Make Cincinnati Weird!

At first glance, I thought this was a popcorn cart. But in fact it is the Hillavator, an elevator / tram / stairwell-lift-for-the-elderly type thing in Mt. Adams. But I couldn’t get it to work - I mean - I didn’t see anyone using it.

If you have ever arrived later than the rest of the bar crowd that hits Mount Adams, you might have been forced to park on Hill Street. And when you are walking up that steep hill, you might have come across a strange elevator that looks like it came from the circus. The funny thing is, it’s attached to a three-story apartment complex.

When Neil Bortz was on a trip out West in San Francisco, in 1961, he came across a phone booth that looked out of the ordinary - it was a phone booth on tracks that went up a steep hill, much like a tram. Intrigued, he called the company that built these unique phone booths and was told they were called “Hillavators.”

Immediately, Neil knew Mount Adams needed one of these inventions, since it has that San Francisco feel to it anyway. Plus, his apartment in Mount Adams was up a few stories, and he didn’t want his wife - who was seven months pregnant - to carry groceries that far. The Hillavator was installed in 1962.

Hey there’s a unit for rent!

(Note the Immaculata spire in the background. Cool.)

Bonus! Up the hill from the Hillavator, there is this weird house.