Queen City Underground

It’s 10 AM on a sunny Thursday when I spot the man in a bowler walking down Vine St. in historic Over The Rhine, Cincinnati.

Jerry, our tour guide. He's a biology teacher and Cincinnati history buff.

Little did I know that this man would soon open my eyes to a massive expanse of tunnels 40 feet beneath the city streets, created almost 200 years ago and lost until sometime this decade.

Before heading down into the catacombs we explored an enormous and long abandoned historic structure in the heart of what was once Little Germany. At one time beer halls such as this littered the area making this city the drinking capital of The World… true story.

The Cosmopolitan - Ground Floor

Prohibition and later riots robbed this area of its livelihood and sent it spiraling into a deep state of depression. Data from five years ago dubbed Over The Rhine the most violent spot in The Nation.

We weren't allowed to use these stairs...too dangerous

Jerry loves to point out that Germans, among other things, love their beer. This would be a recurring theme of the tour.

Cosmopolitan - 2nd Floor

Recently the area has mellowed and wealthy condominium developers have begun a movement to clean up a neighborhood that once contributed heavily to earning Cincinnati the nickname the “Paris of America”.

The Guildhaus - we're in for a surprise!

Our final stop on the tour takes us into the Guildhaus. Once a brewery famous for its Lagers now one of those newly renovated condo buildings, the Guildhaus has long held a deep, dark secret.

Down the hatch

Recently someone had the brilliant realization that before refrigeration, this brewery would have needed a place cool enough to condition their beer.

It is believed that ramps were lowered from the street level down through these holes in the ceiling. Barrels of beer were then rolled down into the cellar.

The owner of the building allowed a bit of exploration to be carried out on the premises leading to the discovery of thousands of square feet of long forgotten tunnels and storage rooms far below the surface.

There were 40 of us in this one chamber. Probably could have fit a couple hundred here alone.

This gentleman is doing a documentary on the subject. He shows us the original discovery spot.

This find has led to a number of other similar discoveries at sites throughout the city.

This was the first discovery…the team descended on ropes prior to the building of the stairs we used for the tour. I think being lowered on a rope should be an optional upgrade! Either way, the Queen City Underground Tour was intense, fascinating, hilarious and a bit creepy…I highly recommend it.

Jerry also does a Gangster Tour in Newport, KY and Haunted Ghost Tour. I’m looking forward to both…I think this was my sneak preview of the Ghost Tour!