The city of Mason in Warren County, Ohio, is home to many recreational activities and destinations everyone can explore and enjoy. Warren County is known as “Ohio’s Largest Playground,” and Mason, Warren County’s largest city, is Southwest Ohio’s resort area.
The city’s history began in 1803 when a war veteran named William Mason purchased 640 acres of property in today’s downtown area. So, Mason remained a small farmland town for more than a century before its incorporation as a city in 1971.
Ever since, it has kept its small-town character while providing a thriving business community, and diverse activities, creating a progressive and attractive city. So, I have made an exclusive list of Mason’s best things to do so you can see why this incredible gem is more than you imagine.
Here is a guide to the 15 Best Things to do in Mason, Ohio
1. Ride a Roller Coaster at Kings Island
Kings Island is one of the premier destinations in the Midwest for individuals, families, and groups seeking the best in entertainment, rides, food, and so much more. This amusement park spans 364 acres.
Kings Island has grown to over 100 rides and attractions since its opening in 1972, providing world-class fun and enjoyment for guests of all ages. Here, you can experience thrill rides like the famous Banshee, Delirium, Invertigo, and Orion, one of seven Giga roller coasters!
There are many family rides to choose from, including Planet Snoopy featuring Peanuts-themed attractions and character meet-and-greets. Additionally, Amusement Today has named the ride the “Best Kids’ Area in the World” for more than 15 years.
One day won’t be enough to cover everything, but a day at Kings Island is one of the best days you could ever have! Will you skip including this on your list of things to do in Mason?
Address: 6300 Kings Island Dr, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
2. Learn Pottery at the Mad Potter
Mad Potter is a pottery studio and store located on Tri-Way Drive where anyone can learn to become a potter. They allow you to choose your pottery, but they also help recommend designs and colors to match your home décor.
Mad Potter’s pottery includes bowls, mugs, platters, vases, etc. When you visit here, once you are done with your design, you can pick it up a week after they glaze and fire the shaped clay to deliver the finished product you want.
Mad Potter also creates a creative and entertaining atmosphere for birthdays, bridal showers, or any other special event.
Address: 6680 Tri-Way Dr, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
3. Spend Leisure Time at the Mason Community Center
The Mason Community Center has an essential goal in mind, improving the physical and emotional well-being of the community. The Mason Community Center, located on Mason Montgomery Road, spans over 150,000 square feet and provides up-to-date recreational facilities and programs at an affordable price.
The facility is one of the state’s largest, including three substantial indoor fitness studios, an aquatic center featuring an indoor competition pool, and several other pools for therapy and leisure. Other features include a 35-foot rock climbing wall, a six-court field house that can accommodate a variety of sports, and much more.
They offer programs to suit needs, such as fitness classes, water aerobics and swim lessons, day camps for children, activities for senior citizens, health screenings, and enrichment initiatives. The Mason Community Center is open daily for everyone to enjoy their leisure and recreation time in a safe, pleasant, and fun environment.
Address: 6050 Mason Montgomery Rd, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
4. Relax at Pine Hill Lakes Park
Mason has over 300 acres of developed parklands, with each park providing family-oriented activities for all age groups. Pine Hill Lakes Park is one of these parks located on Kings Mills Road. The park has quite a history, and it also has an old pool beneath the dam, serving as a private recreational area from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Pine Hill Lakes Park now features two stocked fishing lakes, two miles of walking nature trails, a playground, and lots of trees and green spaces, making it a nice place to relax and unwind.
Address: 211 Kings Mills Rd, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
5. Play Golf at The Grizzly
The historic grounds of The Grizzly, dubbed as Mason’s finest golf course, await you for a round of Golf. The Grizzly is an 18-hole, par-71 course with distances ranging from 5,572 yards to 6,474 yards. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus designed the system with golf course designer Desmond Muirhead.
The course’s name took inspiration from Nicklaus’ legacy, nicknamed “The Golden Bear.” Since Nicklaus’ triumph in the Ohio Kings Island Open in 1973, The Grizzly has hosted more professional events than any other course. For the past 30 years, this course has hosted the PGA, LPGA, and the Senior PGA Tour.
The Grizzly also offers a fine social experience with their bar and grill, offering a tasty meal or a round of drinks. The Lodge is a significant event space ideal for banquets, parties, and other special celebrations.
Address: 6042 Fairway Dr, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
6. Stop by Sundin Fields at Heritage Oak Park
Sundin Fields at Heritage Oak Park is Mason’s largest park, dedicated in 1976 to celebrate the country’s bicentennial. This park serves many families and local sports teams with sports amenities such as Tennis, soccer, softball, and basketball courts. So, it’s one of the exciting things to do in Mason, where you can play or watch games.
Other park amenities include a children’s playground, picnic shelters, charcoal grills, drinking fountains, paved paths, restrooms, and handicap-accessible areas. So, your kids are sure to love everything about this place.
The most exciting feature of the park is its lightning prediction system that alerts visitors to the possibility of lightning before it strikes. An auditory alert will warn people nearby that lightning is coming, giving them time to seek shelter before the storm hits.
Address: 4601 US-42, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
7. Book a Stay at the Great Wolf Lodge
Regarding vacations, the Great Wolf Lodge is the total package; you should double-check this on your list of things to do in Mason. This a lodge, a resort, and North America’s most prominent indoor water park family, with over 19 clubs and corporate offices in Mason and Chicago.
The Mason location on Great Wolf Drive sits close to the larger Cincinnati area, allowing you to conveniently explore Queen City and its surrounding areas.
The Great Wolf Lodge offers relaxing guest rooms and luxurious suites, various delectable dining options, an exhilarating water park open for 365 days a year, and dry-land attractions like mini-golf, bowling, and arcade games. You can also try activities like yoga, arts and crafts, and bedtime stories that send kids to dreamland.
Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or need a break, the Great Wolf Lodge offers exceptional service and great memories that will last a lifetime.
Address: 2501 Great Wolf Dr, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
8. Engage in Fun Activities at Makino Park
Makino Park is the new addition to Mason’s recreational parks offering a unique design and distinct features. This 35-acre park on Kopfler Court built a playground to encourage interaction and build self-esteem, confidence, motor skills, and interpersonal relationships for multi-generational users of all abilities.
A group of local parents of children with special needs designed the all-inclusive Common Ground Playground. Builders constructed the playground in the shape of a butterfly. So, it features specially designed equipment that promotes social interaction and sensory experiences while encouraging physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development.
The playground also has a fully accessible play structure for wheelchairs and mobility equipment, a platform swing, an accessible zip line, a quiet area, etc. The Common Ground Playground is fully fenced, allowing parents to spend their time at the park without worrying about their children wandering off.
Address: 6100 Kopfler Court, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
9. Hit a Strike at Mason Bowl
Mason Bowl is a local family-owned business that has been around for more than 60 years. The facility regularly updates its equipment to provide guests with a modern bowling experience.
If you want to have a great time in Mason, bring your family or friends to Mason Bowl, and you’ll certainly never regret adding this as one of your things to do in Mason.
Mason Bowl has summer and winter leagues for people of all ages and summer fundraiser programs. Grab a delicious meal, ice-cold beer at the bar, and grill to round up the evening
Address: 763 Reading Rd #2, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
10. Grab a Bite at Two Cities Pizza Co.
Two Cities Pizza Co., located on West Main Street, offers the best of both worlds! Best friends Sean Spurlock and Zach Greves founded the company in 2015, causing a tremendous buzz during the first launch in the larger Cincinnati area.
Two Cities Pizza Co. topped Cincinnati Magazine’s public poll for “Best Pizza in Cincinnati” less than six months after its grand launch. It won the same survey the following year, with other awards and recognitions. The restaurant’s popularity stems from the duality and contrast of the two concepts and the combination of culinary skills and influences from two of America’s favorite cities.
Two Cities Pizza Co. has another location in Suwanee, Georgia, offering the same high-quality food, concept, hospitality, and unshakable commitment to exceeding expectations. Only dine-in and takeout, no deliveries.
Address: 202 W Main St, Mason, OH 45040, United States
11. Play A Game or Two at Courts4Sports
Courts 4 Sports is Cincinnati’s premier futsal, volleyball, and youth basketball facility, offering year-round programs for every age and skill level. Courts 4 Sports is a 53,000-square-foot indoor sports complex on Reading Road and is definitely.
The court is one of the finest, with two NCAA and four hardwood basketball courts and six full-size volleyball courts. It also features the latest scoreboards and shot clocks, courtside seating, TV monitors throughout the facility showing sports events, apparel, sports equipment, and an arcade area.
Courts 4 Sports offers tournaments, leagues, and day camps for children. Courts 4 Sports is home to the Cincinnati Volleyball Academy Junior Olympic Club and the Wolves Elite AAU Club. They conduct training and play games and offer Gym rentals based on availability.
Address: 854 Reading Rd, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
12. Enjoy the Annual Western & Southern Open
Mason is the home of the annual Western & Southern Open, the oldest tennis tournament in the county, still held in its origin city, and the second biggest summer tennis tournament after the US Open. This outdoor hardcourt tennis tournament happens annually at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on Courseview Drive.
Starting in 1899, the Western & Southern Open has become a mainstay in Queen City for over a century. Almost 200,000 fans from all 50 states and more than 35 countries attend the tournament, broadcast to more than 50 million people in over 160 countries.
The venue offers a friendly environment between players and fans due to its smaller size than the US Open, allowing fans to see the players up close. So, if you’re lucky, you can get an autograph from one of the athletes!
Address: 5460 Courseview Dr, Mason, OH 45040, United States.
13. Step Back in Time at the Alverta Green Museum
Alverta Green Museum is Mason’s best-kept secret, located right in the center of the historic district on West Church Street. This 1890s Victorian-styled home will transport you back in time, thanks to the historical artifacts contributed by the residents of Mason.
Four-term city mayor William C. VanFossen built the house after longtime resident and antique dealer Alverta Bedacht Green. They deeded the house to the Mason Historical Society in 1987, months before her death. The Alverta Green Museum became the home of the Mason Historical Society a year later.
Society has tried to share Mason’s humble beginnings and maintain and protect more than 200 years of the city’s heritage and history. Visiting Alverta Green Museum is one of the best things to do in Mason.
Address: 207 West Church Street, Mason, Ohio 45040, United States.
14. Watch a Game at the Lindner Family Tennis Center
In love with Tennis? Lindner Family Tennis Center has excellent facilities that will make you have a fun time in Mason. Tennis owns it for Charity Inc. It was named after Carl Lindner Jr, a former tournament sponsor. Lindner Tennis center is a place where you could visit with your family and can be sure that they would love it.
This tennis center has reasonable grounds, supportive staff, and superb facilities, and that’s not all there is to Lindner. You also enjoy good food, company, seats, side attractions, drinks, and souvenirs. So, if you wish to have a memorable time here enjoying your best sport, include visiting Lindner Family Tennis Center in your things to do in Mason.
Address: 5460 Courseview Dr, Mason, OH 45040, United States
15. Bring Your Dog to Schappacher Park
Schappacher Park is a ten-acre park situated on Old Irwin Simpson Road, Mason. Surrounded by large oak trees and lots of open and green spaces, this park is an excellent venue for a fun playdate for your kids and furry babies and is undoubtedly one of the most exciting things to do in Mason. Although under Deerfield Township.
It contains a well-maintained play area for dogs, divided into two for large and small breeds. The park has old and new picnic shelters, benches, restrooms, and playgrounds.
Address: 4686 Old Irwin Simpson Road, Deerfield Township, OH 45040, United States.
Ready to Plan Your Trip?
Mason is more than you can imagine, with its entertainment parks, recreational areas, sports facilities, historic sites, and more! It ranked 7th among America’s small towns on Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” list for families in 2013.
Because there is too much to do in the city and nearby areas, Mason makes an excellent suburban home base for more extended vacations to explore the greater Cincinnati area. If you want to explore other areas of Ohio, check out things to do in Chillicothe and Lima.
So, what are you waiting for!? Use this guide, pack your bags, book your flight (or bus transit), and experience all that Mason offers.
Please share this article with someone, and tell us about your experience in the comment section. We would love to hear from you! Let us know how we can update this article. Have fun on your trip. Enjoy!
