The holiday season is meant to be a time to spend hours with friends and family to celebrate and make memories. But sometimes, all that “together time” can be…a bit too much and you just want some alone time. We get it.

Whether you want to stock up on some solo time before the holiday parties, or maybe you’re planning on having a day or two to decompress afterward, this list can help you find places where you can be completely all by yourself or alone around other people right here in Greater Cincinnati.

Photo: facebook.com/Roebling Point Books & Coffee

Roebling Point Books & Coffee

Books are good for the soul — especially the soul that wants to be alone. And with multiple rooms of books, you can get lost for hours inside Roebling Point Books & Coffee, oblivious to anyone else around you. Grab a cup of their fair-trade coffee and get to browsing for your next favorite read. 306 Greenup St., Covington; 601 Overton St., Newport.

Photo: Mary LeBus

The Härth Room

With its dark walls and floors and fiery lighting, Bromwell’s The Härth Room is a warm, welcoming place to grab a seat, drink a cocktail or craft beer, listen to some live jazz music and revel in not having to speak to anyone other than your friendly bartender. 125 W. Fourth St., Downtown.

Take an Amazing Drive Through the Christmas Nights of Lights at Coney Island 6201 Kellogg Ave., California Coney Island transforms into a drive-thru Christmas show during Christmas Nights of Lights. Enjoy the warmth of your car while lights manipulated to resemble dancing candy canes, glowing snowmen, colorful tunnels and giant holiday trees are synchronized to Christmas tunes both classic and new, available via your car radio. The two-and-a-half-mile-long display features more than 1 million lights. Through Jan. 2, 2022. $7 per person. coneyislandpark.com. Photo: Provided by Coney Island
Take a Tour of the American Sign Museum $15 per person Explore a museum featuring over 100 years of signage. This 20,000-square-foot museum has everything from pre-electric signs to beautiful art-deco neon signs to modern plastic-faced signs. 1330 Monmouth Ave., Camp Washington. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 8: Ohio Book Store 726 Main St., Downtown If you’re like us, there’s nothing quite as intoxicating as the smell of old books — and there’s no better place to find them than downtown’s five-story Ohio Book Store. It’s easy to get lost among the racks of classic literature, cookbooks and secondhand fiction, but wherever you wander, be sure to take a look at the glass cabinet in the middle of the first floor. It’s full of rare and wonderful tomes. And if you have some vintage books of your own you’d like to learn more about, be sure to ask about their appraisal services. The Ohio Book Store can appraise rare books, documents and other literary ephemera. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
An Evening with Greg Sestero and The Room Screening 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 Oh hi, Mark. Greg Sestero, star of cult-classic movie The Room — the best, worst film ever made — will be at the Esquire this weekend for a double feature. The theater will be screening Sestero’s new horror, Miracle Valley, which he wrote, directed and stars in. It’s described as being about “an obsessive photographer and his girlfriend are invited to a desert getaway in search of an ultra-rare bird.” Sestero will host a Q&A after the film. Then fans can stick around and watch The Room. $20. Esquire Theatre, 320 Ludlow Ave. Clifton. Photo: Emerson Swoger
The Echo 3510 Edwards Road, Hyde Park Eating alone doesn’t have to feel weird, especially at The Echo. This diner has plenty of bar seating and cozy booths for those who want a quick, delicious meal while reading a book, scrolling their Instagram feed or flipping through the latest issue of CityBeat. The menu offers “Hangover Helpers” for those who imbibed too much over the holidays, like the Belgian Bird Sandwich, which comes with chicken tenders, a fried egg and cheddar on a waffle with powdered sugar and syrup. They also serve salads, sandwiches, soups and more for lunch, as well as cocktails like their Irish coffee and mimosas. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Primavista 810 Matson Place, East Price Hill Along with a beautiful view of the city, this restaurant offers an upscale dining experience with menu options like sausage and mushroom ravioli, roasted lamb loin and tiramisu. Without leaving your seat, you can look out on views of Carew Tower, Great American Tower and the Cincinnati sign with a glass of wine in hand. Photo via Facebook.com/Primivista Photo: facebook.com/Primavista
Spring Grove Cemetery 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Northside Okay, hear us out. Suggesting you be alone in a cemetery may creep you out, especially when the sun has been setting at 5 p.m., but Spring Grove Cemetery’s tranquility and beauty are so unmatched that it’s a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Not only is this historic cemetery the final resting place of many famous people, it’s also a Morton Arboretum Register Level III-accredited arboretum — one of only two historic cemeteries to earn that recognition. Phoebe Bridgers has a few holiday songs perfect for this gloomy, beautiful walk. Photo: Kellie Coleman
Bender Mountain Nature Preserve 6320-6468 Bender Road, Delhi Township The Bender Mountain trail system spans about 3 miles over 50 acres of wooded hillsides and is a great place for a solo hike to see some spectacular views of the Ohio River. And if you don’t mind some ghostly companionship, Bender Mountain is also home to the historic, peaceful Darby-Lee Cemetery. It’s the only known remaining family cemetery in Delhi Township and one of its occupants, Henry Darby, stars in the local folktale and ghost story of Fiddler’s Green. Photo: Katherine Barrier
Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge 1432 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge, which officially opened on Aug. 21, features bottles from women and minority winemakers, as well as eight wines on tap, live music, a limited selection of spirits and beer, and small plates from local businesses. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Purrfect Day Cafe 25 W. Eighth St., Covington If you love cute cats and fun drinks, head to Purrfect Day Cafe. You can book an hour to play with all their adoptable kitties while sipping on a coffee, cocktail or even ‘purr-bon.’ You may even meet your new furry best friend! Photo: Danielle Schuster
A.J. Rahn Greenhouses 4944 Gray Road, Spring Grove Village If you want to be alone amongst nature but don’t want to be out in the elements, try a greenhouse. A.J. Rahn Greenhouses has been in business for more than 130 years and is still owned by the same family. In the ‘60s, the Rahn family became known for their quality flowering plants and still carry on that legacy today with rows and rows of flowers and hanging plants no matter the season. Photo: facebook.com/A.J. Rahn Greenhouses
Valley Thrift Store 9840 Reading Road, Evendale; 4301 Dixie Highway, Fairfield If you’re in the mood for a solo treasure hunt, Valley Thrift in Evendale and Fairfield has seemingly endless rows of amazing finds. Pop in your earbuds, turn on your favorite playlist and drown out the rest of the world while you hunt for that vintage motorcycle jacket or mid-century side table. Photo: facebook.com/valleythriftstorefairfield
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum 1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton Being alone with nature or art offers some excellent time to reflect, and Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum offers both those things. The park includes an outdoor sculpture collection, an 1820s pioneer house and an indoor ancient artifacts museum with items dating back to 1550 B.C. The park is also hosting its holiday lights display until Jan. 5. Photo: Provided by Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum
Cincinnati Art Museum 953 Eden Park Drive, Walnut Hills The Cincinnati Art Museum features “a diverse, encyclopedic art collection” with more than 67,000 works that span from the ancient world to modern times. There’s plenty of space to spread out from other guests as you walk through time to examine artifacts and artwork from thousands of years ago, browse locally crafted paintings and furniture or think about the symbolism and colors in an Impressionist piece. The museum also hosts special exhibits, like the current “Discovering Ansel Adams” and “George Bellows: American Life in Print” exhibits. Photo: facebook.com/Cincinnati Art Museum
Walk the Art Climb to the Cincinnati Art Museum Free to walk the Art Climb; free museum admission Starting near the intersection of Eden Park Drive and Gilbert Avenue, the expansive Art Climb is a flight of 164 steps that ascends from the sidewalk, zig-zags up a hill and connects to the Cincinnati Art Museum parking lot. Flanked on either side by greenery and modern light beams, the nine-story structure includes 16 landings and rotating artworks placed at four different outdoor plazas. Admission to the museum is free, so stroll the galleries after your workout. 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Spring House Gazebo 950 Eden Park Drive, Eden Park Tucked away in the hills Mount Adams sits Eden Park, an urban escape that’s home to the Cincinnati Art Museum, Krohn Conservatory…and the Spring House Gazebo. On Oct. 6, 1927, George “King of the Bootleggers” Remus and his wife, Imogene Remus, were set to meet in court to finalize their divorce. (Imogene was having an affair with a Prohibition agent and the two stole most of George’s money while he did a short stint in jail.) George waited outside of Imogene’s hotel before she left for court and, after she got into a taxi, the two engaged in a heated car chase, ending near the Spring House Gazebo, where George shot Imogene in the stomach as she attempted to flee. Dressed in all black to bemoan her marriage, she died at the hospital from her wound. Those who visit the gazebo today say the have seen a woman wearing all black, presumably Imogene, wandering nearby and felt her presence lurking. Photo: Wikimedia.com/Greg Hume Photo: Wikimedia.com/Greg Hume
Every Christmas Story Ever Told at Cincy Shakes  Runs through Dec. 31 If you’re anything like CityBeat staff writers, most Christmas celebrations all blur into one incoherent half-memory of awkward family interactions and bad holiday movies. That vibe is celebrated in the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!), in which “what begins as another annual production of A Christmas Carol, soon devolves into a slightly irreverent look at all of our favorite “Beloved Holiday Classics” including pop culture favorites like It’s a Wonderful Life, Rudolph, Charlie Brown and more,” according to the show’s website. This is a fun take on holiday tropes but is not recommended for anyone who hasn’t had the truth of Santa Claus fully revealed (aka young kids). Runs through Dec. 31. The Otto M. Budig Theater, 1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincyshakes.com. Photo: Mikki Schaffner Photography
Iris Bookcafe 1331 Main St., Over-the-Rhine With local food and a global vintage book collection, Iris Bookcafe is for solo adventurers looking for culture and a cozy shop to peruse. The cafe/bookstore carries books on a variety of topics, including film, drama, poetry, fashion and more. They also have a number of books in foreign languages and boast the largest collection of Polish books in Cincinnati. Also come back when the weather is nice and enjoy a locally roasted coffee on their intimate patio. Photo: facebook.com/Iris BookCafe and Gallery
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Light in the Forest at Cincinnati Nature Center  5:30-9 p.m. Dec. 23 Don’t let low temperatures scare you from a peaceful nature walk, especially on the Cincinnati Nature Center’s newly expanded trail for Light in the Forest. According to the park’s website you can enjoy a beautiful forest lit by new installations from five regional light artists. There will be added children’s activities and live music. Stick near the bonfire if you’d like, or take in the center’s historic home with nature-inspired decorations and holiday shopping.5:30-9 p.m. Dec. 23. Cincinnati Nature Center, 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, cincynature.org/things-to-do/light-in-the-forest. Photo: facebook.com/CincyNature
Double Down at Cancun and Western Bowl $3.95-$4.75 per game; shoe rental extra It’s a two-for-one at Cancun Restaurante & Cantina and Western Bowl Strike & Spare — the establishments are connected by a doorway, making it easy to go from classic strip-mall tacos and tequila to classic bowling and beer. Since 1958, the glowing Western Bowl sign has been beckoning amateurs and pros alike to play on its 68 automatic lanes. With a Big Lebowski-esque atmosphere, the rates are reasonable (less than $5 a game), the snacks are cheap and the bar is fully stocked. Grab a pitcher of beer for $9 and get ready to bowl. 6383 Glenway Ave., Western Hills. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Twenties Have you SEEN the mood lighting in Twenties? The 1920s-themed craft cocktail bar has low ceilings with dramatic brick arches that are lit from below, giving you a Bond-like backdrop to sip your gin martini and not-so-subtly seduce your lover. Photo: facebook.com/Twenties Cincinnati
Cincinnati Public Library’s Main Branch 800 Vine St., Downtown The library is a great place to find your next read, but it’s also so much more than that — especially Cincinnati Public Library’s main branch. Not only can you get lost in the stacks for hours, you can also research your family tree or learn more about Cincinnati’s history. There are also dedicated study rooms for the silence you might be craving this time of year. And the main library also has the MakerSpace, a place where you can focus and hone your skills with equipment like a 3D printer, laser cutter and engraver, vinyl printer and cutter and more. Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Katherine Barrier is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism program and has nearly 10 years of experience reporting local and national news as a digital journalist. At CityBeat, she...