Cincinnati Subway, Cincinnati, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Cincinnati Subway is an unfinished underground rapid-transit system beneath Central Parkway in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its tunnels and stations were largely built in the 1920s, but no passenger train ever ran, which makes it one of the best-known abandoned transit projects in the United States.

The story behind it

In the early twentieth century Cincinnati wanted a rapid-transit line to ease traffic downtown. Voters backed a multimillion-dollar bond issue, and digging began in 1920 along the bed of the old Miami and Erie Canal, which had stopped being useful as a waterway. The canal route gave the builders a long, fairly clear corridor close to the city center.

Costs rose and the money ran out by the late 1920s. No track was laid, and the project was shelved in 1928. The city then built Central Parkway, a wide boulevard, over the top of the tunnel. Several underground stations had already been finished, and they have sat empty ever since. Parts of the tunnel were later used for utilities, so the space meant for trains has quietly served the city in other ways.

What to look for

• The sheer width of Central Parkway, a boulevard laid out along the line of the old canal and the tunnel beneath it.
• The way the parkway separates the downtown grid from the older streets of Over-the-Rhine, a reminder that the canal once ran through this edge of the city.
• The ordinary street-level scene above, with no entrance in sight, which shows how completely the city built over the unfinished line.
• The nineteenth-century brick buildings in the streets just north of the parkway, which give a sense of the city the subway was meant to serve.

Tips for your visit

• There is nothing to see of the tunnel from the street, so treat this as a short stop of 10 to 15 minutes and spend the rest of your time exploring the surrounding blocks.
• The tunnel is not open for casual visits. Occasional organized tours have been offered, so check current information before you plan on going underground.
• Daylight is best for looking at the street layout and the buildings around it, and it makes the walk easier to follow.
• Over-the-Rhine and downtown are both within walking distance, so you can pair this stop with food, shops and other sights nearby.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Cincinnati is a good fit for a place with such an eerie story. You reach the subway on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Oz Escape in Cincinnati takes a lighter, story-led approach to the same part of town. You walk between stops, hear about each place as you get there and solve a puzzle in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Christmas Operation: Sleigh Down in Cincinnati is a seasonal option for visitors in the holiday period. The route passes the subway site on foot, the app explains each stop as you reach it, and you solve a puzzle along the way. One ticket covers the whole group.