We spent a beautiful fall week in Columbus and could have easily spent another one or two weeks there. Columbus has so much more that we would have loved to do and see and eat; we just didn’t have time for it all!
If we were to go back, the one thing we would definitely do again is play a few rounds of the Neos Playground game in Columbus Commons. The Neos Playground is a Bop It-style electronic jungle gym with a few different game variations to choose from. We discovered it on our first day and fell in love with it, playing at least one game every day. We now wish every park in the world had one. You can see it in action in the video below:
eat
› North Market Downtown – A great spot for lunch with a lot of delicious choices! Make sure you check out Pistacia Vera (also in German Village) for excellent pastries and Jeni’s for some of the best ice cream you will ever have.
› Kolache Republic – If you’ve never had a Kolache–a Czech pastry consisting of dough and some sort of filling or topping–please do yourself the favor and have one here. They have both sweet and savory Kolaches for Breakfast or Lunch including vegetarian options.
› Condado Tacos – A regional chain with great vegetarian options. The queso is a must.
› Katzinger’s Delicatessen – Wonderful German Deli with a few vegetarian options. They are known for their free pickles, although I wasn’t a fan of the flavor.
see
› Ohio Statehouse – The Statehouse includes a free museum that’s worth checking out. Don’t miss the full-size replica of the Liberty Bell while you’re there!
› Topiary Garden Park – We just happened to walk through this park and I’m glad we did; the Topiaries form a living recreation of George Seurat’s “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.” It was a wonderful surprise once it all came into focus from the right spot in the park.
› Columbus Museum of Art – We actually only went into the museum’s gift shop and checked out the sculptures around the museum, but even that was worth the walk there.
do
› Short North – Lots of cute shops, public art, and food.
› German Village – A cute area just south of I-71 with brick shops and restaurants. The Book Loft, a maze of bookshelves, and Katzinger’s Deli are must-visits.
› Neos Playground in Columbus Commons – This is an electric jungle gym that can best be described as a life-size Bop It! Emma and I played as much as we could: so much fun!
› 16-Bit Bar + Arcade – A large bar with dozens of arcade and video games which are mostly free to play. Emma was surprisingly good at Tapper!
souvenir shops
› Tigertree and Prologue Bookshop – Two really cute shops in the Short North Area.
› The Red Stable – A beautiful German Village tchotchke shop.
stay
› Holiday Inn Columbus Dwtn-Capitol Square – I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this hotel, but it was close to the theatre and does have a free shuttle that was relatively convenient to use.
getting around
› CBUS – A free downtown circulator that travels down High Street through Short North and the German Village.
if we go back...
› COSI – We love a good science center and are sad we missed this one!
› Katalina’s – A local cafe that serves pancake balls!
› Neos Playground – EVERYDAY!
