This blog post is sponsored by Cincinnati Experience. As always, all opinions and pictures are my own unless noted otherwise.
We love Cincinnati – let’s just start with that! Located just two hours from Columbus, Cincinnati is an easy drive perfect for a fun family getaway. Explore the beautiful parks, see animals at the Cincinnati zoo, eat at one of their incredible restaurants, stay at a Cincinnati-themed hotel, and so much more! Between the restaurants, attractions, and events, there are many fun things to do in Cincinnati that your family will love.
This last trip, we wanted to explore new to us spots and at the same time make sure we were choosing places that we were comfortable visiting, as it was one of our first weekend trips where we would be taking since businesses started opening back up. We chose places with limited capacity, timed entries, outdoor options, and clear safety procedures. Each business you’ll read about below made us feel safe, and all of their safety precautions put us at ease right away.
Where to Go
Highfield Discovery Garden – Great Parks of Hamilton County
Our first stop was Highfield Discovery Garden, located in the beautiful Glenwood Gardens, a part of the Great Parks of Hamilton County. This 12-acre garden is geared toward children ages 3-8, but I think Stephen and I had just as much fun exploring. Along with the 25-foot Discovery Tree (even more impressive in person), there are seven smaller gardens to explore. We found frogs & toads among the lily pads, a giant purple wizard’s hat, trains running through our favorite storybook characters, fields to run through, and so much more.
After your imagination runs wild through the Discovery tree, train track, and tea party house – look for this guy.
A walk through this caterpillar, you’ll find even more to explore. Green space to run, flowers blooming everywhere, large trees to tell stories under, a hike that leads to fairies, and more!
Watch this short video to get a glimpse into our super fun day
It was the ideal escape from the daily grind + a great way to slowly get back into exploring safely as it was effortless to socially distance ourselves throughout the gardens.
Address: 10397 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45215
Hours: Monday: Closed
Tuesday–Saturday: 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday: Noon–5 p.m.
Cost: $5.25/person, Under 2: Free
Perkys Farm
From goats and horses to gardens and bees to barnyards and playgrounds, Parky’s Farm is an educational farm located within Winton Woods. With more than 100 acres, including indoor and outdoor playgrounds, picnic shelters, gardens, orchards, and animals, Parky’s Farm is a great way to spend any day with the family.
Disclaimer: When we went, Parky’s Playbarn, wagon rides, and pony rides were unavailable due to COVID-19. They are pretty great about updating their website with details. I suggest checking before visiting. With that being said, we couldn’t have had more fun exploring! The girls loved the playground and being able to get up close with the animals.
Address: 10073 Daly Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45231
Website
American Sign Museum
The American Sign Museum is a must-visit for ALL ages. This museum is dedicated to the art and history of commercial signs and sign making. From early, pre-electric signs adorned in gold leaf, to the earliest electric signs, to beautiful art-deco neon, to the modern plastic-faced sign, the museum covers it all. I knew the girls would love this because they’re obsessed with Christmas lights!! They couldn’t stop looking all around, pointing and yelling every color they saw – fascinated by all that they saw.
ꜰᴜɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ: ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀʀɢᴇꜱᴛ ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ᴍᴜꜱᴇᴜᴍ ᴅᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱɪɢɴꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴛᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴇꜱ! ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴇᴜᴍ ɪꜱ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ɪɴ ɪꜱ ᴏᴠᴇʀ 100 ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴏʟᴅ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴇᴜᴍ’ꜱ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ ᴏᴠᴇʀ 100 ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ꜱɪɢɴ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ, ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀᴛᴇ 1800ꜱ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ 1970ꜱ!
Walking in their safety precautions put me right at ease. Visitor capacity reduced at or below 25% occupancy at any time with timed reservations required. I noticed they were cleaning high-touch surfaces frequently + they had hand-sanitizer units stationed throughout the building.
Address: 1330 Monmouth Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45225
Website | Facebook
Tip: Looking for lunch after your visit? Just around the corner is Camp Washington Chili – a Cincinnati tradition for over 75 Years!
Where to Stay
The Graduate is a perfect hotel to stay in when you’re exploring a new city. They are hand-crafted boutique hotels located in the heart of the most dynamic University towns in America. Graduate Cincinnati is located right on campus and celebrates local legends and the city’s standout architecture in every room. This was a really fun spot to stay in because Stephen went to UC, so he loved all the nods to Cincinnati throughout the building. The girls and I loved how bright, funky, and fun interior design was. Our room was super comfortable, and the beds were low to the ground, making it perfect for toddlers.
When we first walked in, besides noticing the amazing decor – I mentioned to Stephen how clean the entire room was and how great our view was. In partnership with the Cleveland Clinic and Procter & Gamble, they’ve created Graduate Cares – their “commitment to putting the health and safety of our customers and associates at the very forefront of our experience.”
A few of the things they’re doing are to keep us safe ….
- Contact-free check-in protocol, which meant we were safely on our way to our room in minutes.
- You put your key in a drop box located in the lobby or at each elevator landing when checking out.
- All lobby counters, including the front desk and high-touch surfaces, are cleaned frequently throughout the day using EPA-approved disinfectant.
- Hand sanitizer is available all over the building.
- They use sanitizing sprayers to treat each room and add a level of protection
This list goes on and on of all the things they’re doing to keep us safe, which you can read more about on their website. We felt 100% comfortable staying there while exploring Cincinnati.
Address: 151 Goodman St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Website
Where to Eat (Near Hotel)
Hotel
This is more of a future suggestion, as several of their amenities and services were unavailable until further notice. They did have coffee available at the Poindexter in the morning, which included FREE self-serve or yummy coffee drinks like an iced latte. Typically, they will have tasty café offerings, including hot breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal, and more. You can view the menu here.
Adriatico’s – Dinner
If you went to Ohio State, you’re probably pretty familiar with Adriatico’s as they are a Columbus staple and a campus favorite with a delicious sauce that sets them ahead in the pizza game. Just a few minutes away from The Graduate is where you’ll find the Cincinnati location. You can dine-in or followed our lead and call ahead, then take it to a park or greenspace on campus.
Pizza in the park is our favorite! This is at Burnet Woods, 89.3-acre city park bordering the University of Cincinnati west campus .
Sleepy Bee on the Fly – Breakfast/Lunch
Sleepy Bee on the Fly is the quick service version of Cincinnati’s favorite, Sleepy Bee. They serve fresh, healthy, locally sourced breakfast and lunch. On the menu, you’ll find pancakes, scrambles + bowls, sandwiches, and soups. They have a great patio that was perfect for an outdoor breakfast.
Yep, we went in our pajamas! 
Nutty Cakes
Studded with chocolate chips, topped with natural peanut butter and bananas
Address: 3440 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229
Menu | Order Online
For more suggestions, check out the Eats & Drinks section on the Cincinnati Experience website.
We had a great time exploring a few new spots in Cincinnati. We are lucky to have such a great city just a quick drive from Columbus. For more ideas and to start planning your trip, head over to the Cincinnati Experience website. It is the central hub for all things Cincinnati and will make planning your trip a breeze.
Discover more from Eat Play CBUS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
