Сolumbus is the capital of Ohio, and it is a great choice to open areal America and love it with all your heart.
From a first view, Columbus may seem boring and even somewhat provincial, despite its status as the capital of Ohio.
But this is only at first glance, believe me…
Give the city a chance and see how vibrant and diverse it can be.
Cultural life is amazing here, there are many entertainments for sports lovers, intellectuals, connoisseurs of natural beauties.
Columbus is the capital ofOhio and its largest city.
The population of Columbus exceeds 800 thousand people.
Once even the city was named one of the 50 Best Cities in America by BusinessWeek and was named one of the Best Cities for Business byForbes magazine.
Is Columbus Worth Visiting?
Yes, definitely, Columbus is worth visiting.
One of its many nicknames, “the city of arches”, Columbus was given by people because of dozens of wooden arches spanning the High Street at the turn of the 20th century.
The arches were used for lighting and were later dismantled, but in 2002 they were restored in the Short North area as a historical landmark.
However, Columbus may not be called a particularly bright city from a historical or cultural point of view: there are no such outstanding buildings and sights that make you use your camera.
It’s nice to just walk around its old districts with no other purpose than to drink a cup of coffee or lazily look at the river from the embankment.
Famous Sightseeing in Columbus
Columbus’ downtown is a place where business life and significant sights are located.
There is the government building, built in the 1840s-1860s.
There are Greek Revival Museum of Art, Franklin University, Columbus Commons.
Prominent among them is the LeVeque Tower, a 47-story Art Deco building on West Broad Street.
From 1927 to 1974 the tower of almost 170 m remained the tallest building in the city: at that time there was a competition between Chicago and New York for the maximum height of skyscrapers, andLeVeque ambitiously fit into it, becoming the fifth largest building in the world.
It’s hard to see it from below, but the top floors of the tower are decorated with stylish reliefs.
There were even more of them, but the terracotta crumbled onto the street, and some of the sculptures were removed – including five-meter eagles at the corners of the building.
Why Should You Visit Columbus Ohio?
You should visit Ohio to get unforgettable memories.
Some neighborhoods of Columbus make visiting the Ohio capital an “exciting escape”.
For Example, You can soothe your culinary side with creamy puffs atGerman Village or an active Columbus experience with an adventures guided tour in Columbus City.
German Village is a quiet and picturesque historic district with tree-lined cobbled streets, pretty bungalows and chic Italian-style mansions.
Here you can find pubs, bars, bakeries and shops for every taste, and the traditional Oktoberfest is also held here.
You can get some sports and entertainment at the Arena District.
Or even to walk downtown on the Scioto Mile and admire the city’s growing skyline with lunch or a concert by the river.
Beautiful and Gothic church of St.
Mary, built in 1893 and decorated with a high spire.
Another area of similar spirit is Harrison West, which is north of downtown.
Short North, which is around High Street , is the main cultural and entertainment area of the city.
Dozens of art galleries, shops and restaurants are located here.
In the evening of the first Saturday of each month, all galleries and museums stay open until late night, attracting thousands of visitors, and on July 4, a fun costumed parade takes place in Short North.
There are also many hotels, apartments, microbreweries and wine shops.
Easton Town Center is located northeast of the city center –a shopping and entertainment complex in the form of a small American town of the early twentieth century.
There are pedestrian streets, fountains, shops, green areas, restaurants, a cinema hall and convenient parking.
Good place for shopping, entertainment and family fun.
What’s Special About Columbus Ohio?
It is special for this 6 things in Columbus:
- There is a copy of Columbus’ Santa Maria ship on the river downtown.
- There is a Children’sFountain near Battelle Park with bronze sculptures of miraculous mythical animals.
- High Street with admiring the old buildings – in particular, the famousGreat Southern Hotel and Theater (1897) on the corner of Main Street.
- There are Indian burial mounds, which are over 2000 years old.
The most interesting ones can be bypassed on a circular route, leaving the city south along the U.
S.
23.
- Noticeable and recognizable Arch bridge, over 200 m long with three spans, spanning the Scioto River.
Built in 1937, it became a bright symbol of the city, but the weather and traffic so spoiled the structure that in 2002 the bridge was closed, completely rebuilt and opened to traffic only in 2010.
The Lane Avenue cable-stayed bridge in the University District is also noteworthy.
, over the river Olentangi.
His photograph in night illumination is one of the iconic views of the city.
- Large Columbus Zoo, divided into several zones: North American, Asian, coastal zone, African forest and Australian.
Annual Events in Columbus
The Asian Festival takes place annually in May in Franklin Park.
Here, of course, full of oriental food and products.
The Columbus Art Festival is taking place on the waterfront in June.
The Columbus Art Festival is a major event with exhibitions, workshops, music and entertainment.
Downtown by the river hosts the annual Jazz and Rib Fest in July, which usually attracts more than half a million spectators.
And in mid-June, there is also a Latin fest.
In addition, in June, the bars of the fashionable North Market District host the Park Street Festival, which attracts thousands of spectators, arranging one global party.
Restaurant Week runs in mid-July and mid-January.
When Is the Best Time To Visit Columbus?
The spring and summer months are especially full of bright events and recommended time to come.
Usually, the inhabitants of Columbus are lucky – 300 days a year it is sunny here.
The climate is quite humid, but precipitation falls evenly throughout the year.
Hot summer.
The average daily temperature in July is +24oC.
Winter can be called cold and little snow.
The average daily temperature in January is -2oC.
Tornadoes happen in spring and autumn.
The nature of Ohio is not harsh, but sometimes floods and storms come to this region.
What Does A Tourist Can Do in Columbus?
Have a real adventure in the Columbus Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The area of the protected area is 132.
87 km².
The river of the same name flows through the park.
Nature is very diverse: forests, hills, ravines, swamps and waterfalls.
There are as many as 100 of the latter in the Cuyahoga Valley.
The most beautiful and famous is Brandywine.
The height of 20 m makes it the most significant waterfall not only in the park, but in all of Ohio.
Guests can explore the area with a ranger or on their own.
It offers tourists a special railway route, trails for hiking, cycling and running.
Improve your educational level atthe Center of Science and Industry (COSI)
The Center for Science and Industry is one of the top 10 best family science museums in the USA according to Parents magazine.
COSI has a planetarium, a science park, a theater and even a science kindergarten.
It hosts live performances, themed events, as well as seminars for students and teachers.
Have the most romantic date at Columbus Park of Roses
12,000 rose bushes have been planted on 5 hectares of the park.
The territory is divided into 6 zones.
The most interesting is the Heritage Rose Garden.
It is planted with old varieties bred before 1867.
The buds of these flowers have a special shape and aroma.
Take the best panoramic photos of Columbus on the Saioto riverfront while walking along the Scioto Mile
This special green space in the heart of Columbus is adored by locals and tourists.
Here you can admire the interactive fountain, rent a canoe, listen to live music at the summer concerts of Jazz &
Rib Fest and Rhythm on the River, or just relax and enjoy the pulsation of the big city.
Go back in time for a couple of hours at a film screening at The South Drive-in Theatre
To do this, you need to rent a car and get a lot of impressions by visiting a real drive-in theater of the 50s.
It’s better to come to the show early in order to have time to get a personal loudspeaker that is mounted on a car.
Otherwise, you will have to listen to the voice acting of the film through the radio, and this is not very convenient.