On September 24, 1848, Charles Fontayne and William S. Porter set up their camera on a rooftop in…read moreNewport, Kentucky and panned across the Ohio River. Their daguerreotype photograph captured two miles of the Cincinnati landscape, which was stored on eight separate, silver-coated plates. 160 years later, this photograph has been restored in an exhibit in the Cincinnati Public Library, and is the oldest comprehensive photograph of any American city. The Cincinnati Library created an exhibit in their Cincinnati Room about the preservation of the photograph, history of the photographers, as well as a look at the creation of daguerreotypes. The original panorama is on display and is also on a giant, 52" touch screen television. The touch screen display allows users to scroll with their fingertips (like using an iPad) and click buttons to learn more about specific locations. You can also zoom in on the details of the photograph up to 32 times. Some details you can see are the old steamboats, a ghost-like man with a chip on his shoulder, the earliest recorded images of African Americans, and laundry hanging from a clothesline. Impressively, you can also see the green, rural hilltops of what is today Mount Adams, Brighton, and Clifton. I spent an hour in the exhibit today and only saw about half of the daguerreotype's details. I plan to go back and park a chair right in front of the 52" screen and learn until my heart's content. This is a must-see for every Cincinnatian and visitor who wants to learn about the history of our great city. Cost: Free Viewing Time: 90 minutes - 2 hours

I love it when I find out that Cincinnati has something super cool and unique like this panorama…read more It's the oldest panoramic shot of a city, so it just makes sense that the city famous for its "Skyline" (I know, sorry) would get the glory. The photo was taken from Newport, and covers 2 miles of the view across the river in 1848. It's really interesting to see what it looked like then and compare it to what we see today, especially for someone like me who lives in Kentucky and looks at the current panorama almost every day. The photo is almost hidden in the downtown branch of the library, but ask anyone who works there and they can direct you to the viewing spot. They have lots of great information and it's something you can look at for much longer than you may have planned. I'm not even a history buff, but this is something that everyone from Cincinnati should be proud of.

I stumbled upon Granny's Garden school through a Yelp service event we were doing and instantly…read morefell in love. Now Granny's Garden school is actually part of Loveland Elementary school. We looked and looked and could not find it because the place itself does not exist. Granny herself runs this nonprofit as more of an educational giving back kind of initiative. As we were moving piles of mulch to the garden beds we met her in person and wow what a special person! She explained to all of us the history of how she got started and it was basically to teach children early about how to eat healthy and that healthy eating can be fun, and delicious! She also said that each classroom of the school has a plot that they are responsible for growing during the season. The class then harvests the plants and they are used for the school's lunches!!! How cool is that? We had processed patties of who knows what slopped on our trays. She even said that kids will eat raw veggies right out of the garden. And when I say raw, some of the kids just take bites out of tomatoes and eat them whole! What a great cause. I would have never even known about this place, but if you are looking to volunteer or just have fun giving back this is a great great place. There were even some high school kids earning class credit on the day we went.

Amazing amazing amazing. We like to buy the family garden kit in Spring sponsored by local…read morebusinesses. We get free soil, free plants, and free seeds. Great educational program ad their plant sale in the Spring is the best gardening deal in town. Great plants from their own school gardens at the best prices and your money goes to fund the school garden program. Be sure to check out their garden subscriptions for fresh flowers!

Cultural gem with thoughtful programs. Most events free to the public!! Stylish new building.read more

We chose CCAC for our wedding reception because it was in the same neighborhood as the church where…read morewe got married. When we started planning, Raine was the event coordinator. She was immediately buffaloed by straight-forward questions, and she just would not stay organized or save/file any documents we supplied at her request, so I ended up having to make a packet of all of her info so she could keep track better. I really felt like I was her secretary, but she was supposed to be working for us! A few weeks before the wedding she was letting us know when to have our vendors come drop off our orders, but she would change the timeframe day to day, which led to me having to keep updating our florist, caterer and table rental people. Working with her added so much work on my end since I had to keep updating the vendors on when they could come drop off our order when Raine shifted the timeline and then sending the same information over and over since Raine didn't save it the first time she requested it. Luckily for us, Raine was replaced by Liz about 2 weeks before the wedding, and our experience immediately improved! Liz seems to be someone who is on top of things and cares about her clients. Liz was great about anticipating our needs beyond what we had already considered. As far as the space itself, the CCAC ballroom is a little bare, but we were really happy with how it looked with our decorations. They have a great lighting system, so we were able to program the lights on different modes for dinner versus dancing. Our guests had the chance to go around to the art gallery and onto the roof where there are a few firepits, so it was excellent for our guests who weren't big dancers. I think having other spaces for everyone to go gave everyone the chance to stay through to the end of the night. I was really happy nobody left early! For the price (about $4500), I thought the plastic folding chairs that come with the rental were a little flimsy and uncomfortable, so I splurged on banquet chairs from an outside vendor. My main selling point with CCAC was that it was walkable from our church, so I really didn't consider anywhere else. If I had worked with Liz from the start, and if CCAC offered better chairs or a little lower price I think I would easily give CCAC 5*!

We came here for the first time after seeing it mentioned on social media. For the price it's a…read moregood scare. It's a small town local haunt ran by volunteers I believe. It was pretty good for a small local haunt. There is one part where you have to walk over this round flat piece of wood that's spinning really fast and I almost fell into the wall and scraped my arm slightly so that wasn't my favorite part lol. I did not do the maze at the end because they said it's pitch black dark and you have to feel your way out so I can't speak on that part. Overall it's a good cheap haunt that don't break the bank.

Awesome set up! Great atmosphere! It's scary, creative, and fun! Glad we made the trip. It was just…read moreas good as USS nightmare and cheaper!

Filled out their on line request for dates for a home school group to attend the facility, I was…read morecharged twice for their 50$ non refundable deposit, had to go to my bank and fill out forms to get half of that back. I am still out 50$ and nobody has responded to multiple phone calls or email. Still not dates set. Clearly this place is a scam.

Space: The Final Frontier...conveniently brought to you in the comfort of your chair inside Drake…read morePlanetarium. A staple of Cincinnati since 1982, Drake Planetarium puts on weekly galaxy shows and laser shows on the weekend. Tucked away inside the fourth floor of Norwood High School, this large room can accommodate up to 70 visitors per show and is great for science nerds young and old. Galaxy shows take place on Sunday afternoons, but the biggest draw, the laser shows, are offered every Friday and Saturday night. Three, hour-long shows are offered, each of a different theme. - Laser Beatles, Laser Retro, and Laser Vinyl - Holiday Skies, Laser Metallica, and Laser Zeppelin - Laser Pink Floyd "Dark Side" and "The Wall" These combinations rotate frequently, so be sure to check the schedule for your show. Or make an evening of it and watch all three shows back-to-back. http://www.drakeplanetarium.org/Family/spec_events.html Expect more from the laser shows than zig-zagging lights. Animated images are projected onto the dome that move along with the lyrics in the music. Pretty cool! If you're looking for a night out with space and laser geekery, blast off with Drake Planetarium! Cost per person: $10.00

An amazing rotating collection that spans the history of ventriloquism. My first visit and I will…read morebe back again to see what has been added. A very nice building and knowledgeable docent/curator. The building only accommodates small groups in each room, but there are plenty of opportunities to take pictures and ask questions. I would have preferred that some of the commentaries were not so biased with personal philosophies. Other than that, it was an enjoyable afternoon viewing this vast collection.

What??? You don't know about this place? Okay, it's off the beaten path, but apparently it's the…read moreonly museum for ventriloquists' dummies in the U.S. Over 900 dummies were collected by the now-passed owner. Now a curated selection is displayed and lovingly tended by a small and devoted following. Some people are creeped out by dummies, but we found it fascinating. Well worth it!

I had found a discount on http://wlwt.half-offcincy.com for a $30 Pioneer Discovery Intro Flight…read more(normally $100). I figured this would be a good baby-step towards skydiving, and you can't beat THAT deal. After parking in the lot across the streeet, we pushed the intercom button and were buzzed in (always a VIP feeling!). We were greeted by the instuctor, Mark, who did a quick tutorial of the ins-n-outs of the plane. I got in the pilot seat, Mark rode shotgun, and my fiance got in the back (no additional charge for him to ride). I got to steer the plane a little during pre-takeoff taxiing, and do some turns and ascents/descents in the air. Totally different experience than a commercial airplane! It was a gorgeous day and the views were awesome. It was a *little* shakier than a Delta flight, but in a "wheeee!!" kinda way :) I am now the proud owner of my very own flight log, with one flight under my belt. Another bonus... about a week after, I got a Thank You card in the mail. The front was a picture of my fiance & me standing by the Cessna we rode in. They're supposed to be offering another online deal some time, so keep an eye out!

This place is an absolute disaster. Right on par with Flamingo down the street. Very poor…read moreorganizational skills with very little consistency between instructors and management. Their students average more than 100 hours and at least a year to get a PPL. A real flight school is just 10 miles east at Clermont County Airport. Do not waste your resources with this sad excuse for a flight school.

We went there as a Harvest Host guest. But recently saw…read morethem at Food truck days and other places to help kids learn about animals

Family fun! It wasn't crowded the animals were so beautiful.. my 2 year old had a blast! Definitely…read morerecommend for a cheap and fun family outing.