One of the region's most recognizable buildings has reopened to the public. Music Hall tours - like a lot of things - were put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic, but starting Friday, they'll be back.
Fred Warren of Bellevue, Ky., has been giving tours of Music Hall for several years. "I should have been a history professor, but I missed my opportunity," Warren says. "Now instead I get to talk about history here, and at Findlay Market, and at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, where I'm also a tour guide."
Warren was one of the 44 tour guides who were sidelined by the pandemic. They can again demonstrate how Music Hall has changed over the years.
The tours go to places normally closed to the public, including backstage at Springer Auditorium. Friends of Music Hall organize the tours, according to Executive Director Mindy Rosen.
"I think it's important to have a tour of this building because so often we walk by and you look up and are in awe of the majesty of this building," she says. "It's so important to understand the history of it, why it's here and its purpose. If you're not able to attend a concert, then this is another way to get inside the building and really learn about it."
Tour tickets must be purchased in advance. Rosen says money from ticket sales helps fund restoration efforts.
"This is a building that really is the people's building, and we want people to see it," Rosen says.
The tours highlight the history of Music Hall, and the most recent renovations, but Rosen says more is coming. "We do ghost tours from time to time. We're also going to start a new beer tour and talk about how the beer industry in Over-the-Rhine impacted Music Hall."
Tours are on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Friends of Music Hall are financial supporters of Cincinnati Public Radio.
