3 Ohio Tourist Spots I Tried To Hate (But Ended Up Loving)

As a traveler, I've learned that one stereotype of Midwesterners is that we love road trips. A 12-hour road trip is nothing to us. For one reason or another, we love to hit the open road. So a jaunt over to Cincinnati from Chicago, about a 4.5-hour adventure, is no big deal. On my first trip to that city to visit some friends, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I wasn't sure if I'd instantly adore the smaller city in the same way I loved my former home in Madison, Wisconsin, or not. As you can probably tell from the title of this article, I was easily won over by Cincinnati and a few of its most frequented places.

1. The American Sign Museum

One of the most unique things you can do in Cincinnati is also something I was a little dubious of—the American Sign Museum. As a big fan of museums, I've done my fair share of the big ones and the littlest, niche ones. I'll go out of my way to visit any and every museum I can, which is how I ended up at the sign museum. Yet I wondered how wandering through a museum with 200 buzzing neons and other signage items could be interesting. Not only did this museum call my bluff, but it turned out to be a blast. Though I'll admit one of my favorite spots was the giant fiberglass Frisch's Big Boy statue, which I posed with for photos, I still giggle about it to this day.

2. Cincinnati Zoo

Undoubtedly, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is one of the must-see attractions in Cincinnati. However, I'll be the first to admit that the only reason I wanted to visit in 2021 was to see Fiona the Hippo, whose antics made her internet famous. Once I was there, however, I really developed a fondness for the zoo. For one thing, it's one of the oldest zoos in the country, which makes it feel like walking through history—much like my beloved Lincoln Park Zoo back home in Chicago.

3. Fountain Square

Coming from a city where Millennium Park is heavily visited, I get nervous about the main city center gathering spaces like Fountain Square and often expect them to be packed to the gills with visitors and locals alike. With Tyler Davidson Fountain at its heart, Fountain Square is Cincinnati's center and has been since the square's 1871 dedication. In the winter, it hosts a skating rink, and at any time of year, you're likely to see people just spending time there together. It was a much calmer place than I expected for a midday city-center coffee break, a welcome respite amid the bustle of our city adventure.

Looking for more inspiration for your upcoming trip? Make sure you check out the Only In Your State Travel Planner to get the inside scoop on your destination.