Founded in 1788, the city of Cincinnati is brimming with history, and some of it might be darker than you'd imagine. All year long you can learn the lore, some of which might make you look twice at a darkened alley, an old building, or a quiet cemetery. Beneath the tall tales and local legends is something even more interesting; centuries-worth of stories just waiting to be explored.
Let's Start With a Drink
One of the easiest ways to experience Cincinnati's history is to pull up a chair at Arnold's Bar & Grill.
Established in 1861, Arnold's is Cincinnati's oldest bar, so you know this building has seen a lot. The bar operated through Prohibition, when a kitchen was added and the tavern was converted into a cafe. To this day you'll find a bathtub upstairs - legend says it was discreetly (and illegally) used for making bathtub gin during this era.
And then there are the ghost stories.
Over the years, visitors and employees have reported strange occurrences, including unexplained shadows and other paranormal activity. Whether you're apt to believe the stories, or just simple want to enjoy a good tale over a drink, Arnold's is a perfect example of how Cincy blends history, food and nightlife into one experience.
Note: if you're visiting during October, you can even book an after-hours paranormal investigation on select dates. Be sure to look ahead, these spaces fill up fast!
Look Beneath the Streets
If there's one thing you should expect in Cincinnati, it's that there's more to the city than meets the eye.
For generations, Cincinnati was a major brewing hub, and remnants of that period still exist beneath the streets in the form of abandoned underground lagering cellars and tunnels in varying degrees of decay. Today, visitors can explore some of these spaces through guided tours that bring the city's brewing past to life.
American Legacy Tours offers experiences including the Queen City Underground and Hidden Caverns tours, where you can travel 40 feet below street level and see remnants of what once was.
For a totally different experience, you can grab a drink at Ghost Baby, one of the most unique bars in the country. Located underground in a lagering tunnel, you'll find a swanky lounge with velvet booths and fringed lamps that take you back in time. Beyond the delicious cocktail menu and live jazz music is an eerie past, evident in the name itself. Legend has it that during renovations of the space, workmen experienced unexplained shattered lightbulbs that appeared to have been hit by someone or something. Since then, multiple people have reported hearing strange noises after dark, including a baby crying.
Walk Through History at Washington Park
Once you're back above ground, head to Washington Park. This urban oasis features fountains, a dog park, a full-service bar, and is a popular venue for concerts and events like The City Flea, making it one of the city's favorite gathering spaces. With so many great things happening present-day, it's hard to imagine the extensive and complicated history that lies beneath the surface.
Back in the 19th century, Washington Park was known as the "12th Street Cemetery", and served local Presbyterian, Episcopal and German Protestant communities. By the mid-19th century, local public health concerns (Over-the-Rhine was very densely populated at this time), prompted the city to buy the cemetery. Eventually, most of the bodies were exhumed and relocated to nearby Spring Grove Cemetery (more on that later!) and Wesleyan Cemetery, leading to eventual Washington Park we know and love today.
It is estimated that 54 or so bodies still remain buried in the park to this day. Even more intriguing, researchers from the University of Cincinnati have documented bodies that were found buried face down, a practice long considered improper in the Christian tradition and alludes to witchcraft.
Towering over Washington Park is Cincinnati Music Hall, one of the city's most recognizable and beloved landmarks. Completed in 1878, this National Historic Landmark is renowned for its Victorian Gothic architecture and world-class acoustics. Today, it is home to esteemed organizations including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet, and the world-famous May Festival.
Extensive local lore exists around this historic place; including dozens of encounters recounted by staff. Throughout the history of the structure, excavations both inside Music Hall and nearby have yielded real human bones. Could it be those souls wandering this incredible venue at night? Find out yourself by booking a Ghost Tour of Music Hall.
Follow History Across the River
Northern Kentucky is an essential part of the Cincy Region, and you'll find how a close and shared history once you cross the Ohio River.
This might be hard to believe, but one of the biggest hubs of activity during the rise and reign of the Cosa Nostra, or the American Mafia, was Newport, Kentucky. During the Prohibition Era, mobsters took advantage of the public's desire to buy and sell alcohol, gamble, and other nefarious activities, eventually building the area into it's own "Sin City"; Newport is often referred to as the precursor of Las Vegas. Notable figures like Moe Dalitz, George Remus and Dutch Schultz helped turn this sleepy neighborhood into a hotbed of illegal activity. You can learn about this unexpected history during the "Newport Gangster Tour", through American Legacy Tours, offered year-round.
Beyond Newport, if you venture into nearby Covington, you'll find dozens of historic homes, tucked into neighborhoods, in quiet enclaves, and along stately riverside streets. Most notably, take a walk along Riverside Drive, where you'll see breathtaking mansions originally built hundreds of years ago. As many do, some of these homes come with a past - believing it or not is up to you!
Spend Some Time Among the Tombstones
One final destination in the Cincy Region that is noteworthy for many reasons, is Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum.
Established in 1845, Spring Grove is a National Historic Landmark, and remains one of the largest cemeteries in the United States. It's sprawling grounds combine history, art, architecture and horticulture, with towering trees, lakes, elaborate monuments and mausoleums, making it a beautiful final resting place of many notable Cincinnatians. This is truly a massive place, so experiencing it via guided tour is the best way to go; they are offered April through October.
By day, you'll find the expansive and perfectly manicured grounds the perfect place to spend a quiet afternoon outdoors. By night, the cemetery has been known to harbor some... unnatural experiences. One visitor to the cemetery recounts the eyes on the granite bust marking Charles Breuer's grave moving on their own, before popping out of the head and landing beside his foot.
Further into the cemetery is the Dexter family crypt; a private mausoleum framed by trees that leads back to the 1860's. One night, and after the cemetery had closed, a group of local boys dared one another to hop the fence and enter the crypt. Before they even had the chance to do so, they heard growling and snarling, before spotting a pair of large, white dogs, with bright blue glowing eyes, standing guard at the crypt's entrance! To this day you can still respectfully visit both the grave of Charles Breuer and the Dexter family crypt.
So, whether you're planning a trip to Cincy during spooky season, or another time of year, there's no right or wrong month to experience some of Cincy's eerie past. Before your trip, order a copy of our free Official Visitors Guide, and check out our Calendar of Events to help guide you to your next otherworldly and unnatural exoerience.
