Some of the exhibits might be showing their age, but it's always quiet and climate controlled and a…read moregreat place to bring out of town guests for a little overview of Ohio and the opportunity to hang out in a Lustron House. There are often activities and presentations on the weekends, which add an extra bit of fun to your visit. As with most things, membership is an excellent value - you'll get free admission to 50+ sites around the state with the basic level and can upgrade for free event tickets and NARM reciprocity.

We started the morning visiting the Ohio state capital, and then we decided to learn more about…read moreOhio. The Ohio history center is located a few miles north of downtown Columbus. We started walking through the nature of Ohio and then moved on to the galleries. We ended up walking the galleries in the wrong order but the galleries were not really connected. We learned some great Ohio history. They had cool things on display like a mastodon skeleton and a Lustron house. We sent about 2 hours walking around the museum. The one negative I found with the museum, a lot of the information was older. Like some of the information panels only went up to the early 2000s. They have a village exhibit outside but it was closed when we visited. They also had a gift shop that was closed the Saturday we visited. Also they have a small cafe on the top floor but it didn't have many options for actual food, just some snacks.

Construction began on the flat domed Ohio State house in 1839, and was completed at the opening of…read morethe American Civil War. In some states upon returning from the war soldiers pushed to have rounded domes placed on top of their state houses. It was not the case in Ohio, and the original Greek revival architecture remains. The building is a showpiece and focal point at the center of the capital city. It has been restored to its original grandeur and is carefully maintained to ensure historical accuracy. The grounds are well manicured and contain a variety of historic themed statues. There is an active and thriving bee apairy located on the north side of the grounds. Beneath Capitol Square, and the statehouse there is a multilevel parking facility. Be aware that the maximum height of your vehicle may be too tall for this garage. There are warning indicators at the entrances, but pay attention to the height nonetheless. Security is of Paramount concern, as this is a working capital for the statewide officeholders, including the governor, and both houses of the general assembly, Senate and House of Representatives. It is not just a museum, or a ceremonial building. This is the actual working seat of government for the state of Ohio. it is necessary for all visitors to be screened by security prior to entrance. And an active and robust security presence is maintained by the Ohio Highway Patrol. Throughout the halls can be found portraits of governors and legislative leaders, statutory representing the history of Ohio as well as large paintings of historic events in the rotunda. Of important historic note, after his assassination, the Ohio Statehouse was a location where President Lincoln lay in state and for days tens of thousands of Ohio's paid their respects. Lincoln spoke here on occasion, and actually received official word that he had been elected president, while visiting here. A brass marker is placed at the location where he spoke to the public in the atrium between the main Statehouse building and the Senate building. The Ststehouse Atrium has not always been here, but some years earlier was an open outdoor area. As is their habit, pigeons had taken up residence at the upper regions of the building and it was necessary sometimes to run between the Statehouse and the Senate building so as not to be "christened" by pigeon waste. The area became known as "pigeon run." If you look above the door/entry entryway to the Senate building in the atrium, you will see a historic reminder of those days in the form of a taxidermy pigeon. Those days are of course, long gone, and the atrium is now home to a variety of public and private events. Many select the statehouse and grounds as a location for wedding photo shoots, and actual weddings. Schedules of House and Senate sessions, and committee sessions are available online and open to the public. In the basement of the atrium and Senate building there are a variety of historic interpretational displays. Also found there is a small café, and a gift shop.

The Ohio Capital is architecturally different from many other states. In many states the capital…read moresits high and is easy to see, but in Columbus you might accidentally drive right by. In a way I guess it is more approachable for the people. I also liked the fact there was plenty of downtown underground parking.

I had no idea that the original Wendy's building is no longer. That's a bummer but this spot is…read moreprime real estate in downtown Columbus and so they're put other things here and replaced them with the marker. I've always been a fan of founder Dave Thomas and his backstory. I love that he appeared in their advertisements and that the company is named for his daughter (who is not the one who appeared in many of those ads). When given a choice, I'll take Wendy's over just about anything else. The one in my home airport is next to the Delta gates and they do a good job with their Baconator there. (Bacon and cheese and meat all fits well on my keto diet. Just skip the bun and the fries.) The marker reads, "Dave Thomas realized his boyhood dream when he opened his first hamburger restaurant on this site on November 15, 1969. Thomas changed the image of fast food by serving fresh, not frozen hamburgers, hot off the grill with a choice of toppings in a clean comfortable setting. From this location, Wendy's became one of the largest restaurant chains in the world. It all began with Thomas's guiding principle "Quality is Our Recipe" and his dream of serving a "hot 'n juicy" hamburger." [Review 11271 overall, 1048 of 2019.]

I had no clue this was even here until I walked by Discovery Park and noticed the historical marker…read moresign near the side of the road. I laughed out loud pretty hard when I realized it was there. There's nothing else to see but this sign. However, it does share a bit of Ohio history, which is always appreciated. Did you know this was the site of the very first Wendy's back in 1969?! Just another lifelong biz that started in Ohio!

Public art statue of Christopher Columbus located on the state house Capitol grounds in downtown…read moreColumbus Ohio. While in recent years Columbus has been a lightning rod for controversy is a man who has several honors and statues dedicated to the founding father. Being that the city is called Columbus Ohio it makes some sense that they have one as well. Overall a well done and large piece that sits on a Capitol grounds that has a ton of public art statues and memorials.

Jeffrey Park is huge, and includes the mansion (which Sweetie has been in, and Baby K and I walked…read morealongside,) the pool (which seems great- and crazily crowded on a hot summer day,) and more. Several parking areas, many wooded areas. At least one very nice shelter with bathrooms. And: a playground, our main goal. A great playground. Four separate playsets plus swings. Loads of things for kids to do. One area is fenced in, to corral small kids. Plenty of benches all around, plenty of shade. Only drawback is it's a bit of a walk from the nearest parking lot to the playground. Not as fun for the old guy with bad knees. But, a pleasant walk, and a destination worthy of it.

I came here for an event with Bexley's Parks and Rec Department…read more I'd heard about this place for a while from a friend who said to check it out. It's a historical home that has tons of trails at the back and other facilities for recreation. Along with housing Parks and Rec, it is also a preschool! I didn't get to see the whole of the inside but it's cool to see a historic home that is maintained very well for multipurpose use. They even do chair yoga classes in here!

I wish I could write more about this building but because it's private you can only see the…read moreexterior. However I think it's still worth a stop if you're in the area. It's an absolutely beautiful house with charm, elegance and beautiful design. I can tell you that what you can see from the street is absolute craftsmanship.

I've walked by this mansion several times a week for years and I had no idea this piece of history…read morewas on Yelp. Would ya look at that?! Being that I live so closed, I've looked into its background and it's pretty cool. It's history is long and rather weird, starting way back in 1895 when circus owner Peter Sells asked a well known Columbus architect to build a home for his wife. This architect was Frank Packard and he designed the one-of-a-kind home with gothic, tudor, chateauesque styles mixed with his own personal flare, even adding circus-like touches throughout. Fun fact - This same architect build the Ohio Governor's Mansion, the Jeffrey Mansion, and at least one other in the city. The Sells mansion was on the market for quite some and it started to go a little down hill. However, it was finally purchased in 2020 and I've noticed the new owners are doing what they can to renovate and bring it back to life.

William McKinley statue located on the statehouse Capitol grounds in downtown Columbus Ohio…read more Statue paying tribute to United states 25th president who was born and raised in Ohio and also served years of his political career serving the state. The statue is very large and well done and stands as a center piece for a states ground that has several other public art statues and memorials. Overall a great and fitting sculpture for a person of significance to American history.

It was cold outside when I showed up, I came all the way from denver to see this statueread more

Peace sculpture located on the statehouse Capitol grounds in downtown Columbus Ohio…read more Sculpture features a beautiful and massive winged Angel figure that sits at the steps of the statehouse building. The sculpture is very lovely and sets a great backdrop for photo ops. Overall a very cool piece and maybe my favorite one of all the statues and sculptures located on the Columbus statehouse campus.

On the north side of the Capitol Square stands a winged female figure clad in flowing garments…read moreholding aloft the universal symbol of peace, an olive branch. This is the statue Peace. Though erected soon after the completion of the First World War, this monument honors those who served in the American Civil War. The Woman's Relief Corps, the auxiliary of the largest and most influential Civil War veterans' organization, the Grand Army of the Republic, commissioned the statue from Bruce Wilder Saville, a faculty member at The Ohio State University. The statue was unveiled in 1923, and in honoring service during the Civil War, recognizes the contributions of the troops on the battle field and the women they left behind.