Park Hours: 6am-12am
The name Ohio comes from the Iroquois Native word “Ohiyo” meaning: “it is beautiful.” When white settlers traveled down the river and landed at the site of Cincinnati’s Public Landing, they chose the location as a perfect spot to embrace this natural riverine beauty and establish a town which would come to thrive from its proximity to the important body of water. As the Ohio River corridor developed into a booming trade hub, Cincinnati rapidly grew, and at one time found itself to be the densest and third largest city in America. Even as economic activity faded along America’s vast river systems, the Ohio has remained one of Cincinnati’s greatest assets to this day, and the past several decades has seen this recognized through the development of a beautiful riverfront park system connecting the city to its roots.
The riverfront park system is actually made up of 3 separate parks. From East to West they are: Theodore Berry International Friendship Park, Sawyer Point Park, and Smale Riverfront Park. The first prominent feature of these segments to be completed was the Serpentine Wall along Sawyer Point, a winding flood wall that mimics the contours of the river and serves as a massive series of bleachers for people to rest and take in the sights of the river or even get in a stair workout. This 1976 development was joined 20 years later by Sawyer Point, christened Bicentennial Commons in honor of Cincinnati’s Bicentennial in 1998. Sawyer Point spans for a mile in between the other two parks and runs parallel to Yeatman’s Cove. The park is its own history tour of the city with a timeline walking path of the region’s history and statues of prominent figures, including Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, the Roman general for whom the city gets its name.
The next addition to the park system was Friendship Park on the far eastern end, completed in 2003. The name Theodore Berry comes in honor of Cincinnati’s first African American mayor. The park primarily consists of two intertwined walkways that weave through gardens representing each continent in a celebration of international peace and cooperation. Many sculptures and artistic features also dot the landscapes of this park which terminates in a round-a-bout encompassing the Crystalline Tower, a mesh tower with enclosed spiral staircase (unfortunately closed to the public) which stand tall above the park’s trees and other structures.
Cincinnati put the cap on this remarkable park system in 2015 with the completion of Smale Riverfront Park. At over 40 acres stretching between Great American and Paul Brown stadiums, this $120 million project features a Great Lawn, Adventure Playground, a series of paved walking paths and tons of varied seating and picnic areas for visitors to enjoy. All told, the riverfront boasts 2 contiguous miles of park connected by various walking paths, gardens and attractions. A walk along these parks is the perfect way to spend a day in Cincinnati and get to know the city better through its roots while taking in the beautiful views of the skyline and Ohio River. Make sure to get down here and check it all out!
