Cincinnati Heritage Tours

Begin March 28!

These tours always slip my mind so I decided to post a description of all the tours and dates from the Historical Society’s website for handy reference.

The Cincinnati Tour
Saturday, March 28
9 a.m. to noon
Allay your cabin fever and spend a morning exploring our Queen City. See the site of the first settlement, Fountain Square, the central business district and much more. Discover the beautiful seven hills of Cincinnati. Lunch is not included.
Fee: $40 members, $45 non-members
Registration Deadline: March 25

Empress Chili--the First Cincinnati Chili Parlor.
Friday, April 24
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Learn how the Queen City became famous for its distinctive Cincinnati Chili. Hear the story of how, in 1922, two immigrant brothers from Macedonia opened a small restaurant next to the Empress Theater downtown. Their “three way chili” with Middle Eastern spices sparked a Queen City food phenomenon. Tour the Empress Chili Production Plant in Woodlawn. Have lunch at a Cincinnati-style chili parlor
Fee: $50 members, $55 non-members
Registration Deadline: April 17

Glendale and Wyoming Tour
Saturday, May 9
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
In the morning, visit the City of Wyoming, which by the 1860s had become the home of successful businessmen who located their industries in the Mill Creek Valley. Tour the McIlwain House on Wyoming Avenue and the 1883 Wyoming Baptist Church. Have lunch at the Wyoming City Hall, originally built as the segregated elementary school for African-American children. In the afternoon, explore the Village of Glendale, designed as an English village and now a National Historic Landmark. Visit the Episcopal Christ Church and the museum in the Glendale Train Station, which was used by residents commuting to and from downtown on the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad.
Fee: $70 members, $75 non-members
Registration Deadline: May 2

Union Terminal Photo Shoot
Sunday, June 7
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Attention photography enthusiasts! This is your opportunity to take pictures of majestic Union Terminal during a time not open to the public. Capture photographs of areas not routinely open to the public such as the restored President’s Office, The Cincinnati and Losantiville Dining Rooms, the original Men’s Lounge, now the Amtrak Waiting Room. In addition, the balcony will be available for shooting the Grand Rotunda.
Fee: $25 member, $30 non-members
Registration Deadline: June 4

Westside Houses With History
Wednesday, June 17
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Travel to the Ohio River hillsides of western Cincinnati to see the 1849 Greek Revival-style McWilliams house in Riverside, originally built as a log cabin in 1807. See the oldest house in Sayler Park, the Goodin House, built in 1806, which added its modern touches in 1850. Visit two painted ladies nestled in a park-like setting and a 1910 home filled with a treasure trove of antiques. See the Thornton Indian statue located in Cincinnati’s smallest park and have lunch overlooking Ohio River Dam Number 37. Enjoy afternoon refreshments at the1820 John Clermont House overlooking downtown Cincinnati. This tour has several uphill treks on uneven steps and walkways.
Fee: $70 members, $75 non-members
Registration Deadline: June 10

Bats and Battles in Louisville
Wednesday, July 15
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tour the world-famous Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Find out what the “crack of the bat” means to the development of the major league bat and hear the stories of the “Heavy Hitters”. At the Frazier International History Museum, learn about historical events covering 1,000 years of history from two continents, including our early North American Settlements, to the era of the Pony Express. See such artifacts as Teddy Roosevelt’s Big Stick and Daniel Boone’s family bible.
Fee: $85 members, $90 non-members
Registration Deadline: July 8

If Walls Could Talk
Thursday, September 3
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
In the Licking Riverside neighborhood of Covington, hear the story of arts-advocate, Margaretta Baker-Hunt, whose gracious home is now a regional cultural arts center. Stroll through her neighborhood to the family’s Trinity Episcopal Church with its magnificent stained-glass windows. Visit the Rugby House, home of the Henry Bruce family, who were Confederate supporters. Enjoy lunch on the Baker-Hunt campus and experience the foundation’s mission by creating a project with an art instructor.
Fee: $45 members, $50 non-members
Registration Deadline: October 27

Starry, Starry Night
Wednesday, September 9
7 to 9:30 p.m.
View the summer sky through the world's oldest operational telescope at the Cincinnati Observatory, the birthplace of American astronomy. Enjoy an evening of wine and cheese and learn why President Adams laid the Observatory's original cornerstone on Mt. Adams in 1843, and why the Observatory was moved to its present site in 1873. On a tour of this National Historic Landmark, discover how 19th-century astronomers determined time for Cincinnati and how the first U.S. weather prediction was achieved.
Fee: $30 members, $35 non-members
Registration Deadline: September 2

FIRE!
Wednesday, September 16
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visit the Cincinnati Fire Museum that holds 200 year old artifacts and memorabilia of the first U. S. paid fire department. At the Cincinnati Fire Department Headquarters, explore the Robotic Bomb and HazMat Response Vehicles. Learn about the Heavy Rescue Truck equipped with the tools to handle the most complicated dilemmas. Try on 75 pounds of Personal Protection Gear. At the Fire Training Center, observe a Fire Attack Line demonstration and rescue procedures. At the Mill Creek training site, imagine the intense heat in the flashover-training cubicle.
Fee: $70 members, $75 non-members
Registration Deadline: September 9

Churches of Clifton
Wednesday, October 7
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
At Immanuel Presbyterian Church, see the stained glass windows in memory of George W. McAlpin, the founder of the local department store. Visit the Gothic-style Clifton Methodist Church with its Christ on the Sea of Galilee west window. Hear the history of Clifton’s oldest church, Calvary Episcopal, with its Five Sisters and Tiffany Studio windows. Explore majestic St. Monica church, which was appointed the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati from 1938 to 1951.
Fee: $75 members, $80 non-members
Registration Deadline: September 30

Inclines and Overlooks
Saturday, October 17
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
During the late 1800s, Cincinnati boasted five inclines that carried people and freight away from the smoke, noise and crowds of the city basin. Visit the sites of the inclined planes, and hilltop resorts built as beer gardens and entertainment venues. Hear the story of Cincinnati’s “seven hills” and the wonders of 19th-century transportation engineering. Lunch is not included.
Fee: $40 members, $45 non-members
Registration Deadline: October 10

The High Steel of Union Terminal
Saturday, October 24
10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Explore the arched steel structure of Cincinnati’s most recognized architectural landmark. After an audiovisual presentation and discussion on its construction and engineering concepts, climb to the High Steel to marvel at the trusses supporting one of the largest half-dome rotundas in the world. This tour lasts approximately 1½ hours ascends 300 steps and has ladders in dimly lit areas. No cameras, carried items or ambulatory assist devices are permitted on this tour. Must be at least 12 years of age; under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Sturdy shoes required. No open toed shoes permitted.
Fee: $15 members, $20 non-members
Registration Deadline: October 22

Honor, Courage and Patriotism
Tuesday, November 10
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visit patriotic sites honoring military men and women who served in U.S. wars since our Revolution. Learn about memorials such as the1908 Beaux Arts Memorial Hall in Over- the-Rhine, built to recognize those who served in the Spanish American War. At the Blue Ash Memorial, see life-size bronze figures representing the courage and patriotism of the soldiers who fought in major U.S. wars. At the Voice of America Park in West Chester, hear the story of the facility that broadcast information from the free world into Europe during WW II and the Cold War.
Fee: $70 members, $75 non-members
Registration Deadline: November 3


When lunch is included, the cost of these tours is actually fairly expensive. But given the rental of the bus, lunch, etc. it is understandable to a degree. However, I am curious on how the turn-out will be this year with the economy.

For cost effective walking tours this summer, there are always the ARCHITREKS tours which are never more than $10. More on those in the coming month!