The 400,000 square foot, two-story casino also offers multi-purpose and special function space and hosts a variety of events in the ballroom, The Pavilion and outdoor concert venue, The Shoe.

7. Music Hall

Enjoy glittering chandeliers, old world ambiance and spectacular performances inside Cincinnati’s Music Hall located in historic Over-the-Rhine. The splendidly renovated 1878 Music Hall is one of the finest buildings in Cincinnati. The facade contains arched entrance ways below one huge round window, and is flanked by two square towers. Inside, the Springer Auditorium hosts the Cincinnati Orchestra, Ballet, and Opera, as well as other performing arts groups, with seating for over 3500 people. It features two tiers of balconies and an ornate ceiling with decorative panels that give it a particular charm. Located in Over-the-Rhine overlooking Washington Park, Music Hall is home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, and May Festival Chorus among other local performing arts organizations.

8. Cincinnati Art Museum

Located in Eden Park, the Cincinnati Art Museum features prominent works of art, including sculpture, ceramics, and pictures from great civilizations of five millennia. On display is the permanent collection, along with temporary national and international exhibitions. Highlights of the collection include American and European painting and sculpture, Far East and African art, Decorative Arts, textiles, and photographs.

9. Newport on the Levee

Newport on the Levee is a multi-level urban retail entertainment center located on the south bank of the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky directly across from Downtown Cincinnati where guests can dine, shop, and walk along the Ohio River. It is home to the Newport Aquarium.

10. Cruise the Ohio River

Hop on board for a breathtaking cruise along the beautiful Ohio River aboard a historic riverboat. Take a cruise with BB Riverboats, a staple of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky riverfront for more than 30 years, and learn about the history of the river, take in a magnificent meal, or dance under the stars on an unbelievable journey you will never forget.

11. National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (Dayton)

The National Museum of the US Air Force is one of the oldest and largest military aviation museums in the world – located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. The museum explores the history of aviation and displays hundreds of aerospace vehicles and missiles. The museum offers tours of the facility, some of which allow visitors to see restoration projects in the works.

12. Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Central Kentucky is bourbon country. Kentucky Bourbon has a rich and storied history dating back 200 years. Its rolling meadows, limestone-filtered streams, and cool hardwood forests have long provided ideal conditions for producing the honey-colored drink as crucial to Kentucky legend as Daniel Boone himself.

13. Roebling Bridge

“CovingtonKY JARoeblingBridge” by Rdikeman.

When the Roebling Suspension Bridge opened to traffic in 1867 connecting Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio over the Ohio River, its span of 1057 feet was the longest in the world. John A. Roebling, whose next project was the Brooklyn Bridge, is the engineer responsible for creating this iconic feature of the Cinncinnati/Covington skyline which is now a National Historic Landmark. Its construction during the Civil War was particularly complicated since in this area, the Ohio River formed the border between the North and South.

14. Mammoth Caves National Park (Mammoth Cave, Kentucky)

Credit: NPS photo

Mammoth Caves National Park is the world’s longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles explored. Cave tours have been offered since 1816, which makes Mammoth Cave one of the oldest tour attractions in North America. While cave tours are the park’s big attraction, there is plenty more to do and explore while visiting this beautiful wilderness area, such as hiking, camping, horseback riding, fishing and kayaking. Located in south central Kentucky, it is about a 4-hour drive from Cincinnati, but especially if you’re new to the area, well worth the effort.