Experience The Best of Columbus, OH - A Midwest Gem

Visit the North Market to shop for local artisan goods or eat at one of the many food stalls featuring a wide variety of ethnic cuisines. Head upstairs for Hot Chicken Takeover, which has a cult following.

Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens features rotating exhibitions and must-see seasonal events in addition to their gorgeous gardens in a variety of climates and ecosystems.

The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium is one of the best zoos around.

Interested in sports? There is something to experience almost year-round. Catch a game or just tailgate with the fans. You can see the Ohio State Buckeyes play football or The Columbus Crew play soccer in the fall, the Columbus Bluejackets play hockey in winter or the Columbus Clippers play minor league baseball in the Spring!

Experience arts and culture at the Columbus Art Museum, the Wexner Center or OtherWorld. There are also many art galleries and shops in the Short North Arts District.

For the kids, COSI is a wonderful center located right downtown that has much for kids to learn and have fun with. There is also the Legoland Discovery Center located in Easton Town Center. The main library downtown is housed in a beautiful building with a kids area and a topiary park.

Get outside and experience any one of the many parks around, like Park of Roses, Columbus Commons, Schiller Park, Goodale Park or the Grange Audubon Center. Walk the Scioto Mile for beautiful views of the Columbus Skyline along the Scioto River.

Shopping is everywhere, after all, Columbus is the third largest retail hub in the country. Check out Easton Town Center, which is a lifestyle mall with many great restaurants and stores. If you want to stay indoors, Polaris mall is a quick drive north. Or stay downtown and walk around the Short North for a more boutique vibe.

When it's warm out, go to Zoombezi Bay Waterpark or check out one of the many splash pads, including Bicentennial Park or Hilliard's Station Park.

Walk some of the cultural neighborhoods. Victorian Village features beautiful Victorian-style homes and German Village is picturesque with brick streets and old homes with Bavarian details. There are also delicious restaurants to try and cute shops to discover.

Take a tour! From food tours, to brewery tours, to ghost tours, to touring the Ohio Statehouse, there is something for everyone.

Day Trips

The adjacent towns surrounding Columbus offer a lot to see and do. Check out Upper Arlington, Grandview, Clintonville, Dublin (Bridge Park) and Franklinton.

Granville is a quaint town to explore and grab lunch about an hour East of Columbus.

Lynd Fruit Farm offers sunflower fields in the summer but really peaks in Fall for apple and pumpkin picking.

Head to Cleveland to catch the Browns, Cavs or Guardians, walk the towpath or visit Lake Erie.

Head to Cincinnati to catch the Bengals or Reds. Check out their riverfront and explore Over the Rhine, Mount Adams and Hyde Park. Kings Island amusement park is a fun stop!

Hocking Hills is the "go to" area for hikes and cabins. There are beautiful parks. Ohio University is nearby and a cute college town to explore.

Columbus has so many good places to eat:

Breakfast/Coffee

Check out Fox In The Snow. Featuring delicious hot items like their egg sandwich and scrumptious pastries (get the biscuit with jam) this place is always a good idea.

If you're looking for a brewery brunch vibe, go to Hoof Hearted Brewery and order the Breakfast Nachos. Nothing on this menu disappoints.

Pistacia Vera in German Village will satisfy your French patisserie cravings.

Other notable mentions include The Lox Bagel Shop, Katalina's and Stauf's Coffee & Northstar Cafe.

Lunch/Dinner

Any Cameron Mitchell restaurant will have you leaving with a smile on your face. Favorites are the Pearl, Marcellas Short North & The Avenue Steak Tavern.

Brassica - Mediterranean. Build your own bowls. The line is worth it. Also check out Third and Hollywood from the same group.

Lindey's in German Village - Sitting on their gorgeous garden patio is a hot-ticket seat.

Veritas 614 has incredible locally sourced meals.

Town Hall prides itself on healthy, good-for-you food. The Top Steakhouse is an institution. Classic old-school steakhouse.

Chapman's Eat Market pulls inspiration from a wide number of cultural influences.

For a quicker or more casual bite, Thurman Cafe has gigantic burgers, Momo Ghar has incredible dumplings and Mikey's Late Night Slice will satisfy all your pizza cravings.

Don't leave out the breweries. Many of them have food offerings as good or better than their beers. We already mentioned Hoof Hearted, but Wolf's Ridge Brewing and Watershed Distillery have some of the best food you can find in the city.

Breweries/Craft Beer

This scene is booming in Columbus. Check out Seventh Son Brewing, Parson's North, Wolf's Ridge Brewing, Hoof Hearted, Land Grant Brewing, Jackie O's, Brew Dog, Elevator Brewing Company and Columbus Brewing Company to name a few. Antiques on High specializes in sour brews.

Cocktails

The Citizens Trust is above Veritas 614 in an old bank with some of the best drinks in the city.

Service Bar, LawBird, Watershed Distillery and High Bank Distillery feature craft cocktails.

Fun nightlife spots include 16 Bit, Pins Mechanical Co, Town Hall and Club 185.