Spend three days in one of America’s Top Ten “Cities that Rock.”

Day One: Family fun

A day at Paramount Kings Island amusement park (800-288-0808) is a must for families. Located 24 miles north of Cincinnati, the park includes more than 80 rides, shows and attractions that will appeal to all ages. Highlights for die-hard roller coaster fans are the Beast™, the longest wooden roller coaster in the world, and Son of Beast™, the tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster on the planet. Drop Zone™ is the tallest gyroscope drop ride in the world. Feeling queasy or have some little ones along? For the three- to six-year-old set, there’s Hanna-Barbera Land™ and Nickelodeon Central™. You can order tickets online and save a few dollars. (And you don’t need children to enjoy the park.)

Eats: Save the elegant dining for another night. LaRosa’s, with locations throughout the city, is a chain of pizzerias Cincinnatians rave about. The sweet sauce recipe originated with founder Buddy LaRosa’s Aunt Dina. Eat in or take out to your hotel room (see LaRosas.com for locations).

Day Two: A thriving arts community

Cincinnati boasts a surprisingly active arts culture and offers several impressive venues for the visual or performing arts fan. Start at the Cincinnati Art Musuem, located in beautiful Eden Park, not far from downtown. Of special note are the fifteen galleries that comprise the Cincinnati Wing of the museum, which focus on the city’s own art world, beginning with Industrial Age silversmiths to 20th century furniture makers, potters and pieces by contemporary Cincinnati artists Jim Dine and Tom Wesselmann. Afterwards, enjoy a stroll in Eden Park.

From here, head to Joseph-Beth Booksellers (2692 Madison Rd., 513-396-8960) in Rookwood Pavilion. This is one of the last great independent booksellers. Browse the stacks and enjoy lunch in the store’s café, Bronte.

Next stop is Aronoff Center for the Arts (650 Walnut St., 513-721-3344). The building itself is notable, opened in 1995 and designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli. The center includes three performance spaces-large, medium and small. Take in a matinee or browse the Alice F. & Harris K. Weston Art Gallery. Your evening would be well spent with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (www.cincinnatisymphony.org, or 513-381-3300 for schedule and tickets), which performs at Music Hall.

Eats: Directly across from the Aronoff Center is Jeff Ruby’s Steak House (700 Walnut St., 513-784-1200), a popular pre- or post-theater dinner spot. When it comes to steak, it’s authentic: There’s even a special room for dry-aging beef on the premises. Nearby, Nicholson’s Tavern and Pub (625 Walnut St., 513-564-9111) is an authentic recreation of a Scottish pub. But don’t be fooled by the atmosphere: pub food is taken to a new level of sophistication. Another great spot for steak and chops is Embers (8170 Montgomery Rd., 513-984-8090). For those looking beyond red meat, the menu includes fresh seafood, sushi, rotisserie chicken and barbeque ribs.

Day Three: History shaped by the river

Cincinnati’s museums bring its rich history to life. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Museum (50 East Freedom Way, 513-333-7500) opened this August to great acclaim. Cincinnati’s location on the Ohio River made it a center of underground railroad activity in the 1800s. Exhibits in the museum’s three buildings provide a real education about the underground railroad, as well a broader look at freedom. Not-to-be-missed is a circa-1830 slave pen found on a Kentucky tobacco farm.

Also along the river, the National Steamship Monument (Cincinnati Public Landing) celebrates the city’s river history. The monument is topped by the original 30-foot diameter paddlewheel of the American Queen, a large overnight passenger steamship. Below, two dozen stainless steel columns, which represent smokestacks, whistle and spit when passersby approach.

Finally, if you haven’t already visited the Cincinnati Museum Center, you won’t want to miss the Cincinnati History Museum, which focuses on the colorful local history. Highlights include a 94-foot sidewheel steamship “docked” at a re-creation of the Cincinnati Landing of the 1850s and the “Cincinnati Goes to War” exhibit, where visitors can climb aboard a real streetcar from the 1940s.

Stop for afternoon tea at a Cincinnati landmark, The Cincinnatian Hotel (601 Vine St., 800-942-9000). The tea service was recently noted by USA Today as one of the “10 Best Places to Have Tea with your Mum.”

Eats: Start downstairs at the wine bar, then move upstairs for upscale dining in a room that adds contemporary style to the historical architecture of the building. Or try a Cincinnati classic: Montgomery Inn - the Original (9440 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery, 513-791-3482) which has been serving up ribs to Cincinnatians since 1951, or its younger brother, Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse (925 Eastern Ave., 513-721-7427).