Best Things to Do in Columbus

One of the best racks of ribs you’ll taste in the Midwest. Owner James Anderson swears by the traditional “low and slow” pit BBQ philosophy, and it’s made him a 2020 semifinalist for the James Beard Best Chef: Great Lakes award. There are four locations, including the original, a food truck in Old North Columbus.

Spheres of chocolate and peanut butter are the quintessential Columbus sweet treat. And no one makes them better (or in larger quantities) than Anthony Thomas. Buy them by the box, then resist the urge to finish the whole thing. 

Columbus-style pizza has a super-thin, extra-crispy crust and toppings (usually pepperoni) that flirt with the pan’s edge. Massey’s claims to have pioneered the style in the ’50s, and they’re still one of the best doing it. 

This is a stop for ambitious eaters (and/or OSU linemen after practice). The “Thurmanator” burger is no joke. A popular eating challenge, it’s stacked high with two 12-ounce patties, bacon, cheddar, sauteed onions and mushrooms, ham, mozzarella and American cheese, along with other standard burger fixings.

Now a nationwide chain famous for unique flavors and perfect texture, Jeni’s got its start in Columbus.

Their handmade bagels strike a balance between the styles of New York and Montreal. Get them plain or as a breakfast sandwich.

They pour craft vodka, gin and whiskey alongside elegant renditions of classic pub fare (and pizza!).

Find their 48-tap Franklinton location inside a repurposed auto mechanic shop. They also have a behemoth brewery and two craft beer hotel locations if you’re looking for a cool place to stay.

Tucked in the Brewery District, they specialize in wild ales and aged sours. 

It’s part light show, part sculpture, part walking tour and part something you can’t put your finger on. Inside a former Sports Authority resides 40 rooms of immersive art that are each, well, otherworldly. But this is no blood-splattered haunted house — rather, it’s whimsical and colorful, interweaving elements of virtual reality and loosely structured storytelling. Plus, everything is interactive, so go ahead and touch.

An on-campus collection that pays tribute to a humorous, often-overlooked section of American print media. It’s the world’s largest collection of printed cartoon art, including work from Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) and Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Nick Anderson.

University style has seeped into this Short North hotel, but not in a letterman jacket, kegstand kind of way. It’s more like midcentury lounge meets Ivy League dorm meets hipster living room (there’s a wall made of pencils and brass instruments that hang from the ceiling). 

A quaint European-style garden will welcome you into this cluster of converted pre-Civil War era buildings, where you can peruse a used book collection spanning 32 rooms. 

This bakery has macarons, flaky croissants and sidewalk seating that looks straight out of a Paris café. Pastry chef and co-owner Spencer Budros earned a 2020 nomination for Outstanding Baker from the James Beard Foundation.

What’s a German afternoon without sausage and a stein of lager? 126 years in the making, this family-owned business is your best bet for authentic German cuisine.

It’s fitting that fine beer isn’t far from German Village. Here, former Victorian breweries now live as gastropubs, venues, galleries and craft beer bars. 

An intersection of urban and natural beauty, Scioto Mile is a series of parks and trails that connect the city with the Scioto River, including the Scioto Audubon, which has tons of open space, an obstacle course, fishing spots and an outdoor climbing wall.

With 400 species of plants from biomes around the world, you can wander from the Himalayan Mountains to lush rainforests to a  bonsai courtyard. If you’re there at night, stop by the Palm House for a light show. 

A collection of carefully trimmed shrubs that re-create Georges Seurat’s pointillist masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (a Ferris Bueller favorite).

The Basement is a bastion of Columbus’ ’90s underground rock scene. And as the name suggests, it’s literally underground. They host a solid mix of local upstarts and national headliners.

This isn’t the place to rage and jump around. Instead, enjoy the patio and funky vibes of local soul, reggae and alternative bands.

A just-big-enough neighborhood bar with a wide range of shows and 3-dollar drafts during happy hour. 

You’ll see borderline too many cornfields driving around Ohio, but this isn’t one of them. Instead of stalks, you’ll find 109 concrete, human-height corn cobs.

Despite the fact that it’s a stone’s throw from downtown Dublin, this 35-foot Scioto River waterfall makes you feel like you stumbled upon it while lost in the backwoods. 

It seems like every pub in Dublin has an Irish-inspired craft cocktail, but they’re all worth trying. Try Dublin Village Tavern for Irish imports or McClellan’s Pub for whiskey.