Culture: Area Attractions

AREA ATTRACTIONS

There’s plenty to see and do in the Columbus Region. We’ve rounded up local favorites among residents and visitors alike.

Entertainment And Games

Cherry Valley Hotel

Enjoy the on-site arboretum and botanical garden, miles of walking and biking trails and more at this hotel with pet-friendly options. Its 200 rooms are newly renovated, as is much of the rest of the property. An on-site restaurant, pub and tap room (featuring Homestead Beer Co. draughts) offer food and bev options throughout the day.

2299 Cherry Valley Road, Newark, 740-788-1200 cherryvalleylodge.com

DogHouse Columbus Hotel

Scotland’s BrewDog brewery opened its U.S. headquarters and what it calls “the world’s first craft beer hotel” in Canal Winchester in 2018. The 32-room hotel, which also includes an on-site brewery, taproom/restaurant and craft beer museum, offers amenities such as a beer tap in every room and a beer fridge in the showers. And with a name like BrewDog, it’s no surprise that the property is dog-friendly.

96 Gender Road, Canal Winchester, 614-908-3054 brewdog.com/usa/hotels/usa/ doghouse-columbus

Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs

This “racino” features 2,100 video slot machine-style games, an outdoor track with live harness racing May through September, year-round simulcast wagering, and several restaurants and bars.

6000 S. High St., Columbus, 614-295-4700 sciotodowns.com

Image Credit: Jonathan Quilter

Hollywood Casino Columbus

Come for the games—there are nearly 2,000 slot and video poker machines, including a new smoking and gaming patio, 60-plus table games and a new high-limit table game selection—but stay to explore the six restaurants and take in free live entertainment, often by national acts. New this year, the casino’s Barstool Sportsbook will offer sports betting.

200 Georgesville Road, Columbus, 614-308-3333 hollywoodcolumbus.com

Idea Foundry

Learn a new skill at this Franklinton makerspace. Beginner-friendly classes and workshops introduce participants to stained glass, woodworking, welding and more, while membership options offer 24/7 access to spaces and tools ranging from a laser cutter and engraver to a CNC ShopBot, metal lathe, vacuum former and 3D printer. The building also offers coworking space rental.

421 W. State St., Columbus, 614-653-8068 ideafoundry.com

Image Credit: Dreamstime.com

LEGOLAND Discovery Center

Opened in 2018, this emporium dedicated to the plastic bricks loved by children and adults alike is a veritable wonderland of family-friendly fun. Build and test LEGO race cars, catch a film in the 4D cinema, test your builds on earthquake tables, explore the 1.5 million-brick MINILAND miniature replicas of Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati, and more in this 36,000-square-foot dreamland. It’s designed for kids ages 3 to 10, but grownups can get in on the fun with Adult Nights.

157 Easton Town Center, Columbus, 614-407-7721 legolanddiscoverycenter.com/columbus

Mad River Mountain

Ski, snowboard or snow tube the 20 trails before enjoying live entertainment in the evenings at the state’s largest winter resort.

1000 Snow Valley Road, Zanesfield, 800-2317669 | skimadriver.com

Otherworld

Get lost in the nearly 50 rooms of this immersive art experience. More than 40 artists have filled the building’s 32,000 square feet with large-scale installations that blend science fiction and fantasy. Otherworld comprises interactive and mixed reality playgrounds, secret passages, alien flora, light displays and more, all ready for you to explore.

5819 Chantry Drive, Columbus, 614-868-3631 otherworldohio.com

Zoombezi Bay

Water slides, lazy and action rivers, a wave pool and Central Ohio’s only water coaster are the perfect recipe for fun in the sun at this waterpark located adjacent to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Rent a cabana for the day or stay late for Summer Nights, featuring Dive-In Movies at the wave pool. In the fall, the park becomes ZOMBIEzi Bay, a horror theme park recommended for ages 13 and up with haunted houses, scare zones and amusement rides including a wooden rollercoaster.

4850 Powell Road, Powell, 614-724-3600 zoombezibay.columbuszoo.org

COLUMBUS DISTRICTS

Arena District

Stretching from Front Street to Neil Avenue between Spring and Vine streets, the Arena District is so named for Nationwide Arena, which sits smack in the middle and hosts Blue Jackets hockey games, concerts and other events. Nearby, the Columbus Clippers play at Huntington Park, and newcomer Lower.com Field is home to the Columbus Crew soccer club. If you’re not up for catching a game, you can enjoy a concert at one of three nearby venues. Those looking to bar-hop have plenty of options along Park, Vine and Front streets, and a new DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) allows for open-carry of alcoholic beverages purchased from participating bars on game days and during special events.

arenadistrict.com

Brewery District

Just west of German Village is the Brewery District. Its name is a nod to the pre-Prohibition breweries that once were abundant in the area; today, you’ll find no shortage of friendly neighborhood bars and locally owned eateries. Catch a show at Shadowbox Live, the nation’s largest resident theater ensemble featuring original musicals, combination sketch comedy and music shows, independent performing artists in its cabaret space, and more.

columbusbrewerydistrict.com

Discovery District

So named for its abundance of educational institutions and museums, this eastern section of downtown is home to the Columbus College of Art & Design (and its notable Beeler Gallery, featuring contemporary and experimental exhibitions), Columbus State Community College, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Main Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Blockfort gallery and studio space, Topiary Park and more. Noteworthy historic sites include Kelton House Museum & Garden, once part of the Underground Railroad, and Thurber House, a literary and educational center and museum in the former home of cartoonist James Thurber.

discoverydistrictcolumbus.org

Short North Arts District

With the highest concentration of bars, clubs and restaurants in the city—nearly 100—the stretch of High Street from King Avenue to Nationwide Boulevard known as the Short North Arts District is a destination unlike any other in the city. Dance the night away at LGBTQ+ clubs like Axis and Union Café, or enjoy local, regional or national acts onstage at Skully’s Music-Diner. Sample flights at North High Brewing, enjoy craft cocktails at Denmark on High or grab a meal at any of the scores of noteworthy options. There’s also the dozen-plus independent art galleries for which the district is named. They stay open late for Gallery Hop on the first Saturday of the month, when restaurants offer specials and street performers entertain the masses that gather to enjoy the revelry.

shortnorth.org

HISTORICAL SITES AND MUSEUMS

Columbus Museum of Art

Noteworthy permanent and traveling exhibitions—plus a remarkable children’s area—make CMA an icon in the city. See more on page 85.

480 E. Broad St., Columbus, 614-221-6801 columbusmuseum.org

COSI

This top-rated science museum has mind-expanding exhibitions for everyone, including a state-of-the-art planetarium. Its one-of-a-kind partnership with the American Museum of Natural History brings two additional exhibition spaces to the center: The Dinosaur Gallery has loaned fossil specimens and interactive features, and the Exhibition Gallery hosts rotating curated exhibitions from the museum.

333 W. Broad St., Columbus, 614-228-2674 cosi.org

Image Credit: COSI

National Veterans Memorial and Museum

The first national memorial honoring veterans across all branches of service and all eras of conflict, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum opened in Franklinton in 2018. More than the standard war memorial or military museum, the NVMM exists to tell the stories of the people who have served our country.

300 W. Broad St., Columbus, 614-362-2800 nationalvmm.org

Ohio History Center and Ohio Village

Reach way back into Ohio history—from the dinosaur ages to nearly modern times—to discover our roots. This enormous building is home to the Ohio History Connection and adjacent to Ohio Village, where visitors learn about life in the 19th century through historic interpreters.

800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, 800-686-6124 ohiohistory.org

Ohio Statehouse

Tours of the Statehouse are free and offered daily. Ticketed seasonal tours— including the Halloween-appropriate Haunted Statehouse tours—are worth the price, too. A lower-level museum is a treasure trove of interactive exhibits that unlock the story of Ohio’s legislature and of the building itself.

1 Capitol Square, Columbus, 614-752-9777 ohiostatehouse.org

Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center

Enjoy art exhibitions or make some art of your own through classes and workshops at this center run by the Columbus Recreation & Parks Department. Local artists teach seven- and eight-week classes in ceramics, painting, jewelrymaking and more. Weeklong intensive workshops in the summer are taught by artists from across the country.

139 W. Main St., Columbus, 614-645-7047 culturalartscenteronline.org

The Works

Branded as the Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology, this Smithsonian affiliate features art galleries, a glassblowing studio, history exhibits and interactive science labs.

555 S. First St., Newark, 740-349-9277 attheworks.org