The Queen City is made up of many quintessential and historical landmarks that make our city so unique. From flying pigs and iconic fountains to an over-century-old market, or more obscure fixtures like Covington's spaceship house or the Capitoline Wolf statue given to us by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini these are a few Greater Cincinnati gems you should visit in order to call yourself a true Cincinnatian.
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- big pig gig,
- cincinnati,
- cincinnati landmarks,
- covington spaceship house,
- dixie terminal,
- flying pigs,
- historic landmarks cincinnati,
- iconic cincinnati landmarks,
- krohn conservatory,
- queen city,
- union terminal,
- what to do in cincinnati
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Findlay Market
1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
At more than 150 years old, Findlay Market is Ohios oldest continually operating public market and was named one of the top 10 markets in the world by Newsweek. Findlay Market has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972, and while it is fee to wander, they do offer a free 30-minute guided tour bi-monthly to introduce you to special market vendors and recount tales of the markets history.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
1140 Madison Ave., Covington
Modeled after Notre Dame in Paris, the Gothic-style Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption on Madison Avenue features 26 Italian-carved gargoyle water spouts, flying buttresses, vaulted arches, columns and one of the worlds largest church stained-glass windows. A perfect substitute while the original Notre Dame is being rebuilt.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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Woolly Mammoth Statues
505 Gest St., Queensgate
A family of life-sized woolly mammoths can be found congregating outside of the Cincinnati Museum Centers Geier Collections & Research Center on Gest Street. The mammoths mark the building, which is home to many archaeology and fossil collections, historical artifacts, pieces of art, several labs, offices and the Science Library. You can visit the center by appointment or scheduled tour. The mammoths used to call the former Natural History Museum home, located in the spot where WCPO now stands near the corner of Gilbert and Elsinore at the base of Mount Adams.
Photo via cincymuseum.org
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John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
Between Covington and downtown Cincinnati
Originally conceived as the Cincinnati-Covington Bridge, the Roebling Bridge officially opened to traffic, connecting the two riverfronts, on January 1, 1867. At the time, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. For over 150 years after much upkeep and refortification the castle-like columns have stood tall on the Ohio River and have since become a trademark of the citys skyline. Pedestrians are free to cross the bridge and admire the craftsmanship along the way to their destination.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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The Spaceship House
222 Wright St., Covington
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Finnish architect Matti Suuronen designed less than 100 Futuro houses, or flying saucer-esue homes and Covington has one of them. It was purchased in 1973 by Rob Detzel, who first saw it in an issue of Family Circle. He made arrangements for its display at a home and garden show, then took it on a tour of sorts; in 1987, it landed (er, it was delivered) to its current location. The community embraces its presence and the Futuro House has even been included in a mural titled "Love the Cov" by Jarrod Becker, on the wall at Krogers Covington location. In 2013, Covington's Mayor Sherry Carran declared Nov. 2 the 40th anniversary to its purchase by Detzel "Futuro House Day," officially naming the property it is on "Area 89." Note: This is a private residence.
Photo via Google Street View
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Duke Energy Convention Centers Cincinnati Sign
525 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
On the west-facing side of downtowns Duke Energy Convention Center stretches an illuminated Cincinnati sign. Designed by nonprofit design and experience team SEGD, the iconic sign welcomes you into the Queen City and can be admired from several Cincinnati overlooks with the skyline as a beautiful backdrop.
Photo via segd.org
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The Mushroom House
3331 Erie Ave., Hyde Park
Architect Terry Brown was a University of Cincinnati professor of architecture and interior design, but to most in our region hes known as the guy behind Hyde Parks famed "Mushroom House." Guests at street level will notice a winding entry staircase and a misshapen exterior constructed of metal, glass, ceramic and warped wood shingles, suggesting a fairy tale or bizarre, otherworld-esue appearance that looks like a very large mushroom. The one-bedroom, one-bath, 1,260-square-foot structure was built by Brown from 1992 to 2006, and served as his second residence until his death in 2008.
Photo via Zillow listing
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The Betts House
416 Clark St., West End
The Betts House is the oldest brick home in Ohio and the oldest residential building in Cincinnati. The original two-room colonial-style home was built by William and Phebe Betts in 1804, who passed down the home through their relatives for decades. The historic home was acquired by the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the State of Ohio in 1994, where they have since operated guided tours and presentations about the homes owners, its history and early 19th century architecture.
Photo via facebook.com/thebettshouse
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Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County's Book Fountain
800 Vine St., Downtown
Otherwise known as "The Amelia Valerio Weinberg Memorial Fountain," the book fountain features a stack of ceramic books with water flowing between them, "representing the free flow of information and ideas through the printed word," according to cincinnatilibrary.org. The fountain was designed by former Cincinnati artist Michael Frasca and was created thanks to a bequest from Mrs. Weinberg.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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Music Hall
1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Completed in 1878, the Venetian Gothic Music Hall houses a concert theater Springer Auditorium which serves as home for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Opera and the May Festival Chorus, among other local performing arts organizations. The National Historic Landmark is built over a paupers cemetery and is rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in America. The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall hosts "Beyond the Bricks" walking tours for a fee. Also keep an eye out for haunted tours.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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Metrobot at the Contemporary Arts Center
44 E. Sixth St., Downtown
The 27-foot-high, gold-colored aluminum robot sculpture by Nam June Paik is located on the sidewalk outside the Contemporary Arts Center in downtown Cincinnati. In 2014 the sculpture received a $140,000 refurbishment before finding its new home in front of the new CAC (it was formerly located at the museum's previous location on Fifth Street). Metrobot originally was given to the CAC by the late Albert Vontz Jr., owner of beer-and-wine wholesaler Heidelberg Distributing, in 1988 to mark the citys bicentennial. Its boxy pieces are sculptural interpretations of old radio and television cabinets, one of Paiks favorite materials.The giant robot features a full-color video message board and several LED monitors that play videos, all with energy efficient materials.
Photo: Google Maps
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Far Flung at the Taft Museum Center
316 Pike St., Downtown
Far Flung is a large-scale, outdoor sculpture on the grounds of the Taft Museum of Art and it is pretty cool. A "unique fantasy experience" by sculptor Patrick Dougherty, it features more than six tons of manipulated willow tree saplings, twisted into whirling shapes that call to mind hobbit homes, a fairy garden and/or a Dr. Seuss fever dream manifestation. The best part? Visitors can touch and walk through it. Far Flung opened in April 2018 and is free to experience during regular museum hours.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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The Genius of Water
520 Vine St., Downtown
In the heart of Fountain Square stands the 43-foot tall bronze-cast Genius of Water fountain, also known as the Tyler Davidson Fountain. Cincinnati businessman Henry Probasco commissioned German artists August von Kreling and Ferdinand von Miller for a fountain design as an ode to Tyler Davidson, his brother-in-law and business partner who had passed away. Since its presentation to the city in 1871, the Genius of Water fountain is a remarkable work of art fit for being recognizable as the heart of the city. The fountain honors and depicts the use of water as a necessity of life through the actions of the bronze figures surrounding the fountain; children fishing, workmen praying for water to stop a burning fire, farmers praying for water through a drought are all scenes told through the fountains endless detail. Fun fact: The four figures around the edge produce drinkable water.
Photo: Derek Jensen
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Pinocchio Sculpture at the Cincinnati Art Museum
953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams
When visitors walk up to the entrance of the Cincinnati Art Museum, the first thing they are greeted by is a 12-foot, bronze statue of the puppet Pinocchio. Designed by world-renowned, Cincinnati-born artist Jim Dine, the statue, entitled, "Pinocchio (Emotional)," was presented to the museum in 2012 and has stood tall just before the entrance, arms outstretched and for some reason without eyeballs ready to embrace the coming visitors ever since.
Photo via facebook.com/cincinnatiartmuseum
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Krohn Conservatory
1501 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams
Located in historic Eden Park, the Krohn Conservatory is an aluminum-and-glass Art Deco destination (in the shape of an upside-down heart) filled with more than 3,500 plant species from around the world. Permanent displays include a rare orchid house, steamy tropical room, succulent-filled desert space and a fun walk-through rainforest rock waterfall.
Photo: Paige Deglow
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"Hamlet" from the Big Pig Gig
1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Its no secret that the Queen City has a thing for pigs its a big part of our history. Also known as porkopolis, Cincinnati was the leader in pork processing in the 1850s and many pigs were seen roaming the streets. You may still see some today scattered about town, though these are part of a former art installation called the Big Pig Gig, where 400 decorated pigs were placed across the city. There are still a few that remain, including Hamlet, located outside of Over-the-Rhines Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. According to Cincy Shakes, he's one of the longest-running pigs from the gig.
Photo via facebook.com/cincyshakes
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Carew Tower/Observation Deck
41 W. Fifth St., Downtown
Completed in 1930, Carew Tower is one of the worlds finest examples of French Art Deco architecture and includes Rookwood Pottery floral tiles, an Art Deco shopping center and the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel (complete with a Great Gatsby-esque hotel bar and five-diamond restaurant). One of downtowns tallest skyscrapers, the viewing area and observation deck on top of the building features a wonderful panoramic view of downtown, the Ohio River and Northern Kentucky.
Photo: Jesse Fox
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"Hug Me Jesus" FKA "Touchdown Jesus"
903 Union Road, Lebanon
After a lightning fire destroyed a giant Jesus statue known as "Touchdown Jesus" that brought national attention to the Solid Rock Church in Monroe in 2010, the church couldnt go without and replaced the monument in 2012. The giant Lux Mundi statue designed by Tom Tsuchiya, affectionately nicknamed "Hug Me Jesus," is visible from I-75.
Photo via NTT72USA/Wikimedia
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The Origin of the Glass Door Oven
2701 Spring Grove Ave., Camp Washington
The first full-size glass door oven was invented by Ernst H. Huenefeld in 1909. The glass window allows bakers to see their food cooking in the oven without having to open the door. A marker dedicated to the invention was erected in 2003 by the Cincinnati Preservation Association and The Ohio Historical Society.
Photo: Holden Mathis
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Capitoline Wolf Statue
950 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams
The Capitoline Wolf statue in Eden Park abronze work depicting a she-wolf nursing two young boys was a gift from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Intended to honor Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, Roman statesman, farmer and namesake of our dear city, the two thirsty boys represent Romulus and Remus, twins whose story relates to the founding of Rome in fact, various images of the boys suckling a she-wolf have served as symbols of the Roman people since ancient times. So how did it get here? Mussolini sent it over for a Sons of Italy convention in 1929
sort of: He gave us an exact replica of one in Romes Musei Capitolini, but it was switched out for a larger one in 1931. And that is the one that has remained in place ever since. Inscribed with "Il Governatore di Roma alla Citta di Cincinnati 1931 Anno X" "from the governor of Rome to the city of Cincinnati in 1931 (year 10 of Mussolinis reign)" it sits at Twin Lakes, a former quarry that now boasts two lakes and views of the Ohio River.
Photo via Daderot/Wikimedia
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