Free Things to Do in Cincinnati: 13 Real Picks

The best free things to do in Cincinnati, Ohio, are the Cincinnati Art Museum in Eden Park, the free Cincinnati Connector streetcar, Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine, William Howard Taft National Historic Site, and the city's big parks, including Smale Riverfront Park, Ault Park and Mt. Airy Forest. All 13 picks below are inside Cincinnati city limits, and a one-day route to string them together is near the end.

One honest warning first: several of the city's famous attractions are not free. The next section sorts that out so you do not plan a day around a ticket you did not budget for.

Which famous Cincinnati attractions are free, and which are not?

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center all charge admission. Findlay Market has no admission charge listed, though parking is paid.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (3400 Vine St.): ticketed for most visitors. The zoo's discounts page offers only one free-admission rule: active and retired military get in free on Memorial Day, July 4 and Veterans Day. Otherwise it lists discounts, not free days: $5 off for military and first responders with ID, discounted tickets for SNAP cardholders with matching photo ID (Access for All), and reciprocal zoo member discounts. Parking is $12 per the zoo's site.
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal (1301 Western Avenue): ticketed, and the official visit page lists no free admission days. Its listed discounts include $1 off for AAA members and military, and a Museums for All rate of $3 per person for up to ten guests with a food assistance or Medicaid card and photo ID. Members get in free.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (50 East Freedom Way, The Banks): ticketed, typically open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The official visit page says: "Enjoy free admission at least one day each month, plus MLK Day and Juneteenth." Check the Freedom Center's site for the exact free dates. Children under 3 are always free.
Findlay Market (1801 Race Street, Over-the-Rhine): entering and wandering the market has no fee listed on the official site. Only parking is priced, at $3 per hour, with one hour free Monday to Friday for a one-hour stay.
Contemporary Arts Center (44 E. 6th Street, Downtown): general admission is listed at $12, free for visitors 18 and under, members and SNAP/EBT recipients. It is not a free pick.
Harriet Beecher Stowe House (2950 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills): house tours are ticketed (adults $9, children 6-17 $6). Only the Stowe Park grounds are free, dawn to dusk.

How we chose

Every pick is inside Cincinnati, open when we checked its official page in November 2026, and either free by the official wording or a public park or street with no admission charge listed. Where an official page does not state a price, the entry says so. Parking, food and special exhibitions cost extra at some places, and those costs are noted.

The 13 free things to do in Cincinnati

1. Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park (Mt. Adams)

The Cincinnati Art Museum, at 953 Eden Park Drive, offers free general admission. Its official site says the free admission is made possible by a gift from the Rosenthal Family Foundation, and that parking there is free too.

Typical hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. It is closed Monday. Some special exhibitions are ticketed, so check each show's listing. Nearby, see Mt. Adams for the hillside streets around the park.

2. Cincinnati Connector streetcar (Downtown and Over-the-Rhine)

The Cincinnati Connector streetcar is fare free every day, according to the City of Cincinnati's fares page, which cites an ordinance authorizing ongoing fare-free service. It loops through Over-the-Rhine, Downtown and The Banks.

The city's hours page lists roughly 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Treat it as a free sightseeing ride that also connects most of the picks below.

3. Findlay Market (Over-the-Rhine)

Findlay Market, at 1801 Race Street, is open Tuesday through Sunday, and its official pages list no admission fee. Typical hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, and it is closed Monday.

The farmers market typically runs 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Browsing is free; the samples and snacks are your call. Park on the street or take the streetcar, since the market's own parking is $3 per hour.

4. William Howard Taft National Historic Site (Mt. Auburn)

The National Park Service's William Howard Taft National Historic Site, at 2038 Auburn Avenue, states that there is no admission fee to enter the visitor center. The park grounds are typically open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The NPS hours page gives no hours for the house itself, only that tours run when the Education Center is open, so check the NPS site before you go. The neighborhood is Mt. Auburn.

5. Smale Riverfront Park (The Banks)

Smale Riverfront Park is a City of Cincinnati park along the Ohio River at The Banks. The Cincinnati Parks page lists a cascading waterfall, the Heekin Family-PNC Grow Up Great Adventure Playground, the Barr Labyrinth and the Marian Spencer Memorial. No admission fee is listed. The official page did not give hours, so go in daylight and check Cincinnati Parks.

6. Washington Park (Over-the-Rhine)

Washington Park, at 1230 Elm Street in Over-the-Rhine, is a free, open city green in the heart of the neighborhood. The park's website lists seasonal porch hours and a regular calendar of events it describes as free. Walking through the park costs nothing; the park also has its own parking garage.

7. Ault Park (Mt. Lookout)

Ault Park, at 5090 Observatory Circle in Mt. Lookout, is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless otherwise posted, per the Ault Park Advisory Council. Dogs are welcome in much of Ault Park, but the council's FAQ says they cannot go into the Gardens or the Great Lawn. No admission fee is listed.

8. Mt. Airy Forest (Mt. Airy)

Mt. Airy Forest is a Cincinnati Parks forest beside Mt. Airy. Its official page features Everybody's Treehouse, picnic groves, a bike skills course and volunteer trail workdays. The official page states no admission fee, but also gives no hours, so check before a long visit.

9. Mt. Echo Park (East Price Hill)

Mt. Echo Park, a Cincinnati Parks hilltop in Price Hill, has an overlook with a view of the city, a picnic shelter and a playground. Cincinnati Parks lists no fee. Park rules typically close city parks overnight, so go by day.

10. Burnet Woods and Trailside Nature Center (Clifton)

Burnet Woods, a Cincinnati Parks woodland in Clifton, has walking paths, Burnet Woods Lake and the Trailside Nature Center. Cincinnati Parks lists Saturday-morning habitat restoration workdays with the Burnet Woods Advisory Council, which are a free way to see the woods while helping out. No admission fee is listed.

11. Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum (Spring Grove Village)

Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum, at 4521 Spring Grove Ave., invites visitors to tour its grounds throughout the year. Grounds are typically open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and the Customer Service Center just inside the main gate is open Monday to Saturday. The official visitor guide does not state a price, so call it a drive-through garden with no admission fee listed, and confirm at the gate.

12. Main Library, Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (Downtown)

The Main Library, at 800 Vine St., lists the Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Cincinnati Room and a Genealogy & Local History collection among its features. Hours are typically 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The library's page says to enter from Vine or Walnut Street. Public libraries do not charge to come in and read.

13. Final Friday at Pendleton Art Center (Pendleton)

Pendleton Art Center, at 1310 Pendleton St., is open to the public on the last Friday of each month from 5 to 9 p.m., according to the center's site. The center says it houses more than 200 artists working in Pendleton. The official page lists no admission charge. The front desk is staffed 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Is there a free-day route that ties these together?

Yes, and it works best on a Saturday, when the streetcar, Findlay Market and the Main Library are all open.

Save this: a free Saturday in Cincinnati

8 a.m. Findlay Market opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Browse the stalls and farmers market, and eat only what you want to.
10 a.m. Ride the free Connector streetcar from the Over-the-Rhine stops toward Downtown.
10:30 a.m. Walk the Main Library at 800 Vine St., and look into the Cincinnati Room.
Midday Head to Washington Park at 1230 Elm Street, a streetcar ride or walk back in Over-the-Rhine.
Afternoon Take the streetcar to The Banks and walk Smale Riverfront Park by the river.
Thursday variation Swap steps 3 to 5 for the Cincinnati Art Museum, which stays open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays and has free parking.

Check each place's current hours before you go.

Did the Cincinnati Art Museum really cost nothing, parking included?

Yes. The Cincinnati Art Museum's official visit page states that general admission is free and that parking at the museum is free. A whole visit to the permanent collection can cost nothing. Some special exhibitions are ticketed.

Practical tips

Parks have posted closing times, so go in daylight in winter.
A free ticketed attraction is worth planning around: the Freedom Center offers free admission at least one day each month, plus MLK Day and Juneteenth.
For food, see our Food & Dining listings, and for dates, see events.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best free things to do in Cincinnati?

The Cincinnati Art Museum, the free Cincinnati Connector streetcar, Findlay Market, William Howard Taft National Historic Site and city parks such as Smale Riverfront Park and Ault Park are the top free picks. The art museum and streetcar are explicitly free on their official sites.

Is the Cincinnati Zoo free?

No, not for most visitors. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden charges admission; its only free-admission rule is for active and retired military on Memorial Day, July 4 and Veterans Day. It lists discounts for SNAP cardholders, military, first responders and reciprocal zoo members, and parking is $12.

Is the Freedom Center free?

Only on certain days. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center says it offers free admission at least one day each month, plus MLK Day and Juneteenth. Other days are ticketed, and children under 3 are free.

Is the Cincinnati streetcar free?

Yes. The City of Cincinnati's fares page says the Cincinnati Connector streetcar is fare free every day.

Is the Cincinnati Art Museum free?

Yes, general admission is free and so is parking, according to the museum's official site. Special exhibitions may be ticketed.

Is Cincinnati Museum Center free?

No. Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal charges admission and lists no free days. It lists a Museums for All rate of $3 per person for qualifying cardholders and free admission for members.

Free Things to Do in Cincinnati: 13 Picks That Cost $0