Took K here for the Barbie exhibit. She loved it, and wanted half the Barbies (and knew some of…read morethe history already.) Housed in a nice historic building, it's just three small rooms. But they are nicely arranged and chock-full of interesting dolls, some almost 200 years old. There's a printed guide, and a treasure hunt sheet. The staff are super friendly and talked to Baby K a lot, about the displays and about her dolls. There are furnished rooms with interesting artifacts as well as antiques for sale, but we barely saw those. Definitely worth a visit if you are anywhere nearby, and a detour if you are at all into dolls like some K.

During the family trip to Columbus and while my brother was taking the exam for his insurance…read moreagent's license, my mom and me decided to explore. I told her there was this great antique store I wanted to try and brought her over to The Doll Museum at the Old Rectory as a surprise. My mom loves dolls. Still owns several of them. She used to have a ton of them. I never really liked them, they used to creep me out as a kid as I sometimes felt they were watching me. Still she absolutely loves them and I thought it would be a fun surprise for her to visit a Doll Museum. Anyway she realized the surprise as soon as she saw the sign. I laughed when she said... you lied! You said this was an antique store... well its both i responded! We walked in and were greeted by two sweet ladies who are part of Worthington Historical Society. They told us a bit about the society as well as the history of the building we were in, which was built back in 1845 as the Rectory of St.Johns Episcopal Church. It now holds the Doll Museum which has 19th and 20th Century dolls from all over the world and also has an antique/consignment store attached. They took us on a tour of the place and talked about the dolls they had on display. My mom was so happy throughout the tour, and made the entire trip to Columbus worth it. Once we were finished we shopped in the antique store where i found an antique porcelain figurine from Denmark, a few items i thought would make my living room look nicer, and some jewelry I bought for my bestie. I got her this vintage turquoise bracelet! Also the proceeds help fund the historical society, so it was for a good cause! My whole experience here was wonderful. Although I will never love dolls... i love antique stores. By the end, we left with a smile on our faces ready to continue enjoying our family trip. If you are into dolls or antiques, definitely come check this place out!

Did you ever wonder why Westerville remained "dry" until just a few years ago? Not many people are…read moreaware the Prohibition movement began as a moral crusade right here in Ohio. In Oberlin, to be exact, but it moved to Westerville in 1893. Back in the late 19th century, the movement to make alcohol illegal was spawned in our very back yard. It was known as the "Anti-Saloon League" and its headquarters was moved to Westerville, and remained active from 1893 to 1933. National politics was influenced through the printed word and lobbying and eventually, Prohibition was enacted by Constitutional amendment. A truly amazing story. The League bequeathed an important collection of written material to the Westerville Public Library which houses the Anti-Saloon League Museum. It is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9:00am-6:00pm and by appointment. A very cool piece of national history in Westerville!

Wow this was a bit of a strange encounter.... We came looking for the museum about the history of…read moreprohibition however, it seems like the museum is in the process of transition to an interactive exhibit on journalism and the history of newspapers in the area. It's definitely coming together and there are a few prohibition artifacts left , but we were definitely disappointed not to learn more about the origins of the prohibition movement--A bit of a disappointment. The museum is located in the public library downtown.

Had an awesome evening at the Immersive Monet & The Impressionists exhibit. Featuring work of…read moreMonet, and Renoir, Degas, and some others. We went to the 7:30pm show and spent about an hour there. There was plenty of parking and a real easy guided checkin and entrance. The exhibit itself loops so it is nice that you can walk in at anytime and not miss anything. This was different than the immersive Van Gough exhibit as the Monet had some bold and more integrated transitions. We definitely felt a bit more immersed. This was the Second Immersive exhibit we have been too and it made for such a nice evening. We went for the Basic Admission and it was perfect. You can upgrade for $10 more for a rental cushion and more but we didn't think it was necessary. I would recommend checking it out, especially if you are a fan of Monet, Impressionist paintings, or these type of exhibits. It is really well done but would highlight it is not a virtual reality metaverse type of exhibit but it did not disappoint.

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.

I'm not a big train person, but many in my family are or were (dad, brother, wife, daughter.)…read more We've thought about coming here for awhile, and today worked out. Very limited hours (Sunday 12-4.) The train rides are every hour, at the half hour, so 1230, 130, 230, 330. We came just as one was leaving. It's one car, an old streetcar, and a very cool, short ride. Goofy jokes from the engineer, info and sightseeing comments from the conductor, lots of whistle blows. Baby K loved it. There are other streetcars and trains in the yard, some of which you can climb in, many others awaiting restoration. It's very clearly an all-volunteer labor of love. The volunteers were very friendly and helpful, especially of the kids. It's not a fancy place, and you have to be careful on the tracks and gravel, etc., but it is great fun for kids. For this non-train-guy history buff, it was very cool. There are some displays in the station, and a few toys for the kids (a train set to play on, and some to buy.) They do Halloween and Christmas events, so we'll probably be back for those or just so Baby K (and maybe even Sweetie) can ride the train.

I took my almost 12 year old to the Viral Selfie Museum at Polaris over winter break. We had a…read moreblast! It's $20 per person, $15 for kids and half off on Tuesdays. For that price, you get to wander around for an hour through all the different rooms and sets, interacting with props and snapping all the selfies and photos you like. There are phone stands and selfie lights you can use with your phone's timer if you get tired of holding your phone. The scenes, themes and sets are so cute! All are unique and there are so many to choose from. The staffer said they will change out the sets and rooms often. I know they had several Christmas themed rooms that have already been switched to something new. If you love taking selfies and pictures, this is such a cute spot! I can see dressing up with friends and going as a girls night out. I could also envision dressing the family in coordinating outfits and coming to the Viral Selfie Museum to take some really cute, unique family portraits. Basically if you like photography, you need to check this place out! Also, they do close for parties so call before you come. And speaking of parties - how cute would this be to host a tween, teen or really any birthday party? I will definitely be back!

By far the best selfie museum in Columbus! Great location & an even better experience! 10/10read more

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.

The city of Worthington, founded in 1803, is one of the oldest towns in central Ohio. The…read moreWorthington Historical Society was founded in 1955 as an organization to protect the heritage of the village. The historical society now owns the historic Orange Johnson House, which is a living museum; the Old Rectory, which houses a Doll Museum; and an Indian Mound on on Plesenton Drive. The mound, which is among a few left in Ohio, is made available to Ohio State University for archaeological studies. The Worthington Historical Society is best known for its annual tour of homes, which takes place in July.

From the owner: The Old Rectory, owned by the Worthington Historical Society, houses a Gift Shop with consigned and…read moredonated antiques & collectibles, as well as a Doll Museum that specializes in 19th and 20th century dolls.

A friend wanted to celebrate her birthday here taking ridiculous photos with friends after not…read morebeing with groups of people for the first few years of the Coronavirus pandemic. Not enough people RSVP'd for an actual party that night so we all bought our own tickets (adult tickets are $15 Thursdays, $25 other days) and met up there. Street parking is available but watch for signs to make sure you aren't parking somewhere that needs a pass. If you can't parallel park, maybe have someone drive who is comfortable doing it. In total, 10 people showed up including a child in a wheelchair. Our tickets were for an hour but I believe we took about 2 hours; there were maybe 4 other people we saw during that time so the owner didn't rush us out. The business has around a dozen themes and several walls with fun graphics and lights. It was easy to start our way in the back and work towards the front. Or you could start on the left or right and work your way around the U shape. It was a really fun way for us to be silly, take photos, and make good memories.

This place is so much fun!!! We took a group of 12 year olds on a Friday evening for some birthday…read morefun and they all thought it was so cool. My husband and I had fun too taking some pics. There are 20 areas plus they have some selfie lights around that you can also use. Parking is on the street but we didn't have any trouble finding spots. We reserved our tickets ahead of time by emailing with the business. Highly recommend!