Once we got past a little bit of the sticker shock for tickets (we were only visiting for two hours…read moremax), we thoroughly enjoyed our visit here. Our only regret was not having more time to see all of the wings and exhibits COSI has to offer. I was surprised that for the ticket price they didn't include the Behind the Science of Pixar exhibit. Parking can easily be found in their underground garage that is nearly connected. We explored the museum with our two and four year olds- making our way between the engineering/innovators exhibit, young kiddo play area, and caught a science show on the main stage (they seem to keep it fairly booked with various topics throughout the day). They also offer a gift shop and a movie theatre for documentaries like a piece on Ohio's wildlife. Overall, a positive experience and I look forward to visiting again with more time.

Great day for the kids. Pretty interesting for adults, too. The permanent exhibits are fascinating,…read moreand they have some rotating exhibits included with general admission. It's irritating that the special exhibits have extra entry fees, but I guess that's how things are these days. Everything has an upcharge. The food in the cafe tastes good, is overpriced, and is unforgivably stingy. The chicken salad sandwich would probably be good if they actually put chicken salad in it, and for the price, they damn well should. The exhibits are dusty and could use a cleaning. This, to me, was ridiculous, and took away from the experience. The kids probably didn't care, but when you're a parent throwing money at a place, hand over fist, you at least would like it clean. Good lord, the gift shop... handfuls of target and dollar store crap your kids will bawl their eyes out for. Be prepared. You've seen everything there at half the price.

My family and I absolutely love this museum. It has a lot of different galleries and areas to look…read moreat and explore. They have a great discovery area for kids to explore which is really a hands on experience for the kids to interact with. They have a really cool 1950s house that is really neat to go into and explore. It's also a hands on experience for people to interact with. They have some really cool skeletons in some of the exhibits. Other exhibits have artwork and flags, some have military items, and other historical artifacts you won't see anywhere else. This museum is definitely a must see and experience. The have a small cafe up on the 2nd floor which has a few food items you can enjoy while your in the cafe area and it has some good drink options as well. Nothing huge but enough to have a snack and relax while you look at the airplanes around the cafe. Staff and Services: The staff were very friendly and welcoming, they were also very informative when we was asking questions about different things about the museum. Prices: Entry $ Giftshop $-$$ Cafe $ Cleanliness: Super clean in the exhibits, the walkways were clean and clear, and the bathrooms were very clean Ombiance: quaint and quiet Overall Experience: Amazing Rating: 10/10 Recommendation: I absolutely recommend everyone to come and visit this museum there is something for everyone to enjoy. Family Friendly: Absolutely Stroller/Wheelchair Friendly: Yes it's very stroller/wagon friendly and it's very wheelchair friendly they have an elevator to get to the other floor to make it more accessible for those who can't use stairs

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.

Nice museum. Staff may need a refresher-training in common courtesy and basic customer service…read more Not happy to answer questions. Actually received an eye-roll. Cleanliness was a little sub-par. Maybe it's the economy. Maybe it was just a bad day. Overall 4 stars.

Whenever I travel (personal or business) I always make an effort to visit the local art.museum(s)…read more Always worth a stop when I'm in town, The Columbus Museum of Art never disappoints. The permanent collect ranges from antiquity to pr sent (the museum was founded in 1878), and the CMA is host to several exhibits each year. My most recent visit treated me to Wild Earth: JB Blunk and Toshiko Takaezu. Things to know: * The CMA is part of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, a network of 1,470 art museums and galleries that offer reciprocal free entry to members of the museums in the network. Become a member/support your local art museum, especially if they are part of NARM. * The museum has a cafe, so feel free to make a day of your visit. * There are transportation options available to get to the museum, but it is also just a 20 minute walk from downtown. * There is a good deal of well done street art between downtown and the art center.

As others have stated, this is the place for train fans! You enter through a small building, which…read morehas a small memorabilia display, the ticket counter, and a small gift shop-type area (the small engines seem to be a big hit with all the kiddos we saw), as well as the restrooms. You head out through the back to the tracks to see the trains. There's a variety of them out there, and there is a combination of signage and enthusiastic volunteers who will guide you around the different engines and cars. They do preservation, rather than restoration, so you can definitely see the age on some of them, but it's fascinating to learn more, such as about the mail delivery car. Train rides run every hour at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 and last about 20 minutes. You get unlimited rides for the entry fee on the day of your visit, if you want to hang around for them. A volunteer walks up and down and provides narration about what you're seeing, some train facts, and info about where you're going. If you want to know in advance which train is running, you can check their facebook page the day of your visit. There's a small snack shack and a cute picnic area, alongside a train table for the youngsters - signage indicates you can bring a train with you or buy one in the shop. Hours are limited - Sundays 12-4 from May-December. There's a decent sized gravel parking lot out front. They also offer special events, such as haunted rides in October and holiday rides in December. Neat place! You can definitely tell it's a labor of love for the volunteers.

I'm sad to say that I've lived in Columbus almost 30 years and this is the first time we've visited…read morethe Ohio Railway Museum. The museum is only open from March through October AND ONLY on Sunday from noon until 4pm. My grandkids were in town from Colorado and we were looking for fun things to do. The museum certainly meet the need. The grandkids had a great time exploring the exhibits and going for a trolley ride (twice). The trolley runs at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 and makes about a 2 mile run. The museum's website says that their primary goal is PERSERVATION and not RESTORATION - although it's apparent they do some restoration of their rolling stock. Everyone associated with the museum is a VOLUNTEER and there are NO paid employees. All proceeds from ticket sales and concessions goes back into the museum's mission. They have a 4-6-2 steam locomotive that is open to the public, along with a passenger car, a railway mail car, and a streetcar. And, there is the interurban trolley used for the 2-mail excursions. Most of the rest of their stock is in various states of perservation or restoration. With 4 and 6-year grandkids in tow, we spent almost 2 hours at the museum. As someone noted - this is a nice small train museum that's well worth a visit but probably not a place for repeat visits.

On a whim I reserved a spot for an autumnal crown making event. It was wonderful! Lots of fun,…read morecreativity, snacks, and laughter. The instructor was great and other participants even shared supplies. I look forward to another event!

They put on another beautiful Gifts of the Craftsmen holiday market this year. I love the variety…read moreof all the items and it is always a great place to find very unique gifts. The volunteers do such a good job, as it does get crowded. The prices did seem noticeably higher this year, but it looks like they are hosting an after holiday sale. The Ohio designer craftsmen also host an art studio clearance sale at the Expo Center in February.

It took me 45 years but I finally made it back to Columbus Ohio for an event and absolutely HAD to…read morevisit the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum to see the Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) exhibit. Great place to visit if you're a fan of the illustrative arts.

This came up as one of the many free exhibits, to check out in Columbus ,Ohio area. Honestly, what…read moredon't they have a museum for these days. Located right on Ohio State University Campus, and can be experienced between 1/2 hr to 45 minutes based upon ones overall interest. History of the cartoons was rather fascinating, with rotating exhibits there's something to catch your eye. Parking is tricky, there is metered hour parking for $2.75, I was lucky to catch a spot. Its worth checking this museum out, definite hidden treasure, that's been open since 1977, located on the second floor. There are always free things to check out in cities that one visits, just need to do some research.

Pros: Able to book tickets in advance…read more Amazing choreography Show rolls in loop in case you miss anything Cons: Not much general seating; need to sit on the ground High prices Parking can be a challenge Pro tip: Don't need to get the set cushion or poster. Save your money.

We got tickets to this for my MIL's bday and it was really cool. She enjoyed it and overall it was…read morea great time. It's basically a huge room with Van Gogh's artwork splayed on the walls by a projector in an animated form. We enjoyed sitting in different positions to view alternative perspectives. There was also a lot of information about Van Gogh's life and family shared during the experience which was really interesting. Those are the pros. And here are the cons. After seeing some of Van Gogh's artwork in museums and attending other immersive art experiences, there could have been more to it for the price per person. Including fees it was a little over $50 per person which seems high considering we waited in line for our reservation for 30 minutes which was about the same as the loop ran. The prices in the gift shop were also pretty outrageous. Logistically where the building is located is also kind of a mess which isn't the fault of them per say but waiting to safety leave onto Polaris Parkway without a traffic light also added another 30 minutes to our evening plus the waiting for our reservation to start wasn't ideal. Having said all that, my MIL loved it which was the entire point of the evening. I also probably would have had FOMO had we not gone while it was here. I would recommend checking it out, but make sure to leave extra time in your night as well as tempering your expectations a bit.

This is another "hidden gem" of an attraction. We went to Newark specifically to visti the…read moreNational Heisey Glass Museum but it was much much more than we expected. This is an amazing look at the history of glass and the incredible run of the Heisey Glass Company. The collections are organized into various eras - clearly labled - that show the development of Heisey Glass over the years. Other collections are based on the type of glass - i.e. the introduction of different colors and styles. There are also exhibits illustrating Heisey's "animal glass". The staff is not only VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE but also EXTREMELY PRSONALBE and VERY WILLING (EAGER) to talk about the collections. There is a very informative (approximatley 20 minute) video that you shouldn't miss. Having spent 4 summers working in a glass plant while working my work through college, seeing and hearing the stories behind the Heisey glass was especailly fasicnating. The gift shop is loaded with pieces of "original Heisey glass" for sale at very resonable prices.

An amazing museum. I'm not into glass, but can appreciate the art and craft, well displayed here…read more Lots of different types of glass, from various eras, perfectly preserved and shown in well lit cases. Some knockoffs and more recent production, especially in the basement under the historic house. Another basement room is for meetings but also has artifacts from the factory and explains the glassmaking process. Staff are friendly and helpful. There's a gift shop with actual Heisey glass for sale, plus souvenirs and books. Parking out front, with this in the middle of the museum complex and park. Well worth a visit for anyone interested in local history, industry, art, and decor.

We love this place!…read more We've been members forever so that gives us flexibility. The latest butterfly exhibit is 5* Excellent staff....as always.

3.5 for me personally. While the butterfly exhibit and the conservatory was nice, it isn't very…read morebig. Plus a chunk of it is under construction. For $25 it was a pass for me considering the majority of the rest of Franklin Park is open to the public and free. There were lots of flowers and community gardens in the regular park. I think it is a good location for families with kids. Or if you are local and get a year pass.

I'm not sure what to call this place. Sign says Northwest Historical Village. The Hilliard…read moreHistorical Society is here, or nearby. The museum has its own name. But the sign says "village." It's on the Franklin County fairgrounds. Gates are open; follow your GPS. It's a small collection of historical buildings, giving the flavor of a village. Reproduction covered bridge, the rest are relocated: church, school, voting trailer, etc. All well maintained. Nothing open, on a weekday, and I can't find info for when it is. Maybe during the fair? A nice addition to local history. Wish it were more well known (I'm a history buff and just heard about it last year; somehow missed it during fair visits.) A few benches and tables, so it would be a nice place for lunch. Cool old railroad station. A little garage with old cars. An old tombstone. I'll be back someday.

I cannot actually give a review for this, so I made it neutral. It's supposed to be a replica of…read morelife in the 1800s in Ohio. The buildings in the park have either been saved and brought from another location or, like the cabin, pieces of wood and stone were used from elsewhere but locally. On the premises is a log cabin, a church, a one-room schoolhouse, a depot and caboose, a covered bridge, a gazebo, and a museum. There's nothing that says when the museum is open. However, on their Web site it says to call 614 876 4376 to arrange tours. When I get a chance to tour it, I will give an update.