Planning to visit your Ohio State student and unsure what to do or where to go?
Review this list for suggestions, many of which are available at no charge.
Activities Available All Year
1. Cheer on the Buckeyes together at any Ohio State Athletic event.
Schedule: Ohio State Buckeyes
Tickets: Ohio State Buckeyes | Official Athletics Site | Ticket Information
2. FREE: Enjoy the tranquility at the Columbus Museum of Art sculpture garden, the museum is open at no charge EVERY SUNDAY!
Columbus Museum of Art
3. FREE: Meander through the shops and check out the outdoor art throughout the Short North Arts District.
Short North Arts District - Columbus
4. Sit at the counter at Buckeye Donuts for breakfast (or lunch or dinner or anytime, they're open all day, every day!).
Buckeye Donuts
5.Visit all 32 "book rooms" in the Book Loft in German Village then enjoy an authentic French pastry at Pistachia Vera.
The Book Loft | German Village Society MENU - Pistacia Vera
6. Watch a sunset with a drink at a rooftop patio.
The Top 10 Rooftop Patios in Columbus
7. Watch the polar bears play at our world famous Columbus Zoo.
Columbus Zoo
8. Shop, dine, visit Easton Town Center!
Our Story | Easton Town Center | Columbus, Ohio
9. Try duck bowling at PINS.
Columbus, OH - Downtown - Pins Mechanical Company
10. Order a cream puff at Schmidt's Sausage Haus in German Village.
Schmidt's Sausage Haus
11. Walk among the largest private collection of Dale Chihuly Glass Art in a botanical garden at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Chihuly Collection | Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical GardensFranklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
12. Dine around the world inside the North Market, be sure to wander upstairs for additional seating.
North Market
13. FREE: Dine with your student on campus. My husband's favorite is having breakfast at Traditions.
14. See a touring Broadway production at the Ohio or Palace Theatre.
Broadway in Columbus
15. Dine while attending a rousing production at Shadowbox Live.
Shadowbox Live
16. Share THE BEST peanut butter & jelly sandwich (with a shake!) at the Krema Nut Company.
Sandwiches & Milkshakes | Krema Nut Company
17. Discover Columbus on two wheels! Columbus Art Rides is a self-guided bicycling map and audio tour of several districts in Columbus.
Columbus Art Rides
18. FREE: Learn how Buckeyes are produced during a tour at the Anthony Thomas Candy Factory.
Anthony-Thomas Chocolates
19. FREE: Have your student walk you to their classrooms, stop by Mirror Lake and the 'Shoe.
20. FREE: Explore the Franklinton Arts District, not far from COSI. Do them together!
My Neighborhood: What Johnny Riddle Loves About Franklinton
21. Explore Grandview and enjoy a cup of coffee at Stauf's, one of Columbus' oldest coffee houses.
Staufs Coffee - Grandview
22. Check out the Ohio Craft Museum in Grandview.
Ohio Designer Craftsmen
23. FREE: Observe Bison roaming at a Columbus Metro Park.
From bison to tree forts, Columbus Metro Parks boast more than just hiking trails
24. Explore the Ohio Caverns, a great activity to do on a cold or rainy day!
Ohio Caverns
25. FREE: Hike in the Hocking Hills, Old Man's Cave is a fan favorite! Go early to avoid crowds.
Hocking Hills
26. Learn all about Ohio at the Ohio History Center.
Visit the Ohio History Center - Ohio History Connection
27. FREE: Attend a tour at the Ohio State House.
Public Tours | Ohio Statehouse
28. FREE: Rock out at the Orton Geological Museum at Ohio State!
Orton Geological Museum
29. Visit the only museum honoring all United States veterans, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.
National Veterans Memorial and Museum
30. FREE: Borrow binoculars from the Grange Insurance Audubon Center then birdwatch at that metro park.
Grange Insurance Audubon Center
31. Attend an exhibition at the Wexner Center for the Arts.
Wexner Center for the Arts
32. Watch an independent film at Bexley's Drexel Movie theater. Then enjoy an ice cream cone from Graeter's OR Johnsons OR both while you stroll Bexley's Main Street.
About the Drexel Theatre | Our Story
Graeter's Ice Cream Fountain Menu
Johnsons Real Ice Cream
33. Relax and rejuvenate together at Replenish Spa Co-Op! This spa is located in a renovated Victorian home minutes from the Columbus Museum of Art and across from the Topiary Garden.
Replenish Spa
34. FREE: Explore Bridge Park in Dublin, Ohio then go walk among the gigantic statues of corn!
Zoo, Golf, & Entertainment | Dublin, Ohio
Winter Activities
35. Go to a Columbus Blue Jackets Hockey Game, don't forget your student can get them self a discounted ticket at the OSU student union!
Official Columbus Blue Jackets Website | NHL.com
36. Tour King Tut's tomb and treasures at COSI (Center of Science and Industry) the exhibit opens 3/2023.
COSI Exhibits - King Tut
Spring Activities
37. Go to a Crew Soccer Game, get a ticket "standing" in the Nordecke section (just not too close to the drum line lol).
Columbus Crew
38. Attend the Ohio State SPRING football game, always in April. This year it is Saturday 4/15. Tickets are ridiculously inexpensive, you can sit almost anywhere you want!
https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/tickets/football-tickets/
39. "IF" you come in for the spring game, consider staying through that Sunday and participate in the Ohio State 4 Miler. The course meanders through campus and you literally run through the tunnel, do a half lap in the stadium and end on the 50 yard line! Date for this event is Sunday 4/16: Ohio State 4 Miller
40. How many hot dogs can you eat at "Dime a Dog Night" at a Columbus Clippers Baseball Game?
Columbus Clippers | MiLB.com
41. FREE: Visit Georges Seurat's famous painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte at the Columbus Topiary Garden. Best time to visit is April through November.
Columbus Topiary Garden
42. FREE: Enjoy seeing over 12,000 specimens of roses at the Columbus Park of Roses. June is the best time to go.
Columbus Park of Roses
43. Kayak the Scioto River right in downtown Columbus.
Kayak the Scioto River
Summer Activities
44. Zoombezi Bay is a huge water park adjacent to the Columbus Zoo. Seek out their weekly movie schedule for "dive in" movies at the wave pool.
Zoombezi Bay
45. FREE: Attend a festival situated along the Scioto Mile
The Scioto Mile
46. Enjoy a Picnic with the Pops concert at the Columbus Commons (note that the TBDBITL performs at the last show each season).
Picnic with the Pops - Columbus Commons
47. Get takeout from Katzinger's Deli and attend Shakespeare in the Park in German Village!
The Actor's Theater
Katzinger's Deli
Fall Activities
48. Take pictures in a sunflower field, pick apples, get lost in a corn maze! From summer through late fall Lynd's Fruit Farm is THE place to visit.
Lynd Fruit Farm
49. Attend our nations most elaborate costume party that corresponds with Halloween, Highball!
Highball Columbus
50. Attend a game at the 'Shoe. Keep in mind tickets for early-season, non-conference games tend to be less expensive. Here is their 2023-2024 season schedule. If you're unaware, and want to come in for a football game, plan ahead for lodging and tickets. Have fun!
The Ohio State Buckeyes 2023-2024 Schedule