This Cincinnati Airport Was Once The Largest In The Country And Even Has Its Own Bike Trail
By Andrea Limke|Published August 20, 2019
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
Even if you’ve lived in Cincinnati your entire life, chances are you do not know every single historical fact about our city. The Queen City has an incredible past, filled with little known details, as well as those fun facts that we all know and even brag about. One historic spot in our city is fairly well-known, but there may be some things about it that will surprise you. Lunken Airport seems to be a small airport today, but it was once the largest in the world. It now has so much to offer and it surprisingly makes for a great outing, even if you’re not hopping on a plane.
Lunken Airport, located just east of downtown Cincinnati along the river, opened in 1925 as the area's main airport.
At 1,000 acres, it was the largest municipal airport in the world at that time. Of course, it's been surpassed by many airports since then — including Cincinnati's CVG — but this historic property still has much to offer and is filled with history.
Today the airport is home to personal aircraft, coorperate planes, and Ultimate Air Shuttle, shown below.
While the runways aren't large enough for massive aircraft, plenty of people have flown into Cincinnati using Lunken Airport. The Beatles arrived here in the 60s, Presidents have arrived on Air Force One, and many other politicians and notable visitors have utilized this airport.
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The airport's property is located adjacent to the Little Miami River which once made it prone to flooding.
In fact, the main terminal was almost completely under water in 1937, except for the third-floor air traffic control "tower." This spot is now the oldest standing control tower in the United States.
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Right in front of the airport, you'll find a sign for the Ohio River Trail, which connects to Lunken's own trail at this spot.
The Lunken Airport Bike Path circles the property of the airfield and includes five miles of paved pathway. It's ideal for biking, walking, running, and taking in the sights of planes and beautiful views.
Some of the trail takes you through rows of trees and at times you can enjoy river views, as well as airplanes taking off and landing. It's easy enough for anyone to give it a try, but can be challenging, especially when combined with the Ohio River Trail that leads back to downtown.
Along with the biking trail, families will love the playground, known as the Land of Make Believe.
It sits next to the airport and is a large, fenced-in space that is often shaded and perfect for all ages. Learn more about the playground on the CRC's website here.
Lunken Airport also hosts a number of different events throughout the year, perfect for airplane and history enthusiasts.
A true hidden gem, head inside the terminal and enjoy lunch or dinner on the patio while watching the planes. The food is tasty, the atmosphere is unique, and it's just another way to appreciate this airport that was once the largest in the world.
Lunken is an airport with more history than many realize. It was once the largest of its kind in the world, it’s been majorly flooded, has seen many notable people step out onto its runways, and has many things to offer to locals today. Have you biked the Lunken trail, played at the playground, or enjoyed a meal at Sky Galley? Let us know about it in the comments!
For more information on the bike path at this Cincinnati airport, visit here.
Address: 262 Wilmer Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226
And for more on Sky Galley, the restaurant at Lunken Airport, check out our previous article here.
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