Cincinnati doesn’t have mountains. We don’t have sandy beaches, but we do have a lot of good things going for us. And one of those things that we have going for us is an amazing park system. So let’s go through in this blog post are some of the best Cincinnati parks in Ohio.
I’m Eric Sztanyo from Keller Williams Realty and teamsztanyo.com, where we are helping families find their way home. I’m a Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky realtor, helping families with all their real estate needs in the area. What we’re gonna share in this blog post are some of the best Cincinnati parks, maybe even for Northern Kentucky. A lot of you might not know, Northern Kentucky is just on the other side of the Ohio River.
3 Best Parks In Cincinnati, OH: Features, Landscape and Architecture
Smale Riverfront Park
Down at The Banks is one of the best Cincinnati Parks in Ohio, called Smale Riverfront Park. It is absolutely beautiful. They’ve done an amazing job, and there’s so much to do. There are swings and when the weather gets a little bit warmer, kids can enjoy the water splash park. You’ve got this amazing picnicking area and walking trails down by the river with the amazing views of the Roebling Bridge and the other architecture in downtown Cincinnati. This place is just phenomenal. You have to check it out!
Besides the beauty of this park, which is just phenomenal what they’ve done with the gardens, the playgrounds, and just everything is aesthetically and very pleasing. Also, what’s great about Smale Park is you are super close to The Banks. You’re right next to the Cincinnati Reds’ Great American Ballpark, next to Cincinnati Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium and all these great restaurants and bars down at The Banks.
You’ve got this amazing feel of a park right in the heart of the city with great views of the city river. There are a lot of things to like about this park and many fun things to enjoy!
We’ll check out some other ones, but definitely, Smale Park is one of the top parks in Cincinnati, hands down.
Washington Park
If you take a little trip north through the central business district of downtown, you will find another one of the best Cincinnati parks in the city which is Washington Park. I love this place and I’ll tell you why.
There are a lot of reasons why I love this park. There’s a lot to do here. As someone who lives in suburb land all the time, the suburbs are great, but sometimes it’s just really nice to get down in the city. It’s nice to be around people. It’s nice to be around beautiful architecture and to taste the foods of the city.
One of the things we do as a family very frequently is we go to our favorite donut shop on Saturday morning, which is Holtman’s Donuts. Which, if you don’t know, now you know! You need to check out Holtman’s Donuts.
Another great feature of the park itself is that if you are a parent of little kids like I am (I have a five, three-year-old, and a one-year-old), and if you’re in an unfamiliar place, what’s really nice about the playground in Washington park is that there’s a single access point and the whole thing is fenced off. And so that’s probably, as I grade parks as a parent, that’s one of the key features that are maybe not talked about a lot, but if you have multiple kids and you only have to guard one entrance and exit point, that’s a big deal.
The other thing I love about this park is that it’s a splash park too. Which will be opened up probably by Memorial Day, pretty soon. But in the summertime, this place is great. Inside the playground, there are fountains that the kids can play in. So it makes it a lot more fun. Same with down in Smale Park, actually. They have a couple of different areas for splash pads and water parks and stuff like that, which is fun.
The other thing I love about this park is my favorite building in all the city’s which is the Cincinnati Music Hall. And we don’t go to the symphony too much. We’ve got five little kids, maybe one day we’ll go more. But just the background of this building and the architecture, which I just think is just absolutely gorgeous, is the other reason I love Washington park.
So you’ve got different food if you’re right down in OTR. There are lots of great restaurants, get it to go, come to the park and enjoy the day. It’s a beautiful place, and well-maintained.
Just another thing I wanted to mention about Washington Park is they’ve got a big area for lawn concerts. They’ve got a bandstand, a big gazebo area. They very frequently do a lot of different events in this park, since it’s right in the middle of the city. And also, they’re finishing up construction on FC Cincinnati Stadium, which is about two blocks over.
So just like you have downtown, where there’s the beautiful Smale Park, right by the Reds’ and the Bengals’ stadium. Very soon, FC Cincinnati will be playing their games, and you’re going to be right next to this beautiful park, on the northern end of downtown on Washington Park.
We’ve talked about two places now, Smale Park down by the river, and just a little farther north in OTR, Washington Park. I want to tell you guys about one more park in this blog post for my third top choice for the best Cincinnati parks in Ohio.
Ault Park
If you travel a bit northeast from downtown, through Hyde Park, and over by the Mount Lookout area, you will arrive at the one of best Cincinnati parks in Ohio, which is Ault Park. It is overlooking the Little Miami River Valley.
Let us talk more about Ault Park because what I love about this park is it’s a little bit more secluded as you drive into the park. You’re not right downtown, but it’s not far out of the city. Great walking trails, great hiking trails, and it’s got much more of a European feel to it. The gardens that are here are really beautiful. You have to check it out!
Very picturesque, very beautiful. You’ve got this awesome stone pavilion at the top of the park that overlooks down the different tiers. The water is not on during early spring. however when the fountains are going, the trees and the flowers are blooming, it’s just an awesome place to enjoy the beauty, to have a picnic, to bring your dog for a walk, go on a date, or just enjoy beautiful, cultured parks.
This may be the most beautiful of all the parks in terms of their design and layout and architecture. You’ll often see a lot of people taking photographs. You’ll see a lot of weddings that happening and events. And the view from the top is just beautiful.
There you have it. There’s my three favorite parks, some of the best Cincinnati parks in Cincinnati, Smale Park, Washington Park, and Ault Park.
There are many more to choose from in Cincinnati. And so if you’re coming here just for a weekend, or if you’re thinking of moving here to Cincinnati, definitely if you get some time, check out these parks.
I am certain they will probably become some of your favorites, but also there are like I said, there’s a lot of other hidden gems throughout the city that might be closer to you or have their own little interesting features about them. But these are certainly three of the most popular, some of the most favorite best Cincinnati parks here in Ohio.
Your Favorite Park
We hope you enjoyed this article! So what’s your favorite Cincinnati park? Did I miss one? Be sure to watch our YouTube video on the best parks and vote for your favorite in the comments. We hope you get a chance to experience and rate the best Cincinnati parks from your perspective.
Cincinnati is a beautiful city with amazing parks and many other fantastic amenities. If you are thinking of moving and living in Cincinnati, contact us below. We’d love to help you find your home and strengthen your family!