Columbus lies along the Scioto River and has its very own Scioto Mile, a series of beautiful parks on both sides of the river with trails and massive interactive fountains. The stretch often features rotating food trucks, seasonal pop-up bars and live events, too. © Sean Pavone | Dreamstime.com

Whether you’re a Buckeyes fan or not, time your trip to an Ohio State University football game. The stadium has also hosted top bands and singers over the years, like Pink Floyd, Beyoncé and, more recently, Bruno Mars. © Smontgom65 | Dreamstime.com

Visit Otherworld, a unique and futuristic immersive art museum with digitally augmented art, interactive puzzles and themed rooms. The 32,000-square-foot space is also home to a bar, café and gift shop. © Nick Klein | Dreamstime.com

Kelton House Museum and Garden is a 19th-century Greek Revival and Italianate mansion owned by the Kelton family, staunch abolitionists who used the mansion as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The house is temporarily closed after a fire in late 2025 and is undergoing renovations. The museum has not yet released a reopening date. © Pamela Brick | Dreamstime.com

The Topiary Garden at Old Deaf School Park was designed to show figures from artist Georges Seurat’s iconic A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte painting. It is the only park in the world based entirely on a painting, with life-sized topiaries trimmed into women, men, children, animals and even boats. © Sandra Foyt | Dreamstime.com

Wander through wooded paths to Hayden Falls, a 30-foot waterfall within a nature preserve. The boardwalk (just 0.3 miles long) leads visitors straight to the waterfall, and there’s also a wooden gorge and viewing platform to take in the falls from a different angle. © Trace Rouda | Dreamstime.com

With more than 300 interactive exhibits, award-winning Center of Science and Industry (or COSI) spans many themed areas for visitors to explore, from an ocean section to an exhibit dedicated entirely to space to an area centered around a small town called Progress. © Sandra Foyt | Dreamstime.com

Admire American and European modern and contemporary art, glass art, folk art and photography at Columbus Museum of Art. The museum features collections like early Cubist paintings by Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris, as well as pieces by Monet, Norman Rockwell, Cézanne and Mary Cassat. © Pamela Brick | Dreamstime.com