I was brought to Columbus for the first time on the 4th of July weekend to visit my boyfriend, who recently moved here. While in the capital and most populous city of Ohio, I got to do quite a bit of sightseeing and exploring. I found the city clean, safe, and enjoyable. I also noticed that everything opened a lot later than I expected (could be due to the holiday weekend).
Before my trip, I did extensive research on the best things to do in Columbus in the Summer on a budget. In my search, I found these helpful resources: Free Things to Do This Summer in Columbus and Columbus on the Cheap. These sites helped me find fun and free activities for the 4th of July weekend.
On my first day in the city, I strolled around Ohio State University, which is great to explore in the quieter summer months. While there, I got to check out multiple free museums within the university.
These are the four I checked out (all are open to the public):
- William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library (has special collections, rare books and manuscripts)
- Wexner Center for the Arts (lab & public gallery)
- Orton Geological Museum (located in Orton Hall, one of the oldest remaining buildings on Ohio State University campus)
- The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (houses the world’s largest collection of materials related to cartoons and comics)
As a book nerd, one of the spots I was most excited to check out was The Book Loft of German Village. It’s one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores and home to 32 rooms of bargain books. It’s without a doubt a book lover’s dream. I felt like Alice in Wonderland, happily lost in a world of novels. I easily spent over an hour exploring all the rooms.
After spending longer than anticipated in The Book Loft, it was time to walk around the German Village and make our food and drink stops. I loved the area and the architecture of the buildings. There was also a full moon, so that made the experience all the more magical🌕.
On July 1st, we went to the Short North Arts District for the free gallery exhibitions (the free gallery hop occurs the first Saturday of the month). Before the art tour, we had brunch at Bodega. My Bloody Mary hit the spot! I had a chicken salad that was good, other than the chicken being too salty.
While in the area, I had to check out a toy store called Big Fun that was filled with nerdabilia and nostalgia. I ended up getting an ornament and a Game of Thrones sticker. If you like vintage toys, including Star Wars, Transformers, GI Joe, My Little Pony, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I’d recommend taking a peek.
I enjoyed walking around the area at my leisure, taking pictures, going into stores, and observing all the art and sights. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip! It’s certainly the place to be on the first Saturday of the month.
As a true Miami girl, I love rooftop bars. While in the Short North, we went to the Lincoln Social Rooftop for some drinks, obligatory pictures, and a nice city view. For those who are just as obsessed with Espresso Martinis as I am, they have an amazing one😍.
Later on that day, after a long day of art, food, and drinks, we did a last-minute escape room at Escape Room USA. They have multiple options to choose from; just make sure to reserve your spot ahead of time to get the room you want.
The next day, we hopped on the COTA Zoo Bus to get $3 admission into the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (the bus is $2 each way). Bus times are here. Honestly, it’s such an incredible deal, and you don’t have to worry about parking.
We got unlucky with the weather and couldn’t see everything the zoo had to offer, but it was still a good time (especially for the price)! We got to see a lot of animals, considering it was rainy. Next time, I need to see the polar bear!
We celebrated the 4th of July early with the Red, White & Boom Downtown Columbus Independence Day Celebration. This annual festival included music, entertainment, children’s activities, and food vendors on the Scioto Mile, Nationwide Blvd., Long Street, and North Bank Park. While we waited for the festival to truly get started, we did some sightseeing in the area.
As we waited for the fireworks and avoided the rain, we checked out local breweries (BrewDog, Land Grant Brewing, and The Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus) and ate at Condado Tacos. You can tell my boyfriend was so happy and determined to eat the nachos (it was a long day, and we were pretty hungry).
At 10 p.m., we were easily able to snag a good spot to catch the fireworks show!
We woke up too late the next day to see the Doo Dah Parade (a wild and wacky parade through the Short North) as we got to the area right as it was ending. On the bright side, there were still other festivities – like live music and street vendors – to enjoy for the 4th of July.
It’s no secret that I love chicken tenders. Before heading back home, I had some spicy Nashville-style fried chicken at Hot Chicken Takeover, which fulfilled my craving.
I had such a great time in Columbus, and I cannot wait to return!
Until next time,
Caylin
Caylin Jimenez 