Great Park. We always go here with the kids to picnic and everything. Plenty of easy parking and…read moreclean facilities.

South Central Columbus city (Driving Park, Mooberry Gardens, Southern Orchards etc) community…read morerecreation center. I nanny part time and one of the kids I nanny attends a summer camp at Driving Park Community Recreation center. The program is staffed by youth (college kids/high school seniors) who are polite and respectful. They take field trips like most summer camps, and occasionally go swimming at the onsite pool & water park! The pool and water park is gorgeous! I was surprised to find this here. Definitely a hidden gem, something special for locals to enjoy. The inside of the recreation is always clean despite any number of kids coming and going, everytime I enter the building or leave the staff are cordial and speak to me. I feel welcomed and safe -- and like my kiddo is in good care. The gym at the center is comparable to a luxury apartment gym; I'm not sure what all is regularly required to access it but I'm sure the staff would be more than happy to answer questions! Columbus Parks & Rec offers a ton of cool and potentially free classes (sometimes spare for a low " materials fee") you just have to search the website after making an account which will sllow you to register for your classes. Wide range of classes from Ceramics, to swimming, acting, STE(A)M -- which is Science technology art and mathematics for kids and more!

We attended the Village lights event. We arrived early and were able to find a great parking spot…read morenear The Loft. We enjoyed just exploring German Village. Many homes were nicely decorated as well as several businesses. We were excited to watch the ice sculpting and listening to the Troubadours. We enjoyed exploring all the little booths. It was a lovely evening. We will definitely go again.

Contains a great exhibit about the history of German village including a very informative video…read more There's also an art gallery upstairs. Worth a visit

The park has been reviewed, but not just the YMCA. And while it is set in a nice park and is…read morepretty new, this Y is odd. Small. Like, brand new but tiny. Parking is set back a bit to allow for some trees and grass, and a small aviation memorial including a stone for the Challenger crew and a bench for North American Aviation. The building looks big from the front, but is wide though not deep. The workout area faces the front with nice big windows, and looks big- till you realize one wall is a big mirror, and the actual weight/machine area is tiny. Like, smaller than any other Y in town tiny. They have to put some machines in the halls. In a new building? Who designed this? Still, brand new machines in a clean space. Other areas in the building for cooking, daycare, classes, etc. Friendly staff. Just a weird setup, and though I'd come if I lived nearby, it is not worth any kind of trip.

Came here for a graduation. It's a former school building, that hosts various social services and…read moreevents, etc. Adult education, daycare, career classes, addiction services, and more. It's a joint project of the city, county, and various non-profits. We went to the fairly small gym for the graduation. Very nice inside, with a stage, and enough room for a basketball court. Sound and lighting was good for this sort of event. Staff were helpful and friendly.

Walhalla Ravine was a saving grace for me and my family all 7 years that I lived in Columbus. This…read moreis a sacred and divine place, and no ghost story or urban legend of a single person's violence can have dominion over the beauty and sanctuary of this forested gem. Every spring, this land supports new life in abundance. Every autumn the leaves put on a magnificent show. Its cool and gentle presence in the summer heat is a gift of the Earth. Winter makes a real-life snowy postcard. PSA: Please drive slow past this rare beauty in the spring and summer as there are breathtakingly sweet deer that cross with their babies. The City of Columbus won't put up a deer crossing sign until there are 5 car accidents at the Walhalla-Indianola intersection. How do I know? I asked for a sign after witnessing a near-collision between a car and a fawn. They told me no. In conclusion, this is really a slice of Fólkvangr on Earth.

As others have mentioned, Walhalla Ravine is most well known for two things: being a lovely and…read moreunique natural feature near the city and having ghost stories in its history. We decided to visit to enjoy the leaves changing in the beautiful ravine, and less so because of the ghosts, though we did joke about them when we first arrived. That may have been our mistake, because, halfway through our walk on Walhalla, after passing the Calumet Street Bridge (which plays a significant role in some of the ghost stories), we heard the loud, unmistakable sound of a large tree cracking echoing throughout the ravine. In what was probably 10 seconds, but felt like time extended into slow-mo, we identified the extremely large falling tree and barely managed to avoid being struck by it as it collapsed across the road, jumping just beyond its reach. Other walkers who had been further back but saw everything even exclaimed over how close of a call it was. The ravine itself is beautiful and has some interesting geology. There were some great sections of potato chip shale that were really neat to look at. A stream meanders down one side of the street, most of which is on private property. Many of the houses have unique architecture and some are historic, and quite a few folks have added some really fun art to the yards - we especially enjoyed a large dragon sculpture made of metal that was decorated with OSU gear, the cute painting of a mama duck and ducklings, and a fun deer sculpture made of wood. The leaves were absolutely lovely and managed to hang on despite the wind we had a few days prior. So, go enjoy a lovely walk, but don't make fun of the ghosts and avoid their retribution!

Today was the grand opening/reopening of the Northern Lights branch, part of a huge program of…read morerenovation and building involving close to half of the CML locations. This one is now the biggest branch in the system, and is huge. I remember the old location in the mall, and this one is stunning by comparison. Bright, open, modern, well-stocked. The children's area is huge and includes several play areas. There are plenty of computers, and lots of stacks. There's a drive-through for returns and reserves. There's even a fish tank. We are lucky to have such a great library system, and to have these new branches all over.

This is one of my favorite libraries to go to. Very clean and quiet. Lots of comfy chairs to sit…read morein. They also have a great kids area. The quiet room has a fish tank and lots of space. It's also easy to get to and find decent parking. I would definitely recommend bringing kids here in the summer. Or coming here to get some studying done.

Another 5* experience. Never met a park we didn't like, and The Farm is just exceptional. Even more…read moreexceptional if you're under 5!

Always a nice metro park to visit - there's a historical working farm on the property as well…read more There's lots of different types of paths to go walking on including pet friendly ones. Including a pond that you can walk down by for fishing and birdwatching. And there's an old covered Bridge on one of the trails that you can see from the drive in.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library Parsons Branch is a nice branch and they re-opened with the new…read morebuild in June 2016. Not just for books and movies. I use this branch frequently as a back up location to grab free COVID tests and booking a study room. The library system offers up to two hour blocks that you can reserve a study room. I take some work virtual meetings here when I need a space. Staff is great here and you can use the public computers and print here too. Library cards are needed for services but they are free. Ask them about their culture passes. for admission to these central Ohio organizations like the zoo, museums, botanical gardens, the Columbus Clippers, The symphony, and much more. Limited availability but are a great service offering. Hours: Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday: 1-5 p.m. Website: columbuslibrary.org/library-locations Branch Address: 1113 Parsons Ave., Columbus, OH 43206 Ph: (614) 645-2275

The workers at Parsons were kind and helpful. My main concern is that I'm reading of how many…read morepeople have seen/heard of them having issues with bed bugs at this location, with no replies or report of improvement.