What To Do In Columbus Ohio This Weekend | A Brief Ohio Travel Guide

Dec 11, 2024

Last Updated on: Jul 8, 2025

Travel Guides

As someone in her early thirties and a big foodie, Columbus Ohio has always been the biggest draw for me. 

Now, you may be curious about the connection between my age and the city. The city is a bustling hub of college-goers. So, whenever I visit here, I relive the days I have just left behind.

So, if you ask me “what to do in Columbus Ohio,” it’s like soaking in nostalgia for me. 

Again, the foodie in me cannot avoid the allure of the North Market or Budd Dairy Food Hall. These are some of the biggest hotspots for gastronomic delight in the city. 

Furthermore, the Worthington Farmers Market, with 100s of food vendors from Columbus, is a gem in the food tourism landscape of the city. It is, in fact, the best of the best on the “10 USA Today Readers’ Choice 2024” list.

However, the things to do in Columbus Ohio are beyond exploring the food landscape. So, here, I have curated the activities you can do this weekend. 

What To Do In Columbus Ohio This Weekend | You Cannot Miss These Fun Activities 

What To Do In Columbus Ohio This Weekend  You Cannot Miss These Fun Activities

The scopes of what to do in Columbus Ohio are endless. So, no wonder Columbus is a city that a tourist will fall hard for. 

Exceptional dining opportunities and the vivid local culture have helped Columbus get the tag of the “Fastest Growing City in America” by the Bank of America Institute. 

Moreover, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission or MORPC has predicted that Columbus will continue to grow at 1% annually till 2050. 

Now, thanks to the thriving scenario, the city naturally has been a prominent tourist attraction for people from different corners of the USA. 

So, in case you, too, are visiting Columbus Ohio this weekend, these are the things you can try. 

The word is getting out that Columbus is an ideal place to visit, whether you’re coming with friends or family, for a special event or for business travel. While you’re here you can immerse yourself in our award-winning, chef-driven food scene, spend time outdoors along our expansive riverwalk and abundant green spaces or explore our unique and walkable neighborhoods.” 

Sarah Townes, ECI, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Experience Columbus.

1. Exploring The Local Breweries

With many local breweries and wineries around, you don’t need to think much about what to do in Columbus Ohio. So, you can explore the following vineyards and breweries here.

High Bank Distillery
Address: 1051 Goodale Blvd ColumbusContact Number: (614) 826-5347
Land Grant Brewing Company
Address: 424 W Town St ColumbusContact Number: (614) 427-3946
Jackie O’s On Fourth
Address: 171 N Fourth St ColumbusContact Number: (614) 929-5265

2. Strolling Through The North Market To Explore The City’s Food Scenario

Address: 59 Spruce St, Columbus, OH 43215, United States

Phone Number: +1 614-463-9664

Hours Open: 9 AM to 7 PM

North Market is the place where you explore the best of Coumbus’s food scenario. The place bustles with farmers, makers, vendors, and food merchants. Further, you can try here various food items, including Tibetan, Polish and Vietnamese. 

Nevertheless, when you are at North Market, you can try the best food items at the following Tour and Travel favorite restaurants.

Name of The RestaurantAddressPhone Number
Momo Ghar North Market (Nepalese Cuisine)59 Spruce St, Columbus+1 614-495-6666
Hubert’s Polish Kitchen59 Spruce St, Columbus                                                    +1  614-220-8787
Dos Hermanos Taco Truck59 Spruce St, Columbus  +1 614-670-4239
Preston’s: A Burger Joint59 Spruce St, Columbus  +1 614-400-1675

So, when in North Market, you can explore whatever you crave! 

3. Visiting The Columbus Museum Of Art

Address: 480 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215, United States

Phone Number: +1 614-221-6801

Hours Open: 10 AM to 5 PM (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday-Sunday), Thursday – 10 AM to 10 PM, Monday – Closed

The Columbus Museum Of Art is the go-to place if you want to see the biggest collection of local maestros like Elijah Pierce and George Bellows. Furthermore, you will find many collections here as examples of modernism in America and Europe.

Also, a tour of the museum will make you familiar with contemporary technology, art and photographs. Moreover, you can collect small souvenirs from the Museum Gift Store.

Moreover, the collections of the museum are updated daily and the museum hosts events on a regular basis.

4. Kayaking Along The Scioto River

Kayaking Along The Scioto River

If you want to know what to do in Columbus Ohio, you can kayak through the Scioto River. Kayaking in the river is also a great way to enjoy the vistas of bustling city life on the river banks.

Further, once you are done kayaking in the river, you can visit Scioto Mile. It is a brilliant example of “environmental rehabilitation.” In fact, USA Today has named it one of the top 10 riverwalks in the country. 

5. Taking A Tour Of The German Village

If any dark academia fan asks me what to do in Columbus Ohio, this weekend? I will suggest them visit the German Village. The village is idyllic and built in 1820, it is a prominent example of Italianate architecture. 

However, for me, the Book Loft is the biggest attraction in the German Village. You will get to explore here 32 rooms of books. You can bargain the prices and even get some aesthetic greeting cards from here. 

Furthermore, German Village is a foodie’s paradise. You can explore the following restaurants here.

Restaurants In German Village, Columbus OhioAddressPhone Number
Schmidt’s Sausage Haus Restaurant240 E Kossuth St, Columbus, OH 43206, United States+1 614-444-6808

Katzinger’s Delicatessen
475 S 3rd St, Columbus, OH 43215, United States+1 614-228-3354
The Thurman Cafe183 Thurman Ave, Columbus, OH 43206, United States+1 614-443-1570

Stauf’s Coffee Roasters
627 S 3rd St #1060, Columbus, OH 43206, United States+1 614-221-1563

Moreover, there is a Brewery District in the West German District. It is very crucial to the beer scenario of Columbus.

6. Spend Some Time With Plants At Franklin Park Conservatory

Address: 1777 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43203, United States

Phone Number:  +1 614-715-8000

Operating Hours: 10 AM to 4 PM every day, 5-9 PM (Monday-Thursday and Sunday), 5-10 PM (Friday and Saturday)

The Franklin Park Conservatory functions with the tagline of “Life Happens Here.” I am a plant mommy, and for me, the Gardens and Collections are the best sections of this conservatory. 

You will find here more than 400 species of plants. Further, the glasswork of Dale Chihuly and horticulture places make this conservation center a unique fusion of nature and aesthetics. 

Along with the conservatory and the greenhouses, you will also come across the following hotspots at Franklin Park.

  • John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse, constituting the oldest part of the conservatory
  • The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden
  • Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus
  • Chihuly Collection
  • Botanical Gardens
  • Bonsai Collection
  • Light Raiment II
  • Cardinal Health Gallery, etc. 
Entry to the Franklin Park Conservatory is free on Sundays for the residents of Columbus and Franklin County. 
However, on other days, the park charges an entry fee of $23.50 (10 AM to 5 PM) for people aged between 13 and 59.
Further, seniors aged above 60 need to pay $19.50, and children between 3-12 years need to pay $16 for the entry. 
Moreover, for museum visits and special occasions, you will have to pay $3. 

So, with the best sample plan for what to do in Columbus Ohio this weekend, you can now pack your bags and get going! 

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Meet Sibashree Bhattacharya, a travel enthusiast who has a decade-long experience in transcending virtual barriers with her words! Her deep love for travel is apparent from her travel escapades to the mountain, often taking her readers on a journey, her words acting as Portkey! Fun fact: Sibashree loves to dive deep into the history of the places she is about to visit, making her travels even more wholesome. If you were wondering how her articles are not short of time travel, this answers it!

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It is one of the most revered libraries in Asia, and it was first built by the Jaffna Town Development Board on 1st January 1935.  It has a collection of 844 books, 30 magazines, and newspapers.  8. Nagadeepa Vihara View this post on Instagram A post shared by Thambu Illam~Hotel in Jaffna🌴 (@thambu_illam) Nagadeepa Vihara is the place where Lord Buddha visited for the second time. He also ended the dispute between two Naga Kings fighting over the ownership of an ornate throne.  Mahodara and Chulodara, these two Naga kings, became devoted followers of Lord Buddha.  9. Manthiri Manai View this post on Instagram A post shared by FOX Resorts (@foxresorts) Manthiri Manai, or the Minister’s Mansion, stands out thanks to its unique Indo-Islamic and European architecture. Located at a distance of just 1 km from Point Pedro, Manthiri Manai is an archaeologically protected site, and it is said to be the residence of the minister of the medieval Jaffna Kingdom.  How To Reach Jaffna, Sri Lanka? 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Later, you will find brief descriptions of the historical importance of these places.  1 Historical Site Olympic 2024 Event  The Seine River The Olympics Opening Ceremony Men’s Marathon Swimming Competition (Tentatively on 8th and 9th August 2024 After Postponement) Eiffel Tower Stadium  Beach Volleyball and Blind Football Pont Alexandre III Triathlon, Para triathlon, Swimming Marathon, and Individual Cycling Time Trials The Grand Palais Taekwondo and Fencing Château de Versailles Equestrian events from July 27th to August 11th and from September 3rd to 7th, 2024 The Stade Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes (92) Field Hockey Games   It All Begins On The Seine River With The Opening Ceremony   Best Time To Visit The Seine River: June-August  The 2024 Olympics has seen the most unusual opening ceremony held on the Seine River. The river is named after Sequana, a Celtic Goddess.   Further, this river has been an important bearer of French culture, identity, and life. l'école de Honfleur, one of the most prominent impressionist movements in France, was inspired by this river.   Also, as you take a boat ride in this river, you can see the most iconic monuments in the city. Looking at the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre Museum is surely going to be a lifetime experience for you. The Sainte Chapelle and Cathedral of Notre Dame are other significant pieces of architecture that can be seen from the river.   The Eiffel Tower Stadium   https://www.instagram.com/olympics/reel/C9SCB2DCNrt/ Best Season To Visit The Eiffel Tower Stadium: June to September  Are you looking for “Paris tourist sites Olympics 2024?” Visit the Eiffel Tower Stadium on the Champ-de-Mars. Beach volleyball games at this venue are already gathering a lot of attention, with tourists finding the place “Instagrammable.”   The Eiffel Tower is the stadium and is often interpreted as the tangible form of the human desire to reach the sky. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, and today it is the most visited “paid monument” in the world.   Pont Alexandre III  Best Season to Visit: September to April  Pont Alexandre III is a bridge named after Russian Tsar Alexandre III, and it celebrates the historic alliance between Russia and France. This year, the bridge will be entering its 125th year as it was built between 1896 and 1900 for the “1900 World Fair.”   With a steel base, the bridge stands out for its gold-plated statues of bronze, cast-iron lamps, and stone pillars.   The Grand Palais  Best Season to Visit: September to June  The Grand Palais is dedicated to the “glory of French Art.” It was built in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition. Exactly 100 years after its foundation, the Grand Palais got its designation as a historic monument in 2000.   This architectural excellence was made with glass, stone, and steel. It portrays an excellent fusion of the Baroque style and classicism.   Further, the polychrome friezes in the ceramics and mosaics, iconic statutes, and embellishments tell fascinating stories about the excellence of French architecture and art.   Château de Versailles  Best Season to Visit: April to October  The Château de Versailles is a World Heritage Site (designated in 1979) with its grounds and gardens. It is the official residence of the French King and also the largest Château in the world. Further, it is the greatest outcome of the 17th century French Art.  Built by King Louis XIV, the palace today has a magnificent presence covering 63,154 m2 area. However, the Château de Versailles is not just a remarkable site for its magnanimousity. It also stands tall for its creative excellence and originality.   Moreover, the Château de Versailles was  “The absolute seat of power of the monarch, Versailles was the best formulated and best adapted crucible for French court life for a century and a half (Louis XIV perfectioned “etiquette”) and artistic creation in the domain of music, theatre and the decorative arts. Numerous scientific discoveries were presented there, encouraged by the kings, founders of royal academies.”  The Stade Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes (92)  Best Season to Visit: Any Season  The Stade Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes (92) makes history as one of the rarest venues to host two Olympic games. It was the main venue for the 1924 Summer Olympics, and this year, it will host the field hockey games.   The stadium gets its name from Yves du Manoir, a noted French rugby player.   Transforming Historical Sites Into Olympic Venues: An Important Aspect Of Sustainable Promises   Paris Olympics 2024 promotes and practices the complete use of renewable energy. The locally sourced renewable energy is a fruit of the Olympics’ goal of maintaining sustainability. If you are traveling to different Olympic venues in Paris, you will notice the following sustainable practices.  No use of diesel generators  Connection to the grid, enabling the use of sustainable energy  Solar panels in the Aquatics Centre and Olympic Village  Geothermal cooling systems in the Olympic Village (No use of traditional airconditioning system)  Use of recyclable material in building the Aquatics Centre, the only new permanent venue   More Insight Into Sustainable Transformation Of The World’s Most Iconic Tourist Sites Into Olympic Venues In 2024  Further, the International Olympic Committee and Paris are abiding by the promise of sustainability by transforming historical sites into Olympic venues. In the Paris Olympics 2024, 95% of the events will take place at existing historical sites or buildings. This is a conscious decision to practice economic and environmental sustainability.  2, 3 Overall, the Paris Olympics 2024, by transforming historical sites into Olympic venues and using renewable energy, is trying to be the “greenest Olympics ever.” The plan is to reduce the carbon emissions to half in comparison to the previous chapters in London, Rio, and Tokyo (2012, 2016, 2020).   The Committee is particular about its commitment to legacy planning. Further, the reuse of infrastructures is going to be a crucial factor in making the events carbon neutral.   In addition, by choosing the historical sites in Paris as Olympic venues, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) takes one step forward in its effort to minimize the environmental impact of the game. This IOC initiative has been going on since 2017.   Paris organizers, however, made their stance clear on converting historical sites into temporary Olympic venues in 2016. In a report to the International Olympic Committee, they wrote,   “Temporary venues in iconic locations, which will see the city’s greatest sites transformed into stunning stages for sport and embedding the Games in the public domain.”  Along with practicing sustainability, this move has been a wonderful way to impress spectators and get more advertisers and sponsors on board.   Olympics On Mind: Space Travel And The Greatest Sports Event  The frenzy for the Summer Olympics 2024 in Paris reaches the sky. The six living astronauts in the International Space Station showed that they had the Olympics on their minds.   Jeanette Epps, Mike Barratt, Sunita Williams, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, and Butch Wilmore kickstarted their mini Olympics in space by passing the Olympic torch.   In the July 26th video published by NASA, we get to see how the astronauts playfully gear up for their events. Jeanette Epps and Sunita Williams shook up their arms, and Butch Wilmore gulped a water globule roaming around his head. Then, he stretched his upper body.   Sunita Williams further showed some gymnastics moves to up the Olympic spirit in space. However, Butch Wilmore shot-putting a duct tape ball and Mike Barratt launching a discus were the highlights of the fun activities in space.   Matthew Dominick, the NASA scientist currently living off Earth, has said, “Over the past few days on the International Space Station, we've had an absolute blast pretending to be Olympic athletes.” The activities were more fun because of the weightlessness in the space.  4 Who knew that there would be a marriage of space travel and the Olympics like this?   Final Words   With Paris transforming historical sites into Olympic venues, it’s time to plan a trip to the French capital from 26th July to 11th August.  It’s time you enjoy the greatest sports events and encounter the best chapters of French history at once. These picturesque locations are also great for clicking photographs for posterity and garnering attention on your socials. Also, visiting these places this season can be a small contribution on your behalf to acknowledging the importance of sustainability in travel, tourism, and gala events.   So, are you planning to visit Paris during the Olympics? Bon voyage! Also read Top 10 Most Popular Paraguay Food That You Must Try. Top 13 Famous Wonders Of India That You Must Visit! [Updated 2024]