Lots of things for kids to do. Large play ground area, mini golf, cave tour, petting farm, maze,…read morepre purchased bag for gem panning. We paid $145 for our family of 5 to do all the activities

Went on a Saturday around 12, started to get pretty busy around 12:45-1:30. Which makes the…read morecave/cavers very tight to walk through. While your down there your using a provided map to guide yourself around and match the corresponding areas ( Ex; A to A or 1-1 ) We went after it had just rained the night before, so everything was VERY wet. Wear waterproof/walking shoes if you plan on exploring. Be prepared to get dripped on by very cold water coming off nearby rocks, and the "ceiling". Coming down the initial very steep stairs is a beautiful view of different levels of rocks decending into a tunnel/cave where the rest of the cavers are. Tons of puddles all over the ground from collected rain water and the "droplets". Most the areas are about big enough for one person to walk through the tunnel areas at one time, and if your a larger person i DO NOT recommend going down there. Some areas are extremely tight and really only accessible to someone under 4'5 and around 100 pounds or less. (Im 5'4, 140 and some areas i almost got stuck cause it was too tight going through the rocks. It is neat to see though, i dont think id want to do it again as it is just wet rocks and the furthest tunnel was closed from the previous year that occurred from some heavy rain water. (The water collected, over time causing a collapse). So that was kind of a bummer but i get it for safety reasons. The gem mining was fun, definitely loaded with a lot of "gravel" type rocks so that was new for me, Ive only ever had ones with dirt/sand that yield rocks/gems/shark teeth. We found some really interesting gemstones in each tray. The petting zoo was great. I thought it wad Going to be boring and smelly, and i was happily wrong. The goats were adorable, when we came in a baby jumped through the fence and was following our group. And when we came inside the "pen" to pet them he ran back in it was very cute! The deer were a little skittish but very sweet and gentle. The treasure hunt/maze was VERY fun we enjoyed getting different prizes snd trading them within the group.

This is a living museum. Hands on for sure. A gem of a home that has undergone a multimillion…read moredollar makeover to its original state. The building was once chopped up into several units after the original owners. Everything invites you to touch and feel unlike most Wright museums. The furniture is sparse and reproductions. The guide invites us to sit and feel the experience. We learned lots of insider info from our knowledgeable host. Go and see this living gem.

Springfield OH is home to Westcott House, architect Frank Lloyd Wright's first (and only) Prairie…read morestyle home in the state. The Westcott House had fallen into disrepair over the years, and was restored in 2005 by the local non profit Westcott House Foundation. The Foundation now owns the property and preserves it as a museum, which is open to the public for tours. Tour tickets can be purchased online. Our tour guide was fantastic. She had so much knowledge about the house, the architectural style and the Westcott family. The tour was scheduled for 90 minutes, but I think she could have shared info with us all day! The museum gift shop had some beautiful items. Parking is available on the street in front of the museum.

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.

Went here with my kids over spring break and it was a great way to spend the day. We got there…read morearound 10am and parking was super easy. There's a lot of it, including handicap spots right up front. The museum is huge, way bigger than I expected, with two floors and different sections that go in order through history, which was really cool. It's also completely free to get in and park, which is a big plus. The kids loved the interactive exhibits, and the staff was really helpful and knew their stuff if you had questions. We grabbed food at the cafeteria and it wasn't bad at all. Definitely recommend, especially if you have kids and need something fun to do.

8.6/10 Had a good time going to this place solo. Very informational and I could stay here all day…read more Good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good

You know, I was never a fan of being dragged to the art museum as a kid. It was boring! Who wants…read moreto stand around looking at pictures all day? But I think if the museum had been like it is now, I would have loved it. Even as an adult, it adds so much to the experience to have the themed activities in nearly every gallery. There are games, writing and drawing prompts, books to read, and more to really connect people of all ages with the artwork and keep you coming back. The free admission on Sundays and $5 Thursday nights are great, too! Whether you're local or visiting, it really is worth your time to spend a few hours at one of the most accessible museums in town.

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.

What a cute area in Ohio! I stumbled upon this area when searching for things to do on Yelp. When I…read morewas planning to visit, I did not have any particular place in mind to visit; I just planning to stroll and pop into places if they looked enticing. We had our dog with us so we did not do an abundance of walking around. From what I saw, there were no places that welcomed pets in the businesses. It makes sense and it was no biggie, I just did not spend as much time as I would have if pets were welcome. I stopped into what I thought was a deli but more like a restaurant with a counter, hoping to purchase goodies for home. There are several stores for shopping, which were fun to browse. I only purchased some chocolates in a candy store, which apparently were made in house. I definitely want to visit here again with more research.

This is a lovely historic neighborhood just a couple miles south of downtown Columbus. If you have…read morea free afternoon and the weather is nice, it's well worth a visit to Schiller Park (dog-friendly with benches) which has a garden and statue dedicated to the German poet Schiller. I took COTA Bus #5 from downtown Columbus (Ohio Statehouse) and explored the area just north of the park. The brick houses and cobblestone alleyways provide a glimpse of life in the 1880s and early 1900s when this area became a central hub for the German-American community. I don't think there are too many kid-friendly activities or museums nearby - but it makes a pleasant excursion if you're stuck at the Convention Center for a conference in downtown Columbus. Street parking looked a bit challenging. If Bus #5 is running slow on your return trip from the German Village back to the downtown area (it can be up to a 30 minute wait if you just missed the last bus), consider taking an Uber/Lyft taxi instead.

This historic home stands along high street, just north of Olde Worthington. It was once the…read moreresidence of Orange Johnson , a local comb-maker, and a few other families. The oldest part of the house was built in 1811 by Arora Buttles, which includes the kitchen with the original walk-in fireplace and a bread oven. The federal style facade and four more rooms were added by Johnson in 1816, making it one of central Ohio's oldest homes still standing in its original location. The Orange Johnson House is decorated in period furniture from important early Worthington families. It also houses a small museum of objects from Worthington's early colonial history, as well as Native American artifacts and a collection of 19th century women's hair combs and comb making tools. Costume-clad docents lead guided tours through the Orange Johnson House on Sundays from 2 until 5, from April through December- or by appointment. The museum is owned and operated by the Worthington Historical Society. A great time of year to visit is either during the holidays, when the home is decorated to the gilt or during midsummer when the herb garden is in full bloom and the lavender is just gorgeous!

I went with my daughter on a school field trip. It was very well done, the guides were dressed in…read morePioneer dress. They were knowledgeable and did a fantastic job.

This is a cute little museum featuring exhibits, shows, and interactive stations related to…read morescience, history, technology, and more. There is a very nice little planetarium (the Scidome), and viewing a show is included in the price of admission. We saw "From Earth to the Universe," which provided a crash course on astronomy throughout history and a look at our galaxy and the universe. The first floor of the space features a lot of interactive and hands-on activities, such as building a circuit, learning about your body, building and racing cars from objects like Legos, plus a 6-and-under play area. The hot shop is also located in this area, and it was very interesting to watch them work with the hot glass (and a very pleasant space to be in on such a cold day!) Upstairs is a wealth of local and regional historical information for Newark and Licking County and its citizens and discoveries. A giant mastadon skull greets you as you come up the stairs, as the Burning Tree Mastadon was found in the county. The Jerrie Mock exhibit, complete with a flight simulator and a replica of her airplane, the Spirit of Columbus, was extremely popular with the kids. (Jerrie Mock, a Newark native, was the first woman to fly solo around the world). A little historic village, complete with cash registers, scales, and games is also available to walk through on this level. Given the weather, we didn't spend as much time out in the courtyard as we probably would have otherwise, but we definitely made it over to the building housing the interurban railway car, the back end of which you can walk in and look around the interior of. There's also a really well done mural on the topic out by the parking lot. Staff was friendly and welcoming, and the museum was clean and comfortable. There is plentiful parking outside. A small gift shop, including items made in the hot shop, is available near the entrance.

My niece loves to go to another children's museum in a nearby city. Unfortunately, it's a little…read morepricey for what it has to offer beyond your 1st visit & there is very little for adults to interact with & engage. We recently went to Cosi 1 weekend instead. The Works is hands down a better experience than the other children's museum. This is now her favorite of the 3 places we've been. Unfortunately, the glass blowing was closed for routine maintenance & we have plans to return when open again. The bottom floor houses the small planetarium & hands on exhibits & play areas for kids & upstairs is more informative displays of the local area, the Works history & a brief technology over view. I've heard there's a café associated with the museum across the outdoor area but we didn't look into that the day we were there. 10/10 recommend a visit if you're in the area & looking for something new, fun & educational for kids to do.