Guided tours have returned to the Brewing Heritage Trail and we are taking steps to ensure a safe and fun time for all by keeping group sizes small, regularly sanitizing our Tour Center, and by having a majority of our tour components take place outside!
We offer a variety of guided tours along (and under!) the Brewing Heritage Trail that let you experience Cincinnati's brewing history up close and personal, led by our personable and knowledgeable guides. Tours are available all year long, though some are seasonal or only offered certain days each week. We also have a variety of limited edition, special events throughout the year, so be sure to check back in regularly. Most of our tours start at our Trail Tour Center (1939 Race Street), with a unique selection of merchandise and history books, as well as a rotating exhibit gallery of historic breweriana. Half-price tickets available on most tours for children ages 6-12.
Below you'll find descriptions for each tour we offer, along with their starting location, price, and duration. Just select the tour name and it will take you to ticketing. A full Calendar of Events, plus information about Gift Cards and Private Tours is located at the bottom of this page. For additional details about tours, ticketing, where to go, etc, please visit our tour information page. However, if you still have questions regarding things like parking, directions or things to do before and after tours, please contact us at 513-604-9812 or tours@brewingheritagetrail.org, thanks!
Please make sure to purchase your tickets in advance, as tours can fill up quickly and those without tickets sold will be closed.
We do not accept discount tour coupons from secondary vendors, so please avoid these offers.
GUIDED TOUR DESCRIPTIONS & TICKETS
Click on any tour title to purchase tickets!
Brewing high quality beer was an art form to many Cincinnati breweries and the buildings that housed their operations needed to be an extension of this passion. Come and witness the evolution of the brewing industry through the size, complexity, and architectural grandeur of the city’s historic breweries. Beginning at the Trail Tour Center on Race Street, we follow the Brewing Heritage Trail along the western portion of the Brewery District and marvel at the many remaining 19th and early 20th century structures, while sharing stories of those who built or doomed these brewing empires during beer’s industrial revolution. Tours include a visit into the vast subterranean lager cellars of the historic (non-operating) Jackson Brewery, as well as outdoor visitation to the Sohn/Mohawk Brewery, several Christian Moerlein sites, and the location of the Bellevue Incline. The Jackson Brewery cellars were excavated from the hillside under the brewery, so we enter from street level and there are no stairs to climb going in or out, making these cellars very accessible. At the conclusion of each tour, the group will stop in at a neighborhood taproom for a pint of local beer, which is included with each ticket. Soft drinks are also available for anyone who prefers this option.
Tickets are $32
Tickets are $32
BUILT ON BEER TOUR WITH CINCY BREW BUS
Starting at the Trail Tour Center
60 Minute Walking Tour + 3 Hours of Beer Tastings Via Brew Bus
Starting at the Trail Tour Center
60 Minute Walking Tour + 3 Hours of Beer Tastings Via Brew Bus
Two tours, one day! Take a stroll along the Brewing Heritage Trail to see historic breweries and underground lagering cellars, then afterward hit up three local craft breweries. Celebrate and experience Cincinnati’s amazing beer tradition on this version of the Built on Beer Tour, offered Saturdays on a limited basis! Go back in time with us and celebrate local beer, then hop on the Cincy Brew Bus to enjoy a Craft Brewery Tasting Tour (16-20 oz of beer at 3 different locations) and receive a Souvenir Cincy Brew Bus Taster Glass!
We will start at 1pm at the Brewing Heritage Trail Visitor Center in Over-the-Rhine (1939 Race Street, 45202) near Northern Row Brewery & Distillery. Parking is next to and across from the Tour Center on McMicken Avenue and Race Street. The walk is relatively short, but wear comfy shoes and dress for being outside in the elements, as the lager cellars are cool even when it is warm outside and these tours run rain or shine. The history tour portion is one hour along part of the Brewing Heritage Trail, including an exploration of the historic (non-operating) Jackson Brewery lagering cellars. These cellars were excavated from the hillside under the brewery, so we enter from street level and there are no stairs to climb going in or out, making these cellars very accessible. Afterward, the Cincy Brew Bus will pick everyone up and you'll head out to 3 local craft breweries where you will be treated to a behind the scenes tour, 16-18 ounces of fresh locally made beer and proper tasting techniques.
This tour is 21 & up only and additional information can be found at www.cincybrewbus.com
Brewing Heritage Trail discount codes are not available for this tour.
Tickets are $75 for those Drinking
&
$50 for Non-Drinking
We will start at 1pm at the Brewing Heritage Trail Visitor Center in Over-the-Rhine (1939 Race Street, 45202) near Northern Row Brewery & Distillery. Parking is next to and across from the Tour Center on McMicken Avenue and Race Street. The walk is relatively short, but wear comfy shoes and dress for being outside in the elements, as the lager cellars are cool even when it is warm outside and these tours run rain or shine. The history tour portion is one hour along part of the Brewing Heritage Trail, including an exploration of the historic (non-operating) Jackson Brewery lagering cellars. These cellars were excavated from the hillside under the brewery, so we enter from street level and there are no stairs to climb going in or out, making these cellars very accessible. Afterward, the Cincy Brew Bus will pick everyone up and you'll head out to 3 local craft breweries where you will be treated to a behind the scenes tour, 16-18 ounces of fresh locally made beer and proper tasting techniques.
This tour is 21 & up only and additional information can be found at www.cincybrewbus.com
Brewing Heritage Trail discount codes are not available for this tour.
Tickets are $75 for those Drinking
&
$50 for Non-Drinking
Step into the past and discover the people who made brewing a cornerstone of the Queen City’s history. Beginning at the Tour Center on Race Street, we follow the Brewing Heritage Trail along the eastern portion of the Brewery District, sharing stories of the workers, brewmasters and beer barons from the 19th and early 20th century. Experience the places they worked, learn the dangers they faced, and the empires they built by producing America’s best brews. Tours include a visit into the subterranean lagering cellars and tunnels of the historic (non-operating) Schmidt Brothers / Crown Brewery, as well as outdoor visitation to historic Lafayette, Hudepohl and Kauffman Brewery structures. Those joining us in the underground cellar will need to be able to traverse a series of stairs leading in and out, but all guests have the option to remain topside. At the conclusion of each tour, the group will stop in at a neighborhood taproom for a pint of local beer, which is included with each ticket, and soft drinks are also available for anyone who prefers this option. Afterward, we'll hop on the streetcar and ride it back to the Brewing Heritage Trail Tour Center .
Tickets are $32
(Masks required while riding the streetcar)
Tickets are $32
(Masks required while riding the streetcar)
Over-the-Rhine is a historic neighborhood comprised of amazing structures both above and below the ground. Come and explore with us as we walk and ride the streetcar to major topside landmarks such as Findlay Market, Music Hall, Washington Park, and the location of the Miam-Erie Canal. We'll also learn about it's underground history as we stop by several places from above, including the pre-Prohibition lagering facility of the Lafayette Brewery and Cincinnati's abandoned subway system below Central Parkway. Then we'll go underground, where the Gerke Brewery fermented and cold-stored their beer dating back to the 1850s. Our journey concludes at the Sam Adams taproom, where we'll have a pint or a soft drink, while learning about this modern brewery's connection to the historic Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewery. Beverages are included with the tour and those joining us underground will need to be able to traverse a series of steep stairs leading in and out of the Gerke lagering cellar, so this tour is not recommended for young children, but all guests have the option to remain topside.
Tickets are $32
(Masks required while riding the streetcar)
Tickets are $32
(Masks required while riding the streetcar)
Cincinnati is a city full of history and none greater than its brewing past. Walker, Bavarian, Gambrinus, Klinckhammer, these are brewery names thought lost to time, but if you know where to look, glimpses of their legacy can be found all around the city. Join us as we go Over the Rhine and share stories of not only the breweries that helped to build the Queen City, but also the saloons where thirsty citizens gathered every day. Our exploration begins at the Moerlein Lager House at the Banks, where we catch a streetcar to Cincinnati's the Over the Rhine neighborhood, containing the largest collection of pre-Prohibition brewing structures in the country. As we walk through the southern portion of the neighborhood, we'll learn how beer permeated many aspects of life on our way to visit the historic underground lagering cellars of the the Gerke Brewery, once located along the Miami-Erie Canal. We'll then take the streetcar back to the Moerlein Lager House, where we'll enjoy a pint of their refreshing beer, brewed onsite. Beverages are included with the tour and soft drinks are available for guests who prefer this option. Those joining us underground will need to be able to traverse a series of steep stairs leading in and out of the Gerke lagering cellar, so this tour is not recommended for young children, but all guests have the option to remain topside.
Saturdays Only & Tickets are $32
(Masks are required to ride the streetcar)
Saturdays Only & Tickets are $32
(Masks are required to ride the streetcar)
Delicious food and beer, accompanied by a modern and historic brewery tour, sign me up! This expanded version of the Cellars, Saloons, and Streetcars Tour begins at the Banks in the Moerlein Lager House where we will have our first beer tasting and take a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewpub and the rich history showcased there. After brunch, we catch a streetcar to Cincinnati's the Over the Rhine neighborhood, containing the largest collection of pre-Prohibition brewing structures in the country. As we walk through the southern portion of the neighborhood, we'll learn how beer permeated many aspects of life on our way to visit the historic underground lagering cellars of the the Gerke Brewery, once located along the Miami-Erie Canal. Those joining us underground will need to be able to traverse a series of steep stairs leading in and out of the Gerke lagering cellar, but all guests have the option to remain topside. We then proceed to a neighborhood taproom for our second round of beer tastings before riding the street car back to the Moerlein Lager House. Tours include 8 beer samples (32 oz of beer) and brunch. This tour is 18 & up only and non-beer tasting tickets are available at a reduced price. The average duration of this tour is between 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on group size, the streetcar schedule, and other logistical factors.
Select Sundays Only & Tickets are $65
(Masks are required to ride the streetcar)
Select Sundays Only & Tickets are $65
(Masks are required to ride the streetcar)
GIFT CARDS
Great gift idea, never expire!
Great gift idea, never expire!
Purchase a gift card and pick from any of our tours and select merchandise (in store only)! Great for gifts for your friends and family who love beer and history.
PRIVATE & GROUP TOURS
Available all year
Available all year
Private tours can be arranged for your special event, work outing, or just to create a custom experience. Begin by filling out the form HERE or contacting us at tours@brewingheritagetrail.org
