Things to do in Columbus
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Columbus
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall, warm without peak humidity, patios open, gardens at their best and football or baseball in season.
Festival stack month with Arts Festival, Pride and ComFest, book Short North hotels months ahead for Pride.
Worst months, grey and wind chilled with icy trails, closed patios and the city's lowest energy.
Peak humidity and big festivals, plan Zoo and Hocking at opening and interiors at midday.
Arnold Sports Festival, Blooms and Butterflies begins and Crew season opens.
Ohio State home Saturdays dominate and Wildlights starts late in the month.
Festive and visitable with Wildlights and Conservatory Aglow, January after Wildlights is the trough.
What's on
- Arnold Sports Festival early March
Huge Convention Center sports weekend, book hotels early as rates double.
- Blooms & Butterflies from March
Seasonal butterfly exhibition at Franklin Park Conservatory, spring to early fall.
- Cap City Half Marathon late April
Spring half marathon that runners time trips around.
- Asian Festival May
Festival in Franklin Park.
- Memorial Tournament late May/early June
PGA Tour event at Muirfield Village in Dublin, the public way to see the course.
- Columbus Arts Festival early/mid-June
Riverfront festival with more than 200 artists.
- Stonewall Columbus Pride mid-June
One of the Midwest's largest Pride celebrations at Goodale Park and Short North.
- ComFest late June
Free volunteer run festival in Goodale Park with 100 to 200 local music performances.
- Red, White & BOOM! July 3
Ohio's largest fireworks in Downtown, stay Downtown and walk, do not drive in.
- Jazz & Rib Fest mid/late July
Free riverfront music plus rib burners from across the US.
Best things to do in Columbus
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Victorian glasshouses, Chihuly glass and seasonal butterflies make this the most universally loved attraction in Columbus.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
A national calibre zoo with Heart of Africa, Polar Frontier and manatee rehabilitation, worth a full day.
COSI
Huge hands on science museum with a dinosaur gallery, planetarium and strong travelling exhibitions.
Short North Arts District
A mile of galleries, murals, boutiques, bars and restaurants under the lighted arches, best walked at night.
German Village
Brick streets, small historic houses and gardens make this the most charming half day in the city.
The Book Loft
Thirty two rooms of books in a pre Civil War building, one of America's great independent bookstores.
Schiller Park
Historic park with the Umbrella Girl fountain, picnics and free summer Shakespeare.
Ohio Stadium
The Shoe on a fall Saturday is the city's defining spectacle, with tailgates and Script Ohio at halftime.
Where to stay in Columbus
Short North Arts District
first trip, all-round base
Walkable to the best restaurants and bars, North Market and Arena District stadiums, with the city's energy at night.
Downtown / Arena District
events, business and sport
Full service towers by the Convention Center and stadiums, walkable to COSI, the Scioto Mile and Short North.
German Village / Brewery District
romance and quiet charm
Brick streets, inns and small hotels, with Lindey's and Pistacia Vera on your block and Schiller Park mornings.
University District / Campus area
an OSU purpose only
Stay here for a game, graduation or campus visit, not as a default base for a general Columbus trip.
Dublin / Bridge Park and Easton / Polaris
families driving in, golf and the Zoo
Suburban and car based with free parking and larger rooms, 20 to 30 minutes from the core with easy Zoo access.
Think twice about
- Brice Road / I-70 east corridor
Visit Otherworld then leave. Reviewers describe the area as dicey after dark, with car lots, budget motels and no walkable dining.
- The Hilltop / West Broad Street and Sullivant Avenue corridor
Residential area dealing with higher crime and disinvestment, with no visitor infrastructure. Do not book a cheap motel here to save money.
- South Linden / Cleveland Avenue budget strips
Budget motel strips in areas flagged in avoid coverage for crime and motel quality, with no reason for a visitor to base there.
- Whitehall / East Main Street motel strip
Recurs in central Ohio avoid coverage for crime and motel quality. Not a sightseeing base.
Best restaurants in Columbus
Agni
Twelve plus course live fire tasting menu rooted in Bengali flavours and Ohio produce, book this splurge.
Veritas
Small chef driven tasting menus and small plates with a serious pre Prohibition style cocktail program.
Lindey's
German Village institution since 1981 for steaks, crab cakes and Columbus's most beloved patio.
The Refectory
White tablecloth French in a former church, with live chamber music and a deep wine cellar.
Speck Italian Eatery
House made pastas around an open kitchen, the best nice dinner without a tasting menu commitment.
Comune
Chef driven fully plant based fine dining treating seasonal Ohio vegetables with real technique.
Momo Ghar
Nepali jhol momos at the North Market stall locals queue for.
Hoyo's Kitchen
Somali sambusas and chicken or goat suqaar, a Best of Columbus winner for African food.
Best bars in Columbus
Cobra
Late night bar and food spot named Best Restaurant Bar in the US, the industry nightcap.
Best coffee in Columbus
Fox in the Snow Cafe
Columbus's best bakery cafe, famous egg sandwich and cinnamon rolls, with no Wi-Fi by design.
Pistacia Vera
French patisserie for macarons, croissants and mousse desserts, the German Village morning move.
Outdoor things to do in Columbus
Hocking Hills State Park
Sandstone gorges, recess caves and waterfalls at Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave and Cedar Falls, Ohio's best hiking.
Hocking Hills Adventures
Kayaking, canoeing and tubing on the Hocking River, the best active add on in summer.
Hocking Hills Canopy Tours
Zip line canopy tours and the SuperZip, best in fall colour.
Scioto Mile
Riverfront parkland, trails and Bicentennial Park fountain along both banks of the Scioto.
Scioto Audubon Metro Park
Home to the largest free outdoor climbing wall in the US, plus obstacle course and river access.
Highbanks Metro Park
Hundred foot shale bluffs over the Olentangy, eagle nesting and eleven miles of trails.
Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
Restored prairie with a free roaming bison herd, plus Darby Creek paddling and a nature centre.
Alum Creek State Park
Reservoir lake day with boating, a large beach, mountain bike trails and disc golf.
Best hotels in Columbus
Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph
The city's style flagship, art filled rooms in the heart of Short North with a spa and restaurant.
Hotel LeVeque, Autograph Collection
Inside the 1927 Art Deco LeVeque Tower, celestial themed rooms and the city's most romantic stay.
Hilton Columbus Downtown
The largest upscale option, two towers with a rooftop bar, live fire restaurant and indoor pool.
The Junto
Independent design hotel by COSI with rooftop views, fire pits and a gear garage for bikes and kayaks.
Moxy Columbus Short North
Playful Marriott hotel right in Short North with a big social lobby bar, right for groups out at night.
Drury Plaza Hotel Columbus Downtown
Large rooms with included hot breakfast and evening Kickback, the value savvy mid range tip.
The Blackwell Inn
The only hotel on Ohio State's campus, quiet and unbeatable for game, graduation or campus visits.
German Village Inn
Small inn rooms in the Village, clean and central with no frills, the honest cheap play.
Is Columbus expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $190 a person |
| Splurge | $420 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: a few days ahead
- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: a few days ahead
- COSI: a few days ahead
- Ohio Stadium: months ahead
- Otherworld: a few days ahead
- ScottsMiracle-Gro Field: a few days ahead
- Hocking Hills Adventures: a few days ahead
- Hocking Hills Canopy Tours: a few days ahead
- Agni, Veritas, HARU and Basi or Lindey's patios need 2 to 4 weeks for prime Friday and Saturday, Comune and Refectory 1 to 2 weeks.
- Ohio State football weekends sell out hotels citywide months ahead for Michigan, Penn State and opener weekends.
- COSI, Otherworld and the Zoo need timed online tickets on weekends, Wildlights and COSI After Dark sell out.
- Memorial Tournament, Arnold Sports Festival, Pride, ComFest and Red White and BOOM weekends surge Downtown and Short North hotels.
- Hocking Hills fall colour cabins book months ahead, park hiking needs no booking but parking is first come.
- Zoo behind the scenes animal encounters sell out, book weeks ahead.
Is Columbus safe?
- The visitor core including Short North, Arena District, German Village and Clintonville is well populated and walked at night by locals.
- Do not leave valuables visible in cars, garage break ins in Short North and Downtown are the most reported visitor crime.
- Rideshare after midnight rather than walking long empty stretches of Broad or Front Street.
- No core base area needs a homelessness or safety demotion, Downtown and Short North streets are not places to warn off on those grounds.
- Hocking Hills trails are icy and genuinely dangerous in winter without traction, and one way gorge systems are enforced.
Columbus travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Easton as a destination is national chains in a nice mall, half a day there instead of German Village and North Market is wasted.
- Short North on Gallery Hop night is slammed for dinner without a booking, eat early or in Italian Village.
- Downtown with no event can feel empty at 9pm on a Tuesday, evenings belong in Short North, German Village, Brewery District or Italian Village.
- Otherworld is rated but the Brice Road strip is not a neighbourhood to explore, arrive and leave by car.
- Zoombezi Bay is only a Zoo add on in high summer, not a standalone trip.
- Thurman Cafe at peak dinner hour can eat your evening with the wait, go at 11am or mid afternoon.
Getting around Columbus: public transport and more
- You need a car for the Zoo, Hocking Hills, Denison golf and HARU or Refectory, not for a Short North, Downtown and German Village weekend.
- Stay central and walk plus rideshare, then rent a car for one Zoo or Hocking day. Do not rideshare to Hocking Hills, return rides are unreliable.
- COTA buses run the High Street spine and the free CBUS circulator loops Downtown, Short North and Brewery District.
- John Glenn Columbus International is about 15 minutes east of Downtown, rideshare or taxi about 20 to 30 dollars in normal traffic.
- Short North parking is the exception in an easy driving city, use the Vine Street or Hubbard garages instead of circling.
- CoGo bike share and e scooters cover Downtown, Short North and campus, the Olentangy and Scioto trails are the safe scenic routes.
Who Columbus suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Columbus your trip
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