Columbus is Ohio’s capital of pleasant surprises: a riverfront living room, a gallery row under glowing arches, a storybook German village and ballparks that roar. This guide gathers the best of Columbus, with the places and tours our readers love most.
Downtown and the Scioto Mile
The riverfront is where Columbus gathers: Scioto Mile — Columbus’ Riverfront Living Room. Columbus Commons — Downtown’s Big Green Front Yard. Downtown Is the Puzzle — Columbus’ Outdoor Escape Room Adventure.
Short North and German Village
Arches, galleries, cobblestones and cream puffs: Short North Arts District — Columbus’ Gallery Row Under the Arches. Eat Your Way Through the Short North — Columbus’ Tastiest Walking Tour. Cobblestones and Cream Puffs — A Food Walk Through German Village. German Village in Your Ears — A Self-Guided Audio Walk Through Columbus History.
Food: alt eats and a growing topiary
Eat around the world without leaving the city: Around the World in One Lunch — Columbus’ Alt Eats International Food Tour. Topiary Park — Where Seurat’s Painting Grows in Columbus.
Scavenger hunts and city games
Columbus turned itself into a game board, and everyone wins: Columbus Crusade — The Scavenger Hunt With a Live Host Cheering You On. Unlock Columbus at Your Own Pace — The Interactive Walking Scavenger Hunt. Discovering Columbus — Let’s Roam’s App-Led Adventure Hunt Through the Capital.
Family fun: bricks and treetops
LEGO worlds, aerial adventures and a race against the clock: A World Built of Bricks — Family Fun at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus. Climb the Treetops — Columbus’ Biggest Aerial Adventure Park Awaits. Beat the Clock at The Escape Game Columbus — 60 Minutes of Pure Teamwork.
Game nights and the Arena District
Hockey cannons, soccer cathedrals and minor-league charm: Scotts Miracle-Gro Field — America’s Loudest Soccer Cathedral. Huntington Park — Minor League Baseball’s Prettiest Ballpark. Feel the Cannon Boom — A Columbus Blue Jackets Game Night at Nationwide Arena.
Creative nights and themed hunts
Candles, zombies, bar crawls and a Greek Revival jewel: Pour, Sip, Repeat — A DIY Candle-Making Class Inside a Columbus Brewery. Columbus Bar Crawl, Reinvented — Let’s Roam’s App-Led Night Out. Survive Columbus — The Zombie Scavenger Hunt Apocalypse Game. The Ohio Statehouse — A Greek Revival Jewel With Free Tours. Park of Roses — 12,000 Roses in Whetstone Park.
