Orange, red, and blue faces in this street mural by the artist Galo, located in Covington, Ky.

This summer, sip a cup of coffee, lick an ice cream cone or crunch some flavored pretzels, all while strolling along the streets of Covington and Newport, learning about the cities’ beautiful murals, statues and architecture.

Guided Walking Tours in Northern Kentucky

meetNKY is partnering with the NKY Public Arts Network and the Catalytic Fund to offer these art walks that provide a feast for your eyes and let you sample the flavors of our local coffee houses, bars and restaurants.

Jill Morenz, the director of the NKY Public Arts Network will be leading the tours. “We have world-class public art and unique places to eat in Northern Kentucky, and I love sharing it all,” she said.

The art walks are perfect for visitors and tourists who want to explore the entertainment districts, as well as residents who often discover art they didn’t realize was there. “Even long-time residents usually learn something new on our tours,” Morenz said.

Starting on May 27, the tours will be offered a few times a month. You can explore the whole schedule here.

Guided art walks in NKY

A chocolate soft-serve twist cone in front of a statue of a white soft serve cone in front of Piper's Ice Cream in Mainstrasse Village in Covington, Ky.

The tours kicked off with the Art & Ice Cream Walk, which starts at Piper’s Café in Covington’s MainStrasse neighborhood. You can choose from 100’s of flavors of soft-serve and take your ice cream with you on the ¾-mile walk. Your guide will share stories and details about the art you’ll see, including photos of the inner working of the Goebel Park Glockenspiel, which is currently under repair. This walk will be repeated on August 19, 2022.

Another tour you might enjoy is the Sweet and Spicy Art Walk, which begins at Golden Gelato in Covington and winds through the neighborhood for about ¾ of a mile. You’ll get an up-close look at the murals and art-related businesses in the area, while enjoying flavored pretzels from Yankee Doodle Deli. The tour ends at Rich’s Proper Food and Drink for their spicy Squad Goals cocktail.

roebling-bridge-cincinnati-skyline-statue-blue-sky-summer-cincyrefined

On the Frosty Roebling Tour you’ll join the group at Roebling Point Books and Coffee  in Covington. On the 0.8-mile walk you’ll get to meet John Roebling (his statue, that is), learn about his namesake bridge and enjoy the beautiful murals painted on the nearby floodwall. You’ll stroll down Madison Ave. and back into the Roebling Point neighborhood, ending up at Frosthaus for a frozen drink.

View of Newport on the Levee from a drone with the Aquarium and Bridgeview Box Park in the foreground

There are two Newport tours: Newport Art and Architecture Tour, which includes the murals, statues and buildings of historic Monmouth Street, Newport on the Levee and the approach to the Purple People Bridge. The other Newport tour, called Sharks, Cannons and Bell, includes the Newport Aquarium mural and other art, as well as some history of the neighborhood, ending at Moondawg’s Studio for some artsy browsing time.

Other tours on the schedule include gallery visits, an introduction to each of the Riverside Drive statues and some ghostly local history.

To reserve a spot on one of the free tours, click here.