It’s summertime in the Queen City, which typically means camping, kayaking and exploring the great outdoors. But this year, the Cincinnati region has been graced by an invasion of the 17-year cicadas from Brood X. Some people don’t mind the buzzing buddies, but if you’d rather avoid them, we have you covered with some indoor, cicada-free attractions you can explore.

Each establishment has its own COVID prevention guidelines and mask requirements, so make sure you call or check online before you go. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that folks keep wearing masks indoors or in crowds, especially when not vaccinated.)

Newport Aquarium 1 Levee Way, Newport Across the Ohio River from Cincinnati sits the Newport Aquarium, home to thousands of sea creatures from across the globe. At the Newport Aquarium, visitors can walk across the world’s first shark bridge, pet a stingray or watch penguins belly-glide into the water. Not only are there one-of-a-kind adventures, but also one-of-a-kind exhibits such as the new Shipwreck: Realm of the Eels. Photo: Facebook.com/NewportAquarium
Jungle Jim’s International Market 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield At Jungle Jim’s International Market, you can explore the flavors of the world in one visit. Explore India with its curry spices, various rices and teas. Take a stroll toward Italy and enjoy the aromas of herbs and garlic, or check out the sweets section of Eastern Europe. Wherever you go, it is always a foodie adventure at Jungle Jim’s. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
American Sign Museum 1330 Monmouth Avenue, Camp Washington The American Sign Museum is decorated floor to ceiling with vintage commercial signs and the old tools used to make them. Located in Camp Washington, this museum is famous for its collection of neon signs, and is a unique place to get some cool shots for your Instagram. The American Sign Museum also offers audio tours for your phone to learn more about the history of the signs. Photo: Facebook.com/AmericanSignMuseum
Krohn Conservatory 1501 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams Mount Adams’ Krohn Conservatory is a historic Cincinnati staple nearly a century in the making. Known for its lush green gardens, vibrant flowers and various designated houses for plants, the conservatory is also seasonally home to another one of nature’s gifts — the butterfly. During the Krohn’s annual butterfly show, guests can peruse the gardens while also watching the different hues of butterflies fluttering around. This year, the conservatory celebrates its 25th anniversary butterfly show with Butterflies of Bali through Sept. 6. Tickets must be reserved in advanced. Photo: Instagram.com/krohnconservatory Photo: Instagram.com/krohnconservatory
Contemporary Arts Center 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown Shop, eat and soak in some culture at downtown’s Contemporary Arts Center. With rotating exhibitions and family-friendly events throughout the summer, there are plenty of ways to stay entertained. Photo: Facebook.com/cincycac
Full Throttle Adrenaline Park 11725 Commons Drive, Springdale If you consider yourself to be an adrenaline-junkie, then Full Throttle Adrenaline Park is the place for you. With high-speed go-karting, paintball, axe throwing, a rage room and a virtual reality simulator, you will never get bored. It’s also located right next to a Dave & Buster’s and a Sky Zone Trampoline Park, if you’re looking for even more adventure. Photo: Facebook.com/FullThrottleAdrenalinePark
Cincinnati Museum Center 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate This summer, immerse yourself in educational museum exhibits, historical archives and, most importantly, air conditioning. The Cincinnati Museum Center is home to popular stops like the Museum of Natural History and Science, the Cincinnati History Museum, OMNIMAX Theater and Children’s Museum. Photo: Facebook.com/CincyMuseum
Mosaic Climbing 9501 Union Cemetery Road, Loveland If you’re a fitness guru, or just love trying new physical activities, then check out Mosaic Climbing in Loveland. Mosaic offers indoor rock climbing to people of all levels, whether you’re a beginner or scale up cliffs frequently. Photo: Facebook.com/MosaicClimbing
The Candle Lab 1325 Vine Street, Over-the-Rhine; 7454 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Township For more than 10 years, the Candle Lab brand has been helping customers pick out the perfect scent for themselves, friends and family. Guests have the opportunity to pour their own candle wax and experiment with different fragrances to create a personalized candle, body mist or soap. Photo: Facebook.com/TheCandleLab
Vent Haven 33 W. Maple Ave., Fort Mitchell As a form of entertainment, ventriloquism has been around since the 18th century, and what better way to learn about it than by visiting a museum dedicated completely to the art. This unique museum — the only one of its kind — is home to over 900 dolls, all from various backgrounds and periods. Schedule a personal tour by visiting their website. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Behringer-Crawford Museum 1600 Montague Road, Devou Park, Covington Set in Devou Park, the museum is the legacy of William Behringer, who collected artifacts from all over the world. You can find 450 million years of Northern Kentucky history in one spot. Photo via facebook.com/BCMuseumnky
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center 50 E. Freedom Way, Downtown Using the city’s historical ties to the anti-slavery movement, the mission of the Freedom Center is “to inspire modern abolition through connecting the lessons of the Underground Railroad with today’s freedom fighters.” Permanent exhibits include a rebuilt 1800s slave pen from Mason, Kentucky; Invisible: Slavery Today, which explores human trafficking and modern slavery; Open Your Mind: Understanding Implicit Bias, a learning lab for identifying and researching unconscious prejudice; and a piece of the Berlin Wall, on display outside and facing the Ohio River — itself a former barrier. The wall is a symbolic reminder of past struggles and a message not to take freedom for granted. Photo: Facebook.com/FreedomCenter
Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate Founded in 2000 by Holocaust survivors and their families, the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center features moving and modern displays, artifacts, photographs and audio and visual media which tells of the mass murder of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. And while the museum shows how the Holocaust was a horrific event centered in Europe that spotlighted humanity at its worst, it also explains how it has had a long-lasting impact in Greater Cincinnati by including stories of those who either escaped the Nazis or survived their death camps and came here to start new lives — often arriving at Union Terminal, the grounds of the museum itself, making for a uniquely meaningful experience. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Cincinnati Escape Room 700 W. Pete Rose Way, Suite 360, Queensgate The historic Longworth Hall is situated along the Ohio River, and within it is the family-owned and operated Escape Room. For ages 14 and up, the Cincinnati Escape Room offers three different breakout-room scenarios which you and your group have to solve in order to win. Book a Cincinnati Escape Room to find out if you have what it takes to break out before the timer runs out. Photo: Facebook.com/CincinnatiEscapeRoom
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown Cincinnati Reds fanatics can take their love for the team one step further by visiting the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum, located right outside Great American Ball Park. Families and visitors can enjoy the Pete Rose Hit Collection, which includes one of 4,256 hit baseballs signed and stamped by former Red Pete Rose. Schedule a tour of the ballpark and gain an insider’s look from a Reds’ perspective. Photo: Facebook.com/RedsMuseum
Taft Museum of Art 316 Pike St., Downtown As a National Historic Landmark, Taft Museum of Art has been around since the 19th century. Before it became an art museum, it was once a home for Cincinnati’s “most prominent” citizens, the museum’s website says. At the Taft, you will find a multitude of art collections and exhibits, both permanent and temporary. July kicks off the museum’s In a New Light exhibit, which will “reveal centuries-old social concerns such as the distribution of wealth, environmental destruction, and gender and racial inequality,” the site says. Stop by the Lindner Family Cafe for lunch and enjoy a specialty cocktail or one of their vegetarian dishes. Photo: Facebook.com/TaftMuseum
Cincinnati Observatory 3489 Observatory Place, Mount Lookout Known as “The Birthplace of American Astronomy,” the Cincinnati Observatory is the first public observatory in the Western Hemisphere and home to one of the oldest working telescopes in the world. The 19th-century scopes — an 11-inch Merz and Mahler refractor from 1845 and a 16-inch Alvan Clark and Sons refractor from 1904 — are still used to give visitors an up-close look at the stars. The observatory is open certain hours for public exploration, astronomy presentations and guided stargazes, as well as special events and online classes. Photo: Facebook.com/CincinnatiObservatoryCenter
Cincinnati Art Museum 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams The Cincinnati Art Museum is a Queen City staple. With a collection of more than 67,000 works spanning 6,000 years, there’s much to explore and absorb. Photo: Facebook.com/CincinnatiArtMuseum
Cincinnati Fire Museum 315 W. Court St., Downtown The Cincinnati Fire Department was created in 1853 as the first fully paid professional fire department in America. Visit downtown’s Cincinnati Fire Museum to see a bunch of cool artifacts, like a leather fire bucket, and learn more about our fire history. Photo via Facebook.com/CincyFireMuseum
EnterTRAINment Junction 7379 Squire Court, West Chester The area’s only train-themed family entertainment center features the world’s largest indoor interactive train display. Photo via Facebook.com/EnterTRAINmentJunction
Arcade Legacy Cincinnati Mall, 662 Cincinnati Mills Drive, Forest Fair The origins of Arcade Legacy’s flagship location feels like imagery derived from a post-apocalyptic video game: To enter, customers must first walk through the nearly-abandoned Forest Fair Mall (now known as Cincinnati Mills). The halls are dimly lit and the footfalls of die-hard mall-walkers can be heard above. Outside the empty food court, humanity is found in Arcade Legacy’s 7,600-square-foot shop.The classic arcade has over 70 arcade games and 20 classic and current gaming consoles (with giant screens to play on). Photo via Arcade Legacy/Facebook
Lazer Kraze 1335 Donaldson Road, Erlanger Suit up and run into a black-light-lit room armed with a laser gun. Broken into two teams, it’s likely you’ll play a stranger (even if you arrive with a group of friends). Yes, a devious little kid will probably sneak out from behind a wall, point his gun, stick out his tongue and target you for the entirety of the game. The divvied-up battlefield actually becomes intense; each time you’re shot, your scores gets lower. Take your kids or feel like a kid again. Photo via facebook.com/LazerKraze