Welcome to a city with small-town charm and big-city dreams. Cincinnati not only brims with classic American pastimes, but eagerly works toward a successful, contemporary future. Student tour groups will be blown away by the vast selection of museums, the rolling landscape and cultural diversity. Cincinnati holds a plethora of dynamic attractions as well as its own blend of personality and spirit. The Queen City is the perfect place for your next student trip.
Popular Student Attractions in Cincinnati
Recently, Cincinnati has been receiving praise for its many nationally acclaimed museums. Cincinnati Museum Center boasts an impressive number of visitors, making it one of the top museums in the country. It holds the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children’s Museum, Museum of Natural History and Science, the OMNIMAX Theater and the Historical Society Library. Museum Center caters to youth education, offering student tours and programs for groups who visit the facility.
Taft Museum of Art
Cincinnati has a surprisingly progressive art scene, ranging from world-class art museums and galleries to respected performance venues and productions. Student tour groups will get lost among the 60,000 pieces at the Cincinnati Art Museum, discovering the many exhibitions and partaking in educational programs. The Contemporary Arts Center stands an impressive six stories high and was one of the first establishments to honor contemporary visual art. The educational department makes it easy for school field trips to enjoy the collections and exhibits with free guided tours. A true Cincinnati treasure, the Taft Museum of Art is one of the best small art museums in the country.
For an educational student tour, head over to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. With Cincinnati’s location on the Ohio River, the natural barrier between the Northern and Southern states during the Civil War, the city became a haven for slaves escaping captivity and crossing into the North. This riverfront museum tells the story of the brave souls who sought freedom and those who helped them along the way. The museum offers five age-appropriate tours for school trips, providing students with a chance to learn and discuss the important history of the Underground Railroad.
Atop the hillside of Mount Lookout sits the Cincinnati Observatory Center, home of the oldest telescope still in use today. Since it was the first organized observatory in the country, the Cincinnati Observatory has been dubbed the birthplace of American astronomy. Student tours of the facility are available during the day and evening, although night visits are suggested so students can observe the moon, stars and constellations through the traditional telescopes.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Youth travel groups can enjoy 40 rides at Kings Island, a seasonal theme park right outside of Cincinnati, or gander at over 500 animal species at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, a top-rated tourist attraction in the city. Just across the Ohio River sits the Newport Aquarium, where student tours can watch “Sweet Pea” and “Scooter,” the headliners of the only shark ray breeding program in the world. Since Cincinnati formed the first professional baseball team in America back in 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, sports have become an area staple. Student tours can visit the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum or catch a game at the riverfront’s Great American Ball Park.
Top Student Sightseeing Tours in Cincinnati
The best place to catch a shot of Cincinnati’s skyline is from the Ohio River. BB Riverboats offers educational student sightseeing tours lasting 90 minutes and providing each participant with a delicious ice cream sandwich from Trauth Dairy. Cincinnati Tours gives student travel groups a glimpse at local history through many unique tour options, including its famous haunted tour, “Ghost of the Queen City.” The great thing about Cincinnati is that it is one of the most walkable cities in the country. So if a guided tour is not in your budget, your student travelers can walk through the streets and visit many noteworthy attractions. A full tour of the city can usually be done in a day, depending on how long your group spends at each location.
Students Perform in the Queen City
If your student travel program is looking to put on a performance, there are a number of places available around Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens has venues of all sizes and styles, from smaller indoor facilities like Frisch Theater to large outdoor arenas like Wings of Wonder Amphitheater. Coney Island Cincinnati has an outdoor concert area called Moonlight Gardens that is available for student performances. Cincinnati Parks has a number of open spaces, gazebos and pavilions available to rent. Prices vary depending on the size and location of the venue, but usually the bandstands can be reserved for a reasonable price, and often special student group discounts will be offered.
Student Travelers Refuel at Top Restaurants in Cincinnati
Cincinnati Skyline at Night
When you come to Cincinnati, it’s all about the chili. Cincinnatians eat more than two million pounds of chili a year, and with almost 140 chili establishments in the city, your student travel group will have too many choices. The go-to place, according to local chili aficionados, is Skyline Chili. This chain boasts Cincinnati chili unlike any other thanks to a secret family recipe that keeps people coming back for more. Tell your student travelers to order the three-way, a classic combination of spaghetti noodles, chili and shredded cheddar cheese. Gold Star Chili, Skyline’s biggest competitor, is also popular with student groups. Ice cream is another specialty of the Cincinnati area, and the most popular place to go is Graeters. Their French Pot Ice Cream is truly unique, with the family still using century-old recipes and production methods. This ice cream is the perfect end to a scrumptious meal of Cincinnati chili, and your student travelers will be begging for seconds, or even thirds.
Student Accommodations in Cincinnati
With over 3,000 rooms in the downtown area, and even more outside the city center, Cincinnati poses no problem in finding accommodations for your student tour group. Each hotel offers various price points and amenities, and most can offer discounts for student groups. Quality Inn Downtown has free parking and complimentary breakfast and is mere minutes from the city’s top attractions. The Holiday Inn Express is only 10 minutes from downtown, providing free wireless internet access and hot breakfast every morning. The Drury Inn and Suites Cincinnati North is a little further outside downtown, but the rates are reasonable and they offer amenities sure to keep your student tour group happy. Cincinnati was christened the Queen City because of its rapid growth and prosperity after it was first founded. That forward-thinking attitude can still be seen by student travel groups today. And with all it has to offer student travelers, Cincinnati, it seems, has no intention of slowing down.
