Cincinnati is full of places you know without actually knowing them.
You’ve seen the sign from the highway, passed the entrance on your commute or driven by so many times that the building has basically become part of the scenery. But somehow, despite living here for years, you’ve never actually stopped.
Consider this your excuse to finally make the turn.
From a museum packed with glowing neon signs to a Northern Kentucky collection containing hundreds of ventriloquist dummies, here are 10 Greater Cincinnati places worth pulling over for.
Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum
4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati
Yes, it’s a cemetery. No, you do not need to be attending a funeral to visit.
Established in 1845, Spring Grove is also an arboretum filled with giant trees, lakes, gardens, winding roads, elaborate monuments and the graves of notable Cincinnatians. It’s one of those places where you can spend hours walking around and briefly forget you’re in the middle of a city.
Why finally stop: The giant entrance on Spring Grove Avenue has been practically begging you to see what’s behind it.
Camp Washington Chili
3005 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington
Sitting near the chaotic meeting point of Hopple Street, Colerain Avenue and I-75, Camp Washington Chili is easy to see and somehow equally easy to keep driving past.
The Cincinnati institution has been serving chili since 1940 and earned a James Beard America’s Classics Award. Beyond the obvious three-ways and cheese coneys, the old-school diner also serves breakfast, sandwiches, burgers and double-deckers.
Why finally stop: You’ve probably spent more time sitting at the Hopple Street light than it would take to eat a cheese coney.
P & S Family Diner
3512 Springdale Road, Colerain Township
P & S is exactly the kind of place this list was made for: a neighborhood diner that you can pass for years before finally wondering what everyone inside knows that you don’t.
The family-owned diner has been around since 1979, when it was started by two Macedonian immigrant families. Breakfast is the star, but the menu also includes homemade chili and soups, burgers, BLTs and other diner staples.
Why finally stop: Sometimes the restaurant you’ve ignored on your regular drive is exactly where you should have been eating breakfast all along.
American Sign Museum
1330 Monmouth Ave., Camp Washington
If you’ve taken the Hopple Street exit off I-75 enough times, it’s time to actually investigate one of the coolest museums sitting just beyond it.
The American Sign Museum is filled with decades of American advertising history, including hand-painted signs, enormous neon displays and storefronts that make parts of the museum feel more like an old Main Street than a gallery. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Why finally stop: Because there are only so many times you can drive past a museum full of giant neon signs before curiosity should win.
Larz Anderson Park
2905 Golden Ave., Hyde Park
Thousands of drivers travel Columbia Parkway every day without realizing there’s a small park perched on the hillside above them with a pretty great view.
Larz Anderson Park is tucked into Hyde Park and offers green space, a playground and an overlook with views of the Ohio River and the surrounding hills.
It isn’t an all-day excursion, and that’s part of the appeal.
Why finally stop: For the view you’ve been driving directly underneath this whole time.
Vent Haven Museum
33 W. Maple Ave., Fort Mitchell
One of the strangest museums in the region is hiding on an otherwise ordinary residential street in Fort Mitchell.
Vent Haven is dedicated to the art and history of ventriloquism, with a collection of ventriloquist figures, photographs, playbills and memorabilia.
This one does require slightly more planning than an impulsive U-turn. The museum is open by appointment from May through September, and tours must be scheduled in advance.
Why finally stop: Hundreds of ventriloquist dummies have been quietly hanging out in Fort Mitchell while you’ve been driving around completely unaware of them.
Mt. Airy Forest
5083 Colerain Ave., Mt. Airy
If your experience with Mt. Airy Forest is mostly seeing the signs while driving up Colerain Avenue, you’re overlooking 1,459 acres.
Cincinnati’s largest park has miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, a disc golf course, mountain biking trails, an arboretum and a dog park. The 30-acre Mt. Airy Arboretum alone is worth wandering around, with collections of trees, shrubs, flowers, gardens and walking paths.
Why finally stop: There is an entire forest hiding along one of Cincinnati’s busiest commercial corridors.
Greyhound Tavern
2500 Dixie Highway, Fort Mitchell
If you regularly drive Dixie Highway through Fort Mitchell, there’s a good chance the Greyhound Tavern has blended into the scenery.
It shouldn’t.
The Northern Kentucky landmark traces its history to 1921, when the building opened as the Dixie Tea Room near the end of Cincinnati’s streetcar line. More than a century later, it’s still serving the fried chicken, onion rings and other comfort-food classics that helped build its reputation.
Why finally stop: Because after 100-plus years on Dixie Highway, it has earned at least one dinner from you.
Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati
315 W. Southern Ave., Latonia
Those train cars sitting around Latonia aren’t just abandoned pieces of railroad equipment.
They’re part of the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati, an outdoor museum preserving historic passenger cars, Pullman sleepers, cabooses, freight equipment and other pieces of railroad history.
It’s not your typical polished indoor museum experience, either. Visitors walk through an actual railroad yard to explore the collection. Public hours are limited, so this is another stop that requires checking the calendar before heading out.
Why finally stop: If you’ve ever looked at all those train cars and wondered, “What is that place?”-this is your answer.
Behringer-Crawford Museum
1600 Montague Road, Devou Park, Covington
Plenty of people head into Devou Park for the golf course, trails or the Cincinnati skyline view without making their way to Behringer-Crawford Museum.
The museum is devoted to Northern Kentucky history, with exhibits exploring everything from transportation and regional development to local culture and natural history. There’s even a replica section of the Roebling Suspension Bridge inside, along with exhibits on steamboats, railroads and the region’s aviation history.
Why finally stop: You already went all the way up the hill to Devou. You might as well learn something while you’re there.
