Perhaps the loud music and rowdier crowds are not your cup of tea. If not, try theworld class Cincinnati Art Museum, with its extensive collection of over 60,000objects, covering 6,000 years of world art history. There are papyruses and carvingsfrom ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as huge exhibits of Eastern, NativeAmerican and African art. There are also fascinating galleries packed with ancientand modern furniture, glass, ceramics, and folk art. The museum was ranked 'TopArt Museum for Families' by Parenting magazine, and is a top Cincinnati touristdestination, with its family educational tours and ability to cater to all ages,despite the authenticity and quality of its breathtaking scope as a Cincinnati culturalattraction.

Cincinnati's location on the Ohio River places it at an important juncture in thehuman rights history of the United States. The National Underground Railroad FreedomCenter is a testament to this country's commitment to preserving human rights andits obedience to freedom for all. The museum, which is one of Cincinnati's mainattractions, tells of the fight for freedom around the globe over time, among manyhuman groups, including the present. Its three buildings symbolize the cornerstonesof freedom; courage, cooperation and perseverance, and the Freedom Center's sleek,non-linear architecture reflects the winding Ohio River and the meandering pathmany in the USA took to freedom. Cincinnati served as a hive of indutry for thoseinvolved in the Underground Railroad and its depths received many who sought refugeand a new start in a vicious world. Cincinnati is proud to provide a home for anyand all comers in today's changing economic and cultural climate, and this fascinatingmonument to human dignity will move you beyond words.

Riverboats are a constant sight along the gorgeous Cincinnati riverfront and havebeen for the past 30 years. At this grand Cincinnati attraction, you can literallysee the river's unfolding hisotry and enjoy the myriad forms of Cincinnati entertainmentbefore your eyes in this top location. Gourmet meals, dancing outdoors, and excellentsocializing all await the lucky traveler along the extremely active and well-maintainedCincinnati riverfront. Lunch, dinner and sightseeing cruises not to mention all-daymini vacation water-tours, are all freely available at this sparkling Cincinnatitourist spot. And if you aren't into the glamor and charm of the waterfront, thereare other vacation attractions in Cincinnati for you, such as Big Bone Lick Museum.The immense Pleistocene Era mammals living in North America over 15-thousand yearsago have left Cincinnati with a gift for the world; animals, trapped in a prehistoricsalt-spring left skeletons and other clues about their ancient lives in prehistoricKentucky. The fossilized remains of these animals were discovered and consequentlytoured museums throughout the world. Many of these gigantic fossils are exhibitedtoday at Big Bone Lick Museum. The world scientific community recognizes the siteas the "Birthplace of American Vertebrate Paleontology", and you will find thisan amazing Cincinnati attraction.

If you're traveling into Cincinnati for the first time, check out this quick overview of tourism and transportationin Cincinnati.

If You're Traveling Into Cincinnati...

Some helpful information from the Wikipedia:

Cincinnati is unique in design as an American city, with its focus centered aroundFountain Square, Cincinnati, which then is surrounded by its tallest buildings.Cincinnati is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architecturalcharacteristics or historic associations including the Carew Tower, the ScrippsCenter, the Ingalls Building, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, and theIsaac M. Wise Temple. The city is undergoing significant changes due to an influxof new development and private investment as well as the beginning of the often-stalled"The Banks" project. The Banks was started in 1999 and as of July 2007, there hasbeen no ground breaking. The project is just another in a long line of why MarkTwain's comment on the city still rings true. That quote is "When the end of theworld comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always twenty years behindthe times."

Cincinnati is home to numerous festivals and events throughout the year. The CincinnatiHorticultural Society organizes the Cincinnati Flower Show in late April. This floralevent, endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, is staged at Lake Como at ConeyIsland and is claimed to be the biggest outdoor Flower Show in the United States.To celebrate its German heritage, Cincinnati hosts the second largest Oktoberfestin the world (after the original Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany). During the summerthe Jazz festival is held during a weekend in July. The Tall Stacks festival iscelebrated every three or four years to celebrate Cincinnati's riverboat history.The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and a local bank sponsor the Festival ofLights during the holiday season. Other festivals include: Taste of Cincinnati,Goetta Fest (in Newport, KY), MidPoint Music Festival and the Toyota/WEBN Riverfest.The city plays host to numerous musical and theater operations, boasts a large parksystem, and has a diverse dining culture. One of Cincinnati's most famous attractionsis The Fountain Square, Cincinnati, which serves as one of the cultural cornerstonesof the region. Cincinnati is also famous for its unique culinary delicacies. "Cincinnatichili" is commonly served by several independent chains such as Skyline Chili, GoldStar Chili, Empress Chili, Camp Washington Chili, and Dixie Chili. In addition,Goetta is a meat product popular in Cincinnati, usually eaten as a breakfast meat.Cincinnati is known for the quantity and quality of its many gourmet restaurants.Until 2005, when the restaurant closed, the Maisonette carried the distinction ofbeing Mobil Travel Guide's longest running five-star restaurant in the country.Jean-Robert de Cavel has opened four new restaurants in the area since 2001 includingJean-Robert's at Pigall's. Cincinnati's German heritage is also evidenced by themany eateries that specialize in schnitzels and hearty Bavarian cooking. Also inCincinnati is Findlay Market; Ohio's oldest continuously-operated public marketand one of Cincinnati's most famous institutions. The market is the last remainingmarket among the many that once served Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is home to seven major sports venues, two major league teams, six minorleague teams, and hosts five college institutions with their own sports teams. Itis home to baseball's Reds, America's first professional baseball team, the Bengalsof the National Football League, and the historic international men's and women'stennis tournament, The A.T.P. Masters Series Cincinnati Masters. It is also hometo three professional soccer teams, the outdoor teams, the Cincinnati Kings (men's)and Cincinnati LadyHawks (women's), and the indoor team, the Cincinnati Excite (men's).Major League Lacrosse has also announced that Cincinnati is in the running for oneof the two expansion teams that will start play in 2008.

Cincinnati is currently planning a streetcar line to connect Downtown, Over-the-Rhineand the area around the University of Cincinnati. The initial study conductedby Omaha-based HDR Engineers was completed on May 31, 2007 estimating the cost tobe around $100 million dollars. The first line connecting Over-the-Rhine to theBanks is expected to be ready by 2009 and is estimated to spur the establishmentof 1,200 to 3,400 new households resulting in $1.4 billion in redeveloped property,$34 million in new tax income for the city per year, and $17 million in new retailspending.

Cincinnati is served by three major interstate highways. Interstate 75 is a north-southroute through the Mill Creek valley, whereas Interstate 71 cuts northeast towardsMt. Adams and Walnut Hills. Interstate 74 begins at Interstate 75 west of downtownand proceeds towards Indiana. The city also has an outer-belt, Interstate 275, anda spur to Kentucky, Interstate 471. It is also served by numerous U.S. highways:US 22, US 27, US 42, US 50, US 52 and US 127. ARTIMIS is Cincinnati's interstateinformation service. Current highway conditions are available 24/7 locally by dialing"511". For out-of-town drivers or "511"-disabled phone systems, one can call 513-333-3333.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Cincinnati. Ticketoffices and boarding stations are located at Cincinnati Union Terminal at 1301 WesternAvenue. The Cardinal is the only scheduled Amtrak passenger train service throughCincinnati. The Ohio Hub plan has Cincinnati being part of the C Corridor, whichwill connect Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio's largest cities. It isquestionable whether this project will ever be implemented. The city is served byseveral railroad freight services. The largest of these is CSX Transportation whichoperates a large railroad yard west of Interstate 75. The Norfolk Southern Railroadand Indiana & Ohio Railway also have a large presence. Norfolk Southern operatesthe city-owned Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway under a lease agreement.

Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is the major airport servingthe metropolitan area and is located across the river in Kentucky. The airport isthe second largest hub for Delta and the largest for its subsidiary, Comair. LunkenAirport is a municipal airfield used for smaller business jets and private planes.It was the main city airport before the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky InternationalAirport was built and is located on the east side of town on the Little Miami River.A smaller airport, Cincinnati West Airport, is located in Harrison, Ohio. The BlueAsh Airport, in Blue Ash, Ohio but owned by the City of Cincinnati, was the subjectof failed attempts to build a large commercial airport north of the city.