Spent another lazy Sunday in the park! I welcome any chance to soak up some sunshine. The tree I…read moresat under kept dropping flowers on my head, so I'll likely bring an umbrella next time.

This is a lovely historic park just west of the Short North area. It's a bit hidden from High…read moreStreet (as you need to go one full block west before it's visible) and I only discovered it on my last day of attending a conference at the Downtown Columbus Convention Center. Lots of pluses at this park. First, if you're traveling with a dog and staying at the nearby Hampton Inn, this is your "go-to" destination for dog walks. Second, it has a pretty pond on the north side of the park with an elephant column and winding pathways around the center. Third, if you like jogging, I would suggest running along the perimeter of the park (some inner paths are narrow) to admire the historic Victorian homes surrounding the park. One downside is that I did see a homeless man sleeping on the ground in the middle of the park early on a weekday morning. He was not bothering anyone, but it made me think about what options for affordable housing and social services are available in Columbus.

Magnificent reclaimed wetland on an old Brownfield/giant municipal Auto Towing Lot…read more Ample wildlife has begun to appear since the park has opened. Substantial outdoor rope climbing & artificial rock climbing facilities available. Bootcamp style fitness circuit obstacle course with walls, tires monkey bars and other challenges. Magnificent view of the downtown area of Columbus. Pet friendly areas and paths.

It's pretty here but I couldn't find a good spot to watch the sunset without trees getting in the…read moreway. Overall, such a beautiful park with pretty views!

This was one of my favorite places to visit in Columbus, OH... and it's free! Unless you have to…read morepay for parking... I highly recommend this place!!! The garden is so interesting and from different angles you'll see different views. I really enjoyed this place and taking pictures.

I love the recreation of the famous Seurat painting however...While I was here with my kiddos it…read morereeked of urine, we found boxers on the park grounds, and encountered some questionable people. It was a quick visit for us but such a beautiful wonderful idea. Unfortunately I wouldn't go out of my way for this, pictures could be better than the in person experience.

This is my favorite little pocket park in Columbus. Diagonally situated across from St. Joseph's…read moreCathedral. There is a water feature. And automatically the statutory evokes a theme of education and reading in particular. Nearby this spot used to stand the original Wendy's restaurant. It closed in 2007. The founder Dave Thomas was a huge advocate of literacy programming. He did not graduate from high school until 1993, when he received a GED. he was also an adoption advocate. Dave was a great humanitarian. I always think of him when I am here. This is a great place to contemplate life and what important noble achievements are really about.

This is a small, rather concrete park, primarily filled with a statue and landscaping. It can be…read morefound downtown right off of Broad street, with some of Columbus' taller buildings nearby. It also happens to be close to the very first location of fast food chain, Wendy's. Hah, what are the odds? The plaque near the garden, behind the statue of children and giant letters, explains that the park is there to honor Ohio's educators, the teachers, public schools, colleges, and universities. I'm not exactly sure who made this statue but it's a nice little nook of downtown. I only noticed it walking by. It caught my attention right away and created a moment where I was able to pause and think and reflect. Love finding hidden gems of the city like this!

This gem of a park in the German Village neighborhood is well worth a relaxing stroll and visit if…read morethe weather is nice. I visited in June 2025 on a free weekday afternoon and enjoyed seeing the dogs, construction of a set for the Shakespeare in the Park, and the inspirational signs near the Schiller monument. Schiller Park has a fascinating history (described near the center of the park) from its initial opening as "City Park" to its renaming as Schiller Park. It was interesting to learn that the name temporarily changed to Washington Park in the mid-1910s as anti-German sentiment rose in the United States due to World War 1. Also, the park has been an important and historic place for the German American community in Columbus, OH. For example, I learned that German singing societies (which exist in other U.S. cities) provided support for the park.

Great and perdect sized for walking, running or walking your dog or cat. The park hosts several…read moreevents, including Shakespeare in the park, free to attend. I love how well kept the greenery and grounds are and the pond and art installations are nice additions for visitors to enjoy year round.

My wife and I decided to get married at the pavillion. This was an amazing venue and the staff are…read moreamazing and accommodating. We got married outside and had the reception inside and under the pavillion. The venue provides you with tables and chairs, which is amazing for the price. You are able to bring your own food or high your own vendor. For alcohol, you have to purchase a temporary permit $170 and have to hire from a preferred alcohol vendor. That said, we hired the bartenders from Ohio Bartenders and purchased our own alcohol and beverages. Much cheaper option and worked perfectly. The outside space is large and perfect for any occasion. Also, the pictures you can take are just amazing. You also have access to the kitchen space which has a large standing cooler and industrial ice machine. Everything you need in one place, it's perfect. Parking is a bit scarce but when you reserve you get 26 spots located right in front on the street. I would highly recommend renting this for your next celebration of any kind.

North Bank Park has such wonderful views of the city. It is conveniently located next to the many…read moreparks along the Scioto Mile and connects to the greenway trails that go through the area. It features a very nice and popular shelter that, in non-pandemic times, can be rented. At our visit, it looked like they were doing some work on it. There is a nice large area of picnic tables under a shady area, plus umbrella tables with a great view of the river, providing a lot of opportunities to sit and relax. There is a fountain near the shelter, though it wasn't currently running at the time of our most recent visit - it's probably a bit early in the season. Street parking is available nearby (if you can get it - it was full up when we came by), or there are garages in the area. You can also access via the trails by foot, scooter, bike, and the like. We walked over from Battelle Riverfront Park and back again.

YE Gurl Says: Franklin Park Lit Up My Night (Literally)…read more Date: September 6, 2025 Place: Franklin Park - Water Lantern Festival (Yelp Contest Winner!) I've been to Franklin Park before for the African Festival, but little did I know there was a gorgeous man-made lake and walking area tucked behind the amphitheatre. Honestly, Columbus needs more events out here--imagine summer concerts lakeside. Come on, Cbus, don't sleep on this! Thanks to a Yelp contest win, I got two tickets to the Water Lantern Festival and was excited to experience it for the first time. I brought the beau, packed a sweater (because yes, sweater-and-jacket weather arrived), and we found a spot to settle in. The experience started with decorating our lanterns--super thoughtful packages that came with a deck of cards and conversation prompts to keep the evening flowing. The event itself was well organized: shuttles helped us avoid the parking madness, there were plenty of food trucks (though I ate beforehand), and the staff kept things moving. The only hiccup was the AV system--it was a little hard to hear, and the lantern launch was delayed due to the chill. But when those lanterns finally floated onto the water, the view was worth it. Beautiful, reflective, and something I can now check off my list as an artistic and soulful evening. YE Gurl checked the box and lit the night!

We love Franklin Park and love doing our family walk time with our doggie Ellie. Absolutely would…read morerecommend taking a stroll on a pretty day, or you could even have a picnic. It's a huge park with an amphitheater, cascade waterfalls, a community garden, an Asian-inspired garden, a playground, a picnic shelter, and ponds stocked for fishing. The park is also the home of the annual Columbus Asian Festival, the Franklin Park Adventure Center, and the amazing Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Since free is one of my favorite words, I was excited to try the yoga class at the commons. It was…read morea beautiful day out and a friend joined me. The class started on time and the instructor led us through a very beginner friendly, but impactful class. My only issue was that you could barely hear the instructor. We weren't even in the very back, so I know some people couldn't hear her at all.

Over the years as many things have been located on the site now known as Columbus Commons…read more Most recently, this was the site of a large downtown shopping mall with several large department store chains anchoring the facility financially and with customer foot traffic. prior to that there was an ice rink available to the public known as the centrum. Now it is a green space that hosts, public gatherings, concerts and is a wonderful place to picnic. As of the mid 2020s there have been frequent weekly appearances of food trucks on specific days offering a wide variety of unique foods. On the north end of Columbus Commons there is an outdoor stage, which act has the venue for live performing arts events. These can include the Columbus Symphony, but also other live music and performing arts as well. some of the adjacent local restaurants have windows which open toward Columbus Commons and these are great venues too watch and appreciate all the goings on. It has become a popular spot to host a variety of cultural events, and, while significantly smaller in size and scope, in that respect it generally shares a similar mission to downtown Chicago's Grant Park. Ample parking is available in the garage to the south of Columbus Commons and on surrounding streets. There is also a large underground garage at the Ohio State house, and some other garages and flat lots nearby. I have never found parking to be a huge problem. There is also an underground garage beneath Columbus Commons. Bottom line: lots and lots of parking.