Covington offers several distinct reasons to visit: expansive parkland with mountain biking trails, art and architectural history, a seasonal market, and stops along The B-Line. Seasonal market dates and visiting hours at individual attractions can help you plan specific dates.
Nature and Outdoor Activities
Devou Park covers more than 700 acres and has more than eight miles of mountain biking trails. Its expansive parkland and designated cycling options provide a concrete framework for planning time in nature and outdoor activities. Covington Plaza also has two walking and cycling trails. The public area there includes a 1,350-seat amphitheater and an event space along the riverfront. This offers a range of options: mountain biking trails in Devou Park and walking and cycling trails at the Plaza, complemented by the riverfront event space.
NaturePlay @BCM is a free, enclosed green space accessible to people with disabilities. Children and their families can play, explore, and engage with cultural heritage and natural history there. The space is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Its focus differs from that of the designated cycling and walking trails: here, the emphasis is on natural history and playful discovery.
Art, Architecture and History
The Carnegie is the largest and only multidisciplinary arts center in Northern Kentucky. Its distinctive domed building houses The Carnegie Galleries, the Eva G. Farris Education Center, and the Otto M. Budig Theatre. The building was constructed as a Carnegie Library in 1904 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Here, the arts center and architectural history go hand in hand: its current cultural focus meets its original use as a library and the building's historic status.
Mainstrasse Village is a historic district and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Goebel Park is home to the Carroll Chimes Bell Tower: its carillon has 43 bells and plays on the hour. Those interested in cultural heritage will find different points of interest in Covington—a historic district, a listed building, and a chime tower in the park.
The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption is open to visitors Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours for groups of at least ten people must be arranged at least two weeks in advance for a small fee. If you are planning a group tour, this lead time is an important consideration for your travel plans. The Behringer-Crawford Museum showcases the unique art, heritage, and culture of Northern Kentucky as part of the Ohio Valley.
Market and Regional Bourbon Tradition
The Covington Farmers Market's outdoor season runs every Saturday from May through October, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Its producers and products come from Kentucky; the products are grown, raised, or made within a 50-mile radius of the market. Both the Saturday schedule and the seasonal dates are important details when planning a market visit. If you want to include the market in your stay, you can take these details into account when choosing your dates.
Covington has nine stops on The B-Line, the northern gateway to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. This offers a different focus from the parks and cultural attractions: the stops connect Covington with the Bourbon Trail. Together with the market, museums, and recreational spaces, this provides several ways to tailor your stay to your interests.
When looking for a hotel in Covington, you can use these attractions as a starting point, whether you are interested in the mountain biking trails, historic and cultural sites, a Saturday at the market, or The B-Line. The Cathedral Basilica's visiting hours, the lead time for group tours, and the market season are specific details you can keep in mind before your trip.
Explore more destinations: Bromley, Fort Mitchell, Park Hills, Lakeside Park, Fort Wright, Erlanger
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