Fun Things for Families to Do in Columbus Ohio

Whether you dearest food, shopping, interactive museums, or the great outdoors, you won't run out of things to do with kids in Columbus, Ohio! Hither are 30 of our favorite family activities.

This post was written in partnership with Experience Columbus.

If you lot're looking for the perfect  spot for your next family vacation, I can't think of a better destination than Columbus, Ohio. Nosotros spent several days exploring this bustling capital city and brutal wholeheartedly in beloved with Columbus and its charming residents. Here, urban composure is tempered by warmth and friendliness. Mod innovation co-exists with historic buildings and time-honored traditions. And unlike so many American cities characterized past urban sprawl, much of what Columbus has to offering is within an like shooting fish in a barrel walk or drive from the city center.

Whether you love inventive cuisine, immersive historical experiences, the outdoors, or educational activities the whole family can savor,  you won't believe all this city has to offer. Here are 30 of our favorite things to practice with kids in Columbus, Ohio.

Explore COSI, one of the nation's premiere centers of scientific discipline.

There's much to come across and do inside this 320,000 square-foot interactive scientific discipline museum, which includes exhibits devoted to space, the ocean, progress in technology between 1898 and 1962, energy, farm days, gadgets, and more than. COSI also has a planetarium and Giant Screen Theater, likewise every bit alive shows scheduled throughout the twenty-four hour period. You could easily spend an entire mean solar day of your holiday here.

Feeling brave? Take a ride through the lobby on COSI'southward high-wire unicycle, the only one similar it in the world. You'll travel beyond an 84-human foot cable, 17 feet higher up the basis. It is truly an exhilarating (not to mention Instagrammable) experience, equally my 13-year-former learned for herself!

Sample a deliciously various array of foods at the North Market place.

Open since 1876, this public market is a must-do on whatever Columbus vacation. You'll find a dizzying pick of fresh and prepared foods here, including house-made pastas, freshly baked breads, fresh meats and seafood, a range of ethnic cuisine, delectable macarons from Pistacia Vera baker, Staufs java fabricated in gas-fired roasters, artisan ice foam, and a whole lot more. The only downside of eating here is that information technology's near impossible to make up one's mind on what yous near want to eat!

Rediscover your inner child at Big Fun.

This eclectic vintage toy store in the Short North really has to exist seen to be believed — It's filled to the rafters with every kind of toy and collectible you tin call up of, both from this generation and the ones before it. While your kids hunt down fidget spinners and Pops, you'll have fun spotting toys from your own babyhood – My husband was awed past an original edition of the Greenish Ghost game from the 60s, while I spotted a Weeble Wobble Treehouse I hadn't laid optics on since I was in kindergarten. From obscure trading cards to action figures to magic tricks and pranks, it's all hither, jammed into every ounce of available space. "You should run across our house," one of the store's owners told a customer who was exclaiming over the vast inventory while we were there.

I can only imagine…

Cool off in the Scioto Fountain.

This 15,000 square-foot water play area is the centerpiece of Columbus's Bicentennial Mall and Scioto Mile, which includes 253 acres of idyllic parkland and the nation's largest free outdoor climbing wall. If your kids are anything like mine, they won't be satisfied until they've spent some serious fourth dimension playing in these stunning streams of h2o! Go in the daytime or at night — The Scioto Fountain stays open afterwards dark and features lighting and fog effects when the sun goes downwards.

Ride bikes on Central Ohio'southward greenway trails.

Bring your bikes to Columbus or hire a wheel with an $8 24-hour interval pass at a CoGo kiosk (You will need to provide your own helmets) — Central Ohio has more than than 180 miles of greenway trails, with many more miles in the works. Trails are designed for recreation and to help make the commute to work and school a niggling easier on the surroundings. The Scioto Trail runs through the heart of downtown Columbus and offers a great way to come across the metropolis on two wheels. You can find more information on the Central Ohio Greenway and maps of the trails here.

Source: Kristen Kellogg

Explore streets filled with funky boutiques, art galleries, gastropubs, and java shops in the Curt Due north Arts District.

This trendy neighborhood is a must-run across when yous're in Columbus. 35 years agone, local artists began transforming the neighborhood's crumbling buildings into studios and galleries, creating a bohemian enclave that'south continued to flourish over the decades.  Today, you'll yet detect plenty of galleries here, too as specialty shops and some of the best confined and restaurants the city has to offering — several of which are listed in this post.

Savour succulent Lebanese cuisine at Brassica.

The Brassica carte du jour is probably like zero you've e'er tasted — Trust me when I tell you to give it a run a risk. The tiffin we had at Brassica is 1 of the best I've e'er eaten. This quick-service restaurant makes for a perfect luncheon while shopping in Curt North. Motility through the line and cull from falafel, slow roasted chicken shawarma, Harissa rubbed beef brisket, house pickled vegetables, or glazed lamb salary, placed within either within house-made organic pita or atop a bed of organic greens.  A range of healthy toppings includes roasted cauliflower, pickled eggplant, hummus, pickled beets, and several unlike kinds of sauces (We recommend the house sauce). No matter which combination you try, the end result is DIVINE. Exist certain and get an order of fries, because they are fabulous likewise. We are at present Brassica fans for life!

Spend the day at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.

If you have kids, you'll definitely desire to devote a total day (or more) to the unforgettable Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which has been headed up by animal expert Jack Hanna since 1978. We loved seeing polar bear mama Amelia Gray and her twin cubs, Nuniq and Neva. The gorillas were another family favorite, and watching a bonobo (a blazon of chimpanzee) teach a baby to climb melted our hearts. There are and then many animals to see hither, from manatees and wolverines to cheetahs, penguins, and lions — but that's not all that makes this zoo special. You'll also find a fun 4-D theater, original 1914 yard carousel, and several amusement park rides inside the park, including a log flume. Buy a Zoo-Information technology-All wristband and you'll have unlimited admission to all of it.

Source: Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Once you've visited all the animals, you can cool off at the Zoombezi Bay Waterpark, located right beside the zoo! It includes 17 waterslides, a wave pool, an action river and an adults-only lazy river. It's the only waterpark in the country that connects to a zoo and when nosotros went on a weekday in June, the lines were all under ten minutes long. This alone makes the waterpark a winner in my book!

Take a hike at Hocking Hills Country Park.

Just an hour'south drive from Columbus, Hocking Hills State Park has several trails that showcase aboriginal caves and stunning waterfalls. For families, we recommend the Cedar Falls trail, a brusque trail that leads down stairs into a chasm filled with hemlock copse and a scenic waterfall. Not too far away, you'll find theRockhouse trail,where a brusque walk will lead you upwardly to an incredible tunnel-like cavern that'southward 200 feet long. A 'window' at the west end of the Rockhouse offers views of some other beautiful waterfall. Historians believe that the park'southward caves were inhabited by Indians every bit far back as seven,000 years agone, and some of the plants like the hemlock trees and rhododendron have been here since the Water ice Age.

For more than than 30 years, this Columbus deli has been serving up mouth-watering cafeteria sandwiches on freshly baked staff of life. A vast menu means there's a sandwich for everyone (Katzinger's even has gluten-free bread!) — We had a Reuben and a garlic and rosemary roast beef and both were phenomenal. My kids enjoyed a elementary pastrami on fresh white bread and gave it their seal of approving. There'south a reason this place is always hopping — Consider Katzinger'due south a must-practice on your Columbus vacation.

Accept a stroll through historic German Village.

I'll go into more detail about a few of our favorite shops and restaurants in High german Village below, just yous'll definitely want to make time for a leisurely stroll through this gorgeous preserved neighborhood – It's 1 of the largest privately funded celebrated districts in the U.s.. Stop commencement at the Visitors Heart to watch a short video on the history of German language Village and pick up a map of the neighborhood.

Get lost in The Volume Loft.

The Book Loft may well be my favorite book store of all time. Why, you inquire? Cheque it out for yourself when you head to German language Village and yous'll immediately understand why. Located in a pre-Civil War building that once housed a full general store, saloon, and nickelodeon picture palace, The Volume Loft today is a 32-room, multi-floor maze made up about entirely of books. Yous can grab a map at the entrance, but I much preferred getting completely lost in the stacks. The shelves seem to extend in every possible direction, and each room features a different theme and often, accompanying music that suits that theme. We loved this place so much, nosotros went not once during our holiday, only twice!

Source: Slate Run Living Historical Farm

Immerse yourself in American history at Slate Run Living Historical Subcontract.

Locals and tourists alike rave virtually this free living history farm, less than a half-hour from downtown Columbus. Costumed volunteers maintain the 1800s restored farmhouse, gardens and barns and at that place are plenty of opportunities for visitors to assist out every bit well. You lot can bout the firm and grounds without a reservation, but we recommend signing your kids up ahead of time for morn chores– A guide volition help your kids feed subcontract animals, milk a cow, get together eggs, and herd sheep to a pasture. Older kids will bask the Teens on the Farm program, which lets kids ages thirteen-17 make an 1880s-era snack and test out some of the entertainment options available in the time earlier video games and Cyberspace.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Nibble Cake at Skillet

Accept an unforgettable brunch at Skillet.

Yous'll probably have to wait for a table at this tiny eating place in Columbus' German Village neighborhood, but when you gustatory modality the nutrient here, you'll hold the wait was worth it. The menu is described every bit 'seasonal driven, subcontract to tabular array comfort classics with an urban edge,' and that'south an apt description for our brunch there. Although the menu seemed fairly simple, quality ingredients turned everything we tried into a standout dish, from the melt-in-your-mouth Brown Sugar Cinnamon Crumb Cake (so delicious my kids had to have two) and Amish Cheddar scones to the crab and avocado omelette and biscuit and gravy- a dish my ten-yr-erstwhile reluctantly tried, then proceeded to wolf down.

The Dirty Bird at Skillet

The standout dish, though, was the Dirty Bird, an open-faced biscuit sandwich topped with a chicken breast marinated overnight in a spicy buttermilk and pickle brine, topped with sorghum sage-sausage gravy, farmstead cheese, and a frizzled (whatever that means) local yard egg. The result was fantastic. Plus, Skillet's Cast Iron Cold Mash was without a doubt the best iced java I've always had in my life. Go on the early on side of brunch if you can — The most pop dishes tend to exist gone by the time latecomers make it. Brunch is served Wednesday through Sunday from 8am to 2pm.

Earn a cool gift t-shirt by post-obit 1 of Columbus's unique trails.

Columbus's coffee scene is nationally known — The people here take their coffee seriously (They accept their hot chocolate seriously, too, as my kids discovered at 1 Line Java!) If yous're a coffee connoisseur, but buy a beverage at 4 or more of Columbus'southward 17 participating coffee shops, get your carte stamped (available at the coffee shops), and redeem information technology at ane of Experience Columbus'south visitor centers for a stylish commemorative t-shirt.

For a Fabricated in CBUS t-shirt, attempt the Made in CBUS Trail and see some of the best shops Columbus has to offer. Beer lovers won't want to miss the Ale Trail. Participants receive a gratis tasting drinking glass for each tier level they complete, and a tray that holds the glasses once they've visited all 37 of Columbus'south participating breweries!

Celebrate Columbus's German heritage with a meal at Schmidt's.

You tin can't visit German Village without a stop at Schmidt's — This celebrated Columbus staple is always packed with people, and when y'all gustation the food hither, you'll empathise why.

Schmidt's Pretzel Nuggets

We chowed down on pretzel nuggets, a Bahama Burger, a bratwurst sandwich, and a salted caramel cream puff for dessert, and everything was truly wunderbar. I approximate after more 100 years of service, they know what they're doing!

Experience life in the 1890s at Ohio Hamlet.

Admission to this living history village but a few miles from downtown Columbus is included in the cost of a ticket to the Ohio History Center. The village includes a town hall, bicycle shop, lodging house, photography shop, and village green. Chat with the villagers and discover what it was similar to be an Ohioan at ane of the most pivotal times in American history.

Store from exquisitely fabricated arts and crafts at Helen Winnemore'southward.

The perfect style to walk off a lunch at Schmidt'southward is by taking a stroll downwardly to Helen Winnemore's, an incredibly charming shop that opened in Columbus back in 1938 and has been going strong ever since. Featuring the work of artisans from across the state, Helen Winnemore'due south is basically what you'd want Etsy to look like if it were an actual shop.

From carefully curated jewelry and elaborate, hand-carved nativity scenes to an abundance of art and an entire floor of children's toys (I couldn't tear my kids away!), this was definitely one of our favorite shops in Columbus.

Taste the all-time ice cream you'll e'er put in your mouth at Jeni's Fantabulous Ice Creams.

We're lucky to have several Jeni's ice foam shops in Nashville, so there was no style we could visit Columbus without making a pilgrimage to the original Jeni's in Northward Market. Made with whole ingredients and dairy from grass-fed cows, the divergence in Jeni'southward artisan ice cream is articulate — I've never tasted anything that even comes close. Be sure and hitting upwards one of the 10 Jeni'south locations in Columbus when you lot visit. We highly recommend you try a scoop of Brambleberry Crisp and Brown Butter Almond Brittle. Yummmm.

Source: Columbus Museum of Art

Immerse yourself in art at the newly renovated Columbus Museum of Art.

In addition to important works of art from Ohio and around the world, this museum also includes the Wonder Room, a one-of-a-kind woodland gallery for families including costumes, games, storytelling, a treehouse, and interactive art projects. Exist sure and check the CMA's upcoming special events earlier your trip to Columbus — In July, for example, visitors tin can sign upward for a Family unit Adventure Bout offered each Sunday afternoon.

In a metropolis of fabulous restaurants, it'south hard to stand up out — but The Pearl manages to do but that. This fashionable gastropub in Short North features a menu with made-from-scratch ingredients, archetype cocktails, and an impressive beer list, too as delicious pies that are baked fresh daily. Don't miss the Jalapeño Corn Spoon Bread or the Deviled Eggs appetizers. The Pub Burger, topped with Cambozola cheese and lycopersicon esculentum jam, is to die for. A meal at The Pearl is a memorable meal, indeed!

Source: The Topiary Park

Introduce the kids to art in nature at the whimsical Topiary Park.

Sculptor George Mason dreamed upwardly this amazing topiary garden, which is a tribute to Georges Seurat's famous painting, Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La K Jatte. Today you can visit the garden and accept a self-guided tour or call ahead and schedule a docent-led bout. However y'all opt to run into the park, information technology will certainly exist an experience your children won't forget!

Learn the fascinating history of comic strips at the Baton Ireland Drawing Library & Museum.

Located on the OSU campus, this library and museum is dwelling to the largest comic strip drove in the world. Information technology includes 300,000 original cartoons and 2.five million comic strip clippings and paper pages, also every bit fan letters and other related memorabilia.  Seeing original cartoons similar Family unit Circus and Peanuts is especially fun for those of u.s.a. who grew up reading the 'funny papers' every Sunday morn, and I loved the exhibit featuring angry letters and sympathy cards from fans to cartoonist Lynn Johnston afterward the family canis familiaris died in the long-running comic strip, 'For Better or For Worse.' I think our favorite find, though, was this original Wonder Woman comprehend by Trina Robbins, the starting time adult female to draw her.

Open up since 1942, this swoop-y burger joint was featured on an episode of Man vs. Nutrient for its massive, juicy burgers. You lot can opt for the Thurmanator, a gigantic 12-oz burger featured on the evidence, or you can opt for a 'normal'-sized version – Information technology'll still probably exist larger than any other hamburger y'all've ever eaten! We loved this identify for its diverse, locals-only crowd, its friendly servers, its truly tasty burgers, and its Game of Thrones pinball motorcar.

Try your hand at duckpin bowling at Pins Mechanical Company.

We spent a very satisfying hour trying our mitt at duckpin bowling – ane of several games offered at downtown Columbus hotspot Pins. In fact, I've decided duckpin bowling is far more fun than the traditional version of the sport; the balls, pins, and lanes are smaller and no special shoes are required. In improver to bowling, Pins has foosball, pinball, ping pong, and shuffleboard, every bit well as an impressive array of draft beers and ciders.  By 24-hour interval, this identify is entirely family unit-friendly– The place becomes 21 & upward after eight and chop-chop fills with young revelers.

Source: Grahm S. Jones/ Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Go on safari at The Wilds.

No need to head to Africa for a safari tour — You can practice it at The Wilds, a Jack Hanna-operated conservation center an hour and change from downtown Columbus. Board an open up-air safari passenger vehicle for a ride through open-range animal areas, where you'll encounter rhinos, giraffes, and enough of other endangered animals. Tours beginning at $thirty per person and last more than two hours.

Source: Grahm S. Jones/ Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Feeling adventurous? Opt for a eye-racing zipline bout, or meet The Wilds on a guided horseback ride. You tin can even spend the dark hither – Stay in the family Lodge or have a nighttime to yourselves in one of the luxurious adults-but yurts on the property.

Source: Franklin Park Solarium

Explore the indoor and outdoor gardens at the Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.

Visitors rave about the Franklin Park Conservatory, merely two miles from downtown Columbus, and it's a perfect place to become for beautiful family photos of your Columbus vacation. Inside, y'all'll find tropical plants from around the earth. Outside are hardier gardens that include ornamental grasses, edibles, daylilies and more, as well as the just permanent collection in the world of glass artwork by Dale Chihuly.

Source: Olentangy Indian Caverns

Notice an hole-and-corner world at Olentangy Indian Caverns.

A guide volition lead you and your family through this cave system filled with hugger-mugger rooms and natural passages, believed to take in one case been used by the Wyandotte Indians seeking shelter and an escape from their enemies. Learn how the Indians used the cave rooms long ago and view some of the artifacts that accept been establish in that location in the cave museum. The Olentangy Indian Caverns are located merely a few minutes away from the Columbus Zoo. Tours are adequately curt, which makes them perfect for short attention spans.

Capture gorgeous photos of downtown Columbus on the iconic Main Street Bridge.

This honor-winning arched bridge is the only one similar it in the U.S. It includes a dissever pedestrian walkway with sweeping views of the Columbus skyline, and is non to be missed. Check it out before the kids play in the Scioto Fountain — It's right beside the bridge.

Got more great ideas on things to do in Columbus, Ohio with kids? I'd love to hear them. Leave them in the comments of this post!

Keep up with all of our travels past post-obit u.s.a. on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!

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Source: https://suburbanturmoil.com/30-amazing-things-to-do-with-kids-in-columbus-ohio/2017/07/13/

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