Smale Riverfront Park

Cincinnati hit a huge home run with Washington Park in Over the Rhine, so I guess the logical thing to do was throw it’s resources in another urban park and try to repeat their success. The result is Smale Park and it’s another home run! Nestled on the bank of the Ohio River between Great American Ball Park (Reds) and Paul Brown Stadium (Bengals), Smale offers walking paths, flower gardens, an epic playground, exercise equipment (I kid you not), and more. For the kiddos, a highlight is the piano-​style keyboard that you can jump on to trigger bells that ring out high above your head — think «F.A.O. Schwarz scene in ‘Big’». For my wife and I, the best part of Smale is the bench swings that line a path overlooking the river and our favorite Cincinnati landmark, the Roebling Bridge. If you haven’t experienced Cincinnati through Smale, Park, put it high on your list of priorities.

I moved back to California a few months ago, but recently visited my boyfriend in Cincinnati. We had walked along the riverfront for a date in the past, and he brought me back for my visit. He had told me about the finished park during our conversations, and I was so excited to finally see it!
It definitely did not disappoint! There are so many things for kids to play with (and adults to be honest. I enjoyed the slide and flying pig contraption just as much as the next kid, and I’m in my 20’s) My personal favorite were the swings overlooking the river and Roebling bridge. It’s beautiful and romantic, and the walk is gorgeous. I couldn’t stop smiling! I mean, the company definitely plays a huge role, but Smale Riverfront Park helped build the moment, you know? :P
It was winter so a lot of the water displays were turned off, the chess pieces for the GIANT board were put away, and the «piano» (which I hear is very fun) was out of commission. It looked so awesome that I’m probably going to plan a trip back here when I visit during warmer weather.
I loved the architecture of this park. One of the cool innovative things I noticed were the tables that were out. They are your typical park bench tables, but they ROLL. They’re on a track so you can push tables together or apart if you have larger parties.
Cincinnati, if it weren’t for life getting in the way, I’d love to move back because it’s such a beautiful community! Now there’s one more thing to miss every time I leave.

This wonderful new park is right on the Ohio River bank and has great views of KY. The park is clean and has everything form a rose garden, lots of other flowers, a labyrinth, a Black Soldiers memorial area, a fantastic carousel enclosed in glass, bike (even for the handicapped) rentals, segway & tram rentals, and an amazing playground area with many unique play spaces.

On a recent trip to Cincy, I thought I would only be wowed by my meal at The Eagle. (Side Note: you should totally head there for a meal.) Ask my boyfriend, and he’ll tell you that my favorite part of our visit was Smale Riverfront Park.
We stumbled upon it on a walk, and our stroll along the Ohio River quickly turned into me sprinting to a 19-​foot tall piano. With one gaze up at the enormous bell chimes I had instantly transformed from an adult to a big kid. «Watch me! Watch me!» I stomped on the foot keys, and with a little handy foot work the melody to «Mary Had a Little Lamb» dinged and donged for the whole park to hear. I was giddy with glee.
After my quick concert, I looked to see what else was around me and gasped. The giant foot piano was just one of several pieces of interactive equipment in the Vibrantscape. Next, I darted over to the Oinkithopter, a giant metal flying pig sculpture. «Coooooooooool!» I pulled the reins and quickly learned that wings were FLAPPABLE, and I didn’t stop flapping until I was approached by an actual child, asking if she could have a turn.
This is just a preview of the hour I spent at Smale, and had I not had an agenda that day, I wouldn’t have left the park. My recommendation is that if you have a child or want to bring out your inner child, make sure you set aside an hour or two for play at Smale Riverfront Park.

The city did a great job with Smale Riverfront Park. It’s the best park in Cincinnati, with Washington Park as a close second. This park offer views of the Cincinnati skyline, Ohio River, and the Roebling Bridge.

This park is gorgeous! It’s huge, so there’s plenty of space. There are all kinds of fountain/​water elements that are great for kids to play in. There are some other cool features too — my favorites are the big bench swings overlooking the river and the foot piano. There are also playgrounds, a gorgeous carousel, flower gardens, and exercise equipment. There are also picnic areas, and a lot of lights that make this park a highlight during the night!

This is a work in progress, but so far it is absolutely beautiful. Situated between Cincinnati’s premier sports stadiums for football and baseball, Smale Park overlooks the Ohio River. One of the highlights is the row of «porch swings» looking out to the river and Kentucky on the other side. The fountains and lawns are beautifully maintained and a great place to bring the family to stroll and play.
It’s surrounded by downtown eateries so it’s close to great food and drink. What a wonderful place to have at Cincinnati’s gateway!

This may be one of my favorite things to do in Cincinnati. Don’t miss this. You can rent bikes, segways, surreys. It’s awesome. I run here (good for about a four mile run, 2 out and back). There is just a lot to see and do. You can also walk over the bridges, walking over the purple people bridge is really cool. Don’t miss this. You can probably spend a solid two hours doing this. Yay!

This was my first visit to the park. I was amazed. The carousel is beautiful and appropriately celebrates all things Cincinnati. The park has a gorgeous view of the river and the Roebling Bridge. As an added bonus, we got to watch BB Riverboats docking on the Kentucky side. What I was most impressed with, however, was the variety of activities, especially wet activities, for kids. We didn’t get an opportunity, but the swings overlooking the river was very tempting.

Dammit Cincinnati.
I spent my entire youth absolutely despising you, my hometown. My teenage years (mostly talking 1997 — 2000) were spent fantasizing about the day I could leave. And leave I did! Nothing to do we said. Downtown is deserted and not fun we said… But then you go and do something like create Smale Park, and TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF.
It’s too late for me, but keep up the good work. Perhaps you’ll get more of your sons and daughters to stay.

We played around in Smale Riverfront Park today and what a wondrous place it is! Hubby and I walked throughout the park, but next time we’d like to take our bikes. They even have a bike rental there. It was cool to see some groups on rented quadcycles (a simple four-​wheeled vehicle that operates by pedaling with your legs). There were two different sizes that I saw and I cannot wait to bring our whole family to give it a try. Because the park is also pet friendly and has pet poop bag dispensers, we might bring our lab out there, too. It is a great place for family and friends of all ages to enjoy. To say that the landscaping is spectacular is an understatement. See some of my photos. There is a labyrinth meant for meditating on a single winding path which leads to the center. Yet, I found that one of the most relaxing features are the two sets of family-​sized porch swings looking out on the river. Even though they were metal, you would assume that they would get hot under the sun, but we were there at noon and didn’t have as problem at all. Also, you get a close-​up view of the Roebling Bridge and the park sits between the Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium. You might try the twin racing slides for the kids and lots of splash/​play fountains. If that’s not enough to cool you down, there is a cool mist area to walk thru. Since the flying pig is our city’s symbol, you won’t be surprised to see a giant one with climbing ropes to get inside. Once inside, you can wriggle around to make the wings flap! Walk past tree groves to get to one of it’s most popular features — a carousel! Each of the 44 characters were hand carved and lovingly painted, plus it takes only $ 2 to ride. Your child only needs to be 42″ to be able to ride alone. I wanted to ride it even though I don’t have a young child as an excuse. Because it is indoors, it is open year-​round yet be aware that children must be in dry clothes to ride. So, you may want to ride on it first before letting your little ones play in the water features. One feature I thought was cool is that there are picnic benches on wheels! You can unlock the wheels if you have a large group so you can push two tables together! Before you leave, you need to enjoy the largest and only outdoor electronic foot piano! With 32 keys!!! It’s for kids of all ages — even me! As evening rolls around, some of the water cascades are lit by rainbow lights! It would be a perfect ending to a perfect day spent out there!

I will admit, up until the All Star Game festivities, I had not spent a lot of time in Smale. But since I went there, I have been back every weekend because this is my new favorite spot in Cincinnati!
I don’t have any kids, but even if you don’t have children with you, you can still enjoy this park! The renovations to the park have made it by far the nicest park in town. I love the swings overlooking the river, and the flower gardens to stroll around with my dog. We also had fun playing on the exercise equipment near the Roebling Bridge, and pretending like we were Tom Hanks in «Big» and running up and down the extra large keyboard in the ground. The water installations and lights at night are beautiful, and the newly opened carousel is a wonderful addition to the park as well.
The location is obviously fantastic… Walking distance to GABP and Paul Brown Stadium, right on the river, next door to restaurants and bars on The Banks, and you can walk across the Roebling to Covington. If you are in The Banks area, you definitely need to check out Smale! It’s not just for kids!

This GEM of urban green space has earned it’s spot on the crown of the Queen City. Tons of beautiful, well maintained gardens and feature areas. The 3 different water areas were a hit with the kids — we couldn’t get them to leave. Each. Time. Insanely beautiful views of Downtown Cincinnati, the Ohio River and both pro sports stadiums, just by turning your head around. Just an absolutely awesome park to visit. My one complaint is that they could use at least one more restroom facility. We finally found one, but signage was lacking. For reference — it is located in the base of the Roebling suspension bridge — witch is pretty cool if you ask me, but we seriously thought we were SOL — not good with a still-​potty training 3 year old.
One caveat I should mention — our visit took place a few days after Cincinnati hosted the 2015 MLB All Star Game. It is possible that the park was spruced up more than usual for the occasion. In fact, the large floral installation with the ASG logo that was shown in the aerial footage of the game was still present. I’ll definitely be back and will update this review if the beauty and cleanliness declines during a more «normal» time of year.
Parking is across the street in a garage. Expect to spend $ 3-​$ 5 depending on how long you stay.

On a recent trip to Cincinnati I had to get out for a few runs as it’s something I enjoy and also very much enjoy doing in new cities. (Cheers to exploring!) I ended up coming to the Riverfront Park twice for my long runs and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s very runner/​biker friendly and has plenty of water fountains along the way. It’s also a very nice park for families as they have playgrounds and swinging chairs. There is plenty of open space for recreational activities and picnics. What really made me love this Riverfront Park is that is very well maintained and there was plenty of security throughout it. If I lived here, I would definitely make this a go-​to weekend spot for any activity that would come to mind. Highly recommended.

Smale has really captured my heart after the next phase additions. It is urban paradise. I love that on a nice weekend day you will see all types of people out and about here.
Gorgeous landscaping and great views of the city skyline, a lot of open green space, two sets of giant swings, playgrounds, long riverside walking paths, the carousel, rose garden, play fountains. the list goes on. The new playground is really neat (looks like a deconstructed modern ship) on one side of the Roebling, and on the other side of the bridge, there is another play area with a giant walk-​on piano, flying pig that kids can climb up into, waterplay area, and more! It’s amazing. You can spend a day just checking out the different areas. There are several well maintained bathrooms.
I can’t wait for the farmer’s market and the final additions.

What a great addition to the Cincinnati Banks! It was a beautiful day to venture out to the park. We chose Smale Riverfront Park because we wanted to to chill out downtown Cincinnati.
This parks includes:
–Playgrounds
— Boat docks
— A Great Lawn
–Green spaces for festivals and community events
–A carousel
— Gardens
–Bike trails
–Walkways
–Tree groves
–A river’s edge promenade with over-​sized «porch» swings
Water features (jets, cascades, pools and waterfalls)
–Grand stairs
It’s considered historical marker indicating the position of home plate of the former Cinergy Field (Riverfront Stadium).
It also includes the Schmidlapp Stage and Event Lawn, the Walnut Street Steps and interactive fountain, the Main Street interactive fountain, the Black Brigade Monument, tree groves, a labyrinth, Cincinnati Bike and Visitor’s Center, and the Moerlein Lager House located right next to it.
We took our French Bulldog with us so this is pet friendly (the rules are on the board) and there are bags in each station if you need to pick up after your dog.
What a great addition to the downtown area! I’m glad I finally visited!

What a wonderful park! There’s something for everyone. The splash fountains and playgrounds are perfect for children. The river-​facing bench swings are built for adults (but kids can enjoy them too). There’s a labyrinth/​maze to walk through, lots of things to climb on, and even a gorgeous carousel (and very affordable, at $ 2 a ride). When I was there last night, there was even live music. It’s pet-​friendly and kid-​friendly, but it’s also a great place to just relax by the river with a book. And it’s beautiful, with modern architecture paired with lovely gardens and water features.

So lucky to have this unique space spanning the Cincy riverfront! Breathtaking landscaping job alone, never mind all the neat features. Get out, take a walk, once you’ve walked enough take a seat on the bench swings over looking the river. There’s many fountains just to tantalize your eyes, or for the kids or *ahem* big kids at heart to run through. There’s various play scapes that look like none I’ve ever seen… Featuring an actual flying pig, giant keyboard that plays organ bells, and some cool slides we wished we could’ve tried sans other adults judging us. Great view of the Roebling Bridge and steps to walk up on it. Don’t forget to stop by the new carousel, but beware it’s $ 2 a ride. I’m sure I’m forgetting something, so go check it out yourself!

Ideal model for what a metropolitan park should be like. It’s family friendly, it’s fitness friendly, it’s relaxation friendly. Ok… so the Ohio River isn’t exactly picturesque… but the breeze off the river lets you pretend for a moment. The nice, new pavement all along the riverfront makes for a very easy walk/​run path. And the giant swings that are up in the more elevated pathway give you the perfect people watching view.
The splash spots are ideal for young kids. No worries about the typical pool/​swimming dangers, but all the same fun for the kiddos.
2 very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Smale Riverfront Park is not the kind of place one commonly thinks of when thinking of a Downtown area. Broken up over several areas, Smale offers a place to unwind admits the hustle and bustle of Downtown. Smale has a very sleek and modern design, but doesn’t feel uptight. There are multiple fountain areas for children and children alike to cool off in. Large metal bench swings overlook the Ohio River. Adults seem to enjoy the swings just as much as children. On our last visit there was a businessman reading a book, a couple cuddling, and children, all enjoying the bench swings. The latest addition is the Carol Ann carousel. Various animals and stationary seats are on the carousel. Animals are painted with murals that depict the history of Ohio. We were too early to enjoy the carousel, but what I could see was beautiful. There are lots of green areas too.