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.

One of our favorite parks! Big and little play areas, music and climbing, lots of swings, tennis…read morecourts, skating ramps, and a path to the creek for exploring. It is surrounded by a walking path also which is nice. There is a covered pavilion shelter right by the play equipment also.

Cute and clean park! It's never crowded through the week and it's located near the police…read moredepartment so we always feel safe as well.

A huge park, with plenty to do. Playing fields, green spaces and woods, a very nice shelter…read morebuilding, etc. We were there for the playground, of course, and it's smallish but fun. A few picnic tables and benches nearby. A little shade. Easy access from the parking lot.

This park has a fantastic large greenspace to use. There are also athletic fields, baseball fields,…read moretennis courts, and a shelterhouse, plus a small playground. It is right along the greenway trail, so it is easily accessible via foot or bike, in addition to car, as it does have a parking lot. There are picnic tables and benches. We also really enjoyed checking out the historic suspension bridge originally built over Alum Creek in 1922. It is now part of the bike trail. It was interesting to appreciate the architecture of it.

HOW TO GET TO SKATE NAKED:…read more Turn down the west side of The building that says "LAMBERT SHEET METAL." The west side has a faded green letters on white "Hi Lite" plastic products sign. You're driving down a dirt, pot-holed road. There is a tiny, faded, "SKATE NAKED " sign pointing towards an open chain link fence at the back of this road. You'll probably see some semi trucks. THIS IS THE PROPER ENTRANCE. Drive past the semis, stay to the left - the entrance is back there. It's the door kind of in the middle of the back (one door will point to the correct entrance if you're at the wrong one). It took some adventuring and testing of the all-wheel drive to discover this Lessons are $25 and start at 1pm on Sunday. SUPER friendly dudes that I met there. Sign the waiver! $12 all day $10 after 9pm $50/month (unlimited) $365/year (unlimited) $80/150/180 for 10/20/30 never expiring visits.

Super nice folks, reasonably priced, chill atmosphere. We came on a Friday evening and it was a mix…read moreof kids (with parent supervision) and teens/adults. The building is *extremely* hard to find. You will think you are trespassing in the wrong place. If you almost pop a tire in a pothole, you're in the right place. Credit cards accepted, vending machine looks a little iffy, soundtrack is fire.

A nice little park! This is partly a Gahanna city park and partially a state nature preserve. We…read moretook a peek at both sections and found it to be very pretty. When you first pull in, there is a gravel parking area, a port-a-potty, and a few picnic tables in a grassy area overlooking a newly added pond/waterfall set-up. In addition to the pond area looking very nice, it was designed by an environmental agency to safely bring the stormwater into the natural stream flowing through the area, so it's very functional too. One trailhead takes you into the state preserve area. No dogs are allowed on this trail, so you'll want to stick to the city park side if you bring your four-legged friends. During the spring, this preserve becomes full of vernal pools and spring wildflowers - so dress for mud and boots will come in handy! There are some nice boardwalks to get you over the worst of the areas. It's very pretty and peaceful, and there are tons of spring peepers (little frogs) singing during the spring too. It's a short loop trail that is pretty easy to do. Across the parking lot, there is a trailhead for the city park trail system, which seemed to be a little more convoluted then the more direct loop set-up in the state preserve, but it made for some nice, low-key exploration. Part of the trail follows along the stream. I really loved how they used their old wooden street signs to line the trail - great recycling! This section of the park is open to dogs. A great park - we easily did both sections in about an hour, even given that we were slowing down in places to get through the worst of the muddy/slick areas.

I love this place. I frequently head here at lunch for a little decompression walk with my Puppeh,…read moreGwen. There is one specific trail that is dog friendly and it's either a half-mile loop or a whole mile depending on the direction you go. I very infrequently run into other people out here which is what makes it so nice. It does tend to be very muddy so I actually keep a specific pair of trail walking shoes in the car to change into. It's also quite mosquito-y, especially really early in the morning, so be sure to wear your bug spray. But the calmness of the forest and sounds of the cicadas in the late summer is my most favorite thing in the world. I'm so please to have this little bit of paradise so close to home and work. Whoever is in charge of maintenance does a really nice job keeping the trails clear and mulched. There is also very little trash and for the most part, other dog owners seem to do a pretty good job of keeping their dog's poops picked up. Although, I have bagged a few piles that were not Gwen's. I just can't, in good conscience, leave turds in the middle of the trail. Come on people, be responsible!

Although I've never needed to use this place for an event, many of my friends have and we've all…read morebeen very pleased. Over the years, I've attended everything from Cub Scout events to birthday parties and we've always had a fun time. It's spacious enough with a very nice bar setup and kitchen (with plenty of room in there as well). There's a beautiful play area outside with one tree that is ideal for posing (photography). I will definitely use this place when I need to host an event large enough.

This is the first time I have been to this park in several years... this evening my husband and I…read morehad an impromptu picnic of Gengi Go on the picnic tables. Historically, I have been to two parties at this facility... the shelter house is a completely enclosed building, with a bathroom, and kitchen... out back there is a large open grill for heavy duty cooking. There's a bike/walk path, open field for play, and swing set. This place would be ideal for a graduation party, family reunion, or birthday party.

This is a beautiful little park hidden within a neighborhood. There is a small parking lot…read moreavailable at the entrance of the park. The entire area is only about 39 acres, but there are a lot trails crisscrossing, as well as a stream, that provides plenty of places to explore. Around the top of the quarry is a scenic trail that provides plenty of overlook opportunities, plus a chance to stroll through the forest. If you head down into the quarry itself, you will find beautiful wildflowers during the spring, plus the stream winding throughout. A bit of a waterfall forms on one end. It seems like a nice place to go creeking once it gets hot! There are two bridges within the lower part of the quarry, but there are also several areas where stepping stones aid in crossing the stream. There are a number of benches, particularly near the overlooks, and there is a trashcan and a pet bag/waste area both near the park entrance. Wonderful green space!

Very beautiful park with alot of amenities. Great shelter house with nice tables and counter space…read morefor party or events. Water fountains near the playgrounds. Bike free trails. Dog free park. Tennis courts and parking and a nice open field.

This is a nice park located behind the Jeffrey Mansion. There are quite a few amenities available,…read moreplus a nice sized greenspace. Near the parking area are the tennis courts and what looks like the pool area beyond that (closed this time of year - November - of course). If you head past the greenspace, you will find a very nice shelterhouse with restrooms (open during warmer parts of the year) and a lot of picnic tables, the playground, and the trailheads to stroll through the forest. The playground has limited weekday hours, as described on plentiful signage around it. Weekend hours were 8 am to dark right now. It offers a fenced-in area for the youngest kids with a climbing structure, a little house, and the like. The larger play area offers slides, climbing options, monkey bars, a moving balance beam, bridges, and more. There are also baby swings available. If you head into the woods, you will find great views of Alum Creek, which runs along the western side of the park. There's a nice boardwalk that takes you right down the hill up towards it to check it out and see any wildlife that might be nearby. The trees are overwhelmingly a bright yellow right now, which was a perfect pick-me-up on a cloudy day. There are benches and picnic tables also available near the woods and trailheads.

I really like this "planned" town square, nature path, park... whatever you decide to call it!! I…read moretook my sister here recently before her late afternoon flight back home. What a GREAT hidden gem, so close to the airport and the burbs of Columbus, but yet so far!! I think more downtowns should have a woodsy area to wander and "escape" a bit from the suburban "grind." Plenty of shops, restaurants, and even a brewery to check out, also apparently lots of fun festivals, but make sure you also wander the winding, wooded walkways, a WONDERFUL way to "get away from it all, right in your own backyard!!

Great food, great service, at great prices. I love the old timey restaurants like this one…read more After breakfast, I went down to the creek and let out some farts.

Looking for playgrounds, this one turned up not far from our house, and man, it's an amazing…read moreplayground. The park has open space, and a few basketball courts, and a small building that I assume holds restrooms. But we were here for the playground, and it is huge, and diverse, and unusual, and fun. Baby K loooooved it, and we will be back. Nothing like other playgrounds, it seems to be unique. Lots of things to climb on, stuff that bounces, educational areas, plus swings and slides and all. A lot of it is accessible to kids of any age and ability. For the older kids there are cool climbing areas, etc. It was busy on a Saturday so in the interests of health we did not stay long, but hopefully on weekdays it is quieter. Nice sized parking lot, easy access, clean and fun.

This was my first time to this park and I was impressed!! It's great for kids of all ages and…read moreabilities!! One of the most handicap accessible playgrounds I have visited. There are restrooms available and covered seating areas. There isn't much shade so take that into consideration in hot days!