Columbus Weekends: Parks, food and local favorites
Curious about what you'll do when you live in Columbus? If you like the idea of paddling under Scioto bridges, getting artsy gallery hopping in Short North, and are daring enough to try ghost hunting in German Village ( the Book Loft is allegedly haunted and has 32 rooms to explore), Columbus is calling you home! This list of fun things to do will take you from riverfront strolls to rooftop views and give you a bold sampling of Columbus's creative spirit and urban energy.
Heather, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Heather has lived in Ohio for 36 years, minus a brief three-year stint in Kentucky (thanks, parents). Born in Appalachian southeastern Ohio, she later moved to the city and spent years wondering where all the cows went and why everyone was suddenly in such a darn hurry. She's adapted...mostly. That culture shock taught her Ohio doesn't get enough credit for its range of flat farmland, Amish hills, and mini mountains all crammed into one state. When she's not writing copy while binging true crime podcasts, she's hunting down a "bubble" from Jackson County (if you know, you know) or stealing the last slice of pie from her husband at So Pizza in Miamisburg. She's telling you about So Pizza with reluctance, because long lines would ruin everything. At Snappy Scout, Heather writes Ohio guides that don't waste your time and occasionally drops puns that may or may not land. You've been warned.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Will You Do in Columbus?
From weekend adventures to iconic road trips, here's how locals spend their time off.
on a Saturday with perfect weather
North Market lunch but get there before noon or fight the crowds], CoGo bikes to Scioto Mile splash zone, the bike share is cheap and the fountains are free entertainment for kids and drunk adults alike
rainy dreary day
COSI tinkering binge which is actually fun for adults too, planetarium wow, torrential downpour forgotten, and it's right on the riverfront if the rain stops
intellectually stimulating
Wexner Center exhibit plus lecture (OSU's contemporary art museum that brings in actual big names), your brain does somersaults
artsy
Mural safari through Short North, chasing neon arches at sunset
something inside and free
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library on OSU campus, original Calvin and Hobbes sketches, Bill Watterson is from Ohio and the collection is massive
outdoorsy
Highbanks Metro Park ravines which is over 1,200 acres of raw nature, eagles supervising your hiking pace, they nest there in winter and spring
fitness oriented
Run the Olentangy Trail to Antrim Lake, 13+ miles of paved trail if you're ambitious, victory bagel
if you're a shopaholic
Easton Town Center which is an outdoor mall but thinks it's a neighborhood, shopping empire punctuated by suspiciously perfect fountains
with your dog
Scioto Audubon dog park with a climbing wall for the humans, then Land Grant patio belly scratches, they also have dog menus. For the dogs, not you.
family oriented
Columbus Zoo high fives from manatees, then Zoombezi splash negotiations
in need of a selfie
Topiary Park, become a shrub in Seurat’s Sunday dream
you have to see this
The Book Loft’s 32 rooms of paperback induced time travel, also in German Village, you will get lost and you will spend money
My Favorite Local Spot in Columbus
Wolf's Ridge Brewing downtown. The beer is good, but the food is awesome for a brewery. They have upscale pub food, and the space is huge. Plus, they bottle their own stuff, so you can take beer home if that's what you want to do.
— Heather Taylor
Ohio Local Expert
Ready to See If Columbus Fits You?
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