These 25 Facts about Cincinnati Facts May Surprise You

I’m a born-and-raised Cincinnati local with a list of Cincinnati facts that may surprise you!

Many people think of Cincinnati as a quiet city in the Midwest, famed for its chili and comeback football team. But did you know that your favorite tailgating game comes from Cincinnati? Or that the city has a rich history in science, politics, culture, and more?

Prepare to have your mind blown and learn what makes Cincinnati so unique. 

25 Interesting Facts About Cincinnati

1. Cincinnati isn’t the City’s Original Name

Originally, Cincinnati was named Losantville. The name of the city was changed in 1790 in honor of Lucius Cincinnatus. He was a military leader and statesman in Rome who lived from 519 to 430 B.C. [Source]

2. Cincinnati Has Many Nicknames

Cincinnati’s most well-known nickname is The Queen City. However, the city is also known as The City of Seven Hills, The Queen of the West, and The Blue Chip City.

Perhaps its most interesting nickname is Porkopolis, a word for flying pig. This seemingly strange name comes to us because Cincinnati used to have more than 48 pork packing facilities. [Source]

✈️ Traveling to The Queen City? Bookmark my guide on where to stay in Cincinnati! 

3. Cincinnati Has Its Own Chili

If you know anything about Cincinnati, you know about Skyline Chili. The chili itself has only meat, seasoning (including cinnamon and chocolate!), and water. You can enjoy it over spaghetti or on top of a hot dog with beans and/or onions at any local Skyline Chili location.

Residents and tourists in Cincinnati alone consume more than 2 million pounds of this chili every year!

4. Cincinnati is “The Capital of Cornhole”

Cincinnati is famed for the popular backyard game of cornhole, which is played both professionally and recreationally all over the world. Locals in the area gave rise to the American Cornhole Organization in 2005. [Source]

Pack up your cornhole boards and enjoy a game at one of Cincinnati’s parks!

5. Cincinnati was the First City to Establish a Municipal Fire Department

The Cincinnati Fire Department became the first fully paid fire department in the United States in 1853. Believe it or not, despite the danger inherent to the job, US firefighters weren’t paid until this time. [Source]

6. Cincinnati is the Birthplace of Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong, widely known as the first man to set foot on the moon, was born in Cincinnati in August 1930. After his victorious career with NASA, he went on to teach aeronautical engineering at the University of Cincinnati from 1971 to 1979. [Source]

7. The Cincinnati Observatory is the Oldest Professional Observatory in the Country

The Cincinnati Observatory was established in 1842, making it the oldest of its kind in the United States and the entire Western Hemisphere. It is part of the University of Cincinnati and crucial to the school’s astronomy program. [Source]

8. Four US Presidents are from Cincinnati

Four presidents are connected to Cincinnati. Ulysses S. Grant was born in Point Pleasant (on the Ohio River, southeast of Cincinnati) in 1822. Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend (in Greater Cincinnati) in 1833. William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati in 1857.

Additionally, William Henry Harrison lived in the Cincinnati area after his presidency. He represented Ohio in the US Congress for two terms.

9. Steven Spielberg was Born in Cincinnati

Although he moved to Phoenix later in his childhood, Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati in 1946. You likely know that he is responsible for the creation of Jaws, Schindler’s List, E.T., and Indiana Jones. He also wrote several other innovative and memorable films. [Source]

10. Cincinnati is the Birthplace of Play-Doh

Kutol was a Cincinnati-based company that created Play-Doh in the 1930s — and get this: it was originally a wallpaper cleaner! They remarketed it to schools as Play-Doh when they started struggling financially. This smart decision restored financial security for the company. [Source]

11. The Heart-Lung Machine was Invented in Cincinnati

In 1951, the first heart-lung machine was created at the University of Cincinnati by cardiologist Samuel Kaplan, chemist Leland Clark, and surgery professor James Helmsworth. This machine made safe open-heart surgery possible. [Source]

12. Cincinnati is Home to the Country’s First Jewish Hospital

The Jewish Hospital – Mercy Health was the first of its kind established in the United States in 1850. The initial purpose of the hospital was to treat Jewish patients with cholera. [Source]

13. The Magic 8-Ball also Came from Cincinnati

Laura C. Cooper Pruden was a medium who lived in Cincinnati. Her son, Albert Carter, became interested in mysticism and created the original prototype for the Magic 8-Ball, which he called the “Syco-Seer.”

Carter applied for a patent in 1944 for the liquid-filled tube with windows on each end. This item evolved and eventually became the Magic 8-Ball we all know today. [Source]

14. Cincinnati is the Only City that Built and Owned a Railway

The Cincinnati Southern Railway was an important part of the American Railway system. Construction was finished in 1879. The railway went from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ultimately, it connected the western and southern United States. [Source]

15. Cincinnati was a Key Stop on the Underground Railroad

Kentucky, located just south of Cincinnati, was a slave state in the 19th century. Cincinnati abolitionists made this city an important stop on the Underground Railroad, with many stations throughout. Enslaved people attempting to escape from further south could stop here on their way to Canada, where they would be free. [Source]

16. The Roebling Suspension Bridge was a Record-Breaker

The Roebling Suspension Bridge was the longest such bridge in the world (at 1,057 feet) when it was constructed in 1867. It was the inspiration for the famous Brooklyn Bridge, which incidentally stole the title of the longest bridge. [Source]

It’s hard to miss the Roebling Suspension Bridge when you’re driving around Cincinnati. And you’ll definitely catch it if you plan on doing any day trips!

17. Cincinnati is Home to the Biggest Oktoberfest in the Country

Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest, known as “Zinzinnati” is the largest in the US. It’s held annually in the downtown area and features German food vendors, live music, a dachshund race (“Running of the Wieners”), and tons of beer. About 500,000 people are in attendance every year! [Source]

18. The Inventor of the Pringles Can is Buried Here — in a Pringles Can!

Fredric Baur was a Cincinnati chemist who invented the Pringles can. Upon his death in 2008, he was cremated, and the ashes were placed in an empty can of Original Pringles. The can is buried at Arlington Memorial Gardens in Mount Healthy. [Source]

19. Jerry Springer was the Mayor of Cincinnati

Once upon a time, the notorious Jerry Springer was involved in Cincinnati politics. Elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971, he resigned three years later after a bad check he had written to a sex worker had been exposed.

However, he won back his seat in 1975 and became mayor in 1977. He went on to become a political commentator and the host of his current popular (albeit controversial) talk show. [Source]

20. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is One of the Oldest in the Country

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1895 and is the sixth-oldest orchestra in the United States. It performs frequently at Cincinnati Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark, and one of the most famous landmarks in Cincinnati.

The same members of this orchestra form the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, using their instruments to play pop music at Music Hall. The Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, and May Festival Chorus also perform at Music Hall.

21. Cincinnati Music Hall May be Haunted!

Cincinnati Music Hall is not only a premier cultural venue — it is also the location of multiple ghost sightings and suspected hauntings. In fact, Music Hall was featured on a special Halloween episode of Ghost Hunters in 2014.

Be sure to visit the haunted Music Hall if you’re interested in the paranormal. You can go on a haunted tour sponsored by Music Hall itself, or explore the haunted halls on your own!

22. It’s Home to the World’s Only Ventriloquist Museum

Just five miles south of Cincinnati is Vent Haven Museum. This is the only museum in the world that is dedicated to ventriloquy figures, memorabilia, and photographs. It is home to over a thousand ventriloquist figures from 20 different countries. 

The museum is open by appointment only from May to September. [Source]

23. The First Airmail Came from Cincinnati

We know that a lot of mail travels through the air nowadays. But what you may not know is that the very first instance of this happening was a bag of airmail being delivered from Cincinnati to Toledo. To make it even more interesting, it didn’t travel by plane, but by hot air balloon.

24. The Passenger Pigeon Went Extinct in Cincinnati

The passenger pigeon was once the most common bird in North America. It became an endangered species in the early 1900s due to human activity. The last of these birds on the planet was a passenger pigeon named Martha who lived in the Cincinnati Zoo and died in 1914. [Source]

25. The Cincinnati Reds are the Country’s Oldest Professional Baseball Team.

The Cincinnati Reds (initially the Cincinnati Red Stockings) was the first Major League Baseball team in the country. The team was founded in 1890. In addition, they were the first professional baseball team to get on an airplane for a game. This happened in June 1934. [Source]

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And that concludes my list of Cincinnati facts! I hope you enjoyed reading about what makes my hometown a unique destination.