Cincinnati is a city suited for a queen

Cincinnati is a city where one can luckily be near Kentucky and still be in the heart of Ohio. Nicknamed The Queen City by the media to bolster commerce and true to the name, it rules as a place to visit.

Cincinnati, Ohio, is located near the Ohio River at the state line of Northern Kentucky and views surrounding the colossal Roebling Suspension Bridge are simply breathtaking.

Crossing the border is a breeze and much of the terrain is walkable from the downtown area.

Another way to travel around is the Cincinnati streetcar, which runs in a loop throughout the city. Emilio Estevez voices the audio track on the streetcar and after meeting him, this Nunn can vouch for how entertaining he is.

Cincy's architectural landscape is influenced by its German heritage and Italian villa structure, called Italianate. There are gigantic landmarks to see, such as the Great American Ballpark and the tallest building, known as the Great American Tower, at Queen City Square.

Begin your sightseeing adventure by roaming around Ohio and the Northern Kentucky regions while taking in museums.

Travelers might not even have to leave their accommodations to accomplish that with dynamic exhibitions located right inside the places they stay, like the 21c Museum Hotel. Inside the same business district are various murals painted on the sides of many buildings. Don't miss the Pride Love Wins fresco on 12th Street or the Cincinnati Toy Heritage celebrating Kenner Toys.

The American Sign Museum capitalizes on similar nostalgia with a collection of over 200 signs ranging from Frisch's Big Boy statue to a large 1963 McDonald's sign from Alabama.

The Cincinnati Museum Center is majestic outside and Barbie is in the house on the inside. The Mattel doll is just part of many rotating features inside, such as another female icon currently on display, French cooking chef Julia Child.

These museums are popular with school groups and kids are people too, so their art deserves recognition. Creative House of Art & Design is found in nearby Covington and is a queer family business run by Chad Turner. His team offers a rainbow of art classes for people of all ages and summer classes for the kids.

Skip across the rainbow crosswalk and play darts at lesbian-owned Rosie's Tavern or for a late-night hot spot, pop in to Bloom OTR. This three-letter acronym in the title refers to a neighborhood called Over the Rhine. Originally, German immigrants compared the area as being similar to the Rhine River region in their homeland. There are over 50 neighborhoods to explore, such as this, while out and about.

The arts scene in this bustling city is alive and thriving. Witness the $51 million restorative renovations at the Emery Theatre. It's currently under construction and the process is moving fast to facilitate a fall 2025 grand opening.

Movie theaters are also a priority, OutReels Cincinnati is held annually in November and highlights queer cinema for the community. The city has filmed numerous movies over the years, such as Rainman, at the previously mentioned Roebling Suspension Bridge in the past and most recently, Robert De Niro's The Alto Knights. Knights was partially filmed in the Hilton Netherland Plaza, where a bar titled 1931 can be found. It's the perfect place for an after-dinner spirit and features liquor from the locally lesbian-owned distillery New Riff Distilling.

For another hidden haunt, hop over to Ghost Baby if you can find it at 1311 Vine Street. Unwind underground in a tunnel turned into a speakeasy with jazzy live bands and moody lighting. They serve THC cocktails as well as another establishment that embraces the tetrahydrocannabinol future, The Green Door, Greater Cincinnati's first Cannabis dry bar. Grab a mushroom-infused mocktail at this recently opened venue and enjoy the ride!

These are just some of the hidden gems found inside the tristate region. The song from the Leonard Bernstein musical Wonderful Town asks the question, “Why, oh, did I leave Ohio?” and many travelers may not want to leave this area after experiencing all that The Queen of the West has to offer.

Explore more at visitcincy.com.