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Abstract Polyatomic molecules have been identified as sensitive probes of charge-parity violating and parity violating physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). For example, many linear triatomic molecules are both laser-coolable and have parity doublets in the ground electronic $\tilde{X}{}^2{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}\left(010\right)$state arising from the bending vibration, both features that can greatly aid BSM searches. Understanding the $\tilde{X}{}^2{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}\left(010\right)$state is a crucial prerequisite to precision measurements with linear polyatomic molecules. Here, we characterize the fundamental bending vibration of ${}^{174}$YbOH using high-resolution optical spectroscopy on the nominally forbidden $\tilde{X}{}^2{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}\left(010\right)$ $\to \tilde{A}{}^2{\mathrm{\Pi }}_{1/2}\left(000\right)$transition at 588 nm. We assign 39 transitions originating from the lowest rotational levels of the $\tilde{X}{}^2{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}\left(010\right)$state, and accurately model the state’s structure with an effective Hamiltonian using best-fit parameters. Additionally, we perform Stark and Zeeman spectroscopy on the $\tilde{X}{}^2{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}\left(010\right)$state and fit the molecule-frame dipole moment to $D_{\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{l}}=2.16\left(1\right)$Dand the effective electrong-factor to $g_S=2.07\left(2\right)$. Further, we use an empirical model to explain observed anomalous line intensities in terms of interference from spin–orbit and vibronic perturbations in the excited $\tilde{A}{}^2{\mathrm{\Pi }}_{1/2}\left(000\right)$state. Our work is an essential step toward searches for BSM physics in YbOH and other linear polyatomic molecules.