Summit Park’s Observation Tower is open!

Exciting news: Summit Park’s Observation Tower is open!

If you’ve been to Summit Park anytime in the last year, you’ve likely seen construction on the Observation Tower (or your kids have, as there have been lots of big trucks and construction workers working there!). Well, at long last, the Observation Tower is complete and open to the public – and it’s a really fun addition to an already amazing park!

Standing 150 feet tall, Summit Park’s Observation Tower is impossible to miss. It overlooks Summit Park’s expansive ‘Great Lawn’ and offers breathtaking views of Hamilton County. If you didn’t know, Summit Park is the site of the old Cincinnati-Blue Ash Airport, and Blue Ash is one of the highest points in Hamilton County. 

The Observation Tower is made of clear and blue glass, so while it stands out, it also sort of blends in with its natural surroundings. 

The Tower’s 150 feet translates into 9 flights of stairs. I opted to take the stairs with my 7 and 5 year olds, who easily navigated the climb. The stairwell is open (with metal and glass barriers), making for a scenic ascent. (There’s also a glass elevator that will get you up to the top in a fraction of the time!)

Up at the top, it’s a little surreal — the glass barriers give the feeling of stepping into the sky. The glass barriers are pretty high (up to my shoulders and well above my kids’ heads), but I wouldn’t recommend taking any kids up who need to be carried. That being said, I’d say the Observation Tower is best for slightly older (5 and up) kids who aren’t spooked by heights. 

Like Carol Ann’s Carousel, the Observation Tower is undoubtedly going to become one of Cincinnati’s iconic places – something Cincinnati kids today can say they “were there” when it first opened. 

The Observation Tower at Summit Park is open from 12-9 pm, 7 days a week. For more information, visit Summit Park’s website.

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