The Queen of the West‘s Best: A Cincinnati Walking Tour

Cincinnati has many names. It‘s been called the Queen City, Queen of the West, and Porkopolis. It was one of the first frontier towns in America‘s west. That‘s not the only first this great city has celebrated. It claims to have had the first professional baseball team, the First professional fire fighting brigade, the first reinforced steel skyscraper. On this walking tour, you‘ll be introduced to this city of firsts and its rich history.

The tour begins in front of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center where you‘ll hear about the role Cincinnati played as a Union state aiding fugitive slaves across the Ohio River. From there, you‘ll stroll through the city‘s revitalized downtown area, taking in the beautiful sprawling Smale Riverfront Park, the glorious John A Roebling Suspension Bridge, and the newly developed Banks area. From there, it's onto exploring more of the urban core of the town. On our way to the Cincinnati Music Hall where our tour ends, I‘ll point out the Ingalls building, the Great American Tower, and Fourth and Vine Tower, which was modeled after the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world!

On this two hour tour, you‘ll:

• Learn about the impact of the prominent German settlers who brought beer, commerce, and prosperity to Cincinnati and the Over-The-Rhine German enclave
• Peek inside the Carew Tower and marvel at its Art Deco opulence
• duke energy
• Enjoy a refreshing brew at Moerlein Lager House
• Take in the city landmarks from Paycor Stadium and Fountain Square‘s Tyler Davidson Fountain to the Isaac M Wise Temple and Cathedral Basilica of St Peter in Chains
• Spot the city‘s two member‘s club, University Club of Cincinnati and the Queen City Club
• Stroll through Washington Park and see the tombstones of some of the earliest inhabitants of the city

Along the way, you‘ll get the answers to questions like:

• How did Cincinnati get the quirky nickname, Porkopolis?
• What US presidents played a hand in the development of downtown Cincinnati?
• Why are there hundreds of names along the Black Brigade monument and who do they commemorate?
• When did the city nearly burn completely to the ground?
• Can I find the best chili that this city offers at skyline chili?
• Was Play-Doh really first invented in Cincinnati as a wallpaper cleaner?

So dive in and explore what makes Cincinnati an early frontier city that is still steeped in history today.