Family Trips
Bringing the family to a UC or Xavier graduation weekend
For a University of Cincinnati spring graduation trip, the posted 2027 save-the-date dates are April 28, 29 and 30 and May 1. UC has not yet posted those ceremony venues. Use the student's specific ceremony when it appears on the official UC commencement page to choose the family's arrival and lodging dates.
Xavier's 2027 commencement is Saturday, May 15, with both ceremonies at the Cintas Center. Baccalaureate Mass is there Friday, May 14, and Commencement Week runs May 10 through 15. The Xavier commencement page has the university's details for the graduate and visiting relatives.
Match the reservation to the student's ceremony
UC also has confirmed fall commencement on Friday, December 11, 2026 at Fifth Third Arena. Doctoral hooding is at 10 AM; the master's and undergraduate ceremony is at 3 PM. Tickets are required. UC lists free livestream viewing at Nippert Stadium and TUC for relatives using those options.
| Graduation | Posted dates | Venue and timing |
|---|---|---|
| UC fall 2026 | Friday, December 11 | Fifth Third Arena; doctoral hooding 10 AM, master's and undergraduate 3 PM; tickets required |
| UC spring 2027 | April 28, 29 and 30; May 1 | Save-the-date dates; venues not yet posted |
| UC summer 2027 | August 6 and 7 | Venues not yet posted |
| Xavier 2027 | Saturday, May 15 | Both ceremonies at Cintas Center; Baccalaureate Mass there Friday, May 14 |
Fifth Third Arena is confirmed for UC's fall ceremony. Wait for UC's posted venue information for spring or summer before finishing those campus plans. UC says its information is subject to change, so check the official page again as the student's ceremony approaches.
A family attending doctoral hooding has a different arrival morning from one attending the afternoon ceremony. Relatives using a livestream location also have a different destination. Keep the student's ceremony time, venue and ticket information with the lodging dates so the family books the nights it actually needs.
How far the confirmed venues are from our houses
Fifth Third Arena is about 8 minutes away by car. That estimate applies to UC's confirmed fall venue. It cannot establish the drive for a spring or summer ceremony whose venue UC has yet to post.
Xavier's Cintas Center is about 8 minutes away by car. The university has confirmed it for both 2027 commencement ceremonies and the Baccalaureate Mass the previous day.
The estimates are without traffic. Rush hour, game days and events add time. Follow the university's arrival instructions for the ceremony itself; the house-to-venue drive is only one part of getting the family to its seats.
Choose apartments for the relatives coming
Families stay with us for both UC and Xavier graduations, and May graduation weekends fill in our guest records. Our East Walnut Hills houses have private apartments, each with its own entrance, kitchen and living space. Parents, grandparents and families with young children can stay close while keeping their own morning routines.
The Historic Gem suits a family comparing two apartments and a house with driveway parking. The Blue House has three apartments for a group dividing into several households, while the Victorian Estate is the largest single-house option for a bigger graduation guest list.
The two Francis houses also book together for 42 guests. All three houses sleep 74.
Use our full sleeping-layout guide to match names to beds, bedrooms and shared sleeping spaces. The capacities include air mattresses, so relatives expecting a private bedroom need a specific assignment. The neighboring Francis houses can also work as one lodging plan for an extended family using two buildings.
These historic houses are not a fit for guests who cannot manage stairs. Review our grandparents and stairs guide with older relatives before choosing their apartment. It explains the Historic Gem's ground-floor option and the routes in all three houses.
Pack-n-plays, high chairs and stair gates are listed at our houses. Confirm the gear for the apartment the children will use before deciding what to bring. Our family stays overview and house comparison give the family another way to compare the options.
Anyta's public review describes a UC graduation stay at the Historic Gem:
My daughter graduated from UC this past weekend and we stayed at this wonderful home! Everything was perfect for our group - the home is immaculate and so tastfully done. The weather was beautiful, so we were able to utilize the backyard/outdoor space the entire weekend. Having the driveway for off-street parking was a wonderfully added bonus. We will definitely stay here again !!
Work arrival and meals around commencement
Regular check-in is 4 PM, and checkout is 11 AM. Both posted UC fall ceremony times are before check-in. A Friday arrival therefore needs a plan that works without settling into the house first, unless earlier access has been confirmed for that stay.
Early check-in is often possible when nobody checks out that morning; when a group leaves that day, it depends on turnover. Separate entrances and self check-in allow households to arrive at different times after their apartments are ready. Give relatives their house and apartment assignments before they travel.
The Historic Gem has driveway parking plus street parking. The Blue House and Victorian Estate have street parking. Include the number and type of vehicles in the lodging plan, especially if relatives are sharing a van or bringing a larger vehicle.
Each apartment's kitchen lets its occupants have breakfast around their ceremony departure. For a family meal after graduation, check the kitchen equipment and dining arrangement in the house you choose. A full sleeping headcount does not establish how many people can dine at one table.
Before making the reservation, check:
- The student's ceremony date, time and confirmed venue.
- Tickets or viewing information the university has posted for that ceremony.
- Which relatives are staying overnight and which are only attending graduation.
- The sleeping assignments, stair needs and children's gear for those staying.
- Whether the arrival day needs access before regular 4 PM check-in.
Keep the graduation celebration within the house rules
The reservation is lodging for registered guests. Other relatives or graduates staying elsewhere need discussion before any daytime visit is arranged. No parties or events are allowed at the houses.
No pets, no smoking and quiet hours from 10 PM to 9 AM apply to graduation stays. Share those rules with the relatives sleeping in each apartment. Airbnb caps a single booking at 16 guests; a family above that cap or using several houses starts with an inquiry. Individual house pages link to Airbnb and VRBO.
Beth's public review of the Blue House is about the graduation weekend itself:
Preston could not have been a more helpful, responsive, and considerate host. The house was terrific but Preston’s efforts to make sure we had everything we would need and any issues were promptly and completely taken care of really made our graduation weekend even more pleasant. I can’t recommend him or this rental highly enough!
Questions we hear from groups
Can we settle into the house before UC's Friday fall ceremony?
Regular check-in is 4 PM, after both posted ceremony times. Early access depends on the departure schedule and turnover. Keep the ceremony-day plan independent of early check-in until it is confirmed.
Can our graduation family use separate kitchens in one house?
Yes. The whole house is reserved for your registered group, and every apartment has its own kitchen and living space. Households can eat breakfast separately when ceremony departures or children's routines differ.
How should older graduation relatives choose their apartment?
Review the entrance and apartment route with the person using it, using the stairs guide before assigning rooms. The Historic Gem's ground-floor option is described there. Every house requires steps somewhere on arrival.
What parking information belongs in a graduation lodging request?
Include how many vehicles the overnight relatives will bring and what types they are. The Historic Gem has driveway and street parking, while the Blue House and Estate have street parking.
Can another graduate or a relative staying elsewhere visit us?
Any extra daytime people need discussion before arrangements are made. Registered guests only and no parties or events are the rules. Include the proposed visitors with the lodging plan.
Does the 16-guest Airbnb counter limit our extended graduation family?
The house capacities are larger than that single-booking counter. An inquiry covers a family above the platform cap or a reservation involving several houses, using the full overnight headcount.
Send us the ceremony and lodging dates, full overnight headcount, house preference, stair needs, children's gear and vehicle count. Include any hoped-for early arrival or additional daytime relatives in the same inquiry.
Sources and current visitor information
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