Tours in Mason

Tucked away near the banks of the Ohio River stands the other Sin City. Or at least it used to be, during the days when bootlegging formed a powerful underground economy. When a group of teachers and history buffs needed money for school service projects in Central America, they decided to raise funds by starting tours that explored this seamy history, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. A few years and many local accolades later, knowledgeable guides continue expounding upon the town’s rich history of mobsters, gamblers, and ladies of the night.

Tours stroll down Newport blocks littered with buildings once occupied by speakeasies, brothels, and the site of Al Capone’s failed early restaurant career, Al Calzone. Along the way, guides tie the rich past to the rise of the modern-day gaming industry and Newport’s connections to famous crime figures.

Under the guidance of founder Chad Fath, the licensed helicopter pilots and instructors at Higher Ground Helicopters take visitors on scenic 'copter rides above the city as well as train students to become full-fledged pilots. Flight training lessons take place in the evenings to accommodate busy adult schedules, with the goal of turning inexperienced students into certified professionals within 10 to 18 months. For guests on the fence about flying, Higher Ground offers hands-on demos, which consist of 30 minutes of ground training, 30 minutes of piloting in the air, and 30 minutes of watching The A-Team reruns. For guests who simply wish to enjoy the scenery, Higher Ground's expert pilots host scenic tours that showcase the Cincinnati skyline.

The FAA certified flight instructors at Champion City Aviation jet students into the skies with both college and casual training programs. The facility's combination of ground school and in-the-air education covers vital aviation techniques, including flight rules and regulations, radio procedures, and how to handle inclement weather. Ground school sessions unfold inside a modern classroom equipped with computer technology, and air training utilizes Champion City's fleet of training aircraft.

Founded by a group of friends who created the acclaimed Newport Gangster Tour as a fundraiser in 2008, American Legacy Tours blossomed into a full-fledged tour company two years later. Participants choose from seven distinct tours that traverse cities as guides share fascinating and sometimes seedy history. The Queen City Underground Tour ventures beneath the city’s streets into a hidden burial vault and long-forgotten tunnels, and the Newport Gangster Tour delves into a scandalous past by visiting the sites of former brothels and speakeasies. Elsewhere, on the Haunted Covington Tour, guests feed their thirst for fright and their hunger for candy handouts from amiable apparitions.

Imagine standing on the courthouse steps where dozens of Cincinnatians were slain during a riot in 1884. Or looking down an unlit tunnel burrowed to sustain the black-market trade of alcohol during the Prohibition. The guides behind Queen City History & Education Ltd. illuminate both the highs and lows of Over-the-Rhine’s and downtown’s history through walking tours designed by local attorney and real-estate agent Michael Morgan, author of Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King. They also host lectures and educational seminars that promote the preservation of Cincinnati’s historical structures. To further strengthen that goal, the company donates a percentage of it proceeds to the Brewery District CURC, a nonprofit that supports the redevelopment of Over-the-Rhine. Additionally, the foundation works to preserve the area’s architectural and cultural brewing heritage by placing a bubbling cauldron on every corner.